Managing user groups and settings

Group management allows you to turn settings on or off for a group of users in your account. You can also set group admins to manage the members and settings for that group. The group admin can also see if the group they manage is set as the primary group for users within the group. The group admin does not need to be an account admin or have role permissions to edit user groups.

Note: Refer to the New Admin Experience article for a summary of the changes that were deployed to all accounts in June 2022.

This article covers:

• Prerequisites for using the New Admin Experience
• How to add a new group
• How to add group admins
• How to manage members in a group
  • Add users to a group
  • Remove users from a group
  • Set a user's primary group
• How to change group settings
• Group-level settings available 
  • Profile tab
  • Meeting tab
  • Recording tab
  • Zoom Phone tab
  • Audio Conferencing tab
  • Team Chat tab
  • Zoom Apps tab
  • Whiteboard tab
• How to manage contact groups
  • Determine how users/groups are shown in the desktop client and mobile app
  • Link groups to the Contacts page
  • Create a contact group
  • Edit a group's privacy settings

Prerequisites for managing user groups and settings

• Paid Zoom account
• Account owner or admin privileges
• View and edit access to the Groups and Contacts privileges in role management
• Account has the New Admin Experience enabled

How to create a new group

Groups allow you to turn settings on or off for a group of users in your account. You can also use groups to organize users in the Contacts tab in the Zoom desktop client and mobile app.

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
2. In the navigation menu, click User Management then Groups.
3. Click Add Group.
4. Enter a name and description for the new group.
5. Click Add.
   This group will now show up in your groups list.

How to add group admins

You can set group admins to manage the members and settings for that group. The group admin can also see if the group they manage is set as the primary group for users within the group. The group admin does not need to be an account admin or have role permissions to edit user groups.

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
2. In the navigation menu, click User Management then Groups.
3. Click the name of the group you would like to set admins for.
4. Next to Group Admins, click the plus sign (+).
5. Enter one or more names or email addresses of users that you would like to set as group admins.
6. Click Add.

How to manage members in a group

Add users to a group

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
2. In the navigation menu, click User Management then Users.
3. Check one or more users you want to add to the group.
4. Click Group.
5. Confirm the list of users.
6. Select the name of the group from the User Group drop-down menu.
7. Click Save.

Group members can also be added from the Groups page directly. 

Remove users from a group

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
2. In the navigation menu, click User Management then Groups.
3. Click the user group you want to edit. 
4. Click the Profile tab. 
5. Under the Member section next to Total Members, click the current total number of members. 
6. Check one or more users you want to remove.
7. Click Remove and then Delete to confirm the change. 
   
8. (Optional) Alternatively, click Move to Another Group to instead send them to another existing group.

Set a user's primary group

If a user is in multiple groups, you can set a primary group for users.

Notes:

• By default, the primary group is the first group the user is added to. The user will use the primary group's meeting, audio conferencing, and recording settings. For chat settings, the group that has the most restrictive chat setting will apply to the user.
• If meeting, audio conferencing, and recording settings settings are locked in a non-primary group, those settings will be locked for that user and override the primary group settings.
• If you have an Information Barriers policy, Zoom will only apply the policy of the user's primary group.

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
2. In the navigation menu, click User Management then Groups.
3. Click the name of the group you would like set as primary.
4. Click the ellipses icon (...) next to the user you would like to set the primary group for.
5. Click Set as Primary Group.
6. Click Save to confirm that you would like to set this group as primary for this user.

How to change group settings

Settings can also be turned on or off and be locked at the group level. If not locked for the account or group, they can be adjusted by the individual user. Learn more about tiered settings.

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
2. In the navigation menu, click User Management then Group Management.
3. Click the applicable group name from the list.
   This main settings are in the following tabs: Meetings, Recording, and Audio Conferencing.
4. Click a toggle to enable or disable a setting. You can change these settings
5. (Optional) Click the lock icon to lock a setting. If you lock a setting, the group members will not be able to modify it individually.
   Note: Settings can also be locked at the account level. This will be noted next to the setting. If a setting is locked at the account level, you will need to change it under Account Settings.

Group-level settings available

The following settings are only available at the group level. 

Notes:

• Some settings are dependent on certain prerequisites. If you do not see a setting listed for your group, review the article on the setting to see if your account meets those prerequisites.
• In addition to these settings, you have access to the same settings as user-level settings.

Profile tab

• Profile of Group
  • Group Name: Enter a display name for the group. If the group is set to show in the company contacts directory, the group name is also displayed in the desktop client and mobile app.
  • Group Description: Enter a description to help you identify the group. The description is only viewable to admins in the web portal. It's not visible in the company contacts directory.
• Member
  • Group Admins: Add group admins.
  • Total Members: Click the number of members to view a list of members and add members.
• Communications Content Storage Location: Manage the storage location of Communications Content.
• Transit Data: Select the data center regions for hosted meetings and webinars.

