If you’re running a remote team, you know meetings are a necessary evil. But scheduling them? That shouldn’t be harder than the meetings themselves. This guide is for anyone who needs to set up recurring meetings in Zoom without losing hours to clunky interfaces, timezone headaches, or endless calendar invites. I’ll walk you through the exact steps, throw in some real-world advice, and flag the stuff you can ignore.
Why recurring meetings (sometimes) make sense
Let’s be honest: most teams overdo it with standing meetings. But when you do need a regular check-in—weekly team calls, project stand-ups, or 1:1s—recurring Zoom meetings save you and your team a lot of hassle.
Pros: - One link, less confusion - Consistent calendar slots - Reduces “wait, do we have a meeting this week?” emails
Cons: - Easy to fall into the trap of meeting for the sake of meeting - Recurring invites fill up calendars fast - If you forget to update details, mistakes repeat every week
So, use recurring meetings when they actually help. Don’t let them become background noise.
Step 1: Decide what kind of recurrence you actually need
Before you even open Zoom, think about the pattern. The platform gives you a few options, but they’re not as flexible as, say, Google Calendar.
- Daily: Good for quick team standups.
- Weekly: Most common for team calls.
- Monthly: Works for all-hands or big reviews.
- No fixed time: Lets you reuse the same link whenever, but doesn’t put anything on your calendar.
Pro tip: If your meeting schedule is weird (“every 2nd and 4th Tuesday, skipping holidays”), you’ll hit Zoom’s limits fast. In that case, just set up separate meetings or use your calendar to handle invites.
Step 2: Open Zoom and log in
You can schedule recurring meetings from: - The Zoom web portal (recommended for full options) - The Zoom desktop app (works, but a bit clunkier) - The mobile app (possible, but you’ll regret it if it’s for more than two people)
I’ll focus on the web portal, since that’s where you get all the settings.
Step 3: Schedule a new meeting
- Go to the Zoom web portal and sign in.
- Click on “Meetings” in the sidebar.
- Hit the “Schedule a Meeting” button.
You’ll see a big form, but don’t freak out. Most of it is optional.
Step 4: Fill in the basics
- Topic: Keep it short and clear (“Weekly Marketing Sync” beats “Zoom Meeting with Team”).
- Description: Optional, but helpful for context.
- When: Set the date and time for your first meeting.
- Duration: Doesn’t actually cut off your meeting, but helps set expectations for attendees and calendars.
Real talk: The only fields that matter here are the topic and the start time. Everything else can be tweaked later.
Step 5: Set up the recurrence
Here’s where Zoom tries to be helpful, but sometimes misses the mark.
- Check the “Recurring meeting” box.
- Pick your recurrence:
- Daily, Weekly, or Monthly: Choose how often.
- Repeat every X days/weeks/months: Adjust as needed.
- End date: Set how long the series should last, or pick “After X occurrences.”
Why this matters: If you set “No Fixed Time,” you get a single link you can use over and over, but it won’t show up on anyone’s calendar automatically. If you pick a schedule, Zoom will create individual events on your calendar (and everyone else’s).
What doesn’t work: Want to skip certain weeks, or add random exceptions? Zoom can’t do that. You’ll need to manually adjust the invites in your calendar after you’re done.
Step 6: Tweak meeting options (the stuff that actually matters)
You’ll see a bunch of checkboxes: - Require meeting password: Good idea if you don’t want randoms joining. - Enable waiting room: Adds a layer of security, but slows things down. Up to you. - Host video/Participant video: Set your defaults, but people can always turn their camera on/off. - Mute participants upon entry: Highly recommended for big groups. - Only authenticated users can join: Useful if you’ve had issues with Zoom bombers.
Ignore: “Enable join before host” unless you trust your team not to have meetings without you.
Pro tip: Don’t get lost in the advanced options unless you have a specific need (like auto-recording or alternative hosts).
Step 7: Save and review
Hit “Save.” You’ll see a summary page with all your meeting details.
What to check: - Recurrence looks right (dates, times, number of occurrences) - Password, if set, is easy to share - Timezone is correct (Zoom sometimes guesses wrong)
Watch out: If your team is spread across time zones, double-check what shows up for invitees. Zoom tries to be smart, but weird daylight savings rules can mess things up.
Step 8: Add it to your calendar (the right way)
Zoom will show you buttons to add the meeting to Google Calendar, Outlook, or Yahoo Calendar. Use these—don’t just copy the link and send it in Slack unless you want chaos.
- Google Calendar: Click the button, authorize if needed, and review the invite before saving. Double-check time zones.
- Outlook or iCal: Download the .ics file and add it to your calendar.
- Manual sharing: Last resort. If you’re doing this, at least send the full invite with recurrence details.
What to ignore: Don’t bother with Zoom’s own “Add to calendar” instructions if you already use a team calendar system. Stick to what works for your team.
Step 9: Share the invite with your team
If your calendar system handles invites, you’re done. If not, copy the invite (including the recurring dates) and send it out.
Make sure you include: - Meeting link - Date/time (with time zone) - Any passcode or special instructions
Pro tip: If people keep missing the meeting, don’t assume it’s their fault—double-check your recurrence settings.
Step 10: Adjust or cancel as needed
Life happens. If you need to change or cancel one or more meetings:
- To change one instance: Edit it in your calendar, not in Zoom. Most calendar apps let you “edit this event only.”
- To change the whole series: Edit the meeting in Zoom and push the changes to your calendar. You’ll usually need to resend invites.
- To cancel: Delete the series from your calendar. Zoom meetings linked to those events will also disappear.
Heads up: If you delete a meeting in Zoom but not in your calendar (or vice versa), people will get confused. Try to keep both in sync.
Honest answers to common headaches
Q: Can I create a recurring meeting that skips holidays?
A: Not really. Zoom doesn’t know your company holidays. Handle that in your calendar, not in Zoom.
Q: Can I have different Zoom links for each meeting in a series?
A: Nope. Recurring meetings share a link. If you need different links, schedule separate meetings.
Q: What if I want to add or remove people halfway through the series?
A: Edit the calendar invite for the series, not the Zoom meeting. Your calendar is the source of truth for attendees.
Q: Does Zoom auto-record recurring meetings?
A: Only if you select “Automatically record meeting” when you set it up. Be careful with this—recordings pile up fast.
Keep it simple, tweak as you go
Recurring meetings can be helpful, but don’t overthink it. Set up the basics, get the invites right, and adjust as your team’s needs change. If meetings start feeling stale or pointless, don’t be afraid to cancel a few. Your team’s time is worth more than another recurring Zoom call.
If you run into weirdness, remember: your calendar is your main tool, and Zoom’s just there to host the call. Keep things simple, and you’ll spend less time fighting your tools—and more time actually getting work done.