zoom-oauth

Zoom OAuth

Background reference for Zoom auth and token lifecycle behavior. Prefer setup-zoom-oauth first, then use this skill for the exact flow, scope, and error details.

Zoom OAuth

Authentication and authorization for Zoom APIs.

📖 Complete Documentation

For comprehensive guides, production patterns, and troubleshooting, see Integrated Index section below.

Quick navigation:

5-Minute Runbook - Preflight checks before deep debugging
OAuth Flows - Which flow to use and how each works
Token Lifecycle - Expiration, refresh, and revocation
Production Examples - Redis caching, MySQL storage, auto-refresh
Troubleshooting - Error codes 4700-4741

Prerequisites

Zoom app created in Marketplace
Client ID and Client Secret
For S2S OAuth: Account ID

Four Authorization Use Cases

Use Case App Type Grant Type Industry Name

Account Authorization Server-to-Server account_credentials

Client Credentials Grant, M2M, Two-legged OAuth

User Authorization General authorization_code

Authorization Code Grant, Three-legged OAuth

Device Authorization General urn:ietf:params:oauth:grant-type:device_code

Device Authorization Grant (RFC 8628)

Client Authorization General client_credentials

Client Credentials Grant (chatbot-scoped)

Industry Terminology

Term Meaning

Two-legged OAuth No user involved (client ↔ server)

Three-legged OAuth User involved (user ↔ client ↔ server)

M2M Machine-to-Machine (backend services)

Public client Can't keep secrets (mobile, SPA) → use PKCE

Confidential client Can keep secrets (backend servers)

PKCE Proof Key for Code Exchange (RFC 7636), pronounced "pixy"

Which Flow Should I Use?

                          ┌─────────────────────┐
                          │  What are you       │
                          │  building?          │
                          └──────────┬──────────┘
                                     │
                ┌────────────────────┼────────────────────┐
                │                    │                    │
                ▼                    ▼                    ▼
      ┌─────────────────┐  ┌─────────────────┐  ┌─────────────────┐
      │  Backend        │  │  App for other  │  │  Chatbot only   │
      │  automation     │  │  users/accounts │  │  (Team Chat)    │
      │  (your account) │  │                 │  │                 │
      └────────┬────────┘  └────────┬────────┘  └────────┬────────┘
               │                    │                    │
               ▼                    │                    ▼
      ┌─────────────────┐           │           ┌─────────────────┐
      │    ACCOUNT      │           │           │     CLIENT      │
      │   (S2S OAuth)   │           │           │   (Chatbot)     │
      └─────────────────┘           │           └─────────────────┘
                                    │
                                    ▼
                          ┌─────────────────────┐
                          │  Does device have   │
                          │  a browser?         │
                          └──────────┬──────────┘
                                     │
                     ┌───────────────┴───────────────┐
                     │ NO                         YES│
                     ▼                               ▼
      ┌─────────────────────────┐         ┌─────────────────┐
      │        DEVICE           │         │      USER       │
      │     (Device Flow)       │         │  (Auth Code)    │
      │                         │         │                 │
      │ Examples:               │         │ + PKCE if       │
      │ • Smart TV              │         │   public client │
      │ • Meeting SDK device    │         │                 │
      └─────────────────────────┘         └─────────────────┘

Account Authorization (Server-to-Server OAuth)

For backend automation without user interaction.

Request Access Token

POST https://zoom.us/oauth/token?grant_type=account_credentials&account_id={ACCOUNT_ID}

Headers: Authorization: Basic {Base64(ClientID:ClientSecret)}

Response

{ "access_token": "eyJ...", "token_type": "bearer", "expires_in": 3600, "scope": "user:read:user:admin", "api_url": "https://api.zoom.us" }

Refresh

Access tokens expire after 1 hour. No separate refresh flow - just request a new token.

User Authorization (Authorization Code Flow)

For apps that act on behalf of users.