General tab

• System Updates
  • Require users to update the client: Require users who are using older versions of Zoom to update to the minimum client versions specified below. This setting is also available at the account level.
• Profile and Contacts
  • Default vanity URL: Choose a specific vanity URL to be used by all users in this group. This will affect their meeting join links, displaying the chosen vanity URL. 
    Note: This option is not available by default, as most accounts have only one vanity URL. Learn about multiple vanity URLs. 
  • Allow users to add contacts: Allow users to add Zoom contacts to their contacts directory. Click an option to set the level of access.
    Note: If turned off, users can't add contacts but can still view the company contact directory.
  • Allow users to search others✱✱: Allow group members to use the global search bar in the client to search for other users.
    Note: This setting is only available at the group level. This setting also applies when users search for others in the Zoom web portal. For example, when users assign alternative hosts to meetings/webinars, pre-assign participants to breakout rooms, or assign panelists to webinars.
• Data & Storage
  • Recordings & Whiteboard & Notes & Clips: Choose the region where this groups' cloud recordings, Whiteboards, Notes, and Clips are stored. 
  • Customize data centers for meeting/webinar/whiteboard/note data: Choose which data centers are available for processing the real-time data generated when using these features. 
• Other
  • Feedback to Zoom: Choose if users have the in-client option to send feedback to Zoom. 
  • Show "Join from a room" feature on Zoom meetings in the Zoom client meeting list: Choose if users are able to view the in-app option to join a meeting or webinar from a local Zoom Room. 
  • Hide potentially sensitive information on mobile task switcher

Meeting tab

• In Meeting (Advanced)
  
  • Virtual background
  • Show a custom disclaimer when starting or joining a meeting
• Invitation Email Branding: Click Edit to customize email templates. Learn more about the schedule meeting email template.
  Note: If you have a vanity URL, you can customize additional email templates.
• Other
  • Allow users to contact Zoom's Support via Chat: Display a floating Help button at the bottom-right corner of the web portal to live chat with Zoom Support.

Recording tab

• Prevent hosts from accessing their cloud recordings: Do not allow hosts to view their cloud recordings for meetings. Only admins with recording management privilege can access their cloud recordings.
• Cloud recording downloads: Allow anyone with a link to the cloud recording can download the recording.

Zoom Phone tab

Displays Zoom Phone group-level settings.

Audio Conferencing tab

• Toll Call: Control the use of toll-based numbers for audio conferencing, as well as which numbers are available for use.  
• Choose where most of the participants call into or call from the meeting: Select the region where most audio conferencing participants will join from, in order to improve connection delay. 
• 3rd Party Audio: Allow the use of audio connections with 3rd-party services. Admins will provide dial-in information for their chosen 3rd-party service. 
• Mask phone number in the participant list: Enable to partial mask dial-in participants phone number. 

• Global Dial-in Countries/Regions: Control which regions participants are allowed to dial-in to for audio connections. Attempts to join a meeting from a dial-in number of an unauthorized region will fail. 

Team Chat tab

Settings with a large asterisk (✱) can only be changed at the account level.

Settings with two large asterisks (✱✱) can only be changed at the group level.

Some settings are dependent on certain prerequisites. If you do not see a setting listed for, review the article on the setting to see if your account meets those prerequisites.

• Sharing: Allow users in the group or account to use these chat features:
  • Screen capture✱
  • Users can share files in chats and channels
  • File transfer
  • Chat emojis
  • Animated GIF images✱
  • Code Snippet✱
  • Record Audio Message✱
  • Record Video Message✱
• Visibility✱
  Note: All chat visibility settings can only be changed at the account level.
  • Set Chat as a default tab for first-time users
  • Show H.323 contacts
  • Link accounts to an organization
  • Ungrouped users can search for any contacts: Users not in a group can search for any user in the same account or organization.
    Note: Each group's privacy settings will still apply. Users will not be able to search for other users in restricted groups.
  • Announcements
  • Suppress deleted or deactivated user notice in group chats and channels
• Security tab
  • Enable advanced chat encryption✱
  • Enable Personal channel in Chat window✱
  • Allow users to chat with others: Allow users to chat with internal or external contacts.  Click an option to set the level of access.
  • Allow users to create channels✱✱: Choose if users in this group can create public and/or private channels in Team Chat. If a user is prevented from creating a public or private channel, they will see a message in the client that their group is restricted from adding channels. This feature requires client version 5.11.0 or higher.
  • Share links to messages and channels in Team Chat
  • Show status to external contacts✱
• Storage
  • Cloud storage
  • Local storage for Team Chat messages (excluding personal channel messages)✱
  • Store edited and deleted message revisions✱
  • Third party archiving

Zoom Apps tab

• Zoom Apps Quick Launch Button: Control the visibility of the Zoom Apps options in the desktop client and mobile app. 

