Setup Zoom Websockets

AnthropicOfficialCreated by ZoomDistributed by Anthropic

Skill
Tool integration
Automation and integrations
MIT
No issues found

From the author

Reference skill for Zoom WebSockets. Use after routing to a low-latency event workflow when persistent connections, faster event delivery, or security constraints make WebSockets preferable to webhooks.

— the description by Zoom

AutoGineer summary

Written by AutoGineer from the skill’s own files, not by the author

This skill provides a reference for integrating Zoom WebSockets to receive real-time event notifications. It covers the architectural differences between WebSockets and webhooks, setup requirements via the Zoom Marketplace, and implementation details for connection management, including authentication, keep-alive heartbeats, and reconnection strategies.

What it does

Explains the technical trade-offs between Zoom WebSockets and webhooks.
Provides a step-by-step guide to configuring WebSocket subscriptions in the Zoom Marketplace.
Includes code patterns for authenticating via Server-to-Server OAuth.
Demonstrates how to establish and maintain a persistent WebSocket connection.
Outlines best practices for connection heartbeats and automatic reconnection logic.
Lists common event types available through the WebSocket stream.

When to use it

When your application requires real-time, low-latency event updates.
When security requirements prevent the use of public webhook endpoints.
When you need to avoid the overhead of individual HTTP requests for every event.
When you require a stateful, bidirectional communication channel with Zoom.

Advantages

Lower latency compared to traditional webhook polling or push models.
Eliminates the need to expose and secure public-facing webhook endpoints.
Provides a persistent, stateful connection for reliable event delivery.
Supports secure, direct communication between your server and Zoom.

Usage examples

“How do I connect to Zoom WebSockets?”: The skill provides a Node.js implementation using the 'ws' library, showing how to fetch an S2S OAuth token and initialize the WebSocket connection.
“Should I use webhooks or WebSockets for Zoom events?”: The skill includes a comparison table highlighting that WebSockets are better for low-latency and high-security needs, while webhooks are simpler for basic event notifications.
“How do I keep my Zoom WebSocket connection alive?”: The skill provides a code snippet for implementing a 30-second heartbeat ping to prevent Zoom from closing idle connections.

Install

Download the skill as a ZIP:
https://autogineer.com/agent-skills/anthropics/setup-zoom-websockets/download

Unzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:

mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip setup-zoom-websockets.zip -d .agents/skills

Documentation by Zoom

/setup-zoom-websockets

Background reference for persistent Zoom event streams. Prefer workflow routing first, then use this file when WebSockets are plausibly better than webhooks.

WebSockets vs Webhooks

Aspect	WebSockets	Webhooks
Connection	Persistent, bidirectional	One-time HTTP POST
Latency	Lower (no HTTP overhead)	Higher (new connection per event)
Security	Direct connection, no exposed endpoint	Requires endpoint validation, IP whitelisting
Model	Pull (you connect to Zoom)	Push (Zoom connects to you)
State	Stateful (maintains connection)	Stateless (each event independent)
Setup	More complex (access token, connection)	Simpler (just endpoint URL)

Choose WebSockets when:

Real-time, low-latency updates are critical
Security is paramount (banking, healthcare, finance)
You don't want to expose a public endpoint
You need bidirectional communication

Choose Webhooks when:

Simpler setup is preferred
Small number of event notifications
Existing HTTP infrastructure

Prerequisites

Server-to-Server OAuth app in Zoom Marketplace
Account ID, Client ID, and Client Secret
WebSocket subscription with events enabled

Need help with S2S OAuth? See the zoom-oauth skill for complete authentication flows.

Start troubleshooting fast: Use the 5-Minute Runbook before deep debugging.

Quick Start

1. Create Server-to-Server OAuth App

Go to Zoom Marketplace
Create a Server-to-Server OAuth app
Copy Account ID, Client ID, Client Secret

2. Enable WebSocket Subscription

In your app, go to Feature → Event Subscriptions
Add an Event Subscription
Select WebSockets as the method type
Select events to subscribe to (e.g., meeting.created, meeting.started)
Save - an endpoint URL will be generated

3. Connect via WebSocket

const WebSocket = require('ws');
const axios = require('axios');

// Step 1: Get access token
async function getAccessToken() {
  const credentials = Buffer.from(`${CLIENT_ID}:${CLIENT_SECRET}`).toString('base64');
  
  const response = await axios.post(
    'https://zoom.us/oauth/token',
    new URLSearchParams({
      grant_type: 'account_credentials',
      account_id: ACCOUNT_ID
    }),
    {
      headers: {
        'Authorization': `Basic ${credentials}`,
        'Content-Type': 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded'
      }
    }
  );
  
  return response.data.access_token;
}

// Step 2: Connect to WebSocket
async function connectWebSocket() {
  const accessToken = await getAccessToken();
  
