How to Set Up Zoom with LearnDash for Live Online Classes

Why Live Sessions Still Matter in Online Learning

Pre-recorded courses are convenient — you can shoot once and sell forever.

But it cannot be denied that a lot of learners still want to experience the ‘live’ aspect of the classroom setting. They expect to interact, get instant reactions, and be part of a community to some extent. 

And this is exactly what Zoom integration with LearnDash brings about. Instead of managing a series of confusing emails, links, and calendars, you can just organize live sessions within the LearnDash course through custom LearnDash development. 

The students only need to log in once, and they will immediately join your live teaching, workshops, or office hours. Everything — including enrollment, scheduling, and attendance — is kept under one roof. 

What does it lead to? A deeper, more integrated learning experience that not only helps increase course engagement and completion rates but also your revenue.

The Power of LearnDash Zoom Integration

When you connect LearnDash with Zoom, you combine two powerful systems:

• LearnDash – Your course structure, content, and progress tracking
• Zoom – Your live, face-to-face teaching and collaboration space

Together, they create a seamless experience where:

• Students attend live sessions without leaving LearnDash
• Attendance and reminders are automated
• Replays can be embedded directly into courses
• Instructors save hours every week on admin tasks

And for course creators, it unlocks new opportunities: live coaching tiers, exclusive Q&A webinars, corporate packages — all integrated with your LMS.

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Real-World Story: Increased Course Completions

Let’s take a real example from one of our clients — a digital marketing academy using LearnDash.

A LearnDash-based digital marketing academy with 600 students and $400–500 courses is one of our clients. However, the completion rates remained at 31% as students didn’t have real-time interaction, and they had no help to get unstuck on campaign setup or ad targeting. 

She was running the weekly Zoom calls manually with no tracking or integration, and she even lost one corporate deal because the platform did not have live sessions built in. This is when she started to seek a better solution.

“I wish we had live sessions or Q&As.”

The challenge wasn’t the content — it was the lack of interaction. Students were learning in isolation. Some even dropped out or switched to competitors offering live mentorship.

She approached us at WisdmLabs and hired skilled LearnDash developers who helped her with LearnDash Zoom. which enabled her to blend self-paced lessons with live teaching.

Here’s what changed after implementation:

1. Engagement Skyrocketed

In just a few weeks after launching live Zoom sessions, her class underwent a significant change.

Students now take part in weekly workshops, showcase their campaigns, and work together in small group discussions.

The chat was full of activity, and that feeling of togetherness that was lacking before came back.

2. Completion Rates Jumped 

Live sessions created built-in accountability.
Students wanted to show up prepared for the next discussion or review session.

When learners know they’ll interact with an instructor and peers in real time, motivation naturally follows.

3. New Revenue Streams

The academy launched premium tiers:

• Basic Plan – Pre-recorded content only
• Pro Plan – Includes weekly live Zoom masterclasses
• Elite Mentorship – One-on-one Zoom coaching

She also added corporate packages where teams could attend private Zoom workshops — a completely new B2B line of business.

4. Operations Became Effortless

Before integration, she spent 15+ hours a week:

• Sending Zoom links manually
• Managing RSVPs
• Dealing with timezone mix-ups

After the LearnDash Zoom integration, it all ran on autopilot:

• Students got reminders automatically
• Timezones adjusted automatically
• Access was restricted to enrolled learners
  

5. A Thriving Learning Community

Beyond metrics, the real magic was connection.
Students began forming study groups, networking, and even collaborating on real projects.

The academy went from a solo learning experience to a vibrant learning ecosystem.

Also Read: LearnDash Mailchimp Integration: How to Connect LearnDash with Mailchimp for Automated Email Campaigns

Step-by-Step LearnDash Zoom Integration Process

Step 1 — Install/Update LearnDash

• WP Admin → Plugins → Add New → Install/Activate LearnDash LMS.
• Ensure license + updates are enabled; keep LearnDash current for best compatibility with 3rd-party add-ons.
  

Step 2 — Choose and Install Your Zoom Connector

Option A: Zoom WordPress Plugin (by eLearning Evolve)

• WP Admin → Plugins → Add New → search “Zoom WordPress Plugin.”
• Install/Activate. This plugin embeds meetings/webinars and shows recordings; it’s listed by LearnDash among 3rd-party solutions.

Option B: Video Conferencing with Zoom

• WP Admin → Plugins → Add New → search “Video Conferencing with Zoom.”
• Install/Activate. Provides Zoom Meetings as WP content + shortcodes; notes compatibility with LearnDash. 

Option C: Uncanny Automator (Zoom + LearnDash)

• Install Uncanny Automator + Zoom add-on. Use recipes like: “When user enrolls in Course X → Register in Zoom Meeting Y.”
  

Tip: If you need both pretty meeting pages and automatic registration tied to course events, pair Option A/B with Automator.

Step 3 — Create a Zoom Server-to-Server OAuth App (2025-compliant)

1. Open Zoom App Marketplace → Develop → Build App → choose Server-to-Server OAuth.

2. Name the app (e.g., LearnDash Integration), add company/contact info.
3. Copy these credentials from the App Credentials page:
   
   • Account ID
   • Client ID
   • Client Secret
     (Store securely; you’ll paste them in WordPress.)

