Kaizen #161: Global Sets using Zoho CRM APIs

Kaizen #161: Global Sets using Zoho CRM APIs

 Hello all!
In this week, we will see how to work on the Global Sets using our Zoho CRM APIs. Global Picklist APIs were introduced in Zoho CRM API version 6.

In this post, we will cover the following
  • Global Sets in Zoho CRM
  • Advantages of the Global Sets
  • Use case
  • Create a Global Set using the POST Global Picklist API
  • Use the Global Set with a Picklist Field in the Required Modules
  • Update the Global Set Values Using the PATCH Global Picklist Field API
  • Conclusion

Global Sets in Zoho CRM

Zoho CRM offers an efficient way to maintain a set of data that will be used commonly across the modules to maintain accuracy via the Global Sets or Global Picklists.
Global Sets or Global Picklists are collections of picklist values that can be associated with multiple picklists across modules. When you create Global Sets, you define a set of values that can be associated with fields in different CRM modules, ensuring uniformity in data input across your organization. Refer to this link to know more about Global Sets.

Advantages of Global Sets

  • Consistency: The same list of values is available across multiple modules, reducing errors and inconsistencies in data entry.
  • Time-saving: You do not have to update picklist values in each module manually. Once updated centrally, changes reflect across all associated fields in all modules.
  • Scalability: Easily expand your picklist when your business grows, adding new values (e.g., Adding new showroom location for franchises) without repetitive work.
  • Easy Management: Centralized management of picklist values means less administrative work.

Use case

Global Picklist for Showroom Locations at Zylker Electronic Franchise 
Zylker, an electronics business franchise, operates several showrooms across multiple cities, all managed in Zoho CRM. As the franchise expands, they need to add new showrooms to various modules such as Leads, Deals, and Services frequently.  Whenever a new showroom opens, they can update the Global Picklist, ensuring that all modules are updated instantly and preventing inconsistencies.
In these situations, different teams manually entering showroom locations in the picklist field can lead to mistakes like typos or different spellings of the same location.
By implementing a Global Picklist for "Showroom Location," Zylker ensures that all teams select from the same list of showroom locations.

Create a Global Set using the POST Global Picklist API

Create a Global Set with the desired values. 

Request URL:  {api-domain}/crm/{version}/settings/global_picklists
Request Method: POST

Request Body: 

{
    "global_picklists": [
        {
            "display_label": "Showroom Location",
            "description": "Use this picklist option to manage showroom locations across all modules in your CRM.",
            "pick_list_values": [
                {
                    "display_value": "New York Showroom",
                    "sequence_number": 1,
                    "actual_value": "New York Showroom"
                },
                {
                    "display_value": "Los Angeles Showroom",
                    "sequence_number": 2,
                    "actual_value": "Los Angeles Showroom"
                },
                {
                    "display_value": "Chicago Showroom",
                    "sequence_number": 3,
                    "actual_value": "Chicago Showroom"
                },
                {
                    "display_value": "Houston Showroom",
                    "sequence_number": 4,
                    "actual_value": "Houston Showroom"
                }
            ]
        }
    ]
}


If the API call is successful, a global picklist will be created with the specified options. The following GIF demonstrates the newly created global picklist in the UI.



Use the Global Set with a Picklist Field in the Required Modules

Create picklist fields in the required modules, such as Leads and Contacts, and link the created Global Set with a picklist field in modules using the Create Custom Field API.

Follow the below steps to link the created Global Set with a picklist field in a module.

Step 1: Retrieve the unique ID of the Global Set 

Retrieve the unique ID of the created Global Set using the GET - Global Picklists API to link it with a picklist field. The below URL retrieves all Global Sets in your org.

Request URL: {api-domain}/crm/{version}/settings/global_picklists
Request Method: GET

Response:


The API retrieves all available Global Sets in the organization.

In this case, the "Showroom Location" field needs to be associated with the modules, and its unique ID is 5725767000004230002. Use the following request URL to view the specific global picklist field along with its options.

Request URL: {api-domain}/crm/{version}/settings/global_picklists/5725767000004230002
Request Method: GET

Response:



Step 2: Use the Global Set in the desired module

Create a new picklist field in the required modules and associate the "Showroom Location" Global Set with the picklist field.
  • Leads - To track customer inquiries by showroom location.
  • Deals - To monitor sales by showroom location.
  • Sales Orders - To process orders based on showroom location.
  • Service Requests - To handle customer service tickets by showroom location.
This post uses the "Leads" module as an example. Use the Create Custom Field API to associate the Global Set with the Leads module.

