# Let people join without an account (session link)

> In the Share room dialog, click Create session under Session and share the link; anyone with it can ask to join without a Pactto account for 24 hours, and you admit them from the waiting room.

Category: Account and access
Web page: https://www.pactto.com/help/guest-link
All guides: https://www.pactto.com/help.md

## Create a session link

A session lets people join your room for a limited time without creating a Pactto account. You share one link; each person who opens it enters their name and email, asks to join, and waits until you admit them.

**Who can do this:** the room owner and people with **Can edit**. Creating sessions is part of the Pro plan.

1. In the room, click **Share** to open the **Share room** dialog.
2. Under **Session**, click **Create session**.
3. The block shows **Active**, the link, and **Expires** followed by the date and time the session ends.
4. Click **Copy link** next to the link and send it to your guests.
5. When a guest asks to join, you see **"<name> wants to join the room"**. Click **Admit** to let them in or **Decline** to refuse. See [Join a room and the waiting room](https://www.pactto.com/help/waiting-room.md).

Session access lasts for 24 hours. Guests enter with **Can view** and appear in **Room members** as **Name (Guest)**.

## End a session

1. Open the **Share room** dialog.
2. Under **Session**, click **End session**.
3. In **End session?**, click **End session** again to confirm (or **Cancel**). The session ends immediately, its link stops working, and no one can join or re-enter the room through it.

After you end a session, Pactto removes the guests who joined through it. The block shows **Previous session ended** with the time, and **Create new session** lets you start a new one with a new link.

## If something goes wrong

- **Create sessions with a Pro plan**: your plan does not include sessions. If an **Upgrade to Pro** button is shown, click it to see plans.
- **"Session ended, but N guests are still in the room. Remove them under Room members"**: some guests could not be removed automatically. Remove them yourself in the Share dialog. See [Room roles and permissions](https://www.pactto.com/help/roles-and-permissions.md).
- **"Failed to create the session"** or **"Failed to end the session"**: try again.
- **"You have reached the 20 participants limit"**: 20 people are already in the room, so you cannot create or copy a session link right now. See [Room capacity](https://www.pactto.com/help/room-capacity.md).

## Good to know

- A guest cannot get **Can edit** until they have a Pactto account. You can raise a guest to **Can review**, or send them an invitation with **Invite to Pactto**.
- To give someone lasting access instead, invite them by email. See [Invite people to a room](https://www.pactto.com/help/invite-people.md).

## Related guides

- [Join a room as a guest](https://www.pactto.com/help/join-as-guest.md): Open the session link you received, enter your full name and email, click Request to join, and wait for the host to admit you; no Pactto account needed.
- [Invite people to a room](https://www.pactto.com/help/invite-people.md): Open the room's Share dialog, type one or more email addresses, choose a role in Invite as, and click Invite; Pactto emails each person a link to the room.
- [Join a room and admit people from the waiting room](https://www.pactto.com/help/waiting-room.md): Open the room link, set up your camera, and click Join room (members) or Request to join (everyone else); the owner or an editor admits waiting people with Admit or Declines them.
- [Room roles and permissions (Owner, Can edit, Can review, Can view)](https://www.pactto.com/help/roles-and-permissions.md): Every room has one Owner and members with Can edit, Can review or Can view; the owner and editors change roles and remove people from the Share dialog.
- [How many people can join a room](https://www.pactto.com/help/room-capacity.md): Up to 20 people can be in a room at the same time, and a room can have up to 99 members with access.