Step 1: Redirect User to Authorize

https://zoom.us/oauth/authorize?response_type=code&client_id={CLIENT_ID}&redirect_uri={REDIRECT_URI}

Use https://zoom.us/oauth/authorize for consent, but https://zoom.us/oauth/token for token exchange.

Optional Parameters:

Parameter Description

state

CSRF protection, maintains state through flow

code_challenge

For PKCE (see below)

code_challenge_method

S256 or plain (default: plain)

Step 2: User Authorizes

User signs in and grants permission
Redirects to redirect_uri with authorization code: https://example.com/?code={AUTHORIZATION_CODE}

Step 3: Exchange Code for Token

POST https://zoom.us/oauth/token?grant_type=authorization_code&code={CODE}&redirect_uri={REDIRECT_URI}

Headers: Authorization: Basic {Base64(ClientID:ClientSecret)}

With PKCE: Add code_verifier parameter.

Response

{ "access_token": "eyJ...", "token_type": "bearer", "refresh_token": "eyJ...", "expires_in": 3600, "scope": "user:read:user", "api_url": "https://api.zoom.us" }

Refresh Token

POST https://zoom.us/oauth/token?grant_type=refresh_token&refresh_token={REFRESH_TOKEN}

Headers: Authorization: Basic {Base64(ClientID:ClientSecret)}

Access tokens expire after 1 hour
Refresh token lifetime can vary; ~90 days is common for some user-based flows. Treat it as configuration/behavior that can change and rely on runtime errors + re-auth fallback.
Always use the latest refresh token for the next request
If refresh token expires, redirect user to authorization URL to restart flow

User-Level vs Account-Level Apps

Type Who Can Authorize Scope Access

User-level Any individual user Scoped to themselves

Account-level User with admin permissions Account-wide access (admin scopes)

Device Authorization (Device Flow)

For devices without browsers (e.g., Meeting SDK apps).

Prerequisites

Enable "Use App on Device" in: Features > Embed > Enable Meeting SDK

Step 1: Request Device Code

POST https://zoom.us/oauth/devicecode?client_id={CLIENT_ID}

Headers: Authorization: Basic {Base64(ClientID:ClientSecret)}

Response

{ "device_code": "DEVICE_CODE", "user_code": "abcd1234", "verification_uri": "https://zoom.us/oauth_device", "verification_uri_complete": "https://zoom.us/oauth/device/complete/{CODE}", "expires_in": 900, "interval": 5 }

Step 2: User Authorization

Direct user to:

verification_uri and display user_code for manual entry, OR
verification_uri_complete (user code prefilled)

User signs in and allows the app.

Step 3: Poll for Token

Poll at the interval (5 seconds) until user authorizes:

POST https://zoom.us/oauth/token?grant_type=urn:ietf:params:oauth:grant-type:device_code&device_code={DEVICE_CODE}

Headers: Authorization: Basic {Base64(ClientID:ClientSecret)}

Response

{ "access_token": "eyJ...", "token_type": "bearer", "refresh_token": "eyJ...", "expires_in": 3599, "scope": "user:read:user user:read:token", "api_url": "https://api.zoom.us" }

Polling Responses

Response Meaning Action

Token returned User authorized Store tokens, done

error: authorization_pending

User hasn't authorized yet Keep polling at interval

error: slow_down

Polling too fast Increase interval by 5 seconds

error: expired_token

Device code expired (15 min) Restart flow from Step 1

error: access_denied

User denied authorization Handle denial, don't retry

Polling Implementation

async function pollForToken(deviceCode, interval) { while (true) { await sleep(interval * 1000);

try {
  const response = await axios.post(
    `https://zoom.us/oauth/token?grant_type=urn:ietf:params:oauth:grant-type:device_code&#x26;device_code=${deviceCode}`,
    null,
    { headers: { 'Authorization': `Basic ${credentials}` } }
  );
  return response.data; // Success - got tokens
} catch (error) {
  const err = error.response?.data?.error;
  if (err === 'authorization_pending') continue;
  if (err === 'slow_down') { interval += 5; continue; }
  throw error; // expired_token or access_denied
}

} }

Refresh

Same as User Authorization. If refresh token expires, restart device flow from Step 1.

