Fully Automated Webinar Lifecycle

API and Webhooks
1

Fully Automated Webinar Lifecycle

Auto-Start · Pre-Recorded Playback · Real-Time Engagement Analytics

We are designing a fully automated Zoom Webinar system with no human intervention before or during the live session. Below are our requirements, current findings, and specific questions for the Zoom team.

:one: Automated Webinar Start & Video Playback (T-30 → T-0 → Live Content)

Business Requirement

We need a system that:

  • Automatically starts a Zoom Webinar 30 minutes before the scheduled time (T-30)

  • Plays a pre-recorded countdown video from T-30 to T-0

  • At T-0, seamlessly switches to a different pre-recorded webinar video

  • No host manually joins or performs any actions

Questions

A. Auto-Start Webinar

  1. Is there any Zoom API, webhook, or configuration that allows a webinar to start automatically without a host joining manually?

  2. If this is not supported:

    • Is it explicitly disallowed by Zoom policy, or

    • Simply not exposed via APIs / SDKs?

B. Automated Screen Share / Video Playback

  1. Is there official Zoom API or SDK support to:

    • Automatically start video playback (MP4 / YouTube / Vimeo) when a webinar starts?

    • Automatically stop one video and start another at a specific timestamp (T-0)?

  2. Are there Zoom-recommended alternatives for this use case, such as:

    • Zoom Rooms

    • Zoom Events

    • Webinar Simulive

    • Any other supported architecture?

C. Compliance / Policy Clarification

  1. Would using browser automation (Playwright / Puppeteer) or a headless Zoom client to automate joining and video playback:

    • Violate Zoom Terms of Service?

  2. Is there an approved architectural pattern for fully automated webinars with pre-recorded content?

:two: Real-Time Polls, Q&A & Survey Data (No 30-Minute Delay)

Current State

We currently use the Zoom Reports APIs:

  • /v2/report/webinars/{webinarId}

  • /v2/report/meetings/{meetingId}

Documentation states that:

Report APIs are available ~30 minutes after the webinar ends

This delay blocks:

  • Real-time dashboards

  • Live CRM sync

  • Immediate engagement analytics

Requirement

We need real-time or near-real-time access to:

  • Poll responses

  • Q&A submissions

  • Webinar survey data

Questions

A. Webhooks

  1. Are there Zoom webhooks that emit:

    • Poll submission events

    • Q&A submission events

    • Survey submission events
      during the live webinar?

  2. If yes:

    • What are the exact webhook event names?

    • Are these available for Zoom Webinars (not just Meetings)?

B. Platform Limitations

  1. If real-time events are not available:

    • Is the 30-minute delay a hard architectural limitation?

  2. Are there:

    • Alternative APIs

    • Beta features

    • Event-driven integrations
      that support live engagement data?

Expected Guidance from Zoom

We are looking for:

  • Clear confirmation of what is and isn’t possible today

  • Official Zoom-recommended architecture for automated webinars

  • Correct app configuration and scope requirements

  • A definitive answer on real-time engagement data availability

Thank you for your guidance.