Building extensions #7: Create custom widgets for a simplified end-user experience

Building extensions #7: Create custom widgets for a simplified end-user experience

Discover the benefits of using widgets!

We explored the significance of widgets, prerequisites, and the availability of JS SDK methods as part of our previous post. In this post, let's go over a detailed example of using widgets along with certain Zoho Projects JS SDK methods.

Use case: A developer is working on a Zoho Projects task and wants to know if there are any existing references that could be used to get a head start on their work.

Goal: Our goal here is to simplify the developer's job by presenting them with articles that are relevant to the task at hand.

Solution: Widgets! To achieve this goal, it would be ideal for the developer to have access to relevant Zoho Desk articles from a tab on the Task Details page. This can be accomplished by developing a custom widget.

Required components:
  1. A connection between Zoho Projects and Zoho Desk.
  2. An extension configuration process that includes:
A. Creating an extension
B. Configuring the plugin manifest
C. Setting up the widget code to display the Zoho Desk articles on the Zoho Projects Task Details tab
We have already explored the steps to establish a connection, create an extension, and configure the plugin-manifest.json file as part of our earlier posts. You can refer to those resources for detailed guidance. In this case, we have already completed most of these steps (screenshots below).

1. Connection

We have created a connection to establish a secure integration between Zoho Projects and Zoho Desk.



2. Extension Configuration
A. Extension creation: We have created a new extension for Zoho Projects.



B. Plugin-manifest.json configuration: Once the extension is created, we next configure the plugin-manifest.json file to include the created connection and a widget.
For our extension use case, the plugin-manifest.json file is configured as shown in the below screenshot.



C. Setting up the widget code:
Now that we have the connection established, the extension created, and the plugin-manifest.json configured, let's go ahead and set up the custom widget code to achieve our goal.

Index.html - Widget code

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>App Default Screen</title>
<style>
div.a {
line-height: 200%;
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div class="a">
<ul id="demo" style="font-size:20px"> <b>Article Details</b></ul>
</div>
</body>
<script>
var subject = "";
Util = {};
zohoprojects.init().then(function() {
//Fetching the task subject using the Zoho Projects JS SDK method
zohoprojects.get("task.name").then(function(response) {
subject = response.data;
var articledetails = {
type: "GET",
headers: {
"orgId": "xxxxxxx",
"Content-Type": "application/json"
}
};
//Using the request JS SDK method to invoke and get the Desk articles matching the task subject 
using the connection
zohoprojects.request(url, articledetails, "zohodeskforlistingarticles").then(function(response) {
var list = document.getElementById('demo');
var a = document.createElement("a");
var result = response.result;
var data = result.data;
//Looping through the articles
for (i = 0; i < data.length; i++) {
var title = data[i].title;
var author = data[i].author;
var authorname = author.name;
var weburl = data[i].webUrl;
var entry = document.createElement('li');
entry.innerHTML = title.link(weburl) + " by " + authorname;
list.appendChild(entry);
}
});
});
});
</script>
</html>
  • Here, we utilized the Zoho Projects JS SDK method to extract the task name, which is the task subject.
  • We then used the Zoho Projects Request method to invoke the Zoho Desk API to search for articles.
  • The Request method is used to make requests to third-party applications. It must be invoked with the belowparameters:
  • Third-party API URL: This is the URL of the third-party application's API that needs to be invoked. In our case, we need to fetch articles from Zoho Desk based on a search value, so we used the Zoho Desk Articles Search API. We've included a search query parameter in the API as the title of the help article (wildcard search), and we've set the value of the search query parameter (title) as the task's subject. As a result, the API will look for any Zoho Desk help articles that satisfy a wildcard match with the task subject.
  • Data object: Depending on the type of action being performed, each API requires a method type, body, header, and/or parameters to be invoked. To invoke the third-party application API, a data object with the necessary API details must be created. In our scenario, a header providing the Zoho Desk org ID is required to call the Zoho Desk article search API, which we have hardcoded.
  • Connection: To work on the data of a third-party application safely, we would need to connect to that application. The link name of the connection created for the third-party application is the value of the connection parameter. This value will be available in the JSON code generated when the third-party application connection is established. This connection allows you to invoke the Zoho Desk API securely.
  • Once the API is invoked by providing the necessary parameters for the Request method, the response for the invoked Zoho Desk search articles API is returned. We extract the information we require from the response, like the title, author name, and web URL. We then list and display this data in the Zoho Projects task details widget, Related Articles.
Sample output
  • Access your Zoho Projects portal and enter into a task.

  • Choose the Related Articles task tab, which is the widget we created.

  • The widget displays the available Zoho Desk articles that are related to the task at hand.

  • Finally, click on an article to view its detailed information in Zoho Desk.


Using this method, developers working on Zoho Projects tasks can discover relevant articles and get helpful information to troubleshoot problems.

You can further enhance this use case by including a text box in the widget that allows the developer to enter a keyword and search for related articles using the Zoho Desk search articles API.