Whiteboard tab

Displays Whiteboard admin settings. 

How to manage contact groups

You can use the Contacts page to control users and groups that appear in the desktop client and mobile app (displayed in the All Contacts section on the Contacts tab). These users or groups will also be searchable when using Zoom Phone (Phone tab) or a provisioned desk phone.

Determine how users/groups are shown in the desktop client and mobile app

Follow these steps to show the account's users and groups in the desktop client and mobile app (displayed in the All Contacts section on the Contacts tab).

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
2. In the navigation menu, click User Management then Contacts.
3. Enable the toggle at the top of the page to display the account's users and groups in the desktop client and mobile app (displayed in the All Contacts section on the Contacts tab).
4. (Optional) Select the following check boxes:
   
   • List all account users under ‘All Contacts’: All users will appear under Company Contacts (displayed in the All Contacts section on the Contacts tab). Any contact groups created will not be displayed in the desktop client or mobile app when this option is enabled.
     Note: If you enable this setting, Team Chat group-level settings will not take effect.
   • List all Zoom Rooms under ‘All Contacts’: Select this if you don’t want Zoom Rooms to be organized as defined in the Contacts page > Zoom Rooms tab. Instead, all Zoom Rooms will appear under Zoom Rooms (displayed in the All Contacts section on the Contacts tab).
5. Click Continue to confirm.

Link groups to the Contacts page

You can link user groups to contact groups and control how these contact groups appear in the desktop client and mobile app (displayed in the All Contacts section on the Contacts tab). Each group you select will be added as a new, separate contact group. Each contact group name will be the same as its corresponding user group name. Alternatively, follow the instructions in the next section to manually create and name contact groups (by adding individual users, or based on one or more user groups). Any users added to or removed from the user group will be reflected in the contact group.

Note: If a contact group doesn't have any members, it will not be available and will not appear in the list to be linked/imported to the Contacts page. The admin must add members to the contact group, even if there is an admin and no members for that group.

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
2. In the navigation menu, click User Management then Contacts.
3. Click Select Groups.
   Note: Even if you select multiple groups, each group will be created as its own contact group.
4. Search for and select groups to import, then select a privacy setting:
   • Visible to anyone, searchable by anyone: All users can see the group in the client and app (displayed in the All Contacts section on the Contacts tab). All users can search for group members.
   • Visible to members only, searchable by anyone: Only members can see the group in the client and app (displayed in the All Contacts section on the Contacts tab). All users can search for group members.
   • Visible to members only, searchable by members only: Only members can see the group in the client and app (displayed in the All Contacts section on the Contacts tab). Group members are only searchable by other group members.
5. Click Import.

Create a contact group

You can manually create a contact group to organize your users in the desktop client and mobile app (displayed in the All Contacts section on the Contacts tab). This method allows you to create contact groups by selecting individual users, one or more user groups, or a combination of both. Alternatively, follow the instructions in the previous section to individually link existing user groups to use them as contact groups.

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
2. In the navigation menu, click User Management then Contacts.
3. Click Add Contact Group.
4. Enter the following settings:
   • Contact Group Name: Enter a display name to help identify the group.
   • Description: Enter a description for the group.
   • Add Contacts: Specify users or groups to add the new contact group.
     Note: If you select a group, all users in that group will be added to this new contact group. Any users added to or removed from the user group in the future will also be updated in the contact group, However, adding a user group here will not create a separate contact group.
   • Group Privacy: Edit the group's privacy settings.
5. Click Save.

Edit a group's privacy settings

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
2. In the navigation menu, click User Management then Contacts.
3. Click the ellipses icon (...) then click Edit to change privacy settings for the group and its members:
   • Visible to anyone, searchable by anyone: All users can see the group in the client and app (All Contacts section in the Contacts tab). All users can search for group members.
   • Visible to members only, searchable by anyone: Only members can see the group in the client and app (All Contacts section in the Contacts tab). All users can search for group members.
   • Visible to members only, searchable by members only: Only members can see the group in the client and app (All Contacts section in the Contacts tab). Group members are only searchable by other group members.

Note: For users in multiple contact groups, preference is given to the group that allows users to be visible or searchable. If you belong to a contact group where you are visible to anyone, then you are visible to anyone even if you are also in a contact group with a more restrictive setting. For example, if a user belongs to these two groups with the following privacy settings, the privacy setting in Group A applies.

• Contact Group A: Visible to anyone, searchable by anyone
• Contact Group B: Visible to members only, searchable by members only

Contact Group B is only visible to its members, but because the user is also in Contact Group A, they will be visible in Contact Group A on the Contacts tab and be searchable.