Set up Zoom for live meetings
Set up Zoom for live meetings
In this article: How to connect your Zoom account to Ruzuku, create Zoom meetings inside your courses, and fix common issues. All Plans
If you already use Zoom for coaching calls, webinars, or live teaching, you can connect it to Ruzuku so students join Zoom meetings directly from inside your course. No separate links to share, no confusion about where to go.
Ruzuku also has built-in video meetings that work without any external tool. The Zoom integration is for creators who prefer Zoom or need Zoom-specific features like breakout rooms, large webinar capacity, or cloud recording through Zoom's platform.
Before you start
You need a Zoom account. Any Zoom plan works, including the free plan. Your Zoom plan determines meeting capacity and features (recording, webinar mode, etc.). See zoom.us/pricing for details.
Connect your Zoom account
- Click the dropdown arrow in the upper-right corner of your Ruzuku dashboard and click Account.
- Click Integrations.
- In the Zoom section, click Connect with Zoom.
- Ruzuku redirects you to Zoom's website. Log in to your Zoom account if prompted.
- Authorize the connection. This lets Ruzuku create and manage meetings on your Zoom account.
- Zoom redirects you back to Ruzuku. You'll see a confirmation that your Zoom account is connected.
That's it. You can now create Zoom meetings inside any course.
Create a Zoom meeting in your course
Once Zoom is connected, adding a live meeting to a course takes about a minute.
- Open the course where you want to add a live meeting.
- Go to Manage Course → Meetings (or the equivalent term if you've customized your terminology on Pro).
- Click Create Meeting (or Add Meeting).
- Choose Zoom as the meeting type.
- Set the date, time, and duration.
- Give the meeting a title your students will recognize (for example, "Week 3: Live Q&A" or "Coaching Call — March 15").
- Save the meeting.
Ruzuku creates the Zoom meeting on your connected Zoom account and displays it in your course. Students see the meeting on the course calendar with a join button that appears when the meeting is about to start.
What your students see
Students see upcoming Zoom meetings listed in the course, along with the date, time, and a Join button. When the meeting is about to start (or in progress), the Join button becomes active. Clicking it opens Zoom.
Students do not need to create a Zoom account. They can join from a browser or the Zoom app if they have it installed.
After the meeting, if you recorded it through Zoom, you can share the recording link in a lesson or message so students who missed the live session can catch up.
Zoom vs. built-in meetings
Ruzuku includes built-in video meetings powered by BigBlueButton. Here's how they compare:
| Feature | Built-in meetings | Zoom meetings |
|---|---|---|
| Setup required | None (works out of the box) | Connect Zoom account first |
| Video conferencing capacity | Up to 60 participants | Depends on your Zoom plan |
| Presentation mode capacity | Up to 250 participants | Depends on your Zoom plan |
| Breakout rooms | No | Yes (with Zoom paid plans) |
| Cloud recording | Download recording from Ruzuku | Through Zoom's recording features |
| Waiting room | No | Yes |
| Student experience | Opens directly in the browser | Opens Zoom app or browser |
| Cost | Included with Ruzuku | Your Zoom plan (free or paid) |
For most courses with under 60 live participants, the built-in meetings work well and require no extra setup. Zoom is a good choice if your students are already comfortable with it, you need breakout rooms, or your live sessions regularly exceed 60 people.
Disconnect Zoom
If you need to disconnect your Zoom account:
- Go to Account → Integrations.
- In the Zoom section, click Disconnect.
Disconnecting removes the link between Ruzuku and Zoom. Any existing Zoom meetings already created in your courses will no longer work. You can reconnect the same or a different Zoom account at any time.
Troubleshooting
Students say they can't join the meeting:
- Confirm the meeting time hasn't passed. The Join button only appears around the scheduled time.
- Check that the meeting was created as a Zoom meeting (not a built-in meeting or external link).
- Ask the student to try joining from the Zoom app if the browser join isn't working.
The meeting doesn't appear in my Zoom account:
- Ruzuku creates the meeting on whatever Zoom account was connected. If you have multiple Zoom accounts, make sure you authorized the right one during setup.
"Authorization failed" or connection error:
- Disconnect and reconnect Zoom from Account → Integrations. This refreshes the authorization.
- If you recently changed your Zoom password, you may need to reconnect.
Meeting shows the wrong time for students:
- Meeting times display in the student's local timezone. Confirm that your own timezone is set correctly in your Ruzuku account settings (go to Account and check your timezone). Students should also check their timezone settings.