You can also accomplish use cases such as creating a task tab widget to associate data with a task. Every time the task loads, task-specific data can be displayed on the Task tab. To accomplish these kind of use cases, the data storage feature is available in Zoho Projects. We look forward to exploring the data storage feature,, and other use cases for custom widgets, in future posts.

We hope you found this information useful. Follow this space for further updates!

Sign up for a Zoho Developer account and start developing extensions for Zoho products using Sigma.

SEE ALSO


Next>>

    • Recent Topics

    • Cannot get code to work with v2.mergeAndStore!

      Please can someone help me pass subform items into a repeating mail merge table row using v2.mergeAndStore? I have a mail merge template created in Writer and stored in Workdrive. This template is referenced by a custom CRM function which merges all of

    • Ability to CC on a mass email

      Ability to CC someone on a mass email.

    • CRM verify details pop-up

      Was there a UI change recently that involves the Verify Details pop-up when changing the Stage of a Deal to certain things? I can't for the life of me find a workflow or function, blueprint, validation rule, layout rule ect that would randomly make it

    • Access to Specific Zoho Desk layout for external parties

      Hi, We have a partner who handles for us sales requests from specific markets. He is not a Zoho Desk user. But we want him to b part of a specific Zoho Desk layout to handle inquiries.  How to achieve it in the easiest way possible?

    • Is It Possible to Convert a Custom Module to a Quote?

      I recently created a custom module in our CRM environment for RFQs so that our sales team can submit quote requests directly in Zoho rather than by email/phone. This allows for a cleaner overall process, minimizing potential errors and potentially encouraging

    • Ability to Disable System Banner Messages in Chat Flow Control

      Dear Zoho SalesIQ Team, Greetings, We would like to request an enhancement related to the system banner messages in Zoho SalesIQ chat flow control. Current Behavior: SalesIQ allows configuring various automatic banner/system messages such as: Waiting

    • How do you do ticket add ons in Backstage?

      Hi Everyone, If you wanted to have general admin tickets and allow for add ons, like camping, or car or Carbon offset. What would you do? Peace Robin

    • Writing SQL Queries - After Comma Auto Suggesting Column

      When writing SQL Queries, does anyone else get super annoyed that after you type a comma and try to return to a new line it is automatically suggest a new column, so hitting return just inputs this suggested column instead of going to a new line? Anyone

    • Sort Legend & stacked bar chart by value

      I'd love to see an option added to sort the legend of graphs by the value that is being represented. This way the items with the largest value in the graph are displayed top down in the legend. For example, let's say I have a large sales team and I create

    • Idle Chat Reminders for Agent-Handled Conversations

      Dear Zoho SalesIQ Team, Greetings, We would like to request an enhancement to the Idle Chat Handling functionality in Zoho SalesIQ—specifically for chats that are handled by human agents after a bot-to-agent transfer. Current Behavior: In Zobot settings,

    • Layout Adjustment.

      Hello Latha, Hope you are doing well. I wanted to check with you about adjusting the layout columns in the Service Report from the backend, as currently there is no capability for us to customize the layout from our end. Below is the output that I am

    • Snapchat

      Are there any plans to add Snapchat to Zoho Social or is there any API that we can use to integrate into Zoho.

    • Zoho Sign "An unexpected error occured" when clients trying to sign documents

      We are unable to have clients sign our documents. When attempting to complete the process an error appears saying "an unexpected error occured" and in the document history just shows "signing failure." We are at a complete standstill with no response

    • Service Reports.

      Hello Team, I have a requirement to create multiple service reports for a single AP. That means, in one AP I have 5 service line items, and all line items are linked to assets. Once I complete the AP, I want to generate 5 individual service reports, one

    • ¡Vuelven los Workshops Certificados de Zoho a España!

      ¡Hola usuarios de Español Zoho Community! Hace ya unos días que hemos dado la bienvenida al 2026, y promete ser un año de lo más emocionante. Y es que nos gustaría haceros nuestro particular regalo de Reyes, aunque lleguemos un poco tarde. 🎁 ¡Nos gustaría

    • Cancel Subscription

      Hi , Im want to cancel my account but without success please help me to do it

    • Deprecation Notice: OpenAI Assistants API will be shut down on August 26, 2026

      I recieved this email from openAI what does it means for us that are using the integration and what should we do? Earlier this year, we shared our plan to deprecate the Assistants API once the Responses API reached feature parity. With the launch of Conversations,

    • How to list services on quote instead of products

      I need to create a customer facing estimate that displays our services. The default quote layout only allows products to be listed. Is there a way to correct this?

    • Making an email campaign into a Template

      I used a Zoho Campaign Template to create an email. Now I want to use this email and make it a new template, but this seems to be not possible. Am I missing something?

    • Syncing calendar with Google Calendar doesn't work when events are sent to auto repeat

      Hi... The ZOHO CRM -- GOOGLE CALENDAR sync is broken. If I create a single event on either side, sync works, but if I create an event with auto repeat on either side it doesn't work. Furthermore, events created before the sync don't show up in the calendar.

    • How Does Knowledge Base Search and Article Recommendation Work?

