How to Integrate Slack With Zoom

Slack and Zoom are among the world’s most popular communication platforms.

But Slack’s video conferencing capability isn’t amazing, and Zoom doesn’t allow chat or messaging outside of its call rooms.

So when you integrate Slack with Zoom, you get a near-perfect solution for workplace chat and video conferencing.

In 2019, Zoom and Slack officially partnered to offer seamless integration between the two platforms. This integration allows users to host or join Zoom calls from their Slack channels and chat windows with a simple command.

In this article, I will show you how to integrate Slack with Zoom, the permissions and prerequisites you need for this integration, the different actions you perform after integration, and finally, the problems you may face in it.

Let’s dive in.

The Pre-Requisites Of Integrating Slack With Zoom

Before you can integrate Slack with Zoom, you need to ensure a few things.

First, you must use the same email address to sign-up for both Slack and Zoom. If your Zoom account is linked to a different email address from your Slack account, you will face problems in integration.

Second, make sure you’re using the right Zoom plan that supports Slack integration. Until recently, Slack integration with Zoom was available in Zoom Pro, Business, Education, and API plans. It’s now available for free Zoom accounts as well.

However, if you want to make Zoom phone calls from Slack, you’ll need to subscribe to Zoom’s phone plan.

Once you have these pre-requisites in place, move to the next step.

Pre-Approving Zoom App Integration With Slack

To allow all the users in your Slack workspace to start and join Zoom meetings, your Zoom admin needs to pre-approve Slack installation from Zoom Marketplace.

Here’s how you can pre-approve Slack for all users.

Step 1: Go to Zoom Marketplace
Step 2: Sign In with your Zoom admin account.
Step 3: Search for the Slack app for Zoom.
Step 4: Enable the pre-approve option for Slack installation.

You also have the option of allowing specific members in your Slack workspace to use Zoom.

Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Go to the Slack app page in Zoom Marketplace.
Step 2: Sign in to your Zoom admin account.
Step 3: Enable the pre-approve option for Slack installation
Step 4: Click the Who can install tab
Step 5: Add individual users or user groups to the approved list

Depending on your choice, the approved users can now use Zoom from your Slack workspace.

Let’s move to the next step.

Installing The Zoom App For Slack

It’s now time to install the Zoom app for Slack to your workspace. The process is pretty straightforward.

Here are the steps you need to follow.

Step 1: Sign in to your Slack workspace.
Step 2: Click on Add apps under Apps on the left of your screen.
Step 3: Use the search box to find Zoom.
Step 4: Click Add to go to Zoom’s app page in the Slack app directory.
Step 5: Click Add to Slack to start the installation
Step 6: On this page, you need to decide whether you want to give Zoom access to everyone in your Slack channel or only install it for yourself. Choose the first option, Install Zoom for Slack company-wide, so that you and your team can hold Zoom meetings through Slack.

Step 7: In this step, choose the Slack workspace that you want to connect with zoom and click Connect to Slack workspace.

Step 8: Click Allow to give Zoom the necessary permissions to integrate with your Slack workspace.

Step 9: When you complete the integration, you will see a confirmation message from Zoom.

Step 10: Now go to your Slack workspace to find Zoom in the list of apps on your screen’s left.

You have successfully integrated Zoom with Slack.

Let’s move to the next steps now.

Connecting Your Slack Account With Zoom

This part is relevant only if your Slack account already has Zoom integrated, but your specific accounts are not connected yet.

Here’s how to connect your Zoom and Slack accounts.

Step 1: Open your Slack workspace where Zoom is already installed.
Step 2: Go to More→ Apps on the left of your screen.

Step 3: Search for Zoom and click to open it.
Step 4: Click Authorize Zoom and sign in to your Zoom account
Step 5: Click Authorize to complete the process.

Congrats, you have successfully connected your Slack and Zoom accounts!

Now let’s see the different things you can do once your accounts are connected.

Starting A Zoom Meeting In Slack

When your Slack and Zoom accounts are integrated, you can start Zoom video calls in a channel or direct chat right from your Slack window using a simple command.

Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Sign in to the Slack workspace integrated with your Zoom account.
Step 2: Open the relevant Slack channel or chat window to start a Zoom call.
Step 3: Click on the bolt icon next to your message box.
Step 4: Search for Zoom and click on /zoom.
Step 5: Press enter to start your Zoom call.
Step 6: Alternatively, you can just type /zoom in the relevant chat window, and press Enter to start the call.
Step 7: Click Join to open Zoom and start your call.
Step 8: Zoom will generate a unique passcode for your call that your team members can use to join you.

From here, you will move to Zoom’s window, where you can host the call using the standard Zoom features and options.

Start A Zoom Meeting With A Topic

You can also use Slack commands to start a Zoom meeting with a topic. This helps your participants understand what the discussion is about.