  // WebSocket URL from your subscription settings
  const wsUrl = `wss://ws.zoom.us/ws?subscriptionId=${SUBSCRIPTION_ID}&access_token=${accessToken}`;
  
  const ws = new WebSocket(wsUrl);
  
  ws.on('open', () => {
    console.log('WebSocket connection established');
  });
  
  ws.on('message', (data) => {
    const event = JSON.parse(data);
    console.log('Event received:', event.event);
    
    // Handle different event types
    switch (event.event) {
      case 'meeting.started':
        console.log(`Meeting started: ${event.payload.object.topic}`);
        break;
      case 'meeting.ended':
        console.log(`Meeting ended: ${event.payload.object.uuid}`);
        break;
      case 'meeting.participant_joined':
        console.log(`Participant joined: ${event.payload.object.participant.user_name}`);
        break;
    }
  });
  
  ws.on('close', (code, reason) => {
    console.log(`Connection closed: ${code} - ${reason}`);
    // Implement reconnection logic
  });
  
  ws.on('error', (error) => {
    console.error('WebSocket error:', error);
  });
  
  return ws;
}

connectWebSocket();

Event Format

Events received via WebSocket have the same format as webhook events:

{
  "event": "meeting.started",
  "event_ts": 1706123456789,
  "payload": {
    "account_id": "abcD3ojkdbjfg",
    "object": {
      "id": 1234567890,
      "uuid": "abcdefgh-1234-5678-abcd-1234567890ab",
      "host_id": "xyz789",
      "topic": "Team Standup",
      "type": 2,
      "start_time": "2024-01-25T10:00:00Z",
      "timezone": "America/Los_Angeles"
    }
  }
}

Common Events

Event	Description
`meeting.created`	Meeting scheduled
`meeting.updated`	Meeting settings changed
`meeting.deleted`	Meeting deleted
`meeting.started`	Meeting begins
`meeting.ended`	Meeting ends
`meeting.participant_joined`	Participant joins meeting
`meeting.participant_left`	Participant leaves meeting
`recording.completed`	Cloud recording ready
`user.created`	New user added
`user.updated`	User details changed

Connection Management

Keep-Alive

WebSocket connections require periodic heartbeats. Zoom will close idle connections.

// Send ping every 30 seconds
setInterval(() => {
  if (ws.readyState === WebSocket.OPEN) {
    ws.ping();
  }
}, 30000);

Reconnection

Implement automatic reconnection for reliability:

function connectWithReconnect() {
  const ws = connectWebSocket();
  
  ws.on('close', () => {
    console.log('Connection lost. Reconnecting in 5 seconds...');
    setTimeout(connectWithReconnect, 5000);
  });
  
  return ws;
}

Single Connection Limit

Important: Only ONE WebSocket connection can be open per subscription at a time. Opening a new connection will close the existing one.

Detailed References

references/connection.md - Connection lifecycle, authentication, error handling
references/events.md - Complete event types reference

Troubleshooting

troubleshooting/common-issues.md - Subscription URL confusion, disconnects, no-events debugging

Sample Repositories

Official / Community

Type	Repository	Description
Node.js	just-zoomit/zoom-websockets	WebSocket sample with S2S OAuth

WebSockets vs RTMS

Don't confuse WebSockets with RTMS (Realtime Media Streams):

Feature	WebSockets	RTMS
Purpose	Event notifications	Media streams
Data	Meeting events, user events	Audio, video, transcripts
Use case	React to Zoom events	AI/ML, live transcription
Skill	This skill	rtms

For real-time audio/video/transcript data, use the rtms skill instead.

Resources

WebSockets docs: https://developers.zoom.us/docs/api/websockets/
Webhooks comparison: https://www.zoom.com/en/blog/a-guide-to-webhooks-and-websockets/
Developer forum: https://devforum.zoom.us/

Environment Variables

See references/environment-variables.md for standardized .env keys and where to find each value.

Files

ATTRIBUTION.mdAdded by AutoGineer987 B
LICENSELicence file added by AutoGineer1.1 KiB
RUNBOOK.md2.9 KiB
SKILL.md7.4 KiB
references/connection.md10.4 KiB
references/environment-variables.md827 B
references/events.md10.5 KiB
troubleshooting/common-issues.md1.1 KiB

references/events.md

WebSockets - Event Types

Complete reference for events available via Zoom WebSockets.

