The waiting room lets participants join the call early and wait until the practitioner joins, creating a smooth and predictable start to each session. This helps practitioners stay on schedule, reduce interruptions, and enter the call fully prepared.
In this guide, we will cover:
What does the video call waiting room look like?
The waiting room provides a secure space for participants before a meeting begins. Here’s how it appears for both participants and practitioners.
Practitioner view
When a client joins before you've started the meeting, you will receive a real-time notification in the lower right of your workspace.
When you click Join, you will be directed to this screen. To start the meeting, click Join now.
Participant view
If a client joins before the meeting has started, they will see a message in the waiting room saying, “Please wait for the host to start this meeting” until you begin the session.
Once the host starts the call, clients can join using the Join now button.
What is the Ask to Join feature?
Along with the waiting room, the Ask to Join feature adds an extra layer of control when a meeting reaches its participant limit. Anyone attempting to join at that point will see an Ask to Join button and must request permission from the host, helping practitioners manage shared links and unauthenticated participants.
This creates a more controlled entry system for video calls. Hosts receive real-time notifications with Admit or Deny options.
Hosts can review requests in the Waiting to Join section of the attendee list and use Admit all for bulk approvals.
You can Deny, Admit, or Admit all.
The client will receive a notification when their join request is accepted or denied, which will be displayed in the lower-right corner of their screen.
Admitted
Denied
How does the Ask to Join feature work in various scenarios?
Scenario 1: Adding a last-minute client to a group appointment
You book a group session for two clients (A and B), then share the link with a third client (C) at the last minute. Capacity is based on the original booking, two people.
What each person sees:
A and B see Join now once you start the meeting, no matter when they join.
C, logged into the portal: Sees Join now if A and B haven't both joined yet. Once they have, C sees Ask to Join and needs your approval.
C, not logged in: Enters their name. Sees Ask to Join if at capacity; Join now if under capacity.
Scenario 2: Client joins without logging into the client portal
You schedule a one-on-one session with a client, but the client chooses not to log in to your client portal and joins through the shared link.
When joining this way, participants are prompted to enter their name and see Join now.
Scenario 3: Mixed authentication in a group session
You book a meeting for two clients. Client A logs in through their portal, so when you start the meeting, they will see Join now.
Client B does not log into your portal and only has the meeting link. They will be prompted to enter their name, but because the meeting has not yet reached capacity, they will also see Join now and can enter the session immediately as long as you have started the meeting.
FAQs
Can hosts enable or disable the waiting room feature?
No. The waiting room feature is automatically enabled for all calls and cannot be turned off.Are participants notified when they are placed in the waiting room?
No. Participants are placed in the waiting room automatically and are not notified when they enter or leave.Are there limits on the number of participants in the waiting room?
There are no limits to the number of participants in the waiting room.
What happens to participants in the waiting room if I get disconnected?
If you are logged off a call due to an internet issue, participants will remain in the waiting room when you restart the meeting. You can still admit or deny them as usual.
Can a client join the call before I click Start Video Call?
No, clients cannot enter the call until you start it.
Is the waiting room feature available for all appointment types?
Yes, it applies to all types of appointments.
Is the waiting room available on all plans?
Yes, it is included in Free, Essential, Plus, and Advanced plans.
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