Step 4 — Add the Required Scopes (S2S OAuth)

At a minimum for meetings:

• meeting:read:meeting:admin
• meeting:write:meeting:admin
• user:read:user:admin

If you’ll host webinars or use recordings/reports:

• webinar:read:webinar:master, webinar:write:webinar:master
• cloud_recording:read:recording:admin (and/or cloud_recording:write:recording:admin), report:read:admin

These scopes align with Zoom’s S2S OAuth docs and starter guidance; some UIs show slightly different groupings, but the meeting/webinar read/write and user read permissions remain the core set in 2025. 

Heads-up: If you don’t see a specific scope label in your Zoom account UI, it’s often a plan/role restriction or a UI wording change—Zoom forum threads in 2024–25 mention this exact confusion.

Activate the app when prompted.

Step 5 — Connect WordPress to Zoom (Paste Credentials)

Depending on your chosen plugin:

• Zoom WordPress Plugin: Go to its Settings and paste Account ID / Client ID / Client Secret; save/authorize.
  
• Video Conferencing with Zoom: Open Zoom API settings in WP and paste the S2S OAuth credentials (older guides mention JWT; in 2025, use S2S OAuth).
  
• Uncanny Automator (Zoom): Connect your Zoom account inside Automator’s settings to unlock Zoom actions (create/register/list). 

You should see a successful connection notice.

Step 6 — Set Smart Defaults (Save Clicks Later)

• Duration (e.g., 60–90 mins)
• Mute on entry (recommended for big cohorts)
• Waiting Room (security + pacing)
• Join before host (off for strict control; on for casual drop-ins)
• Auto-record to cloud (yes, if you post replays)
  

Most Zoom WP connectors surface these toggles; you can override per-meeting. 

Step 7 — Add a Live Session Inside a LearnDash Course

Where: LearnDash → Courses → open your course → builder.

How: Insert a Zoom Meeting/Webinar block/shortcode or select the plugin’s meeting object and place it after a module/lesson.

Configure:

• Title (e.g., Week 3 Live Workshop: Advanced Strategies)
• Description (agenda, expectations)
• Date/Time/Timezone
• One-time or recurring
• Access: enrolled learners only / group-based / open
  

On save, learners see a Join button inside the course; credentials are handled behind the scenes. 

Step 8 — Automate Access & Reminders (Optional but Recommended)

If you’re using Uncanny Automator:

• Trigger: User enrolled in Course A → Action: Register user for Zoom Meeting B.
• Add reminder emails (via Zoom or WP email), and tag users in your CRM/LMS as needed.
  

If you’re using only a Zoom plugin:

• Use the plugin’s built-in reminders and registration controls, or pair with your email tool.
  

Step 9 — Test Like a Learner

Create a test student and verify:

• The meeting card shows the correct title/date/time
• Join button works and timezone displays correctly
• Waiting Room / Mute / Recording behaves as intended
• Reminder emails are sent on schedule

A single pass here saves lots of support later.

Step 10 — Train Your Instructors (1 short Loom helps)

Cover:

• Creating / editing/canceling sessions
• Pulling attendance and sharing recordings
• Typical troubleshooting (mic/zoom client/firewall)
  

Step 11 — Optimize & Scale

Review after a few runs:

• Attendance by time slot

Please note that the attendance for the events is tracked separately by each system. Zoom will track attendance for just the events, and that data is not synced to LearnDash by default, so if you want to add Attendance features to LearnDash that will need a separate plugin or customization

• Engagement (chat, polls, Q&A)
• Drop-off points (adjust duration/flow)
• Recording replays → convert popular ones into evergreen lesson media
  

Use advanced Zoom features (breakouts, polls, co-hosts) to level up interactivity

Also Read: How to Set Up LearnDash HubSpot Integration for Better Lead Management

Elevate Your Platform with Pro LearnDash + Zoom Integration

When you weave Zoom into LearnDash, your courses stop feeling like solo streams and start becoming interactive communities. Students get the best of both worlds: self-paced learning plus live engagement. The result? Higher completion rates, happier learners, and a platform that stands out.

That said, — doing this cleanly, especially on sites with custom themes, membership tiers, or complex workflows, can get tricky. Issues like API authentication, plugin conflicts, or enrollment logic can derail your ideal setup. You want it done right so learners have a smooth, professional experience.

At WisdmLabs, we live in this space. We’ve integrated Zoom into hundreds of LearnDash platforms across diverse industries, handling everything from setup and custom features to bug fixes and scaling for high-volume live traffic. Hire LearnDash developers to build a seamless, high-performing LearnDash Zoom integration for your eLearning platform.

If you want help with:

• Initial integration and setup
• Custom workflows or member tiers
• Troubleshooting tricky conflicts
• Scaling your platform for many concurrent live classes

…we’ve got you covered. We don’t just connect tools — we optimize them for your vision.

Ready to transform your LearnDash setup with Zoom? Reach out to WisdmLabs, and let’s build a live-learning experience your students will love — and your competitors will envy.