Event Structure

All WebSocket events follow this structure:

{
  "event": "event.type",
  "event_ts": 1706123456789,
  "payload": {
    "account_id": "abcD3ojkdbjfg",
    "object": {
      // Event-specific data
    }
  }
}

Field	Type	Description
`event`	string	Event type identifier
`event_ts`	number	Unix timestamp (milliseconds)
`payload.account_id`	string	Zoom account ID
`payload.object`	object	Event-specific payload

Meeting Events

meeting.created

Triggered when a meeting is scheduled.

{
  "event": "meeting.created",
  "payload": {
    "account_id": "abcD3ojkdbjfg",
    "object": {
      "id": 1234567890,
      "uuid": "abcdefgh-1234-5678-abcd-1234567890ab",
      "host_id": "xyz789",
      "topic": "Weekly Team Sync",
      "type": 2,
      "start_time": "2024-01-25T10:00:00Z",
      "duration": 60,
      "timezone": "America/Los_Angeles"
    }
  }
}

meeting.updated

Triggered when meeting settings are changed.

{
  "event": "meeting.updated",
  "payload": {
    "account_id": "abcD3ojkdbjfg",
    "object": {
      "id": 1234567890,
      "topic": "Updated: Weekly Team Sync"
    },
    "old_object": {
      "topic": "Weekly Team Sync"
    }
  }
}

meeting.deleted

Triggered when a meeting is deleted.

{
  "event": "meeting.deleted",
  "payload": {
    "account_id": "abcD3ojkdbjfg",
    "object": {
      "id": 1234567890,
      "uuid": "abcdefgh-1234-5678-abcd-1234567890ab",
      "host_id": "xyz789"
    }
  }
}

meeting.started

Triggered when a meeting begins.

{
  "event": "meeting.started",
  "payload": {
    "account_id": "abcD3ojkdbjfg",
    "object": {
      "id": 1234567890,
      "uuid": "abcdefgh-1234-5678-abcd-1234567890ab",
      "host_id": "xyz789",
      "topic": "Weekly Team Sync",
      "type": 2,
      "start_time": "2024-01-25T10:00:00Z",
      "timezone": "America/Los_Angeles"
    }
  }
}

meeting.ended

Triggered when a meeting ends.

{
  "event": "meeting.ended",
  "payload": {
    "account_id": "abcD3ojkdbjfg",
    "object": {
      "id": 1234567890,
      "uuid": "abcdefgh-1234-5678-abcd-1234567890ab",
      "host_id": "xyz789",
      "topic": "Weekly Team Sync",
      "start_time": "2024-01-25T10:00:00Z",
      "end_time": "2024-01-25T11:05:00Z",
      "duration": 65
    }
  }
}

meeting.participant_joined

Triggered when a participant joins the meeting.

{
  "event": "meeting.participant_joined",
  "payload": {
    "account_id": "abcD3ojkdbjfg",
    "object": {
      "id": 1234567890,
      "uuid": "abcdefgh-1234-5678-abcd-1234567890ab",
      "host_id": "xyz789",
      "participant": {
        "id": "participant123",
        "user_id": "user456",
        "user_name": "John Doe",
        "email": "[email protected]",
        "join_time": "2024-01-25T10:02:00Z"
      }
    }
  }
}

meeting.participant_left

Triggered when a participant leaves the meeting.

{
  "event": "meeting.participant_left",
  "payload": {
    "account_id": "abcD3ojkdbjfg",
    "object": {
      "id": 1234567890,
      "uuid": "abcdefgh-1234-5678-abcd-1234567890ab",
      "participant": {
        "id": "participant123",
        "user_name": "John Doe",
        "leave_time": "2024-01-25T10:45:00Z",
        "leave_reason": "left the meeting"
      }
    }
  }
}

Triggered when screen sharing begins.

{
  "event": "meeting.sharing_started",
  "payload": {
    "account_id": "abcD3ojkdbjfg",
    "object": {
      "id": 1234567890,
      "uuid": "abcdefgh-1234-5678-abcd-1234567890ab",
      "participant": {
        "id": "participant123",
        "user_name": "John Doe"
      },
      "sharing_details": {
        "content": "screen",
        "date_time": "2024-01-25T10:15:00Z"
      }
    }
  }
}

Triggered when screen sharing ends.

