Add users to your Zoom account and provision them with Zoom Phone licenses, extensions, and calling packages in a two-step process.
⏱️ Estimated Time: 10-15 minutes per user (5 minutes for bulk import)
👤 Who's This For
Zoom Phone administrators responsible for onboarding new users and managing phone system access.
💼 Use Case
Use this guide when adding new employees to your phone system or provisioning existing Zoom users with phone capabilities. Essential for initial deployment and ongoing user management.
✔️ Prerequisites
Admin access to Zoom web portal
Available Zoom Phone licenses
User information (name, email address)
Extension numbering plan (if customizing)
Calling packages purchased (for outbound calling)
Direct phone numbers assigned (optional)
Understanding the Two-Step Process
Provisioning users with Zoom Phone requires two distinct steps:
Step 1: Create Zoom User Account Users must first exist in your Zoom account with basic access. This happens in User Management > Users.
Step 2: Assign Zoom Phone License Once the user exists, you assign them a Phone license, extension, and calling package. This happens in Phone System Management > Users & Rooms.
Key Concept: A user cannot have Zoom Phone without first being a Zoom user. You'll navigate between two different sections of the admin portal to complete provisioning.
Step 1: Adding Users to Zoom
1
Navigate to User Management
Sign in to Zoom web portal as an admin
Click User Management > Users
Click Add
2
Choose User Type
Add Users: Create individual users manually
Import Users: Bulk add via CSV file (covered later)
3
Enter User Information
Email Address: Required for account creation
First Name and Last Name
Display Name: How the user appears to others
4
Assign Base License (Optional)
In the Zoom Workplace dropdown, select a license tier if the user needs meeting capabilities
If user only needs phone service, you can skip this or assign "Unassigned"
Select Zoom Meetings Basic if they only need to join meetings (not host)
5
Create User
Click Add or Save
User receives an email invitation to activate their account
User must accept invitation before phone features can be added
Important: Users show as "Pending" until they activate their account by clicking the email link and setting a password.
🎮 Click-Through Demo
▶️ Watch: Adding Users to Zoom
See how to navigate to User Management, add a new user, assign a base license, and send the invitation.
Step 2: Assigning Zoom Phone Licenses
After users are created in Zoom (and preferably activated), assign them Phone licenses.
1
Navigate to Phone Management
Click Phone System Management > Users & Rooms
Click the Users tab
Click Add
2
Select Existing User
Choose user from the list of existing Zoom users
Only users without Phone licenses will appear
Click Next
3
Auto-Assigned Settings
Extension Number: Automatically assigned (can be changed later)
Site: Assigned based on your configuration
User immediately receives welcome email with extension info
4
Assign Calling Package
After adding the user, locate them in the Users list
In the last column, click Assign > Assign Package
Select a calling package (required for outbound calling)
Click Confirm and Assign Numbers
5
Assign Direct Phone Number (Optional)
When prompted, select a direct phone number
Or click Skip if user only needs extension
Numbers can be assigned later if needed
Note: Users without a calling package can only receive calls to their extension. They cannot make outbound calls or receive calls on direct numbers.
🎮 Click-Through Demo
▶️ Watch: Assigning Phone Licenses and Packages
See how to navigate to Phone System Management, assign a license to an existing user, add a calling package, and assign a direct number.
Alternative: One-Step User Creation
You can create a Zoom user AND assign Phone license in a single step:
1
Start in User Management
Navigate to User Management > Users
Click Add
2
Enable Phone During Creation
Fill out user information as normal
In the Licenses and add-ons section, check Zoom Phone
Complete user creation
3
Complete Phone Setup
User automatically appears in Phone System Management > Users & Rooms
Still need to assign calling package and direct number separately
Bulk Importing Users with CSV
For adding 100+ users, use the batch import feature.
1
Prepare CSV File
Navigate to Phone System Management > Users & Rooms
Click Import
Click the Add Users tab
Click CSV Sample to download template
Fill out template with user information:
Email address (required)
First name, last name
Extension number
Calling package
Phone numbers
Site (if using multiple sites)
2
Upload CSV
Click Upload CSV and select your file
If using multiple sites: Either select target site or specify in CSV
Check Specify a template to apply settings template (optional)
3
Review and Confirm
If errors exist, click Details to see issues
Click Ignore Issues and Upload Others to import valid rows
Or click Reupload to fix CSV and try again
Click Close when import completes
Managing Existing Phone Users
Re-send Welcome Email:
Navigate to user's profile in Phone System Management > Users & Rooms
Click user name > Profile tab
Scroll down and click Resend Invite
Change Extension Number:
Click user name > Settings tab
Update extension in user settings
Remove Phone License:
Select user(s) in the Users list
Click Remove > Remove Users
Confirm deletion
Warning: This removes call recordings, history, and voicemails permanently
Remove Calling Package Only:
Select user(s) in the Users list
Click Remove > Remove All Packages
User keeps Phone license but loses outbound calling ability
Bulk Updating Existing Users
Update multiple users' settings via CSV:
1
Export Current Data
Navigate to Phone System Management > Users & Rooms
Use filters to display users you want to update
Click Export to download CSV
2
Edit CSV File
Update extensions, calling packages, direct numbers, or desk phone details
Leave fields blank to remove/downgrade items
Save CSV file
3
Import Updates
Click Import > Update Users tab
Upload your edited CSV
Review any errors and fix or ignore
Click Close when complete
💡 User Management Best Practices
See Details
Have Users Activate Before Assigning Phone Wait for users to activate their Zoom account before assigning Phone licenses. This ensures they can immediately access phone features and reduces support tickets.
Use Templates for Consistent Settings Create user templates with standard settings (voicemail, call forwarding, etc.) and apply during bulk import to ensure consistency across users.
Document Your Extension Numbering Scheme Establish a clear extension numbering convention (by department, location, etc.) before provisioning users to avoid confusion and renumbering later.
Assign Calling Packages Based on Role Not all users need the same calling package. Assign appropriate packages based on job function to control costs and capabilities.
🚀 Quick Wins
See Details
Bulk Import for Initial Deployment Use CSV import for your initial rollout to save time. A properly formatted CSV can provision 100 users in minutes versus hours of manual entry.
Create a New Hire Template Build a standard user template with default settings for new employees. Apply during provisioning to ensure consistent configuration.
Use Soft Delete for Departing Employees Enable the Soft Delete policy to move users to trash instead of permanent deletion. This retains data for 30 days and makes licenses immediately available.
⚠️ Common Issues
See Details
User doesn't appear in Phone System Management after creation → Verify the user activated their Zoom account via email. Pending users cannot be assigned Phone licenses until they activate.
Cannot assign calling package to user → Ensure the user has a Phone license first. Calling packages can only be assigned to users with active Phone licenses.
Bulk CSV import fails completely → Check that the first row with field names is intact and phone numbers include + and country code with no spaces or dashes. Use text editor if Excel removes the + sign.
Removed user's data is gone permanently → When you remove a Phone license, recordings and voicemails are deleted. Enable Soft Delete policy to retain data for 30 days before permanent deletion.
User didn't receive welcome email with extension → Check spam folders first. If not found, navigate to user's profile and click Resend Invite at the bottom of the Profile tab.