Client Authorization (Chatbot)

For chatbot message operations only.

Request Token

POST https://zoom.us/oauth/token?grant_type=client_credentials

Headers: Authorization: Basic {Base64(ClientID:ClientSecret)}

Response

{ "access_token": "eyJ...", "token_type": "bearer", "expires_in": 3600, "scope": "imchat:bot", "api_url": "https://api.zoom.us" }

Refresh

Tokens expire after 1 hour. No refresh flow - just request a new token.

Using Access Tokens

Call API

GET https://api.zoom.us/v2/users/me

Headers: Authorization: Bearer {ACCESS_TOKEN}

Me Context

Replace userID with me to target the token's associated user:

Endpoint Methods

/v2/users/me

GET, PATCH

/v2/users/me/token

GET

/v2/users/me/meetings

GET, POST

Revoke Access Token

Works for all authorization types.

POST https://zoom.us/oauth/revoke?token={ACCESS_TOKEN}

Headers: Authorization: Basic {Base64(ClientID:ClientSecret)}

Response

{ "status": "success" }

PKCE (Proof Key for Code Exchange)

For public clients that can't securely store secrets (mobile apps, SPAs, desktop apps).

When to Use PKCE

Client Type Use PKCE? Why

Mobile app Yes Can't securely store client secret

Single Page App (SPA) Yes JavaScript is visible to users

Desktop app Yes Binary can be decompiled

Meeting SDK (client-side) Yes Runs on user's device

Backend server Optional Can keep secrets, but PKCE adds security

How PKCE Works

┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ │ Client │ │ Zoom │ │ Zoom │ │ App │ │ Auth │ │ Token │ └────┬─────┘ └────┬─────┘ └────┬─────┘ │ │ │ │ 1. Generate code_verifier (random) │ │ │ 2. Create code_challenge = SHA256(verifier) │ │ │ │ │ ─────── /authorize + code_challenge ──► │ │ │ │ │ │ ◄────── authorization_code ──────────── │ │ │ │ │ │ ─────────────── /token + code_verifier ─┼────────────────────────────► │ │ │ │ │ │ Verify: SHA256(verifier) │ │ │ == challenge │ │ │ │ │ ◄───────────────────────────────────────┼─────── access_token ──────── │ │ │ │

Implementation (Node.js)

const crypto = require('crypto');

function generatePKCE() { const verifier = crypto.randomBytes(32).toString('base64url'); const challenge = crypto.createHash('sha256').update(verifier).digest('base64url'); return { verifier, challenge }; }

const pkce = generatePKCE();

const authUrl = https://zoom.us/oauth/authorize? + response_type=code& + client_id=${CLIENT_ID}& + redirect_uri=${REDIRECT_URI}& + code_challenge=${pkce.challenge}& + code_challenge_method=S256;

// Store pkce.verifier in session for callback

Token Exchange with PKCE

POST https://zoom.us/oauth/token?grant_type=authorization_code&code={CODE}&redirect_uri={REDIRECT_URI}&code_verifier={VERIFIER}

Headers: Authorization: Basic {Base64(ClientID:ClientSecret)}

Deauthorization

When a user removes your app, Zoom sends a webhook to your Deauthorization Notification Endpoint URL.

Webhook Event

{ "event": "app_deauthorized", "event_ts": 1740439732278, "payload": { "account_id": "ACCOUNT_ID", "user_id": "USER_ID", "signature": "SIGNATURE", "deauthorization_time": "2019-06-17T13:52:28.632Z", "client_id": "CLIENT_ID" } }

Requirements

Delete all associated user data after receiving this event
Verify webhook signature (use secret token, verification token deprecated Oct 2023)
Only public apps receive deauthorization webhooks (not private/dev apps)

Pre-Approval Flow

Some Zoom accounts require Marketplace admin pre-approval before users can authorize apps.

Users can request pre-approval from their admin
Account-level apps (admin scopes) require appropriate role permissions

Active Apps Notifier (AAN)

In-meeting feature showing apps with real-time access to content.

