# Automatically stopping a meeting without a host

**URL:** <https://devforum.zoom.us/t/automatically-stopping-a-meeting-without-a-host/39349>\
**Category:** API and Webhooks\
**Created:** [December 29, 2020, 10:15am UTC](https://devforum.zoom.us/t/automatically-stopping-a-meeting-without-a-host/39349 "2020-12-29T10:15:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jordan3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/67e7ee/32.png) [@jordan3](https://devforum.zoom.us/u/jordan3)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2020, 10:15am UTC](https://devforum.zoom.us/t/automatically-stopping-a-meeting-without-a-host/39349/1 "2020-12-29T10:15:25Z")

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Hi team, this may not be relevant to API/webhooks.

We are programatically creating meetings. The meetings are hostless (ie the host never joins)

We are worried that the automated time out won’t occur as although a meeting will take place (with more than 1 participant), there is a small chance that one participant forgets to leave.

As I understand if the host joins and also leaves, there is a 40 minute time out if one person stays in the meeting. Does this time out still occur if the host never actually joins?

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**Author:** ![will.zoom](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/devforum.zoom.us/will.zoom/32/14417_2.png) [@will.zoom](https://devforum.zoom.us/u/will.zoom)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2020, 6:42pm UTC](https://devforum.zoom.us/t/automatically-stopping-a-meeting-without-a-host/39349/2 "2020-12-29T18:42:45Z")

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Hi @jordan3,

Good question. That’s correct—if 1 person remains in the meeting (non-host), it’s considered an idle meeting and will [timeout after 40 minutes](https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/202460676-Time-limits-for-idle-meetings#:~:text=Meeting%20timeout%20at%2040%20minutes,-1%20host%20and&text=Only%20one%20person%20remains%20in,if%20no%20one%20else%20joins.).

If you wish to handle the ending of meetings programmatically, I might also suggest checking out our Update Meeting Status endpoint:

> **[Update Meeting Status - Meetings - Zoom API - API Reference](https://marketplace.zoom.us/docs/api-reference/zoom-api/meetings/meetingstatus)**
>
> Update the status of a meeting.
> Scopes: meeting:write:admin meeting:write
> Rate Limit Label: Light
> 
> Authorization
> 
> Flow: authorizationCode
> 
> Authorizatio...

This allows you to end a meeting via API.

Let me know if this helps!

Best,  
Will

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/zoomdeveloper/original/3X/6/1/614bdd549b610bbaa46ff934617683a02bdaa03c.png) [@system](https://devforum.zoom.us/u/system)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2021, 4:42am UTC](https://devforum.zoom.us/t/automatically-stopping-a-meeting-without-a-host/39349/3 "2021-01-29T04:42:47Z")

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Closed on January 29, 2021, 4:42am UTC

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