setup-zoom-websockets

/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

Event Format

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

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.

Reconnection

Implement automatic reconnection for reliability:

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.