Today, virtual meetings are as common and acceptable as working from the office five days a week was a decade ago.
With 28% of employees working from home at least some of the time, remote work has become a firm part of work life. With it come online meetings and the curious crossover between formal and casual, which many struggle with.
But with this kind of communication comes the need for a virtual code of conduct. How do you ensure everyone on the call feels heard, engaged, and able to participate in meaningful conversations?
Virtual meeting etiquette helps teams boost productivity, put their best foot forward, and build professional relationships.
Read along as we explore the fundamental rules of modern meeting manners, including what virtual meeting etiquette is, its benefits, and ten essential rules for any professional online setting.
What is Virtual Meeting Etiquette?
Virtual meeting etiquette sets the bar for how teams and leaders are to conduct themselves and treat others during online meetings. Think of it like a standardized set of guidelines to uphold professionalism across the board. 🫱🏼🫲🏾
Good online meeting etiquette is expected of you when connecting with other departments on a video call, leading project kickoff meetings, or brainstorming ideas with your team. An organization’s remote meeting etiquette ties back to its core values, philosophies, and goals. 🎯
While some aspects can be specific to organizations, there are some common virtual meeting rules that can help you make a lasting and positive impression on whoever you meet. ⬇️
Keep in mind that mutual respect and general business etiquette are nothing new! But there are some major differences between virtual and in-person meetings that you must consider in order to stay on track, on time, and informed.
10 Virtual Meeting Etiquette Rules
Even if you feel like you generally embody proper virtual meeting etiquette, the little details make all of the difference. That’s why we’ve put together these virtual meeting etiquette rules for any online business setting.
Share them with your team so you can all raise the standard of your online meetings together.
Plus, tons of resources, templates, and tips lie ahead for even more support as you master this new skill.😎
1. Know your meeting platform
First off, it’s important to know the video conferencing software you’re using for virtual meetings.
If you’re hosting the meeting, become conversant with your virtual meeting platform in advance so you feel confident in your use of the software. If you’re using a tool that people aren’t familiar with, be prepared to answer questions quickly and help them focus on the meeting by not having to focus on the technical experience.
While we’re on the topic…if you’re choosing the meeting platform, pick one that people are likely to have used before or will quickly adopt. This could be video conferencing tools like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet or an integrated platform like that combines chat, work management, and project management.
💡Pro Tip: Start a Zoom meeting from within a task with ’s Zoom integration. Lead discussions without having to navigate away from your Workspace while automatically notifies everyone involved to join ASAP.
Make sure the platform supports the ability to create break-out rooms, share screens, or collaborate on a shared resource if your meeting requires it.
Using dynamic meeting management software like is a great way to ensure a seamless and productive experience every time.
2. Come prepared with a meeting agenda
We cannot stress it enough—prepare, prepare, prepare!
Have a plan for the meeting before it starts, and create an agenda to give your discussion a clear direction from start to finish. For top-notch virtual team meetings, share your meeting agenda with participants well before the meeting so they have time to look over it, know what to expect, and add anything necessary.
If there are any materials your attendees need to read or respond to ahead of time in order to participate in the discussion, share these too. Treat your online meeting agenda like a set of directions and give attendees the proper amount of time and resources to prepare.
The best way to prepare for a virtual meeting is with a customizable meeting agenda template that covers all of your bases. ’s vast template library is full of free resources for every use case—including this one!
this All Hands Meeting Template by or the Committee Report Template to communicate clear objectives.
Both templates promote transparency across your team or organization and align members on key goals or targets for your meeting.
3. Be respectful of each other’s time
First of all, be on time. ⏱
As a meeting host, it’s never good virtual meeting etiquette to keep your team or potential clients waiting.
But the same rule applies to meeting attendees—don’t keep your host waiting! Your host is most likely one of your teammates, a member from another department, or a manager. You probably work with them on a daily basis or even have a friendship with them. Treat them with the respect we all deserve by showing up ready to start the meeting at the planned time.
If you’re someone who sometimes struggles with daily time management, use to set a Reminder! Your future self will thank you for the heads up. 🙌🏼
Plus, we all have busy schedules, but resources like this interactive Team Schedule Template by will make sure every member is in the loop on when and what meetings to expect in the coming weeks.
4. Dress for success
Whether in the office or online, dressing appropriately is so important. Proper etiquette suggests that you wear to your video conference what you would to an in-person work environment.
But the good news is there’s some leeway with virtual meetings since the screen is cropped well above the waist—meaning, yes, you can wear those Uggs!
Beyond just looking nice, your virtual meeting wardrobe should align with the tone of the meeting itself. Avoid distracting jewelry, patterns that won’t translate well on video, or graphic tees that others may not understand.
5. Avoid distractions
Stay focused on the meeting at hand, avoiding the urge to multitask. Before the meeting, remember to:
- Put your phone away
- Turn off the TV or music
- Mute any notifications
- Close your extra tabs
And please, for the love of all things good and productive, do not eat on the call.