Displays icon + tooltip with app info, content type being accessed, approving account
Supported: Zoom client 5.6.7+, Meeting SDK 5.9.0+

OAuth Scopes

Scope Types

Type Description For

Classic scopes Legacy scopes (user, admin, master levels) Existing apps

Granular scopes New fine-grained scopes with optional support New apps

Classic Scopes

For previously-created apps. Three levels:

User-level: Access to individual user's data
Admin-level: Account-wide access, requires admin role
Master-level: For master-sub account setups, requires account owner

Full list: https://developers.zoom.us/docs/integrations/oauth-scopes/

Granular Scopes

For new apps. Format: <service>:<action>:<data_claim>:<access>

Component Values

service meeting , webinar , user , recording , etc.

action read , write , update , delete

data_claim Data category (e.g., participants , settings )

access empty (user), admin , master

Example: meeting:read:list_meetings:admin

Full list: https://developers.zoom.us/docs/integrations/oauth-scopes-granular/

Optional Scopes

Granular scopes can be marked as optional - users choose whether to grant them.

Basic authorization (uses build flow defaults):

https://zoom.us/oauth/authorize?response_type=code&client_id={CLIENT_ID}&redirect_uri={REDIRECT_URI}

Advanced authorization (custom scopes per request):

https://zoom.us/oauth/authorize?client_id={CLIENT_ID}&response_type=code&redirect_uri={REDIRECT_URI}&scope={required_scopes}&optional_scope={optional_scopes}

Include previously granted scopes:

https://zoom.us/oauth/authorize?...&include_granted_scopes&scope={additional_scopes}

Migrating Classic to Granular

Manage > select app > edit
Scope page > Development tab > click Migrate
Review auto-assigned granular scopes, remove unnecessary, mark optional
Test
Production tab > click Migrate

Notes:

No review needed if only migrating or reducing scopes
Existing user tokens continue with classic scope values until re-authorization
New users get granular scopes after migration

Common Error Codes

Code Message Solution

4700 Token cannot be empty Check Authorization header has valid token

4702/4704 Invalid client Verify Client ID and Client Secret

4705 Grant type not supported Use: account_credentials , authorization_code , urn:ietf:params:oauth:grant-type:device_code , or client_credentials

4706 Client ID or secret missing Add credentials to header or request params

4709 Redirect URI mismatch Ensure redirect_uri matches app configuration exactly (including trailing slash)

4711 Refresh token invalid Token scopes don't match client scopes

4717 App has been disabled Contact Zoom support

4733 Code is expired Authorization codes expire in 5 minutes - restart flow

4734 Invalid authorization code Regenerate authorization code

4735 Owner of token does not exist User was removed from account - re-authorize

4741 Token has been revoked Use the most recent token from latest authorization

See references/oauth-errors.md for complete error list.

Quick Reference

Flow Grant Type Token Expiry Refresh

Account (S2S) account_credentials

1 hour Request new token

User authorization_code

1 hour Use refresh_token (90 day expiry)

Device urn:ietf:params:oauth:grant-type:device_code

1 hour Use refresh_token (90 day expiry)

Client (Chatbot) client_credentials

1 hour Request new token

Demo Guidance

If you build an OAuth demo app, document its runtime base URL in that demo project's own README or .env.example , not in this shared skill.

Resources

OAuth docs: https://developers.zoom.us/docs/integrations/oauth/
S2S OAuth docs: https://developers.zoom.us/docs/internal-apps/s2s-oauth/
PKCE blog: https://developers.zoom.us/blog/pcke-oauth-with-postman-rest-api/
Classic scopes: https://developers.zoom.us/docs/integrations/oauth-scopes/
Granular scopes: https://developers.zoom.us/docs/integrations/oauth-scopes-granular/

Integrated Index

This section was migrated from SKILL.md .

