Creating a Zoom meeting link takes two minutes and works the same way whether you're hosting a one-time call or a recurring meeting

A Zoom meeting link is a URL that lets people join your video call without installing anything or creating an account. When you start a meeting in Zoom, the app generates a link automatically. You copy that link and send it to whoever you want to invite. The link includes a meeting ID and password, so only people you send it to can join.

The fastest way to get a link is to start an instant meeting right now — Zoom creates the link as soon as the meeting begins. If you want to schedule a meeting for later, you can create the link ahead of time and send it out days in advance. Either way, the process is the same on desktop, phone, or web browser.

Key Takeaways

  • You can create a Zoom meeting link by starting an instant meeting or scheduling one in advance through the Zoom app or website.
  • The link includes a meeting ID and password, so you only need to send one URL — you do not have to share the password separately.
  • Once you have the link, copy it and paste it into an email, text message, or chat — there is no special way to send it.
  • People who receive the link can join by clicking it on any device, and they do not need a Zoom account or password.
  • You can change the meeting password, turn off the waiting room, or lock the meeting after people join — all from the meeting settings.

Starting an instant meeting and getting the link immediately

Open the Zoom app on your computer or phone and look for a button that says New Meeting or Start. Click it. Zoom will open a video window and start your meeting right away. At the bottom or top of the screen, you will see a button labeled Invite or Share — the exact wording depends on whether you are on desktop or mobile.

Click that button. A menu will pop up showing your meeting ID, a password, and a link. Look for the option that says Copy Link or Copy URL. Click it once. The link is now copied to your clipboard. Open an email, text message, or messaging app and paste it (usually Ctrl+V on Windows or Command+V on Mac). Send it to the people you want to invite. They can click the link and join immediately.

If you do not see a Copy Link button, look for Copy Meeting Invite or Invite Others. The exact button name varies by Zoom version, but the result is the same — you get a link you can paste and send.

Scheduling a meeting in advance and creating the link ahead of time

If you want to hold a meeting at a specific date and time, schedule it instead of starting it instantly. Open the Zoom app and look for a button labeled Schedule or Schedule a Meeting. Click it. A form will appear asking for the meeting title, date, time, and duration.

Fill in those details. You will see options for things like Recurring (if you want the same meeting to happen every week or every day) and Waiting Room (which makes people wait for you to let them in). For now, leave those as they are. Scroll down and click Save or Schedule. Zoom will create the meeting and show you a link. Click Copy Link or Copy Invite Link and paste it into an email or message. Send it to your invitees.

The link works immediately, even though the meeting has not started yet. When people click it at the scheduled time, they will join and wait for you to start the meeting. If you start early, they can join early. If you start late, they will see a waiting screen.

Finding your link if you already created the meeting

If you scheduled a meeting earlier and did not copy the link then, you can find it again without creating a new meeting. Open the Zoom app and look for a section called Meetings, Upcoming, or Schedule. You will see a list of meetings you have created. Find the one you want and click on it. A details panel will open showing the meeting title, time, and a link. Click Copy Link and paste it wherever you need to send it.

On the Zoom website, sign in to your account, go to Meetings, and find the meeting in the list. Click on the meeting name. The link will appear on the details page. Copy it the same way.

Understanding what the link includes and how it works

A Zoom meeting link looks something like this: https://zoom.us/j/123456789?pwd=abc123. The long number after the j/ is your meeting ID. The part after pwd= is the password, already built into the link. When someone clicks the link, they do not have to type the password — it fills in automatically.

This means you only send one thing: the link. You do not need to send the meeting ID and password separately in a different message. The link contains both. If you want to change the password later, you can do that in the meeting settings, and the link will update automatically.

People who receive the link can join from a computer, phone, tablet, or web browser. They do not need to create a Zoom account or download the app — they can join through the web browser if they prefer. The link is unique to your meeting, so only people you send it to can use it.

Copying the link from different devices

On a Windows computer, open the Zoom app, start or schedule a meeting, click Invite or Share, and click Copy Link. The link is now in your clipboard. Open Outlook, Gmail, or any email program and paste it with Ctrl+V.

On a Mac, the steps are identical except you paste with Command+V instead of Ctrl+V. On an iPhone or Android phone, open the Zoom app, start a meeting, tap Invite or Share, and tap Copy Link. Then open your email or messaging app and paste it. On a web browser, sign in to zoom.us, go to Meetings, click on the meeting you want, and copy the link from the details page.

Sending the link and managing who can join

Once you have the link, paste it into an email, Slack message, text message, or any other way you normally communicate with people. There is nothing special about how you send it — it is just a URL. You can also post it in a shared document, calendar invite, or team chat. Anyone who has the link can click it and join your meeting.

If you want to control who joins, you have a few options. The Waiting Room feature makes everyone wait in a virtual lobby until you let them in one by one. You can turn this on in the meeting settings before you send the link. Another option is to lock the meeting after everyone you invited has joined — this prevents anyone else from using the link to join later. You can lock the meeting from inside the call by clicking Participants or Security and selecting Lock Meeting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do people need a Zoom account to join using the link?

No. People can click the link and join through their web browser without creating an account or downloading the app. If they want to use the Zoom app instead, they can download it for free, but it is not required.

Can I change the password after I send the link?

Yes. The password is part of the link, so if you change the password in your meeting settings, the link updates automatically. Anyone using the old link will be asked to enter the new password.

What if I want to use the same link for multiple meetings?

You can set up a Personal Meeting ID (PMI) in your Zoom account settings. This gives you one permanent link that works for all your instant meetings. Every time you start a meeting using your PMI, people can join with the same link. This is useful if you hold regular meetings with the same group.

Can I send the link before the meeting is scheduled to start?

Yes. The link works immediately, even if the meeting is scheduled for days or weeks in the future. People can click it at any time, but they will see a waiting screen until you start the meeting.

What happens if someone loses the link?

You can send it again anytime. The link does not expire. If you want to prevent someone from joining, you can change the password or lock the meeting after others have joined.