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Add Conference Links to Virtual Events
Add Conference Links to Virtual Events

Make sure your virtual events are set up correctly for a seamless volunteer experience

Updated over a week ago

πŸ“‹ Overview

Attendees often reach out to Mobilize asking where to find the link to join an event. The following are best practices for virtual event creation that ensure join links are easy for attendees to find.

  • Use the Virtual event link field in the "How to join this virtual event" section for Zoom and other conference links instead of the Additional instructions field. Information added to this field populates a prominent button at the top of reminder emails and a link in SMS making it easy for attendees to find and join virtual events.

  • If your dashboard has an active Zoom integration, make sure you add a meeting ID to the Virtual event link field instead of a full Zoom link. This will activate the Zoom integration, which will automatically register attendees for the Zoom event when they sign up.

  • NOTE: If you intend on using the same Zoom or conference link for events with multiple shifts, adding a single join link in the Virtual event link field will populate all shifts of your events with the same information.


Use the "How to join this virtual event" section for virtual join links and joining instructions

Virtual event link

Mobilize uses information in the Virtual event link field to send join information to volunteers prominently via email and SMS so that they can join virtual events directly from automated emails, SMS, and their Mobilize schedule.

Attendees receive information added to the link to join field...

βœ… Via email after signup, prominently as a button and also as a link

βœ… Via email the day of the event, prominently as a button and also as a link

βœ… Via text message, 30 minutes before the event, as a link

NOTE: If your Zoom meeting requires registration, add the Zoom Meeting ID to the Virtual event link field instead of the entire Zoom link. If your dashboard has the Zoom integration enabled, this will pre-register Mobilize signups for Zoom Meetings and Webinars automatically. Learn more.

How to add virtual event links to your events

STEP 1: Select Virtual under Location.

STEP 2: When you are creating your event, add your Virtual event link in the How to join this virtual event section under Location. Any video call information added here will apply to all timeslots you are adding.

STEP 3: After you have created timeslots, you can go back at any time and add or change the video call information for each individual timeslot.

NOTE: If you change the virtual event link information, Mobilize will automatically update in past and future email and SMS link to join buttons. So, if a volunteer references an email that was sent our before the change, they will still see the most recent Zoom link.

πŸ“£ Use the Additional instructions field to share notes with attendees

Use the Additional instructions field to share expectations and instructions with attendees. For example, you could include a note to make sure attendees have strong internet, a quiet surrounding, or to instruct attendees to register on a texting or calling platform beforehand, etc.

NOTE: We do not recommend using the Additional instructions field for conference links, as the information in this field is included further down in automated emails, does not populate as a prominent button like information added to the Virtual event link field. Additionally, if you update a virtual event link after automated emails go out, the previous emails will not update to the new link.

Mobilize sends this information to attendees:

βœ… Via email after signup in the How to join this event section

βœ… Via email the day of the event in the Λ†How to join this event section

🚫 Not included in the text message that attendees get 30 mins before the event


⚠️ Use the Private information sent to attendees field to add notes for all timeslots

NOTE: If you include your event's virtual event link in this section, your supporters will have a harder time finding the link to join your event.

The Private information sent to attendees should only be used for providing preparation information like necessary resources, training, and additional instructions for all timeslots. This information appears in emails in the How to prepare section.

Where to find the Private information sent to attendees field during event creation

While creating an event or action, the optional Private information sent to attendees field appears directly below the field where you provide the event description.

How Private information sent to attendees details are sent to attendees

When you've added Private information sent to attendees information, Mobilize sends it to supporters:

βœ… Via email after signup

βœ… Via email the day before the event

βœ… Via email on the day of the event.

If you add any links to join here, you will also encounter these challenges:

❌ Any changes to the link won't be automatically updated in emails

❌ Attendees won't be sent a virtual event link 30 minutes before

❌ You will not be able to configure automatic registration for Zoom events


πŸ“ Zoom integration: enabling pre-registration

Tip: If you have the Zoom integration enabled, provide Zoom call IDs instead of Zoom links to pre-register attendees for Zoom events requiring registration.

If your dashboard has the Zoom integration enabled, you have the opportunity to automatically pre-register volunteers for a Zoom meeting upon signup for your Mobilize event.

  • Make sure you add meeting IDs to the Virtual event link field. This will create a personalized Zoom link for participants and automatically pre-register them for the Zoom event

  • After you save your event, Mobilize will convert the Zoom meeting ID into a unique link. When auditing previously created events, a link that includes zoom/[string of numbers] or zoom/[string of numbers]/[pw=string of numbers] indicates that the event was set up with a meeting ID. If the link is much longer and includes the words meeting or register it was likely not created with a meeting ID.

  • If you add an event link to the Virtual event link field, signups will still receive the Zoom link as a button in their emails and text messages, but they will not be pre-registered for the Zoom event.

  • If you add event IDs or links to the Private information sent to attendees or Additional instructions fields, signups will not be pre-registered for the Zoom event.

Note: using the event ID to enable pre-registration will not automatically check-in signups when they click through the virtual event links button in email or SMS. If you would like to automatically mark signups as β€œcompleted” when they click through, go to your settings tab and turn the enable automated check-in for virtual events toggle on.

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