Zoom best practices
Settings and tips to make your Zoom classes run smoothly for you and your clients.
A few Zoom settings can prevent a lot of headaches. Here's what to configure before you start teaching virtual classes.
Passwords and waiting rooms
Zoom requires either a password or a waiting room on all meetings. The Arketa integration embeds the password directly in the meeting link, so clients just click to join — no password prompt.
To set this up correctly:
Enable passwords in Zoom
Go to Zoom Settings → Security and enable passwords for all meetings. Zoom's guide →
[IMAGE TODO] Take a screenshot showing the Zoom web portal Settings > Security page, with the meeting password toggle enabled and the lock icon visible next to the setting.
Lock the settings
Make sure the lock icons are enabled next to the password settings, so they apply to all meetings.
Do not require passwords for already-scheduled meetings
Leave the option "Require a password for meetings which have already been scheduled" unchecked. If you enable this for existing meetings, you'll need to manually update the links on all previously created classes.
If clients are getting a password prompt: Your existing Zoom classes may have been created before passwords were enabled. To fix:
- Open the class in Arketa
- Under Location, switch to Other temporarily
- Copy the updated Zoom link from your Zoom dashboard (which now includes the password)
- Paste it in as a custom link
For new classes created after you enable passwords, the Arketa integration handles this automatically.
How to find a meeting link with the password
If a client needs to enter the meeting ID manually (rather than clicking the link), they'll need the password separately. To find it:
- Go to your Zoom dashboard → Meetings
- Find the relevant meeting
- Click Edit and find the password field — copy it and send to the client
Recording settings
If you want to record classes and have them auto-upload to your Arketa video library:
- Enable Cloud Recording in your Zoom settings (not local recording — it must be cloud)
- In Arketa, go to Settings → Integrations → Zoom and enable Automatically upload recordings
[IMAGE TODO] Take a screenshot showing the Zoom web portal Settings > Recording page with "Cloud Recording" toggled on.
Learn more about auto-uploading →
Video quality
For the best video quality:
- Enable HD Video in Zoom Settings → Video
- Use a wired internet connection if possible
- Make sure your room has good lighting (facing a window is ideal)
- Use an external microphone if you can — built-in laptop mics pick up a lot of room noise
Teaching with multiple Zoom accounts (studios)
If you have multiple instructors, each instructor should connect their own Zoom account. When Arketa creates a meeting for a class, it uses the connected Zoom account for that instructor.
If a guest instructor needs to host, you can either:
- Have them connect their Zoom account temporarily
- Or use a custom Livestream Link with their Zoom meeting URL
Guest instructors using Zoom
When you add a guest instructor to a class, they'll need to start the meeting from their own Zoom account. The best approach is:
- Create the class with their Zoom link as a custom Livestream Link
- Send them the host link (from the Zoom dashboard) so they can start the meeting