Point a virtual or hybrid event at an external meeting or webinar URL while Bevy keeps registration on your event page and gives attendees a stable join link that redirects when the session is open.
Use External URL when the live session happens on a meeting, webinar, or streaming platform outside Bevy. Attendees still discover the event and register on your Bevy event page. Bevy then shares a stable join permalink that redirects registered attendees to the current external destination when the join window is open.
- External URL — virtual platform option on Virtual or Hybrid events for a non-Bevy meeting or webinar link.
- Virtual event URL — the destination you paste (for example a Zoom or Teams link). You can change it later without changing the Bevy permalink.
- Virtual join link for hosts — the Bevy join permalink shown on Details after publish (some older dashboards label this Virtual event permalink). Share this Bevy link with attendees, not the raw external URL.
- Instructions (optional) — extra join guidance Bevy can include in event-related emails.
Note: External URL is not the same as external ticketing. External ticketing sends people to another site to buy tickets. External URL keeps registration on Bevy and only sends registered attendees to another site to join the live session. For ticket modes, see Configure event ticketing.
When to use External URL vs Bevy Virtual
Choose the virtual platform that matches where the session actually runs. Hybrid events can still use External URL for the online side while the in-person side uses your venue — see Hybrid events.
| Choice | Use it when | What stays on Bevy |
|---|---|---|
| External URL | The live session runs on Zoom, Teams, YouTube, or another platform outside Bevy. | Event page, tickets or RSVP, confirmation and reminder emails, and the Bevy join permalink that redirects to your URL. |
| Bevy Virtual | You want Bevy Virtual Meetup to host the room, chat, and related virtual tools — or you are creating a conference event type (conference types use Bevy Virtual Conference only; they do not offer External URL as the platform). | Same registration and page surfaces, plus the Bevy-hosted session itself. See Create and configure events. |
| In-person only | There is no online session to join. | Event page and registration only — no virtual platform or Virtual event URL. |
Important: External URL does not turn your public event page into a redirect to Zoom or another site. The Bevy page remains the place people read details and register. Only the join permalink (and related Join controls for registered attendees) redirect to the Virtual event URL.
Registration implications
- People still RSVP or buy tickets on Bevy unless the event type separately uses external ticketing.
- You still manage registrations, check-in history from virtual join, and attendee lists in Bevy. See Manage event registrations.
- Bevy Virtual capacity and room options (interactive mode, Private Q&A, Disable chat, and similar) apply to Bevy Virtual — not to External URL.
- Passwords, waiting rooms, and host controls on Zoom, Teams, or similar stay on that platform. Put anything attendees need in Instructions (optional) or in your emails.
Configure an external URL
- Open the event’s Details page in the Chapter Dashboard (create flow or Event Dashboard → Details).
- Under event venue, choose Virtual or Hybrid.
- In Select virtual event platform, choose External URL.
- In Virtual event URL, enter the full https meeting or webinar link.
- Optionally add join guidance under Instructions (optional).
- Select Save draft or Publish.
After the event is published, Details shows Virtual join link for hosts. Until publish, the field explains that the permalink will be created after publishing.
Tip: Share the Bevy join link (and the join links in confirmation emails), not the external platform URL. If the Zoom or Teams link changes, update Virtual event URL once — previously shared Bevy links keep working.
How the Bevy join link works
Bevy uses its own join permalink in attendee-facing places — including event emails — rather than exposing the external destination directly. When an eligible registered attendee opens that link during the join window, Bevy redirects them to the current Virtual event URL and records a virtual check-in.
Organizers also see Virtual join link for hosts on Details after publish. Copy that Bevy URL into calendars, newsletters, and day-of messages. Email and calendar copy may still say “Virtual event URL” while the link itself is the Bevy permalink, not your Zoom or Teams destination.
Important: Bevy does not stop people from entering the external platform early. If someone has the Zoom, Teams, or other meeting link—or reaches it outside the Bevy join window—they may join before the event start time based on that platform’s own settings and configuration.
How check-in works with External URL
Check-in for External URL events is tied to the Bevy join path, not to presence inside Zoom, Teams, or another external tool.
- Automatic virtual check-in — When a registered attendee opens the Bevy join link (or Join on the event page) during the join window and a Virtual event URL is set, Bevy marks them checked in, then redirects them to the external destination. The usual join window starts about 15 minutes before the event start time.
- Before the join window — Opening the join link early does not check them in. Bevy keeps them on the event page (or shows Event not ready) until the window opens.
- No redirect, no automatic check-in — If the Virtual event URL is empty, or the person is not a registered attendee, Bevy does not check them in through this path.
- Manual check-in still available — You can still check people in from the event Registrations tab when needed (for example if someone joined the external meeting from a link you shared outside Bevy). See Manage event registrations.
- What Bevy cannot see — Bevy does not sync attendance from the external platform’s participant list. If someone never uses the Bevy join link, they may appear registered but not checked in until you check them in manually.
Tip: Tell attendees to use the Bevy join link from their confirmation email or the event page. That path both opens the session and updates check-in in Bevy.
What attendees experience
Plan day-of communications around the Bevy join path. Attendees should not need the raw Zoom or Teams URL unless you intentionally share it as a backup.
| Moment | What attendees see |
|---|---|
| Before they register | They browse the public Bevy event page and complete RSVP or ticket checkout there. External URL does not move registration off Bevy. |
| After they register | They receive Bevy emails that include a Bevy join link (often unique to their registration). Optional Instructions from Details can appear in those emails. |
| Before the join window | Selecting Join on the event page or opening the join link early usually returns them to the event page, or shows an Event not ready message, instead of opening the external platform. |
| During the join window | From about 15 minutes before the start time (community default), a registered attendee’s Bevy join link marks them checked in and redirects to the current Virtual event URL. After that, they use the external platform’s own room, password, or waiting room. |
| If the URL is missing | Until you save a Virtual event URL, join does not send them to an external destination — they stay on the Bevy event page. |
| If they are not registered | Opening the join link sends them to the event page so they can register first. Bevy does not redirect unregistered visitors to your external URL. |
Note: The exact Join button label and Event not ready title can be customized in Style settings. The usual pattern is: register on Bevy → open the Bevy join link near start time → land in the external session.
Recordings and Video on Demand
Because the live session runs outside Bevy, External URL events do not produce native Bevy session recordings on the event Recordings tab. Automatic recording options and downloads described for Bevy Virtual Meetup or Bevy Virtual Conference do not apply here.
- Record (or download) the session in Zoom, Teams, or whichever platform hosted the meeting.
- If Video on Demand (VOD) is enabled for your community, upload that file to the event Media tab or the chapter Media Library so attendees can watch it on Bevy later. See About Video On Demand (VOD).
- You can also add a wrap-up video link on a completed event when your community uses Wrap up for featured external video — that path is separate from the Recordings tab.
Note: Send to Media Library on the Recordings tab only applies to native Bevy Virtual recordings. For External URL, upload the file through VOD (Media) instead. See Manage event recordings for Bevy-hosted recording workflows.
Publish before the external URL is ready
Whether Virtual event URL is required depends on the event type settings your community administrators configure. If the URL is optional, you can publish first and add the destination later.
- Until a destination is saved, registered attendees who try to join stay on the Bevy event page instead of being redirected.
- Add or update the URL on Details whenever the external host link is ready or changes.
- You do not need to republish or replace previously shared Bevy permalinks after you update the Virtual event URL.