Quick Start Path

If you're new to Zoom OAuth, follow this order:

Run preflight checks first → RUNBOOK.md

Choose your OAuth flow → concepts/oauth-flows.md

4 flows: S2S (backend), User (SaaS), Device (no browser), Chatbot
Decision matrix: Which flow fits your use case?

Understand token lifecycle → concepts/token-lifecycle.md

CRITICAL: How tokens expire, refresh, and revoke
Common pitfalls: refresh token rotation

Implement your flow → Jump to examples:

Backend automation → examples/s2s-oauth-redis.md
SaaS app → examples/user-oauth-mysql.md
Mobile/SPA → examples/pkce-implementation.md
Device (TV/kiosk) → examples/device-flow.md

Fix redirect URI issues → troubleshooting/redirect-uri-issues.md

Most common OAuth error: Redirect URI mismatch

Implement token refresh → examples/token-refresh.md

Automatic middleware pattern
Handle refresh token rotation

Troubleshoot errors → troubleshooting/common-errors.md

Error code tables (4700-4741 range)
Quick diagnostic workflow

Documentation Structure

oauth/ ├── SKILL.md # Main skill overview ├── SKILL.md # This file - navigation guide │ ├── concepts/ # Core OAuth concepts │ ├── oauth-flows.md # 4 flows: S2S, User, Device, Chatbot │ ├── token-lifecycle.md # Expiration, refresh, revocation │ ├── pkce.md # PKCE security for public clients │ ├── scopes-architecture.md # Classic vs Granular scopes │ └── state-parameter.md # CSRF protection with state │ ├── examples/ # Complete working code │ ├── s2s-oauth-basic.md # S2S OAuth minimal example │ ├── s2s-oauth-redis.md # S2S OAuth with Redis caching (production) │ ├── user-oauth-basic.md # User OAuth minimal example │ ├── user-oauth-mysql.md # User OAuth with MySQL + encryption (production) │ ├── device-flow.md # Device authorization flow │ ├── pkce-implementation.md # PKCE for SPAs/mobile apps │ └── token-refresh.md # Auto-refresh middleware pattern │ ├── troubleshooting/ # Problem solving guides │ ├── common-errors.md # Error codes 4700-4741 │ ├── redirect-uri-issues.md # Most common OAuth error │ ├── token-issues.md # Expired, revoked, invalid tokens │ └── scope-issues.md # Scope mismatch errors │ └── references/ # Reference documentation ├── oauth-errors.md # Complete error code reference ├── classic-scopes.md # Classic scope reference └── granular-scopes.md # Granular scope reference

By Use Case

I want to automate Zoom tasks on my own account

OAuth Flows - S2S OAuth explained
S2S OAuth Redis - Production pattern with Redis caching
Token Lifecycle - 1hr token, no refresh

I want to build a SaaS app for other Zoom users

OAuth Flows - User OAuth explained
User OAuth MySQL - Production pattern with encryption
Token Refresh - Automatic refresh middleware
Redirect URI Issues - Fix most common error

I want to build a mobile or SPA app

PKCE - Why PKCE is required for public clients
PKCE Implementation - Complete code example
State Parameter - CSRF protection

I want to build an app for devices without browsers (TV, kiosk)

OAuth Flows - Device flow explained
Device Flow Example - Complete polling implementation
Common Errors - Device-specific errors

I'm building a Team Chat bot

OAuth Flows - Chatbot flow explained
S2S OAuth Basic - Similar pattern, different grant type
Scopes Architecture - Chatbot-specific scopes

I'm getting redirect URI errors (4709)

Redirect URI Issues - START HERE!
Common Errors - Error details
User OAuth Basic - See correct pattern

I'm getting token errors (4700-4741)

Token Issues - Diagnostic workflow
Token Lifecycle - Understand expiration
Token Refresh - Implement auto-refresh
Common Errors - Error code tables

I'm getting scope errors (4711)

Scope Issues - Mismatch causes
Scopes Architecture - Classic vs Granular
Classic Scopes - Complete scope reference
Granular Scopes - Granular scope reference

I need to refresh tokens

Token Lifecycle - When to refresh
Token Refresh - Middleware pattern
Token Issues - Common mistakes

