Choosing the right attribution path for your Zoom app

As demand for meeting context keeps growing, Zoom is introducing an important user-first update to how apps access and interact with meeting content. Starting March 2, 2026, all apps joining external meetings must be attributed to a specific user. That means developers will need to intentionally choose which authorization model best fits what their app actually does. There are three main paths:

• Realtime Media Streams (RTMS) – Real-time access to meeting audio, video, and screen share for AI, analytics, and automation
• On-Behalf-Of (OBF) tokens (Meeting SDK) – Used when apps join meetings as visible participants
• Zoom Access Keys (ZAK) – Used for host-controlled or internal automations. Each model serves a different type of integration, from AI-powered assistants to embedded meeting tools to host-driven automations.

Quick overview

Quick reference: ZAK vs. OBF tokens

A common question we hear is, "what's the difference between ZAK and OBF tokens?"*

The key difference is who or what the token represents:

• ZAK tokens represent a person. Use them when your Meeting SDK app starts or manages a meeting on behalf of an authenticated Zoom user.
• OBF tokens represent an app. Use them when your Meeting SDK app joins a meeting as an automated participant, like a recording or note-taking app. Keeping that distinction in mind makes it easier to decide which path fits your app's purpose.

Choosing the right path

RTMS: best for real-time data and automation

If your app needs to analyze, record, or act on meeting content as it happens, RTMS is the purpose-built solution. It gives your app direct access to live media streams from Zoom's infrastructure without joining as a visible participant. There are no bot tiles, SDK clients, or dependencies on user devices. RTMS is designed for scale, reliability, and compliance.

Why developers choose RTMS

RTMS removes the need for bot participants, includes simple host controls for trust and adoption, and scales easily for enterprise workloads. It supports multiple Zoom products and continues streaming without relying on any single participant's device or connection. It's the recommended path for most modern, data-driven use cases. OBF remains a valid alternative when visibility and interaction are essential, and ZAK is still the right choice for host-controlled automations.

Next steps for developers:

• Review the RTMS documentation
• Getting Started with the RTMS SDK (video)
• Get Zoom transcripts in 5 lines of code (video)
• Improving user experience for meeting assistant apps with RTMS (video)
• If you're interested in moving forward with RTMS, please fill out the form linked in the docs and we'll connect you with the Zoom sales team.

OBF tokens: best for SDK apps that join as participants

OBF tokens are part of the Zoom Meeting SDK and let apps join meetings as visible participants on behalf of verified users. They're best when your integration needs to act as a participant and interact directly in the meeting.

Examples:

• Embedded meeting experiences inside your own app
• Collaboration tools that post in chat or share content
• Interactive training or classroom tools where presence matters OBF is ideal for participant based experiences, but it is not a fit for large scale automation or data driven analytics use cases.

Next steps for developers:

• Learn about Meeting SDK authorization and OBF tokens
• Join meetings and webinars with an OBF token
• Updates to Meeting SDK authorization - FAQ

ZAK tokens: best for host-controlled or internal apps

ZAK tokens represent a Zoom user, typically the host. They're ideal for internal tools or workflow systems that need host-level control.

Examples:

• Scheduling systems that start meetings automatically
• Admin dashboards that manage internal meetings
• Enterprise tools that integrate deeply with existing authentication ZAK is great for control, not content. It can't access audio or video, so it's not suitable for analytics or AI-driven use cases.

Next steps for developers:

• Learn about Meeting SDK authorization and OBF tokens
• Join meetings and webinars with a Zoom user's ZAK token
• Updates to Meeting SDK authorization - FAQ

Real world use cases

Use case 1: AI meeting assistants or note-takers

This is the clearest fit for RTMS. Picture an AI assistant that listens to meetings, creates transcripts, and summarizes decisions or action items. RTMS lets your app stream media directly from Zoom's servers in real time.

Use case 2: compliance and policy-based recording

For many regulated industries like finance, healthcare, or legal, consistent and compliant recording is a must. RTMS streams directly from Zoom's infrastructure, allowing recording to continue even if individual participants or the host disconnect, provided the meeting continues.

RTMS is the right fit when your app needs continuous, policy-based recording that does not depend on who's still in the meeting.

Use case 3: real-time analytics and automation

Think of a platform that monitors engagement, tracks keywords, or triggers alerts when specific terms are spoken. With RTMS, your app connects over WebSockets and can process data in near real time.

RTMS is ideal when your app needs to detect patterns or take action instantly, such as in sales coaching, support monitoring, or compliance automation.

Use case 4: smart hardware and meeting devices

Some developers build hardware that supports meeting experiences, like transcription hubs or compliance recorders. These devices need low-latency access to media but shouldn't appear in the participant list.

RTMS allows hardware developers to build smarter, always-on, compliant meeting devices that don't rely on SDK updates or user clients.

Use case 5: scheduling and automation systems

Consider a scheduling system that automatically starts meetings for users at the scheduled time. The system doesn't need to access audio or video data, only launch or manage the meeting on behalf of the host.

ZAK is best when your app focuses on meeting control rather than meeting content.

Wrapping up and next steps

Each authorization model has a clear purpose:

• RTMS for real-time data, AI, automation, and compliance
• OBF for SDK apps that join meetings as visible participants
• ZAK for host-controlled or internal automations The goal is to match your app's purpose to the right model. If your app needs to access, understand, or act on live meeting content, RTMS is the path that scales while still supporting compliance. If it needs to participate, OBF works. If it needs to control meetings, use ZAK.

Detailed comparison matrix