How to Create a Virtual Event

A virtual event is an event with the **IS VIRTUAL** box selected, which turns the event page on your portal into a join screen for an online hearing, appointment, or check-in.

### Overview

- **What it is:** An event marked **IS VIRTUAL**, paired with a meeting link saved on the event's location or on the portal
- **Why it matters:** Your clients open one link and get a join button for the meeting instead of hunting through a message for a meeting URL
- **Who uses it:** Staff at your agency who schedule hearings, appointments, and check-ins that clients attend online
- **Expected outcomes:** The event page on your portal shows a **Virtual Event** panel with your virtual notes, the logo of the detected meeting platform, and a **Join Virtual Event** button

### Prerequisites

- A role that can create and edit events, plus access to the **Admin** menu for portals and locations
- A meeting URL saved in a **Virtual Link** field on the event's location or on the portal
- A date and a time on the event, because the join button is timed against the event start
- A link from a platform eCourtDate recognizes (Zoom, Teams, WebEx, Google Meet, or Skype), or a **Virtual Platform** selected in **Admin** > **Settings**

### How-To Steps

#### Step 1: Save the meeting link

Save the link on a location when different events meet in different virtual rooms. Save it on the portal when one meeting URL covers every event that portal serves. The portal field is labeled as the default virtual meeting link, and the **Virtual Link** saved on the event's location overrides it.

To save the link on a location:

1. Go to **Admin** > **Locations**
2. Open the location the event uses
3. Select **Virtual Location**
4. Enter the meeting URL in **Virtual Link**
5. Enter a meeting passcode in **Virtual Passcode** (optional)
6. Click **Save**

To save the link on a portal:

1. Go to **Admin** > **Portals**
2. Open the portal the event uses
3. Enter the meeting URL in **Virtual Link** in the **Links and Redirects** card
4. Click **Save**

![Virtual Link field on the portal edit page](https://ecdassets.s3.amazonaws.com/images/articles/portal-virtual-link.png)

#### Step 2: Mark the event as virtual

1. Click **Events** in the top navigation
2. Open the event you want to hold online
3. Select **IS VIRTUAL**
4. Enter joining instructions in **Virtual notes**, which appears once the box is selected
5. Select the portal that serves this event in **Portal**
6. Click **Save**

When you create an event from the form on the **Events** page and choose a **Location** that is already a virtual location, eCourtDate marks that new event virtual for you. Field labels such as **Virtual notes** and **Portal** can be renamed for your agency, so yours may read differently.

![Enable Virtual Event with Virtual Notes](https://ecdassets.s3.amazonaws.com/images/articles/enable-virtual-event.png)

#### Step 3: Check the event page

1. Open the event page on your portal, which is your portal address followed by /e/ and the event **Url**
2. Confirm the **Virtual Event** panel shows your virtual notes and the platform logo
3. Return within one hour of the start time and click **Join Virtual Event** to confirm it opens the right meeting

![Join Virtual Event](https://ecdassets.s3.amazonaws.com/images/articles/join-virtual-event.png)

### What to Expect

Once the event is saved as virtual and a meeting link resolves, the event page on your portal shows a **Virtual Event** panel with how soon the event starts, your virtual notes, and the logo of the detected platform. The **Join Virtual Event** button is time gated, so it appears only after the event start comes within the next hour. Updates to a location link, a portal link, or virtual notes reach every matching event without editing each one, and the portal caches location and portal records for about a minute before a change shows.

### Best Practices

- Save the link on the location when hearings meet in different virtual rooms, and on the portal only when a single meeting URL covers everything that portal serves
- Enter a full meeting URL containing the platform host (zoom.us, teams.microsoft.com, webex.com, meet.google.com, or join.skype.com) so eCourtDate detects the platform, or select a **Virtual Platform** in **Admin** > **Settings**
- Write joining instructions in **Virtual notes**, because the event troubleshooting check flags a virtual event that has none
- Give every virtual event a **Time** as well as a **Date**, since the join button never appears without both
- Add the `[EventURL]` merge tag to your reminder messages so clients land on the event page that carries the join button, and use `[LocationLink]` or `[LocationPasscode]` when you want the raw link or passcode in the message text

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Can I use a different meeting link for each event on the same portal?**

A: Yes. The **Virtual Link** on the portal is only a default, and the **Virtual Link** on the event's location takes priority, so give each location its own link and select the matching **Location** on the event.

**Q: When does the Join Virtual Event button appear?**

A: The button appears once the event start is within the next hour, and it stays on the page while the event page remains available, which is up to 14 days after the event date.

**Q: What happens if I change the virtual link after events are created?**

A: Every event that resolves to that location or portal picks up the new link, so there is no need to edit individual events. Allow about a minute for the cached portal and location records to refresh.

**Q: Why is there no virtual panel even though the portal has a Virtual Link?**

A: eCourtDate needs a meeting platform as well as a link. If the link does not contain a host it recognizes, select a **Virtual Platform** in **Admin** > **Settings** under the **Events** section.

### Troubleshooting

**Issue:** The **Virtual Event** panel does not appear on the event page

**Symptoms:** Your client sees the event details, but no virtual notes, logo, or join button.

**Solution:**

1. Open the event and confirm **IS VIRTUAL** is selected
2. Check that the event's **Location** has **Virtual Location** selected and a **Virtual Link** saved, or that the portal has a **Virtual Link**
3. Select a **Virtual Platform** in **Admin** > **Settings** if the meeting URL does not contain a recognized platform host
4. Reload the event page after a minute so the cached records refresh

**Issue:** The panel appears but there is no **Join Virtual Event** button

**Symptoms:** The virtual notes and platform logo display, but no button sits below them.

**Solution:**

1. Open the event and confirm both **Date** and **Time** are filled in
2. Click **Save**
3. Reload the event page within one hour of the start time

**Issue:** The join button opens the wrong meeting

**Symptoms:** Clicking the button loads a meeting other than the one you configured.

**Solution:**

1. Go to **Admin** > **Locations** and open the location selected on the event
2. Correct or clear the **Virtual Link** there, because it overrides the portal link
3. Click **Save**
4. Go to **Admin** > **Portals** and confirm the portal **Virtual Link** is the fallback you want

### Related Articles

- [How to Manage Events](/how-to-manage-events)
- [How to Create Locations](/how-to-create-locations)
- [How to Create Web Portals](/how-to-create-web-portals)
- [How to Use Merge Tags](/how-to-use-merge-tags)
- [How to Create a Flow](/how-to-create-a-flow)