Setting up Zoom waiting rooms and admission controls allows hosts to manage participant entry systematically, enhancing security and meeting organization. This feature is particularly useful for controlling access in professional, educational, or sensitive meetings. The waiting room acts as a virtual staging area where participants remain until the host admits them, either individually or in groups. Customization options, such as branding and messaging, further tailor the experience to specific needs.

Key findings from the sources include:

• The waiting room can be enabled during meeting scheduling or directly in the Zoom settings ^[3][4][5]
• Hosts can admit participants individually or all at once, with options to return them to the waiting room if needed ^[3][8]
• Customization features allow hosts to add titles, logos, and descriptions to the waiting room ^[7][9]
• The waiting room can be toggled on or off during live meetings via the "Manage Participants" or "Security" options ^[10][4]

Configuring Zoom Waiting Rooms and Admission Controls

Enabling the Waiting Room Feature

The waiting room feature can be activated through multiple pathways in Zoom, depending on whether you are scheduling a new meeting, editing an existing one, or adjusting settings during a live session. The process varies slightly across platforms (web portal vs. desktop app), but the core steps remain consistent.

To enable the waiting room before a meeting:

• Sign in to the Zoom web portal and navigate to Settings > Meeting tab ^[6].
• Under the Security section, locate the Waiting Room option and toggle it on ^[4][9].
• For scheduled meetings, check the "Enable Waiting Room" box when creating or editing the meeting in the Zoom portal ^[3][5].
• In the desktop app, click the cogwheel (Settings) > Meeting tab and enable the waiting room option ^[8].

During a live meeting, hosts can enable the waiting room by:

• Clicking "Manage Participants" in the meeting controls, then selecting "More" > "Enable Waiting Room" ^[3][10].
• Using the "Security" button in the meeting toolbar to toggle the waiting room on or off ^[10].
• In Zoom Rooms, tap "More" in the participants window and select "Enable Waiting Room" ^[2].

Key considerations for enabling the waiting room:

• The feature is disabled by default in most Zoom accounts, requiring manual activation ^[8].
• Hosts can choose to enable it globally (for all meetings) or per-meeting during scheduling ^[4].
• For Personal Meeting Rooms (PMI), the waiting room can be enabled separately in the PMI settings ^[4][5].
• Authenticated users (e.g., those logged into a university Zoom account) may bypass the waiting room by default, but this can be adjusted in settings ^[5].

Managing Admission Controls and Participant Flow

Once the waiting room is enabled, hosts gain granular control over participant admission, including individual or bulk actions, messaging, and dynamic adjustments during the meeting. This section covers the tools available for managing admission and optimizing the participant experience.

Admitting participants:

• Hosts can view waiting participants in the "Manage Participants" panel, which divides into two sections: "People Waiting" and "People in-Meeting" ^[3].
• To admit a participant, click "Admit" next to their name. For bulk admission, select "Admit All" ^[3][8].
• In Zoom Rooms, tap "Admit" next to the participant’s name in the participants list ^[2].

Returning participants to the waiting room:

• Hosts can send participants back to the waiting room by selecting their name in the "Participants" list and choosing "Move to Waiting Room" ^[3][10].
• This feature is useful for temporarily removing disruptive participants or managing breakout sessions ^[8].

Communication and messaging:

• Hosts can send broadcast messages to all participants in the waiting room, but not to individuals ^[3].
• Custom messages can be set in the waiting room settings (e.g., "Please wait for the host to admit you") ^[7][9].
• During the meeting, hosts can use the "Chat" feature to communicate with waiting participants, though this may vary by Zoom version ^[10].

Dynamic adjustments during meetings:

• The waiting room can be toggled on or off mid-meeting via the "Security" button or "Manage Participants" panel ^[10].
• Hosts can lock the meeting after all participants are admitted to prevent further entries ^[6].
• Co-hosts share the same admission controls as the primary host, allowing for delegated management ^[10].

Customization options:

• The waiting room title, logo, and description can be customized in the Zoom web portal under Settings > Waiting Room ^[7][9].
• Hosts can upload a custom logo (e.g., company or university branding) and add a welcome message ^[7].
• For UD Zoom accounts, authenticated users bypass the waiting room by default, but hosts can override this in settings ^[5].