Request URL: {api-domain}/crm/{version}/settings/fields?module=Leads
Note: The module parameter is mandatory to create a field in a module.
Request Method: POST

Request Body:


{
    "fields": [
        //Associating the Showroom Location Global Set with the Leads module
        {
            "field_label": "Showroom",  //The Showroom field in the Leads module, where the "Showroom Location" Global Set is associated

            "data_type": "picklist", //To associate a global picklist, use the data type "picklist"
            "global_picklist": {
                "id": "5725767000004230002" //ID of the global picklist
            }
        }
    ]
}


Response in the UI:



Use the above process to create the Global Set across modules using the Create Custom Field API. 

Below are the request URLs to associate the field with other modules as per our use case:

  • {api-domain}/crm/{version}/settings/fields?module=Deals
  • {api-domain}/crm/{version}/settings/fields?module=Sales_Orders
  • {api-domain}/crm/{version}/settings/fields?module=Service_Requests


Update the Global Set Values Using the PATCH Global Picklist Field API

Any changes made to the Global Set will automatically reflect across all modules associated with it. Use the PATCH - Global Picklist Field API to update the values in a Global Set.

Request URL: 
{api-domain}/crm/{version}/settings/global_picklists/5725767000004230002
Request Method: PATCH

Request Body:


{
    "global_picklists": [
        {
            
            "pick_list_values": [
                {
                    //"display_value": "New York Showroom", 
                    "id": "5725767000004230003", 
                    "type": "unused" // to move the option to the unused state
                },
                {
                    "display_value": "Chicago Showroom",
                    "sequence_number": 3,
                    "actual_value": "Chicago Showroom",
                    "id": "5725767000004230007",
                    "type": "unused",
                    "_delete": null // deleting the option from the global Field
                },
                // Creating a new option or adding a new showroom location to the Global Set 
                {
                    "display_value": "San Francisco Showroom",
                    "actual_value": "San Francisco Showroom"
                },
                {
                    "display_value": "Boston Showroom",
                    "actual_value": "Boston Showroom"
                }
            ]
        }
    ]
}



Using the PATCH Global Picklist API, you can easily manage and perform various operations. In the above request, Zylker performed the following operations:

  • Moving an Option to Unused State: The "New York Showroom" option is marked with "type": "unused", meaning the showroom is moved to the "unused" state, indicating the option is no longer active but has not been deleted from the system.
  • Deleting an Option: The "Chicago Showroom" option is deleted from the picklist field using the  "_delete": null, meaning the option is removed or deleted from the system and is no longer valid.
  • Adding New Options: In addition to the above operations, two new showrooms namely "San Francisco Showroom" and "Boston Showroom", are added to the field using the "display_value"(mandatory) and "actual_value" (optional), as Zylker expands its franchise to new cities and manages them across the modules.
Note: The updated value will replace its old value in areas such as Records, Criteria, Workflow Actions, and Field Dependency. 

Conclusion

Hence, the Global Sets help Zylker keep the showroom location list up-to-date and consistent across modules, making it easier to manage showroom locations in their CRM system.

We trust that this post meets your needs and is helpful. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section or reach out to us at support@zohocrm.com
Stay tuned for more insights in our upcoming Kaizen posts!

Cheers!!!



    • Sticky Posts

    • Kaizen #198: Using Client Script for Custom Validation in Blueprint

      Nearing 200th Kaizen Post – 1 More to the Big Two-Oh-Oh! Do you have any questions, suggestions, or topics you would like us to cover in future posts? Your insights and suggestions help us shape future content and make this series better for everyone.

    • Kaizen #226: Using ZRC in Client Script

      Hello everyone! Welcome to another week of Kaizen. In today's post, lets see what is ZRC (Zoho Request Client) and how we can use ZRC methods in Client Script to get inputs from a Salesperson and update the Lead status with a single button click. In this

    • Kaizen #222 - Client Script Support for Notes Related List

      Hello everyone! Welcome to another week of Kaizen. The final Kaizen post of the year 2025 is here! With the new Client Script support for the Notes Related List, you can validate, enrich, and manage notes across modules. In this post, we’ll explore how

    • Kaizen #217 - Actions APIs : Tasks

      Welcome to another week of Kaizen! In last week's post we discussed Email Notifications APIs which act as the link between your Workflow automations and you. We have discussed how Zylker Cloud Services uses Email Notifications API in their custom dashboard.