Sharing your screen? Know what’s on it before you share it. Having 1,000 tabs open isn’t a good look. While it wouldn’t be the first time someone accidentally shared sensitive company information, a private Slack conversation, or their Spotify playlist, you don’t want it to happen to you.
Chaotic backgrounds are another common focus-killer during virtual meetings. If you’re at a coffee shop, have the kids for the day, or share an office space with your partner, choose an alternative background or use a blurring effect to keep yourself and all other meeting attendees dialed into the session.
Look for something clean, minimalistic, and neutral. Then, you can focus on finding the spot in your house with the best lighting instead of the most aesthetically pleasing wall.
No need to scour the web for one of these perfect backgrounds, though!
Click the images below to save these free backgrounds and avoid the distraction of others walking through the back of your big presentation. 📩
6. Know when to speak and when to listen
Active listening gives every individual the chance to speak and shows that you care about what they have to say.
The meeting host and participants must find the balance between speaking, listening, and asking questions to understand someone—and not tear them down. Open-mindedness and open communication will help everyone involved get more out of the conversation!
Here are a few more tips on virtual meeting etiquette related to speaking during calls:
- Speak with confidence, but keep it concise
- Avoid repeating yourself or driving the point home too hard
- Keep your mic on mute unless you’re speaking
- Save questions for the end of the discussion unless the host asks for them
Another issue we’ve all run into during virtual meetings is the dreaded audio lag. 🙄
No matter how strong your wifi is, the connection still drops sometimes during online meetings! To avoid speaking over someone or disrupting the flow of conversation, use the raised hand feature on your platform, if possible, or express your interest in speaking in the chat. 🙋🏼♀️
7. Keep note-taking to a minimum
Even though your intentions are in the right place, avoid taking detailed meeting notes unless you’re instructed to do so. Instead, stick to the key conversation points and review the meeting minutes later on if there are any glaring holes in your notes.
A major benefit of virtual meetings is the ability to record the entire meeting or create a meeting summary. Lean on those features to make the meeting itself as strong as possible—frequent pauses in the conversation disrupt the flow of information, slow your agenda, and waste precious time.
As a meeting host, designate a member of your team to track meeting minutes and let your participants know that they’ll be distributed promptly after the meeting ends. This helps you and your attendees stay present and will keep you from having to repeat yourself!
💡Pro Tip: With Docs, participants can make notes collaboratively and turn them into action in one click with integrated task creation.
Meeting minutes summarize the framework and key takeaways from important meetings. They’re shared with everyone involved and keep your progress top of mind to execute follow-ups and action items faster.
Resources like our Board of Directors Meeting Minutes Template and the Meeting Minutes Template by make this process more organized and efficient with customizable, pre-built pages to manage teams, notes, and details in a collaborative Doc!
Want to learn more about how minutes can improve your productivity in meetings? Check out this how-to guide for writing effective meeting minutes every time!
💡Pro Tip: Save precious time after your meeting by getting Brain to summarize your meeting notes and create tasks and subtasks in . If you’ve recorded the meeting, Brain can also transcribe and translate the recording for you!
8. Long meeting? Schedule breaks
If you know the meeting will be long, schedule a quick break in the agenda.
Let yourself and your peers take moment to step away from the screen, grab a snack, or have a stretch. It won’t hinder the conversation—it will vastly improve it! Brief breaks will help everyone stay in good spirits without fighting fatigue or headaches.
It doesn’t have to be long, just set your timer in for five minutes and pop open that soda water because you deserve it.
And if the meeting you’re attending doesn’t state whether breaks will be offered, leave a quick “brb!” in the chat if you need a breather, simple as that. 💬
9. Leave space for questions
Build the Q&A portion of your meeting into the agenda so your peers have the proper time to mentally prepare questions, voice their opinions, or offer suggestions.
If you took all of these virtual meeting etiquette rules to heart, you probably just finished a hefty and engaging conversation—expect that people will have something to say about it. 🙂
💡Pro Tip: Encourage your meeting participants to reach out with questions, ideas, or comments even after the meeting has come to a close.
10. Make a closing remark
End your virtual meeting on a high note by taking a couple of minutes to close it properly.
Before your peers sign off, briefly go over the immediate next steps, how and when you will follow up, any deliverables, and the timeline going forward.
💡Pro Tip: can help you delegate action items from Docs, Whiteboards, comments, and more, so you can get the jump on these tasks without skipping a beat! Turn text, screen recordings, and objects into tasks connected directly to your workflows to increase efficiency and keep the meeting momentum moving.
Then—and most importantly—thank your team for their time! You all did great work today. 👏
Why is Virtual Meeting Etiquette Important?