{
  "event": "meeting.sharing_ended",
  "payload": {
    "account_id": "abcD3ojkdbjfg",
    "object": {
      "id": 1234567890,
      "uuid": "abcdefgh-1234-5678-abcd-1234567890ab",
      "participant": {
        "id": "participant123",
        "user_name": "John Doe"
      }
    }
  }
}

Recording Events

recording.started

Triggered when cloud recording starts.

{
  "event": "recording.started",
  "payload": {
    "account_id": "abcD3ojkdbjfg",
    "object": {
      "id": 1234567890,
      "uuid": "abcdefgh-1234-5678-abcd-1234567890ab",
      "host_id": "xyz789",
      "topic": "Weekly Team Sync",
      "start_time": "2024-01-25T10:00:00Z",
      "recording_start": "2024-01-25T10:01:00Z"
    }
  }
}

recording.stopped

Triggered when cloud recording stops (paused or ended).

{
  "event": "recording.stopped",
  "payload": {
    "account_id": "abcD3ojkdbjfg",
    "object": {
      "id": 1234567890,
      "uuid": "abcdefgh-1234-5678-abcd-1234567890ab",
      "recording_start": "2024-01-25T10:01:00Z",
      "recording_end": "2024-01-25T11:00:00Z"
    }
  }
}

recording.completed

Triggered when cloud recording is processed and ready for download.

{
  "event": "recording.completed",
  "payload": {
    "account_id": "abcD3ojkdbjfg",
    "object": {
      "id": 1234567890,
      "uuid": "abcdefgh-1234-5678-abcd-1234567890ab",
      "host_id": "xyz789",
      "topic": "Weekly Team Sync",
      "start_time": "2024-01-25T10:00:00Z",
      "duration": 60,
      "total_size": 157286400,
      "recording_count": 2,
      "recording_files": [
        {
          "id": "file123",
          "meeting_id": "abcdefgh-1234-5678-abcd-1234567890ab",
          "recording_start": "2024-01-25T10:01:00Z",
          "recording_end": "2024-01-25T11:00:00Z",
          "file_type": "MP4",
          "file_size": 104857600,
          "download_url": "https://zoom.us/rec/download/...",
          "status": "completed"
        },
        {
          "id": "file124",
          "file_type": "TRANSCRIPT",
          "file_size": 52428800,
          "download_url": "https://zoom.us/rec/download/..."
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

recording.trashed

Triggered when recording is moved to trash.

recording.deleted

Triggered when recording is permanently deleted.

recording.recovered

Triggered when recording is restored from trash.

User Events

user.created

Triggered when a new user is added to the account.

{
  "event": "user.created",
  "payload": {
    "account_id": "abcD3ojkdbjfg",
    "object": {
      "id": "user789",
      "first_name": "Jane",
      "last_name": "Smith",
      "email": "[email protected]",
      "type": 2,
      "created_at": "2024-01-25T09:00:00Z"
    }
  }
}

user.updated

Triggered when user details are changed.

{
  "event": "user.updated",
  "payload": {
    "account_id": "abcD3ojkdbjfg",
    "object": {
      "id": "user789",
      "first_name": "Jane",
      "last_name": "Smith-Jones"
    },
    "old_object": {
      "last_name": "Smith"
    }
  }
}

user.deleted

Triggered when a user is removed from the account.

{
  "event": "user.deleted",
  "payload": {
    "account_id": "abcD3ojkdbjfg",
    "object": {
      "id": "user789",
      "email": "[email protected]"
    }
  }
}

user.deactivated

Triggered when a user is deactivated.

user.activated

Triggered when a user is activated.

Webinar Events

webinar.created

webinar.updated

webinar.deleted

webinar.started

webinar.ended

webinar.registration_created

Triggered when someone registers for a webinar.

{
  "event": "webinar.registration_created",
  "payload": {
    "account_id": "abcD3ojkdbjfg",
    "object": {
      "id": 9876543210,
      "uuid": "webinar-uuid-here",
      "registrant": {
        "id": "registrant123",
        "email": "[email protected]",
        "first_name": "Attendee",
        "last_name": "User",
        "join_url": "https://zoom.us/w/..."
      }
    }
  }
}

Event Handling Example

const eventHandlers = {
  // Meeting events
  'meeting.created': (payload) => {
    console.log(`New meeting: ${payload.object.topic}`);
    notifyCalendarService(payload.object);
  },
  
  'meeting.started': (payload) => {
    console.log(`Meeting started: ${payload.object.topic}`);
    updateMeetingStatus(payload.object.id, 'in_progress');
  },
  
