To programmatically record Zoom Meetings using the local recording token feature, hosts must configure specific settings in their Zoom account. This guide explains the required configurations and provides guidance for resolving common issues.

Prerequisites

Before attempting to use the local recording token via API:

Local recording must be enabled in the host’s Zoom settings.
The user making the API call must be the meeting host or an alternative host.

Step 1: Enable required settings in Zoom

To use the local recording token feature, hosts must enable the following settings at the user or account level.

How to verify recording settings

Sign in to your Zoom account.
Navigate to https://zoom.us/profile/setting.
Select the Recording tab.
Ensure the following settings are enabled:
- Record to computer files (required)
- External meeting participants (required)
- Auto approve their permission requests (optional for convenience)

If any of these options are grayed out or cannot be modified, contact your Zoom account admin. These settings may be locked at the account level.

⚠️ Account-level settings override user-level settings. To verify or update account-wide defaults, go to https://zoom.us/account/setting (admin access required).

User-level vs. account-level permissions

Feature	User-Level App	Account-Level App (Admin)
Can fetch local recording token for any host in the account?	❌ No (only for meetings hosted by the app user)	✅ Yes
OAuth scope required	`meeting_token:read:local_recording`	`meeting_token:read:admin:local_recording`
Who needs to install the app?	Each host individually	Admin installs once for all users
Best use case	Bots recording their own meetings	Org-wide recording bots or services

Local recording token: edge cases

Scenario	Expected behavior	Recommended action
Host has disabled local recording	API call fails	Ensure local recording is enabled
Host does not allow participant recording	API call fails	Enable participant recording
Meeting is scheduled but not started	Token may expire	Fetch token closer to meeting time
Bot tries to record a meeting it doesn’t own	API call fails	Confirm host has authorized the app

Common API errors and how to resolve them

Error message	Cause	Solution
`User does not have permission`	OAuth token belongs to a non-host user	Use the host’s OAuth token or switch to an account-level app
`Meeting does not exist`	Invalid or unauthorized meeting ID	Verify the meeting ID and host access
`Local recording is disabled`	Host settings are not configured	Ask host to enable local recording

Summary

Proper configuration of local recording permissions is essential for using Zoom’s local recording token API. Always ensure:

Required settings are enabled.
The API is called by an authorized host or admin.
Edge cases and permission boundaries are clearly understood.

For enterprise use cases, prefer account-level apps to streamline deployment and ensure consistent access across your organization.

Enable local recording permissions for Zoom Meetings via API