npx skills add ...
npx skills add anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins --skill build-zoom-video-sdk-app
npx skills add anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins --skill build-zoom-video-sdk-app
Reference skill for Zoom Video SDK. Use after routing to a custom-session workflow when the user needs full control over the video experience rather than an actual Zoom meeting.
Background reference for fully custom video-session products. Prefer plan-zoom-product first when the boundary between Meeting SDK and Video SDK is still unclear.
Build custom video experiences powered by Zoom's infrastructure.
join_url, or Meeting SDK join payload fields (meetingNumber, passWord).| Feature | Meeting SDK | Video SDK |
|---|---|---|
| UI | Default Zoom UI or Custom UI | Fully custom UI (you build it) |
| Experience | Zoom meetings | Video sessions |
| Branding | Limited customization | Full branding control |
| Features | Full Zoom features | Core video features |
Video SDK gives you full control over the UI:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| UI Toolkit | Pre-built React components (low-code) |
| Custom UI | Build your own UI using the SDK APIs |
Need help with OAuth or signatures? See the zoom-oauth skill for authentication flows.
Need pre-join diagnostics on web? Use probe-sdk before Video SDK
join()to reduce first-minute failures.
Start troubleshooting fast: Use the 5-Minute Runbook before deep debugging.
WARNING: Ad blockers block
source.zoom.us. Self-host the SDK to avoid issues.
When using <script type="module"> with CDN, SDK may not be loaded yet:
The SDK has a strict lifecycle. Violating it causes silent failures.
Common Mistake (Silent Failure):
The SDK is event-driven. You must listen for events and render videos accordingly.
attachVideo() NOT renderVideo()See web/references/web.md for complete event handling patterns.
| Concept | Description |
|---|---|
| Session | Video session (not a meeting) |
| Topic | Session identifier (any string you choose) |
| Signature | JWT for authorization |
| MediaStream | Audio/video stream control |
Important: Video SDK sessions are created just-in-time, not in advance.
| Aspect | Video SDK | Meeting SDK |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-creation | NOT required | Create meeting via API first |
| Session start | First participant joins with topic | Join existing meeting ID |
| Topic | Any string (you define it) | Meeting ID from API |
| Scheduling | N/A - sessions are ad-hoc | Meetings can be scheduled |
topic string join the same sessionThe signature endpoint must be accessible from your frontend without CORS issues.
Option 1: Same-Origin Proxy (Recommended)
Option 2: CORS Configuration
WARNING: Mixed content (HTTPS page → HTTP API) will be blocked by browsers.
| Use Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Video SDK BYOS (Bring Your Own Storage) | Save recordings directly to your S3 bucket |
Video SDK feature - Zoom saves cloud recordings directly to your Amazon S3 bucket. No downloading required.
Official docs: https://developers.zoom.us/docs/build/storage/
Prerequisites:
Authentication options:
S3 path structure:
Key benefits:
Setup location: Developer Portal → Account Settings → General → Communications Content Storage Location
See ../general/use-cases/video-sdk-bring-your-own-storage.md for complete setup guide.
| Type | Repository | Stars |
|---|---|---|
| Web | videosdk-web-sample | 137 |
| Web NPM | videosdk-web | 56 |
| Auth | videosdk-auth-endpoint-sample | 23 |
| UI Toolkit Web | videosdk-zoom-ui-toolkit-web | 17 |
| UI Toolkit React | videosdk-zoom-ui-toolkit-react-sample | 17 |
| Next.js | videosdk-nextjs-quickstart | 16 |
| Telehealth | VideoSDK-Web-Telehealth | 11 |
| Linux | videosdk-linux-raw-recording-sample | - |
Full list: See general/references/community-repos.md
.env keys and where to find each value.# Download SDK locally
curl "https://source.zoom.us/videosdk/zoom-video-1.12.0.min.js" -o js/zoom-video-sdk.min.js<script src="js/zoom-video-sdk.min.js"></script>// CDN exports as WebVideoSDK, NOT ZoomVideo
// Must use .default property
const ZoomVideo = WebVideoSDK.default;
const client = ZoomVideo.createClient();
await client.init('en-US', 'Global', { patchJsMedia: true });
await client.join(topic, signature, userName, password);
// IMPORTANT: getMediaStream() ONLY works AFTER join()
const stream = client.getMediaStream();
await stream.startVideo();
await stream.startAudio();// Wait for SDK to load before using
function waitForSDK(timeout = 10000) {
return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
if (typeof WebVideoSDK !== 'undefined') {
resolve();
return;
}
const start = Date.now();
const check = setInterval(() => {
if (typeof WebVideoSDK !== 'undefined') {
clearInterval(check);
resolve();
} else if (Date.now() - start > timeout) {
clearInterval(check);
reject(new Error('SDK failed to load'));
}
}, 100);
});
}
// Usage
await waitForSDK();
const ZoomVideo = WebVideoSDK.default;
const client = ZoomVideo.createClient();1. Create client: client = ZoomVideo.createClient()
2. Initialize: await client.init('en-US', 'Global', options)
3. Join session: await client.join(topic, signature, userName, password)
4. Get stream: stream = client.getMediaStream() ← ONLY AFTER JOIN
5. Start media: await stream.startVideo() / await stream.startAudio()// ❌ WRONG: Getting stream before joining
const client = ZoomVideo.createClient();
await client.init('en-US', 'Global');
const stream = client.getMediaStream(); // Returns undefined!
await client.join(...);
// ✅ CORRECT: Get stream after joining
const client = ZoomVideo.createClient();
await client.init('en-US', 'Global');
await client.join(...);
const stream = client.getMediaStream(); // Works!import { VideoQuality } from '@zoom/videosdk';
// Start your camera
await stream.startVideo();
// Attach video - returns element to append to DOM
const element = await stream.attachVideo(userId, VideoQuality.Video_360P);
container.appendChild(element);
// Detach when done
await stream.detachVideo(userId);// When other participant's video turns on/off
client.on('peer-video-state-change', async (payload) => {
const { action, userId } = payload;
if (action === 'Start') {
const el = await stream.attachVideo(userId, VideoQuality.Video_360P);
container.appendChild(el);
} else {
await stream.detachVideo(userId);
}
});
// When participants join/leave
client.on('user-added', (payload) => { /* check bVideoOn */ });
client.on('user-removed', (payload) => { stream.detachVideo(payload.userId); });// Session is created on-the-fly when first user joins
// Any string can be the topic - it becomes the session identifier
await client.join('my-custom-session-123', signature, 'User Name');
// Other participants join the SAME session by using the SAME topic
await client.join('my-custom-session-123', signature, 'Another User');# Nginx config
location /api/ {
proxy_pass http://YOUR_BACKEND_HOST:3005/api/;
proxy_http_version 1.1;
proxy_set_header Host $host;
}// Frontend uses relative URL (same origin)
const response = await fetch('/api/signature', { ... });// Express.js backend
const cors = require('cors');
app.use(cors({
origin: ['https://your-domain.com'],
credentials: true
}));Buckets/{bucketName}/cmr/byos/{YYYY}/{MM}/{DD}/{GUID}/cmr_byos/