Google Meet allows you to easily invite and manage participation from individuals outside your organisation (external users). Here’s how access typically works and how it can be controlled:

Inviting External Users: #

1. Via Google Calendar Event:
   • When you create an event in Google Calendar and add Google Meet video conferencing, you can invite anyone by adding their email address to the guest list. This includes users with personal Gmail accounts, users from other Google Workspace organisations, or even users without any Google account.
2. Sharing the Meeting Link or Code:
   • Every Google Meet meeting has a unique link (e.g., meet.google.com/abc-defg-hijk) and often a shorter meeting code.
   • You can share this link or code directly with external participants via email, chat, or any other communication method.

Joining Experience for External Users: #

• External Users with a Google Account: If an external participant is signed into any Google Account (personal Gmail or another Workspace account) when they click the meeting link, they can usually join directly or may need to “ask to join” depending on the meeting’s settings.
• External Users Without a Google Account (Anonymous Users):
  • These users can still join most meetings. When they click the link, they will typically be prompted to enter their name before they can request to join.
  • Their entry into the meeting almost always requires approval (“admittance”) by a participant who is already in the meeting and is a member of your organisation (the host’s organisation).

Controlling Access – Meeting Settings: #

The meeting organiser (or host) can control how participants join, primarily through the “Host controls” and the “Quick access” setting, often configured when scheduling the meeting in Google Calendar or adjusted during the meeting itself.

• “Quick access” Setting:
  • When Quick access is ON (often the default for meetings created within your organisation):
    • People from your organisation can join the meeting directly without asking.
    • External guests who were explicitly invited via a Google Calendar event can also often join directly.
    • Everyone else (e.g., anonymous users, or those not on the calendar invite) will have to “ask to join” and be admitted by a host.
    • People can join before the host.
  • When Quick access is OFF:
    • Everyone who is not the host (or co-host from the same organisation) must “ask to join,” including people from within your organisation who were not on the calendar invite.
    • Only the host can join first.
    • This setting provides more stringent control over who enters the meeting.
• Admitting Participants: When someone “asks to join,” a notification pops up for participants from the host’s organisation. They can then choose to “Admit” or “Deny entry.”
• Host Controls During the Meeting: The host can also remove participants, mute them, and manage other aspects of the meeting that affect all attendees, including externals.

Administrator Settings (Google Workspace Admin Console): #

Google Workspace administrators can also set organisation-wide policies regarding external access to Meet, such as:

• Whether users can allow external participants to join meetings at all.
• Default settings for “Quick access.”

By understanding these invitation methods and access controls, you can effectively manage external participation in your Google Meet sessions, balancing ease of access with necessary security.