I want to understand the difference between Classic and Granular scopes

Scopes Architecture - Complete comparison
Classic Scopes - resource:level format
Granular Scopes - service:action:data_claim:access format

I need to secure my OAuth implementation

PKCE - Public client security
State Parameter - CSRF protection
User OAuth MySQL - Token encryption at rest

I want to migrate from JWT app to S2S OAuth

S2S OAuth Redis - Modern replacement
Token Lifecycle - Different token behavior

Note: JWT App Type was deprecated in June 2023. Migrate to S2S OAuth for server-to-server automation.

Most Critical Documents

OAuth Flows (DECISION DOCUMENT)

concepts/oauth-flows.md

Understand which of the 4 flows to use:

S2S OAuth: Backend automation (your account)
User OAuth: SaaS apps (users authorize you)
Device Flow: Devices without browsers
Chatbot: Team Chat bots only

Token Lifecycle (MOST COMMON ISSUE)

concepts/token-lifecycle.md

99% of OAuth issues stem from misunderstanding:

Token expiration (1 hour for all flows)
Refresh token rotation (must save new refresh token)
Revocation behavior (invalidates all tokens)

Redirect URI Issues (MOST COMMON ERROR)

troubleshooting/redirect-uri-issues.md

Error 4709 ("Redirect URI mismatch") is the #1 OAuth error. Must match EXACTLY (including trailing slash, http vs https).

Key Learnings

Critical Discoveries:

Refresh Token Rotation

Each refresh returns a NEW refresh token
Old refresh token becomes invalid
Failure to save new token causes 4735 errors
See: Token Refresh

S2S OAuth Uses Redis, User OAuth Uses Database

S2S: Single token for entire account → Redis (ephemeral)
User: Per-user tokens → Database (persistent)
See: S2S OAuth Redis vs User OAuth MySQL

Redirect URI Must Match EXACTLY

Trailing slash matters: /callback ≠ /callback/
Protocol matters: http:// ≠ https://
Port matters: :3000 ≠ :3001
See: Redirect URI Issues

PKCE Required for Public Clients

Mobile apps CANNOT keep secrets
SPAs CANNOT keep secrets
PKCE prevents authorization code interception
See: PKCE

State Parameter Prevents CSRF

Generate random state before redirect
Store in session
Verify on callback
See: State Parameter

Token Storage Must Be Encrypted

NEVER store tokens in plain text
Use AES-256 minimum
See: User OAuth MySQL

JWT App Type is Deprecated (June 2023)

No new JWT apps can be created
Existing apps still work but will eventually be sunset
Migrate to S2S OAuth or User OAuth

Scope Levels Determine Authorization Requirements

No suffix (user-level): Any user can authorize
:admin : Requires admin role
:master : Requires account owner (multi-account)
See: Scopes Architecture

Authorization Codes Expire in 5 Minutes

Exchange code for token immediately
Don't cache authorization codes
See: Token Lifecycle

Device Flow Requires Polling

Poll at interval returned by /devicecode (usually 5s)
Handle authorization_pending , slow_down , expired_token
See: Device Flow

Quick Reference

"Which OAuth flow should I use?"

→ OAuth Flows

"Redirect URI mismatch error (4709)"

→ Redirect URI Issues

"Token expired or invalid"

→ Token Issues

"Refresh token invalid (4735)"

→ Token Refresh - Must save new refresh token

"Scope mismatch error (4711)"

→ Scope Issues

"How do I secure my OAuth app?"

→ PKCE + State Parameter

"How do I implement auto-refresh?"

→ Token Refresh

"What's the difference between Classic and Granular scopes?"

→ Scopes Architecture

"What error code means what?"

→ Common Errors

Document Version

Based on Zoom OAuth API v2 (2024+)

Deprecated: JWT App Type (June 2023)

Happy coding!

Remember: Start with OAuth Flows to understand which flow fits your use case!

Environment Variables

See references/environment-variables.md for standardized .env keys and where to find each value.

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