    • Kaizen #216 - Actions APIs : Email Notifications

      Welcome to another week of Kaizen! For the last three weeks, we have been discussing Zylker's workflows. We successfully updated a dormant workflow, built a new one from the ground up and more. But our work is not finished—these automated processes are

    • Recent Topics

    • UTM in zoho campaigns

      Helloo everybody!!! Someone know how IF ZOHO CAMPAIGNS has UTM for tracking the url of any campaigns. thank u

    • Full Context of Zoho CRM Records for Zia in Zoho Desk for efficient AI Usage

      Hello everyone, I have a question regarding the use of Zia in Zoho Desk in combination with CRM data. Is it possible to automatically feed the complete context of a CRM record into Zia, so that it can generate automated and highly accurate responses for

    • Knowledge base printing

      I saw a posting about printing the knowledge base as I was looking for the answer, but we would like the ability to print out the entire knowledge base with a click, keeping the same organization format.   Bonus would include an index of keywords and

    • Search not working!

      I have items in my notebook tagged but when I search for a tag nothing comes up! Any fix for this?

    • Zoho Books | Product updates | January 2026

      Hello users, We’ve rolled out new features and enhancements in Zoho Books. From e-filing Form 1099 directly with the IRS to corporation tax support, explore the updates designed to enhance your bookkeeping experience. E-File Form 1099 Directly With the

    • Updates for Zoho Campaigns: Merge tag, footer, and autoresponder migration

      Hello everyone, We'd like to inform you of some upcoming changes with regard to Zoho Campaigns. We understand that change can be difficult, but we're dedicated to ensuring a smooth transition while keeping you all informed and engaged throughout the process.

    • Sharing my portal URL with clients outside the project

      Hi I need help making my project public for anyone to check on my task. I'm a freelance artist and I use trello to keep track on my client's projects however I wanted to do an upgrade. Went on here and so far I'm loving it. However, I'm having an issue sharing my url to those to see progress. They said they needed an account to access my project. How do I fix this? Without them needing an account.

    • How do i integrate google analytics to Zoho Campaigns?

      Looking to track Zoho Traffic from email Current topic is outdated

    • How do teams manage meeting follow-ups across Zoho tools?

      We’re using Zoho tools for collaboration and tracking, but managing meeting notes, action items, and follow-ups across teams is still challenging. Curious how others are handling this within Zoho workflows. Are there best practices or integrations that

    • Customize Colors used on graphs and charts according to users desire.

      It would be great if we could customize the graph's colors as we see fit. I hate that yellow is always the default color!

    • Let us view and export the full price books data from CRM

      I quote out of CRM, some of my clients have specialised pricing for specific products - therefore we use Price Books to manage these special prices. I can only see the breakdown of the products listed in the price book and the specialised pricing for

    • Mejoras urgentes para ZOHO MEETING

      Tengo unos meses usando Zoho Meeting. En general, es buena, pero hay cosas vitales que no logra cumplir con mínima calidad. 1) Calidad de audio y video: urge mejoras. Audio con retraso, imagen borrosa, mal recorte de silueta con fondos virtuales. Además,

    • Multiple header in the quote table???

      Hello, Is it possible in Zoho CRM to add multiple headers or sections within the Quote product table, so that when the quote is printed it shows separate sections (for example “Products” and “Services”)? To clarify, I’m asking because: This does not appear

    • Saving sent email campaign as PDF

      I'm looking to add all campaigns sent to an archive folder in sharepoint. Is there anyway to accomplish this in Zoho Flow ? I'm falling at the first hurdle ... can I automatically save a sent campaign as a PDF to a folder location ?

    • Exporting All Custom Functions in ZohoCRM

      Hello, All I've been looking for a way to keep about 30 functions that I have written in Zoho CRM updated in my own repository to use elsewhere in other instances. A github integration would be great, but a way to export all custom functions or any way

    • Conditional Layouts On Multi Select Field

      How we can use Conditional Layouts On Multi Select Field field? Please help.

    • Appreciation to Qntrl Support Team

      We are writing this topic to appreciate the outstanding level of support from Qntrl Team. We have been using Qntrl since 2022 after shifting from another similar platform. Since we joined Qntrl, the team has shown a high level of professionalism, support,

    • How can I hide "My Requests" and "Marketplace" icon from the side menu

      Hello everybody, We recently started using the new Zoho CRM for Everyone. How can I hide "My Requests" and "Marketplace" from the side menu? We don't use these features at the moment, and I couldn't find a way to disable or remove them. Best regards,

    • Whatsapp Integration on Zoho Campaign

      Team: Can the messages from Zoho Campaign delivered through Whatsapp... now customers no longer are active on email, but the entire campaign module is email based.... when will it be available on whatsapp.... are there any thirdparty providers who can