Virtual meeting etiquette sets a professional tone for remote meetings and fosters strong working relationships. Here are some reasons that make following the rules of virtual meetings essential:
- Following proper etiquette demonstrates professionalism, which helps build trust and credibility among colleagues, clients, or stakeholders
- Dedicating time, thought, and effort to a meeting before it takes place shows your team, leaders, and potential clients that you respect them. Plus, it keeps your meetings running smoothly by setting up and guiding the conversation
- Virtual meetings often involve participants from different locations and time zones. Proper etiquette, such as arriving on time, muting when not speaking, and staying on topic, minimizes distractions and keeps the meeting focused and efficient
- Adhering to good virtual meeting practices—like letting others speak, avoiding interruptions, and being mindful of cultural sensitivities—fosters an environment of mutual respect and collaboration
- Proper etiquette, such as using clear audio and video, maintaining eye contact (via the camera), and engaging actively, ensures that communication is effective and everyone can follow along without confusion
- Being organized, avoiding multitasking, and respecting meeting agendas help participants stay focused. This reduces frustration and stress, especially in back-to-back meetings
Without these rules of engagement, it’s easy to rack up valuable minutes or even hours of your week in a “could have been an email” meeting. And as nice as it is to see our team members on the screen, there are more intentional ways for us all to spend our time. ⏳
Thoughtful virtual meeting etiquette leaves plenty of time to listen, think, and respond to each other. This not only establishes trust among attendees, but sets everyone up for success by letting them know what they can expect from you, and what you expect from them in return.
Virtual Meeting Etiquette FAQs & Tips
What are the do’s and don’ts of virtual meetings?
Virtual meetings often have different expectations for participation than in-person meetings. To ensure that everyone stays on track and contributes to the conversation, here are some etiquette guidelines to follow:
Do’s
- Be punctual. Logging into the virtual meeting a few minutes early allows for any necessary technical setup.
- Stay focused. Pay attention to the speaker as if you were in a face-to-face meeting.
- Mute when not speaking. This helps to reduce any background noise.
- Use video when possible. It helps to create more personal interaction.
- Present in a quiet, well-lit room. A clear, distraction-free environment helps everyone stay focused.
- Prepare in advance. If you’re presenting, make sure all your materials are ready before the meeting starts.
Don’ts
- Don’t multitask. It’s disrespectful and can lead to missing important information.
- Don’t interrupt. Allow others to finish their thoughts before you start speaking.
- Don’t eat during the meeting. It can be distracting and unprofessional.
- Don’t forget to check your tech. Make sure your internet connection, microphone, and camera are working properly beforehand.
- Don’t leave abruptly. If you need to leave the meeting early, inform the host in advance.
How do you do a virtual meet and greet?
A virtual meet and greet is a great way to establish rapport with your colleagues, even when working remotely. Here are some tips for having successful virtual meet and greets:
- Greet people individually. Start each conversation by introducing yourself and asking the other person how they’re doing
- Keep it short and sweet. Try to keep the conversation focused and try to avoid getting side-tracked.
- Be an active listener. Listen carefully and be attentive to the other person’s comments
- Make sure you know how to use the technology so that everyone can communicate in real time without interruption or technical difficulties
- Be mindful of body language. Even though you can only see each other’s faces, body language still matters. Maintain good posture and be conscious of facial expressions
- End the conversation politely by thanking the other person for their time and expressing your intent to connect again in the future
How to have good virtual meeting etiquette as a participant?
Meeting participants have an important role in making sure that virtual meetings are successful. Here are some tips for good video conferencing etiquette as a participant:
- Be prepared. Read any materials that have been sent out before the meeting and come prepared with questions or comments
- Take part in the discussion. Don’t be afraid to speak up and share your thoughts on the topic at hand
- Stay focused. Avoid multitasking, as it can be distracting for everyone involved
- Be respectful. Listen attentively and be courteous to other participants in the discussion
- Share your screen. If you have materials that need to be shared, make sure to share your screen with everyone so they can follow along
- Use technology appropriately. Make sure all participants know how to use the technology before the meeting begins
- Stay on task, and don’t be afraid to bring the conversation back on track if it starts to stray too far from the topic at hand.
Make Your Virtual Meetings Productive With
No matter how formal or frequent your meetings are, the virtual meeting etiquette rules we’ve shared will ensure you’re sending the right message. Your effort will show through to everyone involved, and whether you’re a guest or the host, the time you put into it will be appreciated and reciprocated tenfold!
All by simply being respectful of your peers. 💜
Lean on the resources accessible in this blog to enhance your overall productivity and set the standard for the virtual meeting etiquette you and the team should uphold every time. If you wish to make your meetings even more productive, gives you:
- Whiteboards for virtual brainstorming and shared ideation during your online meeting
- A Calendar in you can integrate with your Google Calendar to manage your meetings from one place
- Chat that brings together audio and video calls, group chat, instant messaging, and more
- Integrations with all your day-to-day work apps
- Clips for making and sharing screen-recordings
’s Free Forever Plan gives you access to all of the templates linked above, tons of collaborative meeting management features, over 1,000 integrations, and so much more! All for no cost. 💸
Sign up and try for your virtual meetings today!
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