Hee’s how to do it.

Step 1: Sign in to the Slack workspace where Zoom is installed.
Step 2: Open the channel or chat window where you want to start your Zoom meeting.
Step 3: Type the following command to start a Zoom meeting with a topic.

/zoom meeting [your topic]Repace the part with the brackets with your meeting’s topic.

Step 4: Press enter to send the command and start a Zoom call with a topic.

The meeting command will be executed in Zoom, just like any other call.

Joining A Zoom Meeting In Slack

You can also join a call directly from Slack hosted by your team members or anyone in your workspace.

Here are the steps you need to follow.

Step 1: Sign in to the Slack workspace where Zoom is installed.
Step 2: The Slack command for joining a Zoom meeting is /zoom join
Step 3: Here’s the complete syntax of the command

/zoom join [meeting id/personal link name]Step 4: To join a meeting type /zoom join followed by the Zoom meeting id or meeting link.
Step 5: Press enter to send the join request for the meeting.

When you join the meeting, you will move to Zoom’s window out of Slack.

Making Calls With Zoom Phone In Slack

You can also make outbound phone calls directly from Slack if you have a Zoom Phone plan.

Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Open the Slack workspace where you’ve installed Zoom.
Step 2: In your chat window, type the Slack command for Zoom phone calls.

/zoom call [@contact/phone number]Replace the bracket and its content with the Slack username of the person you want to call or their phone number.

If a user has multiple phone numbers in their profile, you’ll need to choose one of them from the drop-down menu.

Step 3: Press Enter to place the call.

Note that this feature is not available if you don’t have the Zoom Phone plan.

Setting Zoom As Your Default Calling App In Slack

Slack has a built-in voice and video calling feature. There’s a phone icon in all Slack chat windows using which you can start a Slack call.

But if you want to use Zoom as the default calling app instead of Slack’s built-in features, here are the steps you need to follow.

Step 1: Install Zoom and integrate it with your Slack workspace by following the steps I shared earlier.
Step 2: Go to your Slack workspace and click on your workspace name.
Step 3: In the menu, go to Settings & administration→ Workspace settings.
Step 4: Scroll down this page to find Calls and click the Expand button next to it.
Step 5: Under Allow video calls in Slack select Zoom.
Step 6: Uncheck the box next to Slack
Step 7: Click Save to complete the process.

You have successfully configured Zoom as your default video calling app in Slack. Now, whenever you press the phone icon for calling, you will be able to use Zoom for video calls instead of the built-in calling feature in Slack.

The Benefits Of Integrating Slack With Zoom

Integrating Slack with Zoom gives you several benefits.

Enhanced Video Calling Capabilities

Slack already offers built-in video calling features but with several limitations. For example, group calls are not available to free Slack users. In the paid plans, you cannot have more than 15 participants in a video call.

With a free Zoom account, you can host and join group video calls in a channel with up to 40 participants. Premium Zoom users can host up to 300 participants depending on the plan.

Since Zoom is a dedicated video calling tool, its streaming and video quality are superior to Slack.

Call Recordings And Transcripts

Slack does not offer call recordings or transcripts. This is a considerable disadvantage because startups and remote teams frequently refer to their meeting recordings and discussions.

With Zoom, you can record all your videos without any issues and also generate transcripts on the go. You might need to edit the transcripts for minor inaccuracies, but Zoom’s overall transcript quality is pretty good.

Seamless Experience

Once you integrate Zoom with Slack, you get all of Zoom’s features inside your chat window. You don’t need to switch to another app or sign in to your Zoom account.

Simply use Slack’s slash commands to start or join Zoom meetings, make phone calls, set meeting topics, and execute many other functions.

Common Problems When Integrating Slack With Zoom

Users worldwide have reported the following issues while integrating Slack with Zoom.

Improper Functions

Many users have reported that Zoom doesn’t correctly function when you access it through Slack. For example, a common issue is that users need to use double click on the call mute or disconnect buttons instead of the usual single click. Similarly, users have also reported calls frequently dropping after integrating Zoom with Slack.

Software Downtime

There have been several instances of both Zoom and Slack going down over the last couple of years. When you integrate Slack with Zoom, there’s always a risk that even if one of the apps goes down, you won’t be able to communicate properly with your teams.

Security Issues With Zoom

Despite becoming the leading video calling application, Zoom has several security issues that can stop bigger organizations from integrating it with their Slack workspaces.

For example, Zoom-bombing is a common issue where uninvited people can join private Zoom meetings by guessing the meeting’s unique ID.

Similarly, Zoom’s end-to-end message encryption came under heavy criticism when it was revealed that Zoom employees could still view and hear your chats. Although Zoom fixed that problem in 2020, it damaged the company’s credibility.