    • Mandatory Field - but only at conversion

      Hello! We use Zoho CRM and there are times where the "Lead Created Date & Time" field isn't populated into a "Contractor" (Account is the default phrase i believe). Most of my lead tracking is based on reading the Lead Created field above, so it's important

    • Enable Free External Collaboration on Notecards in Zoho Notebook

      Hi Zoho Notebook Team, I would like to suggest a feature enhancement regarding external collaboration in Zoho Notebook. Currently, we can share notes with external users, and they are able to view the content without any issue. However, when these external

    • Using data fields in Zoho Show presentations to extract key numbers from Zia insights based on a report created

      Is it possible to use data fields in Zoho Show presentations along with Zoho Analytics to extract key numbers from Zia insights based on a report created? For example, using this text below: (note that the numbers in bold would be from Zia Insights) Revenue

    • Free webinar: AI-powered agreement management with Zoho Sign

      Hi there! Does preparing an agreement feel like more work than actually signing it? You're definitely not alone. Between drafting the document, managing revisions, securing internal approvals, and rereading clauses to make sure everything still reflects

    • WhatsApp Channels in Zoho Campaigns

      Now that Meta has opened WhatsApp Channels globally, will you add it to Zoho Campaigns? It's another top channel for marketing communications as email and SMS. Thanks.

    • CRM For Everyone - Bring Back Settings Tile View

      I've been using CRM for Everyone since it was in early access and I just can't stand the single list settings menu down the left-hand side. It takes so much longer to find the setting I need. Please give users the option to make the old sytle tile view

    • Lets have Dynamics 365 integration with Zohobooks

      Lets have Dynamics 365 integration with Zohobooks

    • Add notes in spreadsheet view

      It would be great if we could Add/edit notes in the spreadsheet view of contacts/leads. This would enable my sales teams to greatly increase their number of calls. Also viewing the most recent note in the Contact module would also be helpful.

    • Opening balances - Accounts Receivable and Payable

      Our accounting year starts on 1st August 2013 and I have a Trial Balance as at that date, including Accounts Receivableand Accounts Payable balances, broken down by each customer and supplier. Q1 - do I show my opening balance date as 31st July 2013 or

    • Cancel Subscription

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

    • 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?

    • Direct Access and Better Search for Zoho Quartz Recordings

      Hi Zoho Team, We would like to request a few enhancements to improve how Zoho Quartz recordings are accessed and managed after being submitted to Zoho Support. Current Limitation: After submitting a Quartz recording, the related Zoho Support ticket displays

    • Multiple Cover Letters

      We are using the staffing firm edition of Recruit and we have noticed that candidates cannot add more than one cover letter. This is a problem as they might be applying for multiple jobs on our career site and when we submit their application to a client,

    • URGENT: Deluge issue with Arabic text Inbox

      Dear Deluge Support, We are facing an issue that started on 12/Feb/2026 with custom functions written using Deluge within Qntrl platform. Currently, custom functions do not accept Arabic content; it is replaced with (???) characters. Scenario 1: If we

    • File Conversion from PDF to JPG/PNG

      Hi, I have a question did  anyone every tried using custom function to convert a PDF file to JPG/PNG format? Any possibility by using the custom function to achieve this within zoho apps.  I do know there are many third parties API provide this with

    • Now in Zoho One: Orchestrate customer journeys across apps with Zoho CommandCenter

      Hello Zoho One Community! We’re excited to introduce Zoho CommandCenter as a new capability available in Zoho One. For the whole customer journey As Zoho One customers adopt more apps across sales, marketing, finance, and support, a common challenge emerges:

    • annualy customer report

      we need a report per customer that looks like this invoic number cleaning laundry repair management 01 january xxx euro xx euro xx euro xxx euro 02 february xxx euro xxx euro x euro xxxx euro and so on the years 12 months is that possible to make and

    • Totals for Sales Tax Report

      On the sales tax report, the column totals aren't shown for any column other than Total Tax. I can't think of a good reason that they shouldn't be included for the other columns, as well. It would help me with my returns, for sure. It seems ludicrous

    • Free Webinar: Zoho Sign for Zoho Projects: Automate tasks and approvals with e-signatures

      Hi there! Handling multiple projects at once? Zoho Projects is your solution for automated and streamlined project management, and with the Zoho Sign extension, you can sign, send, and manage digital paperwork directly from your project workspace. Join

    • Exported Report File Name

      Hi, We often export reports for information. It is time consuming to rename all the reports we export on a weekly basis, as when exported their default name is a seemingly random string of numbers. These numbers may be important, I'm not sure, but I am

    • 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

    • Next Page