Admin management of Team Chat channels and contacts

Account owners and admins can view, create, and manage channels using the web portal. You can also assign and remove individual users and user groups to channels, use IdP attributes to assign individual users and IM groups to channels, or automatically assign users to channels based on a SAML attribute. Admins can adjust chat channel settings and permissions from the web portal, without having to access the chat channel directly through the desktop app.

Notes:

• When using the web portal, you can create channels with a maximum of 5,000 members for private channels and 10,000 members for public channels.
• If adding admins to help manage a channel, you can add up to 50 admins to help manage that channel.
• When creating channels from the Channel Management page in the web portal, you can add user groups to up to 100 channels, increased from the previous limit of 30.

Group chats are different from channels, in the following ways:

• Group chats are started when a user starts a chat with two or more users; or invites users to an existing 1-on-1 chat.
• Group chats don’t have the same privacy controls as channels and don’t require a topic name.
• You can’t manage group chats in the Zoom web portal. Only group chat admins can manage them using the desktop app or mobile app.

This article covers:

• Channel management in the web portal versus desktop app
• How to create chat channels
  • Create channels based on user groups
  • Create a channel for multiple user groups
• How to add members or groups to a channel
• How to edit channel settings
• How to delete a channel
• How to remove external contacts
• How to export channel information
  • Export a list of all channels
  • Export a list of channel members
  • Export a list of search results
• How to configure default channels

Prerequisites for managing channels

• Paid Zoom account
• Chat enabled (Allow users to chat with others setting in account-level settings)
• Account owners, admins, or custom role with the chat channels privilege

Channel management in the web portal versus desktop app

You can manage channels in the web portal or the desktop app.

Use the web portal if you want to:

• Create a channel by adding members from a user group. Changes made to this user group (for example, adding or removing users) will be reflected in the channel you create. Note: You can add user groups to up to 100 channels, increased from the previous limit of 30.
• Prevent users in certain groups from creating public and/or private channels.
• Create several channels based on existing contact groups. Changes made to these user groups (for example, adding or removing users) will be reflected in the channels you create.
  Note: You can still add individual members after creating channels in the web portal.

Use the desktop app if you want to:

• Create a channel by adding members from another internal channel.
• Create a channel by specifying individual members.

How to create chat channels

Create channels based on user groups

Admins can create chat channels that correlate to each contact group created, kick starting channel creation for teams in your organization. These teams can create their own custom channels for more granular needs, such as a channel for all managers of a particular department.

Note: When creating channels from the Channel Management page in the web portal, you can add user groups to up to 100 channels, increased from the previous limit of 30.

This method is useful when creating starting chat channels for each team or department, as these channels are based on each individual user group selected.

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
2. In the navigation menu, click Team Chat Management then Channels.
3. Click the All Channels tab.
4. Click + Create Channel.
5. Choose Select Groups and create channels for each of them.
6. Click Next.
7. Select one or more groups to create channels from.
   A new channel is created for each group you select.
   Note: If the group's name is already being used as a channel name, the web portal will require you to resolve the naming conflict by entering a new channel name. Click Continue after resolving the conflicts.
8. Click Continue after resolving the conflicts.
9. Specify the required information in these columns:
   • Name: By default, the channel names are the same as the names of the group you previously selected.
   • Type: Select the channel type.
     • Public: Anyone in your organization can join your channel.
     • Private: Only invited people can join your channel.
   • Who Can Add Members:
     Note: Only the channel owner or account admin can change the setting for Who can add members.
     • All channel members: All channel members can add members.
     • Channel owner only: Only the channel owner can add members.
   • Who Can Send Messages: Select which channel members are allowed to post messages in the channel.
     • Everyone: All channel members can post in the channel.
     • Owners only: Only the channel owner can post in the channel.
     • Owner, plus specific people: Only the channel owner and specified members can post in the channel.
   • Can Add External Users by: Specify if users not in your organization can be added to the channel.
     Note: If you enable this option, make sure to review the channel privileges of external users.
     • No one: Don't allow anyone to add external users to the channel.
     • All channel members: Members internal and external to your organization can add external users.
     • Members in your organization: Only members internal to your organization can add external users.
     • Channel owner only: Only the channel owner can add external users.
   • Who can use @all: Select which channel members are allowed to use the @all mention in the channel.
     • Everyone: All channel members can use the @all mention in the channel.
     • Owner and admins only: Only the channel owner and designated admin can use the @all mention in the channel.
     • Disable @all for this channel: Disable the use of the @all mention for this channel. Use of @ mentions for specific users or defined mention groups, are unaffected. 
   • New Member Can See History: If selected, new members can see messages and files sent before they were members.
   • Channel Owner: Specify the channel owner. The channel owner will be able to change the channel's name, description, and settings.
10. Click Done.

You can also create channels by syncing your IdP Groups via SAML mapping.

Create a channel for multiple user groups

This method is useful when creating a common chat channel for multiple user groups, such as all the groups that make up a department or the entire organization.

