# Event\_outside\_lobby\_time\_range

**URL:** <https://devforum.zoom.us/t/event-outside-lobby-time-range/134883>\
**Category:** API and Webhooks\
**Created:** [July 5, 2025, 2:51pm UTC](https://devforum.zoom.us/t/event-outside-lobby-time-range/134883 "2025-07-05T14:51:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![desautelsj](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/devforum.zoom.us/desautelsj/32/23584_2.png) [@desautelsj](https://devforum.zoom.us/u/desautelsj)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2025, 2:51pm UTC](https://devforum.zoom.us/t/event-outside-lobby-time-range/134883/1 "2025-07-05T14:51:01Z")

</div>

When we create an event, we can specify the `lobby_start_time` and `lobby_end_time` to control when attendees can join the lobby. I typically want to allow attendees to join 15 minutes before the start of the event and I also allow them to remain in the lobby up to 15 minutes after the end of the event. This works fine for simple events and conferences but I can’t figure out how do this for recurring events.

In the following example, you’ll see that lobby\_start\_time is set to 15 minutes prior to the event start time and lobby\_end\_time is set to 15 minutes after the event end time. However, sending this request results in a `event_outside_lobby_time_range` exception:

```auto
REQUEST:
POST https://api.zoom.us/v2/zoom_events/events
{
  "name":"ZoomNet Integration Testing: recurring event",
  "description":"The description",
  "timezone":"America/New_York",
  "event_type":"RECURRING",
  "access_level":"PRIVATE_RESTRICTED",
  "calendar":[
      {
        "start_time":"2025-07-07T14:34:56Z",
        "end_time":"2025-07-07T16:34:56Z"
      }
    ],
  "recurrence":{"duration":45,"type":2,"repeat_interval":1,"weekly_days":[1,5],"end_date_time":"2025-09-05T14:34:56Z"},
  "hub_id":"FAUL4su2RvWp_v6WsisP1g",
  "attendance_type":"hybrid",
  "categories":["Business \u0026 Networking"],
  "tags":["cat2","cat3"],
  "contact_name":"Jan Vermeer",
  "lobby_start_time":"2025-07-07T14:19:56Z",
  "lobby_end_time":"2025-07-07T16:49:56Z",
  "blocked_countries":["TD","NO"],
  "tagline":"The best recurring event ever !!!"
}

RESPONSE:
HTTP/1.1 400 Bad Request
Date: Sat, 05 Jul 2025 14:34:58 GMT
x-zm-trackingid: WEB_a310e59072ba30a6a72a50b2dcfa6522
{"code":400, "message":"event_outside_lobby_time_range"}

```

Does anybody know how I can configure the event so that the lobby opens up 15 minutes before each occurrence and closes 15 minutes after each occurrence?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![elisa.zoom](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/devforum.zoom.us/elisa.zoom/32/47836_2.png) [@elisa.zoom](https://devforum.zoom.us/u/elisa.zoom)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2026, 2:00am UTC](https://devforum.zoom.us/t/event-outside-lobby-time-range/134883/2 "2026-02-04T02:00:45Z")

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Hey @desautelsj  
Thanks for your patience here.  
I was able to reproduce this on my end and got the same error.  
This endpoint validates that every event occurrence must fall within the lobby window.  
Since the lobby\_start\_time and lobby\_end\_time are set at event creation, the API attempts to validate them against all recurrences, and some occurrences fall outside the lobby end time.

Have you been able to find a workaround for this? like updating each occurrence?  
Hope this helps!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![desautelsj](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/devforum.zoom.us/desautelsj/32/23584_2.png) [@desautelsj](https://devforum.zoom.us/u/desautelsj)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2026, 2:08am UTC](https://devforum.zoom.us/t/event-outside-lobby-time-range/134883/3 "2026-02-04T02:08:32Z")

</div>

It’s been 6 months so I don’t remember exactly what I tried but I think after a while I simply gave up.