Set up Otter Notetaker to join Microsoft Teams Meeting – Help Center

Configure your organization’s Microsoft Teams settings and meeting policies to allow Otter Notetaker to join Teams meetings. Follow the steps below to update the required settings in the Microsoft Teams admin center and review optional settings for a more seamless joining experience.

Configure Microsoft Teams settings for Notetaker

Configure your organization’s Microsoft Teams settings and meeting policies to allow Notetaker to join Teams meetings seamlessly in the Microsoft Teams admin center.

Note: Microsoft may roll out a new Teams admin center experience, so the location and UI appearance of some settings may change over time. Refer to Microsoft’s documentation for the most up-to-date instructions and information.

Step 1: Teams meeting settings Configure organization-wide meeting access settings to allow Notetaker to join

In the left navigation of the Teams admin center, go to Meetings → Meeting settings.
Under Participants, toggle on Anonymous users can join a meeting.
Select Save.

Step 2: Teams meeting policies Configure required and optional meeting policies for a more seamless Notetaker joining experience

In the left navigation of the Teams admin center, go to Meetings → Meeting policies.
Select an existing policy or create a new one.
Under Meeting join & lobby, configure the following settings:
- Required: Turn on Anonymous users can join a meeting unverified.
- Optional: For "Who can bypass the lobby," select "People in my org and guests" to reduce manual admission.
- Optional: For "Manage external bots and their access to meetings", select "Do not detect bots" for a more seamless joining experience.
Select Save.

FAQs

Why am I seeing "Notetaker failed to join"?

You may see “This meeting is not being recorded. Notetaker failed to join” if your organization’s Microsoft Teams policies or meeting settings prevent anonymous guests from joining.

Otter Notetaker joins Microsoft Teams meetings as an anonymous guest and cannot sign in with a Microsoft account. Your organization’s Teams settings must allow anonymous participants to join for Notetaker to access the meeting. Follow the steps above to allow guests to join.

Why does Notetaker appear as “Unverified” in Microsoft Teams?

Microsoft Teams may display Otter Notetaker as Unverified because Notetaker joins the meeting as an anonymous guest and does not sign in with a Microsoft account.

Even when your organization allows anonymous guests to join, Notetaker may still appear as Unverified because of how Microsoft Teams identifies anonymous participants.

Learn more about Microsoft’s policies for anonymous meeting participants.

Why is Notetaker still unable to join my Microsoft Teams meeting?

If you’ve configured the recommended Microsoft Teams settings and Notetaker still cannot join, other meeting or organization settings may be preventing access.

See our Troubleshooting Notetaker guide for additional steps to identify and resolve the issue.

Do I need to enable all of the recommended Microsoft Teams settings?

No. Only the settings marked as Required (green) are necessary for Notetaker to join. Settings marked as Optional can help reduce manual admission and provide a more seamless joining experience.

Does Notetaker need to be manually admitted from the Microsoft Teams lobby?

It depends on your organization’s meeting policies. If anonymous participants are allowed to join but cannot bypass the lobby, someone in the meeting may need to manually admit Notetaker. Allowing guests to bypass the lobby can reduce the need for manual admission.

Do these Microsoft Teams settings apply to all meetings?

Microsoft Teams meeting policies can apply to specific users or groups depending on how your organization has configured them. Contact your Microsoft Teams administrator if you’re unsure which policy applies to your meetings.

Do I need a Microsoft Teams admin to make these changes?

Yes. Organization-level meeting policies and settings in the Microsoft Teams admin center generally require the appropriate Microsoft administrator permissions.

Why can Notetaker join some Teams meetings but not others?

Different meetings may be subject to different organization, meeting, or organizer policies. For example, meetings hosted by another organization may use that organization’s policies, which can affect whether Notetaker is allowed to join. Contact the organization's Microsoft Teams administrator for further assistance.