Set up Notetaker for Zoom without enabling local recording (admins) – Help Center

Otter Notetaker supports third-party recording in Zoom, allowing Otter Notetakers in your workspace to automatically record supported Zoom meetings hosted by members of your organization without requiring individual meeting hosts to enable local recording. Once an authorized admin configures Zoom (Notetaker Recording Admin), recording authorization applies across the workspace, with no additional setup required for individual members or meetings.

Note: Third-party recording requires account-level approval from Zoom and configuration by Otter. Contact your Otter account manager before starting the setup process.

Before you begin

Before enabling third-party recording, make sure your organization meets the following requirements:

Zoom account admin access: A Zoom account admin must request and authorize third-party recording for your organization's Zoom account.
Otter workspace admin access: The Zoom account admin must also have an Otter account with workspace admin permissions.
Zoom approval: Zoom must enable third-party recording for your organization's account before the setting becomes available in the Zoom web portal.
Otter configuration: Your Otter account manager must confirm that your workspace is configured to use the Zoom (Notetaker Recording Admin) integration.

Important: Zoom's Allow 3rd-party recording setting is different from standard local recording permissions. Third-party recording allows authorized applications, such as Otter Notetaker, to record supported meetings without requiring each meeting host to enable local recording.

Step 1: Request third-party recording from Zoom Obtain Zoom approval to enable third-party recording for your organization

Your Zoom account admin must request that Zoom enable third-party recording for your organization's account.

You can initiate the request using either of the following methods:

Through Otter: Contact your Otter account manager to initiate the request. Otter will coordinate with your Zoom account admin and Zoom to request access.
Through Zoom: If your organization works directly with a Zoom Customer Success Manager (CSM), your CSM can coordinate the request and confirm approval with your Zoom account admin.

Make sure the request explicitly asks Zoom to enable the 3rd Party Recording setting on your Zoom account.

Approve the request

Zoom requires confirmation from your Zoom account admin before enabling third-party recording. Depending on how the request was initiated, your admin may need to:

Reply to an email from Zoom confirming approval.
Provide verbal confirmation during a meeting with your Zoom CSM.

After your admin approves the request, Zoom can enable third-party recording for your organization's account.

Note: Zoom must complete the initial enablement before the Allow 3rd-party recording setting becomes available in your Zoom account settings.

Step 2: Enable third-party recording in Zoom Turn on Allow 3rd-party recording in your Zoom account settings

After Zoom confirms that third-party recording is available for your account, your Zoom account admin must enable the setting in the Zoom web portal.

Sign in to the Zoom web portal using your Zoom account admin credentials.
Navigate to Settings → Recording & Transcript .
Under General, locate Allow 3rd-party recording.
Toggle Allow 3rd-party recording on.

Once enabled, your Zoom account can authorize supported third-party recording applications, including Otter Notetaker.

Note: If you do not see Allow 3rd-party recording, confirm that Zoom has completed the enablement request for your account. Contact your Zoom CSM or Otter account manager for assistance.

Step 3: Connect Zoom (Notetaker Recording Admin) in Otter Authorize Otter Notetaker to record meetings across your workspace

After enabling third-party recording in Zoom, an authorized workspace admin can connect the Zoom (Notetaker Recording Admin) integration in Otter.

Note: Before connecting the integration, confirm with your Otter account manager that the required Otter-side configuration has been completed.

In Otter, go to Integrations . Locate Zoom (Notetaker Recording Admin) and click Connect.
Sign in using your Zoom account admin credentials.

Note: Make sure you sign in with the correct Zoom account admin credentials. This integration requires account-level authorization and cannot be connected using a regular Zoom member account.
On the Zoom authorization page, toggle on Approve for all users.
Click Enable to continue with account-wide authorization.
Review the requested permissions and click Allow to authorize the integration.
Return to Otter and verify that Zoom (Notetaker Recording Admin) appears as connected under My Integrations.