      Hello, I would like to understand how the Knowledge Base search engine works. Specifically, does it search based on: The article title only? The full article content? Both, the article and the content? Keywords? Tags? Also, how does the system determine

    • Sync your Products Module for better context.

      In customer support, context is everything. The integration between Zoho Desk and Zoho CRM helps your sales and support teams function as one, delivering better customer experiences. With the latest update to this integration, you can now sync the Product module in your Zoho CRM with your Zoho Desk portal. This feature enables products from Zoho CRM to reflect in the "product" field in Zoho Desk. This can save your support team valuable time and effort.    Some things to note when syncing the two:

    • Invoice status on write-off is "Paid" - how do I change this to "Written off"

      HI guys, I want to write off a couple of outstanding invoices, but when I do this, the status of the invoices shows as "Paid". Clearly this is not the case and I need to be able to see that they are written off in the customer's history. Is there a way

    • CRM gets location smart with the all new Map View: visualize records, locate records within any radius, and more

      Hello all, We've introduced a new way to work with location data in Zoho CRM: the Map View. Instead of scrolling through endless lists, your records now appear as pins on a map. Built on top of the all-new address field and powered by Mappls (MapMyIndia),

    • Creating meetings from an email

      Hi. Similar to Outlook, it would be helpful if a meeting can be scheduled from an email so that the attendees need not be manually entered every time it's created.

    • Please, make writer into a content creation tool

      I'm tired of relying on Google Docs. I'm actually considering moving to ClickUp, but if Writer were a good content creation tool instead of just a word processor, I would finally be able to move all my development within the Zoho ecosystem, rather than

    • ZohoSalesIQ.Chat cannot send messages

      Chat cannot send messages. Our app implements the customer service chat window functionality by integrating the Mobilisten SDK. Recently, we encountered an issue: after successful SDK initialization and visitor registration, when the `startWithQuestion`

    • Missed chats on WhatsApp closing after one minute

      Hi, we have added WhatsApp as a channel. However, if a chat is not picked up within 2mins, the chat is marked as missed and is closed within a minute. Why are they not staying in our "missed" queue for 24 hours as per our WhatsApp preference settings?

    • Feature Request: Add Tax ID Display on Event Tickets

      Hello Backstage Team, I’ve had several clients bring up an issue regarding tax compliance when creating events. For tax purposes, they are required to show their Tax ID on the event tickets. Currently, this isn’t an option, so they have to manually generate

    • Release Notes | January 2026

      We have rolled out a set of powerful new enhancements across Zoho Vertical Studio that bring several long-awaited capabilities to your applications. These updates focus on deeper customization, smarter automation, better reporting, and improved usability

    • Email Alias: To keep emails flowing without disruption

      Email Alias acts like a nickname for a user’s primary email address, allowing multiple email addresses to deliver messages into the same mailbox. Consider the scenario where an employee manages multiple responsibilities, such as responding to sales inquiries,

    • Zoho CRM for Everyone's NextGen UI Gets an Upgrade

      Hello Everyone We've made improvements to Zoho CRM for Everyone's Nextgen UI. These changes are the result of valuable feedback from you where we’ve focused on improving usability, providing wider screen space, and making navigation smoother so everything

    • Prepayment of a sales order

      How does everyone handle this common (at least it is common for us!) situation? We require all our orders to be fully prepaid before shipment since we manufacture made to order, custom products. Since ZOHO does not allow a sales order to be prepaid, we are forced to create an invoice at the time an order is placed to allow the customer to pay it. Our sales category is therefore skewed, since the sale was actually booked at the time an order was placed, rather then at the time it is shipped, which

    • Deposit on a Sales Order

      Good day, 100% of my business is preorders, no inventory. I am trying to run away from QB for one of my businesses, but I require two options that I don't seem to find with Zoho Books. 1 - If there is a way to apply a deposit on a sales order, as with

    • Automating CRM backup storage?

      Hi there, We've recently set up automatic backups for our Zoho CRM account. We were hoping that the backup functionality would not require any manual work on our end, but it seems that we are always required to download the backups ourselves, store them,

    • Archive Option in Conversation View

      Hello, I have a suggestion\request to add an "Archive Thread" button in conversation view of Zoho Mail. The best suggestion I have is to put an "Archive Thread" button next to the "Label Entire Thread" button in conversation view. Most users don't just

    • Collapsing and expanding of lists and paragraphs

      hello Would you ever implement Collapsing and expanding of lists and paragraphs in zoho writer ? Best regards

    • Does Zoho Writer have Dropdowns

      I want to add a drop down field in Zoho writer. Is this possible?

    • Automatic Refresh on Page?

      Hi everyone, We use a page as a dashboard which shows data for the laboratory and tasks pending etc. Is there a way to set the page to automatically refresh on a X time? Many thanks TOG

    • Dropshipping Address - Does Not Show on Invoice Correctly

      When a dropshipping address is used for a customer, the correct ship-to address does not seem to show on the Invoice. It shows correctly on the Sales Order, Shipment Order, and Package, just not the Invoice. This is a problem, because the company being

    • Next Page