Video calls
How to use a teleprompter on Zoom and video calls
On a call, the goal is not a flawless monologue. A teleprompter is most useful for openings, demos, difficult explanations, and closing summaries while leaving space to listen.
Updated August 23, 2026
01
Keep the text near the webcam
Resize the prompter window into a narrow column and position it directly below the camera. Keep the meeting participants close by so shifting between people and notes requires only a small eye movement.
02
Prompt the parts you control
Write the opening, agenda, key messages, questions, and close. Do not create a continuously scrolling answer for an unpredictable discussion. Pause while someone else speaks, then restart at the next prepared section.
03
Avoid competing shortcuts
Meeting apps and browsers both use keyboard shortcuts. Click the presenter before using its keys, and learn the pause control before the call. If you share your screen, share only the intended window, not the display containing private notes.
04
Use concise, scannable notes
Calls require active listening. Short prompts let you find the next point without mentally leaving the conversation. Put names, numbers, and questions on separate lines, and leave generous blank space between agenda items.
- Use full sentences for exact claims or formal introductions.
- Use short prompts for discussion points you already understand.
- Pause the scroll whenever the conversation changes direction.
05
Practice window placement
Run a private test meeting and record thirty seconds. Check whether your eyes look close enough to the lens, whether notifications overlap the script, and whether the text remains reachable when the meeting controls appear.