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
2. In the navigation menu, click Team Chat Management then Channels.
3. Click the All Channels tab.
4. Click + Create Channel.
5. Choose Create a single channel and add members of Groups.
6. Click Next.
7. Specify the following information:
   • Name: Enter a name for the channel.
   • Type: Select the channel type.
     • Public: Anyone in your organization can join your channel.
     • Private: Only invited people can join your channel.
   • Who Can Add Members:
     Note: Only the channel owner or account admin can change the setting for Who can add members.
     • All channel members: All channel members can add members.
     • Channel owner only: Only the channel owner can add members.
   • Who can use @all: Select which channel members are allowed to use the @all mention in the channel.
     • Everyone: All channel members can use the @all mention in the channel.
     • Owner and admins only: Only the channel owner and designated admin can use the @all mention in the channel.
     • Disable @all for this channel: Disable the use of the @all mention for this channel. Use of @ mentions for specific users or defined mention groups, are unaffected. 
   • Members from outside of the organization: Select the check box if you want to allow external users to be added. If you enable this option, make sure to review the channel privileges of external users.
   • Message and File History: If selected, new members can see messages and files sent before they were members.
8. Click Continue.
9. Specify the following information:
   • Under Add Groups to Channel, begin entering the name of a group, then select the name of the group. You can choose multiple groups here.
   • Channel Owner: Specify the channel owner. The channel owner will be able to change the channel's name, description, and settings.
   • (Optional) Channel Admins: Specify the admins that can help manage the channel.
   • Who Can Send Messages: Select which channel members are allowed to post messages in the channel.
     • Everyone: All channel members can post in the channel.
     • Owners only: Only the channel owner can post in the channel.
     • Owner, plus specific people: Only the channel owner and specified members can post in the channel.
10. Click Done.

How to add members or groups to a channel

After creating a channel, you can add individual users to the channel who are not part of the user groups you selected. You can also add more groups to the channel.

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
2. In the navigation menu, click Team Chat Management then Channels.
3. Click the All Channels tab.
4. Click the name of the channel.
5. Click Add Members.
6. Specify the members or groups to add.
   Note: Changes made to these user groups (for example, adding or removing users) will be reflected in the channels you create.
7. Click Save.

How to edit channel settings

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
2. In the navigation menu, click Team Chat Management then Channels.
3. Click the All Channels tab.
4. In the right-side column, click the ellipsis icon , then click Edit.
5. Change the following settings as needed:
   • Name: Enter a name to help others identify your channel.
   • Type: Select the channel type.
     • Public: Anyone in your organization can join your channel.
     • Private: Only invited people can join your channel.
   • Who can add members
     • All channel members
     • Channel owner only
   • Members from outside of the organization
     • External users can be added: If selected, users not in your organization can be added to the channel.
       Note: If you enable this option, make sure to review the channel privileges of external users.
       • By all channel members: Members internal and external to your organization can add external users.
       • By members in your organization: Only members internal to your organization can add external users.
       • By channel owner: Only the channel owner can add external users.
   • Who can send messages: Select which channel members are allowed to post in the channel.
     • Everyone: All channel members can post in the channel.
     • Owners only: Only the channel owner can post in the channel.
     • Owner, plus specific people: Only the channel owner and specified members can post in the channel.
   • Who can use @all: Select which channel members are allowed to use the @all mention in the channel.
     • Everyone: All channel members can use the @all mention in the channel.
     • Owner and admins only: Only the channel owner and designated admin can use the @all mention in the channel.
     • Disable @all for this channel: Disable the use of the @all mention for this channel. Use of @ mentions for specific users or defined mention groups, are unaffected. 
   • Message and File History: If selected, new members can see messages and files sent before they were members.
   • Cloud Storage Retention: If enabled and not locked at the account level, you can specify how long messages and files are saved to the Zoom cloud. Channel-specific cloud storage periods will override any account or group-level retention settings.
6. Click Save.

How to delete a channel

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
2. In the navigation menu, click Team Chat Management then Channels.
3. Click the All Channels tab.
4. In the right-side column, click the ellipsis button of the channel to delete, then click Delete.
   Note: We suggest saving any necessary records before deletion. Once the channel is deleted, it's NOT possible to recover it. All data including the member list will be permanently deleted. 

How to remove external contacts

If users in the account add external contacts, you can view these external contacts and remove them as a connected contact.

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
2. In the navigation menu, click User Management then Users.
3. In the Users tab, click the gear icon in the top-right corner of the table, then select External Contacts.
4. Click Confirm to show this additional column, which shows the number of external contacts each user has.
5. Locate a user that has external contacts, then click the number in the External Contacts column.
   You will see a list of external users that were added by the selected user, as well as any channels they are members of on your account.
6. (Optional) In the Channels column, click View to view channels or group chats they are members of.
7. Next to a user’s name, click the ellipsis icon , then click Remove from Account.

How to export channel information

Account owners and admins can export a list of channels and/or channel members as a CSV file (from the web portal). Exporting CSV files will be listed in Admin Activity Logs.

Export a list of all channels

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
2. In the navigation menu, click Team Chat Management then Channels.
3. Click the All Channels tab.
4. In the top-right corner, click Export.
   A CSV file of the list of Zoom Team Chat channels will download to your computer.

Export a list of channel members

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
2. In the navigation menu, click Team Chat Management then Channels.
3. Click the All Channels tab.
4. In the list of chat channels, click a channel name.
5. Under Members, click Export.
   A CSV file of the list of the channel's members will download to your computer.

Export a list of search results

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
2. In the navigation menu, click Team Chat Management then Channels.
3. Click the All Channels tab.
4. In the search bar, enter keywords.
   Your search results will appear.
5. In the top-right corner, click Export.
   A CSV file of the list of your search results will download to your computer.

How to configure default channels

You can choose up to five public channels that all users are added to when they join your account. Existing users will be added to new default channels.

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
2. In the navigation menu, click Team Chat Management then Channels.
3. Click the Default Channels tab.
4. Click the plus button next to Default Channels.
   The Add Default Channel(s) pop-up window will appear.
5. In the window, enter the channel name.
6. Click Add.