# SmoothHiring Zoom Integration: Set Up Zoom for Interviews

SmoothHiring integrates with Zoom to automatically create video meetings when you schedule interviews. Once connected, Zoom meetings are generated with a single click — no need to switch to Zoom, create a meeting, and copy-paste links. This guide covers setup, usage, troubleshooting, and best practices.

---

## Overview

The Zoom integration allows SmoothHiring to:

- **Automatically create Zoom meetings** when scheduling video interviews
- **Include Zoom join links** in candidate interview invitation emails
- **Attach meeting passwords** for secure interviews
- **Set meeting agendas** so candidates know what to expect
- **Send Zoom-specific reminders** with direct join links
- **Delete Zoom meetings** when interviews are cancelled

The integration uses Zoom's official OAuth 2.0 authorization flow, meaning your credentials are never stored by SmoothHiring — only secure access tokens that can be revoked at any time.

---

## Connecting Your Zoom Account

![Connected Apps](/files/help-connected-appsa93756.png)

### Prerequisites

- A Zoom account (free or paid)
- Admin or Owner access in SmoothHiring

### Step-by-Step Connection

1. Navigate to **Settings → Account → Connected Apps**
2. Find the **Zoom** card under the **Video & e-sign** section
3. Click **Connect**
4. You'll be redirected to Zoom's authorization page
5. Sign in with your Zoom account (if not already signed in)
6. Review the permissions requested and click **Allow**
7. You'll be redirected back to SmoothHiring with a confirmation

After a successful connection, you'll see a **"Connected"** badge next to Zoom, along with the email address associated with your Zoom account.

> **Important:** Each user in SmoothHiring connects their own Zoom account. When a meeting is created, SmoothHiring first tries to use the **hiring manager's** Zoom account. If the hiring manager hasn't connected Zoom, it falls back to the **scheduler's** (your) Zoom account.

### What Happens During Connection

When you authorize SmoothHiring with Zoom:

1. SmoothHiring receives an **authorization code** from Zoom
2. This code is exchanged for an **access token** and **refresh token**
3. The tokens are stored securely and associated with your SmoothHiring account
4. Access tokens are automatically refreshed before they expire (tokens are refreshed 5 minutes before expiration)
5. You are redirected back to **Settings → Account → Connected Apps** with a `?zoom=connected` confirmation

---

## Using Zoom in Interview Scheduling

Once connected, Zoom is available as a meeting software option during interview scheduling.

### Scheduling a Zoom Interview

1. Open the **Schedule Interview** dialog for any candidate
2. In **Step 1: Setup**, select **Video** as the interview type
3. In the **Meeting Software** dropdown, select **Zoom**
   - If connected, you'll see a green **"Connected"** badge with your Zoom email
   - If not connected, a warning message appears with a link to connect
4. Fill in the Zoom meeting details:
   - **Agenda** (required) — Describe the meeting structure, e.g., "Introduction, experience discussion, Q&A". This is included in the Zoom meeting invite.
   - **Password** (optional) — Set a custom meeting password. Leave blank to use Zoom's auto-generated password.
5. Continue through the remaining steps (Date & Time, Attendees, Details, Preview, Finalize)
6. Click **Schedule Interview**

### What Happens Automatically

When you click **Schedule Interview** with Zoom selected:

1. **Zoom meeting is created** via the Zoom API with these settings:
   - Meeting type: Scheduled meeting
   - Topic: "[Job Title] Interview"
   - Agenda: Your custom agenda text
   - Start time and duration: Matching your selected interview slot
   - Timezone: As selected in the scheduling form
   - Host video: Enabled
   - Participant video: Enabled
   - Join before host: Enabled
   - Mute upon entry: Disabled
   - Audio: Both (computer and phone)
   - Auto-recording: None

2. **Meeting details are stored** and linked to the interview record

3. **Invitation email is sent** to the candidate with:
   - The Zoom **join URL** (clickable link)
   - The meeting **password** (if set)
   - An **.ics calendar file** with the meeting details

4. **A Zoom meeting reminder** is queued to be sent to the candidate

5. **Hiring manager and attendees** are CC'd on the invitation email

---

## Zoom Meeting Details in the Application

### In Interview Details View

When viewing an interview that has a Zoom meeting attached, you'll see a dedicated **Zoom section** showing:

- The **Zoom icon** for easy identification
- **"Join Zoom Meeting"** heading
- A **clickable join URL** that opens in a new tab
- The meeting password (if applicable)

### In Interview Cards

Interview cards (on the Interviews page and Dashboard) show a **Video** type chip. The interview details popup shows whether the video source is Zoom, Google Meet, or another platform.

### In the Scheduling Dialog

When scheduling an accepted interview (after a candidate chooses a time slot), the Zoom details from the original request are preserved and pre-filled, including the agenda and password.

---

## Zoom Account Fallback Logic

SmoothHiring uses intelligent fallback logic when creating Zoom meetings:

1. **First attempt:** Create the meeting using the **hiring manager's** Zoom account
2. **If the hiring manager hasn't connected Zoom:** Fall back to the **current user's** (scheduler's) Zoom account
3. **If neither has connected Zoom:** The interview is still created, but without a Zoom meeting. The hiring manager receives an **urgent email notification** about the Zoom creation failure.

