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Overview of custom meeting templates in Microsoft Teams

  • Article
  • Applies to:
    Microsoft Teams

Information icon. Some features described in this article require Teams Premium.

Microsoft Teams Premium includes the ability to create custom meeting templates. Meeting templates can be used to control meeting options that the meeting organizer normally controls. With templates, you can create consistent meeting experiences in your organization and help enforce compliance requirements and business rules.

Meeting templates can be used to enforce meeting options or to set defaults. Each template option can be locked so the meeting organizer can't change it, or can be left unlocked for the meeting organizer to change if needed. Meeting options can also be hidden so meeting organizers don't see them.

The following meeting options can be controlled by using a meeting template:

Option Description
Security
Sensitivity label Specifies the sensitivity label to be used for the meeting.
Lobby Specifies who can bypass the lobby and join the meeting directly.
End-to-end encryption Specifies if the meeting is encrypted.
Watermarks Specifies if watermarks are used for camera feeds and content that is shared on screen in the meeting.
Restrict participants from copying or forwarding meeting chat messages Prevents participants from copying or forwarding content in the meeting chat.
Audio & video
Allow mic and camera for attendees Specifies if attendees can unmute and use their camera.
Recording & transcription
Recording Specifies who can record and if the meeting is recorded automatically.
Copilot Specifies if Copilot is on or on with transcript
Roles
Announce when people dialing in join or leave Specifies if a sound plays when people calling in by phone join or leave the meeting.
Meeting engagement
Meeting chat Specifies if the meeting chat is available. Can also be used to prevent chat before and after the meeting.
Allow reactions Specifies if attendees can use reactions or raise their hand in the meeting.
Q&A Specifies if attendees can use the Q&A feature to ask questions during the meeting.
Manage what attendees see Specifies if meeting organizers can preview and approve content being shared on screen before other meeting participants can see it.

Some examples of when a template can be useful are:

  • Enforcing automatic meeting recording for certain types of meetings.
  • Restricting chat and attendee camera and audio and using the Q&A feature for presentation-style meetings.
  • Using a stricter default for who can bypass the lobby, but allowing the meeting organizer to change the option if needed.

To learn how to create meeting templates, see Create a custom meeting template in Microsoft Teams.

Note

The option to select a custom meeting template when creating a new meeting isn't available on Outlook for Mac or Outlook on the web.

Templates with sensitivity labels

Templates have the option of specifying a sensitivity label. Labels can also be applied directly to meetings, independent of templates. Sensitivity labels can control some of the same meeting options as templates:

  • Apply a watermark to everyone's video feed
  • Apply a watermark to shared content
  • End-to-end encryption
  • Meeting chat
  • Prevent copying chat content to clipboard
  • Record meetings automatically
  • Who can bypass the lobby?
  • Who can present
  • Who can record

If any of these options are configured in a sensitivity label, the label overrides the options in the template.

Templates included with Teams

Teams includes the following default meeting template:

  • Controlled-content meeting

Teams Premium includes the following default meeting template:

Additionally, these templates are available in Teams for Education:

For information about the class and lecture templates, see Use education templates for Teams meetings.

Configure Teams meetings with three tiers of protection

Use Teams meeting templates, sensitivity labels, and admin policies together

Meetings, webinars, and live events