  'meeting.ended': (payload) => {
    console.log(`Meeting ended: ${payload.object.uuid}`);
    updateMeetingStatus(payload.object.id, 'completed');
    calculateAttendance(payload.object);
  },
  
  'meeting.participant_joined': (payload) => {
    const { participant } = payload.object;
    console.log(`${participant.user_name} joined`);
    trackAttendance(payload.object.id, participant);
  },
  
  // Recording events
  'recording.completed': (payload) => {
    console.log(`Recording ready: ${payload.object.topic}`);
    downloadRecordings(payload.object.recording_files);
  },
  
  // User events
  'user.created': (payload) => {
    console.log(`New user: ${payload.object.email}`);
    sendWelcomeEmail(payload.object);
  }
};

ws.on('message', (data) => {
  const event = JSON.parse(data);
  const handler = eventHandlers[event.event];
  
  if (handler) {
    handler(event.payload);
  } else {
    console.log(`Unhandled event: ${event.event}`);
  }
});

Subscribing to Events

Configure which events to receive in your Zoom Marketplace app:

Go to Feature → Event Subscriptions
Select WebSockets as method type
Check the events you want to receive
Save the subscription

Note: You can modify subscriptions at any time. Changes take effect immediately.

Event Filtering

If you're receiving too many events, consider:

Subscribe selectively - Only subscribe to events you need
Filter in handler - Drop events that don't match your criteria
Use multiple subscriptions - Route different events to different handlers

// Filter example: Only process events for specific hosts
ws.on('message', (data) => {
  const event = JSON.parse(data);
  
  // Only process meetings from specific hosts
  const allowedHosts = ['[email protected]', '[email protected]'];
  
  if (event.event.startsWith('meeting.') && 
      event.payload.object.host_id &&
      !allowedHosts.includes(getHostEmail(event.payload.object.host_id))) {
    return; // Skip this event
  }
  
  processEvent(event);
});

Resources

Event reference: https://developers.zoom.us/docs/api/rest/reference/zoom-api/events/
WebSockets docs: https://developers.zoom.us/docs/api/websockets/

Requirements and compatibility

Written for: Claude Code, Claude apps

Works with: Claude Code, Claude apps, OpenAI Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Kiro, OpenCode, Goose, Amp, Roo Code, JetBrains Junie, Factory Droid, Devin (ex-Windsurf), Mistral Vibe, OpenHands, Letta

“Works with” means the tool reads the open Agent Skills format; a skill written for one tool may use features others lack.

Security

No issues found by our static scan· No issues found

A static scan is not a guarantee. Skills are third-party content: review a skill before you let an agent use it.

Attribution and licence

Created by

Zoom

Publisher

Anthropic (Official)

Distributed by

Anthropic

Source

anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins · partner-built/zoom-plugin/skills/websockets · commit e050c2e

Licence

MIT License (redistribution allowed)

LICENSE (added by AutoGineer from partner-built/zoom-plugin/LICENSE)
ATTRIBUTION.md (written by AutoGineer)

Synced

2026-11-09

AutoGineer is not affiliated with or endorsed by Zoom or Anthropic.

Download ZIP

The ZIP holds the skill’s files, its licence files and an ATTRIBUTION.md. Download setup-zoom-websockets.zip

From the author

AutoGineer summary

What it does

When to use it

Advantages

Usage examples

Install

Documentation by Zoom

/setup-zoom-websockets

WebSockets vs Webhooks

Prerequisites

Quick Start

1. Create Server-to-Server OAuth App

2. Enable WebSocket Subscription

3. Connect via WebSocket

Event Format

Common Events

Connection Management

Keep-Alive

Reconnection

Single Connection Limit

Detailed References

Troubleshooting

Sample Repositories

Official / Community

WebSockets vs RTMS

Resources

Environment Variables

Files

references/events.md

WebSockets - Event Types

Event Structure

Meeting Events

meeting.created

meeting.updated

meeting.deleted

meeting.started

meeting.ended

meeting.participant_joined

meeting.participant_left

meeting.sharing_started

meeting.sharing_ended

Recording Events

recording.started

recording.stopped

recording.completed

recording.trashed

recording.deleted

recording.recovered

User Events

user.created

user.updated

user.deleted

user.deactivated

user.activated

Webinar Events

webinar.created

webinar.updated

webinar.deleted

webinar.started

webinar.ended

webinar.registration_created

Event Handling Example

Subscribing to Events

Event Filtering

Resources

Requirements and compatibility

Security

Attribution and licence

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