> **Tip:** For the smoothest experience, ensure that the hiring manager for each job has connected their Zoom account. This way, meetings are hosted under the correct person's account.

---

## Zoom Failure Handling

If Zoom meeting creation fails for any reason, SmoothHiring handles it gracefully:

1. **The interview is still scheduled** — The interview record is created and saved even if Zoom fails
2. **The invitation email is still sent** — Candidates receive the interview invitation, though without a Zoom link
3. **An urgent notification is sent** — The hiring manager receives an email with the subject "URGENT: Zoom Meeting Creation Failed - Interview: [Job Title]" alerting them to provide an alternative video link
4. **The failure is logged** — Details are captured in the system for troubleshooting

### Common Failure Reasons

| Issue | Solution |
|-------|----------|
| Zoom not connected | Connect Zoom via **Settings → Account → Connected Apps** |
| Token expired and refresh failed | Disconnect and reconnect Zoom in Connected Apps |
| Zoom API rate limit | Wait a few minutes and try again |
| Invalid Zoom API credentials | Contact your administrator to verify ZOOM_API_CLIENT_ID and ZOOM_API_CLIENT_SECRET |
| Insufficient Zoom scopes | Reconnect Zoom to grant updated permissions |

---

## Managing Zoom Meetings

### Editing a Zoom Meeting

When you reschedule an interview that has a Zoom meeting, the Zoom meeting is updated automatically with the new date and time. The system:

1. Updates the meeting via the Zoom API
2. Refreshes the stored meeting data
3. Sends a rescheduled invitation email with the updated Zoom link

### Deleting a Zoom Meeting

When you **cancel an interview** that has a Zoom meeting:

1. The Zoom meeting is **deleted** from your Zoom account via the API
2. The meeting reference is removed from the interview record
3. If a Google Calendar event exists, it is also deleted

---

## Google Meet as an Alternative

In addition to Zoom, SmoothHiring also supports **Google Meet** for video interviews. When Google Calendar is connected:

- A Google Meet link is **automatically generated** when you schedule a video interview with Google Meet selected
- The Meet link is included in the interview invitation email
- A calendar event is created with the Meet link attached

To use Google Meet, connect your Google Calendar via **Settings → Account → Connected Apps → Google Calendar**.

You can also select **Other** as the video platform and manually paste any video conferencing link (Microsoft Teams, Webex, GoTo Meeting, etc.).

---

## Connected Apps Settings

The Zoom integration is managed through the Connected Apps page:

**Settings → Account → Connected Apps**

On this page, you can:

- See your current Zoom connection status (connected/disconnected)
- View the email associated with your connected Zoom account
- Connect or disconnect your Zoom account
- Manage other integrations (Google Calendar, Google Meet, Gmail, Outlook, etc.)

### Other Video & Calendar Integrations

| Integration | Purpose |
|-------------|---------|
| **Google Calendar** | Sync interview events, auto-create calendar entries |
| **Google Meet** | Auto-generate Meet links for video interviews |
| **Outlook Calendar** | Sync events from Outlook calendar |
| **Microsoft Teams** | Add Teams meeting links to calendar events |

---

## Security & Privacy

- SmoothHiring uses **OAuth 2.0** for Zoom authorization — your Zoom password is never shared
- Access tokens are **automatically refreshed** before expiration
- Tokens are stored securely and associated with your individual account
- You can **revoke access** at any time by disconnecting in Connected Apps or from your Zoom account settings
- Each user connects their own Zoom account — no shared credentials
- **OAuth state verification** is used to prevent CSRF attacks during the authorization flow

---

## Troubleshooting

### "Zoom not connected" Warning During Scheduling

If you see a warning that Zoom is not connected when scheduling a video interview:

1. Open **Settings → Account → Connected Apps** in a new tab
2. Click **Connect** on the Zoom card
3. Complete the authorization flow
4. Return to the scheduling dialog — the status should update automatically

### Zoom Meeting Not Created

If an interview was scheduled but the Zoom meeting wasn't created:

1. Check if you received the "URGENT: Zoom Meeting Creation Failed" email
2. Verify your Zoom connection in **Settings → Account → Connected Apps**
3. Try disconnecting and reconnecting Zoom
4. Manually create a Zoom meeting and share the link with the candidate

### Calendar Events Not Appearing

If interview events aren't showing on your calendar:

1. Ensure **Google Calendar** is connected in Connected Apps
2. Check that you authorized calendar permissions during the Google OAuth flow
3. Look for the event in the correct calendar (primary calendar)

---

## Related Pages

- [Manage Interviews](/help/interviews/manage-interviews) — Complete guide to scheduling and managing interviews
- [Interview Reminders](/help/interviews/interview-reminders) — Automatic reminder notifications
- [Self-Scheduling](/help/interviews/self-scheduling) — How candidates choose from proposed time slots
- [Connected Apps](/help/account-team/connected-apps) — Managing all your integrations
- [Calendar](/help/getting-started/calendar) — Viewing interviews on your calendar