Once connected, Otter Notetaker can automatically record supported meetings hosted by users in your workspace without requiring individual members to connect their Zoom accounts or enable additional local recording permissions.

Important: A successful connection confirms that Zoom authorization is complete. If Otter Notetaker is still unable to record meetings, contact your Otter account manager to verify that the required Otter-side configuration has been completed.

FAQs

What is third-party recording in Zoom?

Third-party recording is a Zoom account-level feature that allows authorized applications, such as Otter Notetaker, to record supported Zoom meetings through an approved integration.

Once configured, Otter Notetaker can record supported meetings hosted by users in your workspace without requiring individual meeting hosts to enable local recording.

What's the difference between the two Zoom integrations in Otter?

Otter offers two Zoom integrations that serve different purposes.

Integration	Purpose	Who can connect
Zoom	Connects an individual Zoom account to Otter for features such as Cloud Sync, Live Notes, and individual Notetaker connections.	Workspace members
Zoom (Notetaker Recording Admin)	Provides account-level authorization for Otter Notetaker to record supported meetings hosted by users in the workspace.	Authorized workspace admins with Zoom account admin permissions

Note: The admin integration only provides workspace-wide Notetaker recording authorization. It does not replace the individual Zoom integration for features such as Cloud Sync and Live Notes.

Who can enable third-party recording in Zoom?

Only a Zoom account admin can request and authorize third-party recording for your organization's Zoom account.

The Zoom account admin must also have an Otter account with workspace admin permissions to connect the Zoom (Notetaker Recording Admin) integration.

If you do not have the required permissions, contact your organization's Zoom admin or IT team.

Why don't I see the Allow 3rd-party recording setting in Zoom?

The Allow 3rd-party recording setting must first be enabled by Zoom for your organization's account.

If the setting is missing, contact your Zoom Customer Success Manager or Otter account manager to request access.

Once Zoom confirms that the feature is available, your Zoom account admin can enable third-party recording in Zoom.

Does every workspace member need to connect the Zoom (Notetaker Recording Admin) integration?

No. An authorized admin connects Zoom (Notetaker Recording Admin) once to provide recording authorization across the workspace.

Individual workspace members do not need to connect the admin integration separately. However, members can still connect their individual Zoom accounts through the standard Zoom integration to use features such as Cloud Sync and Live Notes.

Does the Zoom admin need an Otter account?

Yes. The Zoom account admin must have an Otter account with workspace admin permissions to connect the integration.

If the Zoom admin does not have an Otter account or the required workspace permissions, contact your Otter account manager for assistance.

Why is Otter Notetaker still unable to record after connecting the integration?

If the integration is connected but Otter Notetaker cannot record meetings, check the following:

Zoom third-party recording: Confirm that Allow 3rd-party recording is enabled in your Zoom account settings.
Integration connection: Confirm that Zoom (Notetaker Recording Admin) appears under My Integrations in Otter.
Admin permissions: Verify that the connected account has the required Zoom account admin and Otter workspace admin permissions.
Meeting host: Confirm that the Zoom meeting is hosted by a member of your workspace. The integration only supports meetings hosted by users within your workspace.
Otter account configuration: Contact your Otter account manager to verify that the required account configuration has been completed.

If the issue continues, contact Otter Support for additional assistance.

Can I disconnect the Zoom (Notetaker Recording Admin) integration?

Yes. The admin who originally connected Zoom (Notetaker Recording Admin) can disconnect the integration at any time.

In Otter, go to Integrations and locate Zoom (Notetaker Recording Admin) under My Integrations.
Click Disconnect.
In the confirmation dialog, click Yes, remove.

The Zoom (Notetaker Recording Admin) integration is now disconnected.

Note: Disconnecting the integration removes its workspace-wide recording authorization. To restore authorization, an eligible admin must reconnect Zoom (Notetaker Recording Admin) .