Kaizen #175 - Leverage Settings Widget for Zoho CRM Extensions

Howdy, innovators!

Welcome back to a fresh week of Kaizen.

This week, we will delve into configuring a Settings widget in Zoho CRM for the effective functioning of extensions. It centralizes around key configurations that will be carried out to various integrations in an extension. A user-friendly settings widget enhances the usability and flexibility of your extensions. 

Why use a Settings Widget?

A Settings Widget plays a crucial role in making extensions user-friendly and adaptable to specific business needs. Following are a few key advantages of using the settings widget:

• Seamless Setup Post-Installation: Users can configure critical parameters right after installing the extension.
• Dynamic Customization: Users can revisit and modify configurations at any time, ensuring that the extension adapts to changing needs without re-installation or development
• Improved User Experience: Allows the end-users to control how the extension interacts with their workflows and data.
• Enhanced Control: Provides an overview and centralized control, making maintenance, troubleshooting, and updates simpler and faster.
  

Business Scenario: Notification Settings for Lead Import Extension

Let’s take a real-world use case to understand the value of this settings widget.

Imagine an organization named Zylker, using Zoho CRM along with a lead import extension. This extension pulls in leads from multiple sources like web forms, social media, or third-party marketing tools.

Requirement

Whenever a new lead enters a Zoho CRM organization through this extension, the sales team wants to receive an instant notification on a specific Zoho Cliq channel for that organization. This ensures they never miss a lead. 

Solution

By adding a Settings Widget to the extension, users can:

> Select a Preferred Zoho Cliq Channel: From the settings page, users can choose the channel where notifications should be sent.

> Modify the Channel Anytime: Based on team restructuring or communication preferences, users can revisit the settings and update the channel as needed.

With this setup, the settings widget becomes the control center, ensuring the efficient functioning of both the extension and the sales process. 

Building a Settings Extension Widget

Let us create a sample settings widget for the above business scenario. 

Create a Private Extension Widget

       1. Log into Zoho CRM, navigate to Setup > Marketplace > Extension Builder, and create a new extension by selecting Zoho CRM as the service.  

            

      2. The private extension that you have created will be listed in the Extensions page. Choose your extension and click the edit icon. 

            You will then be redirected to the Zoho Developer Console.
 

Dependency Configuration

Now, let us configure a couple of dependencies required for this use case in the developer console.  

Connectors 

To notify a Zoho Cliq channel, Connectors authorize the end user's Zoho Cliq account with the extension and grant access to the necessary data. Follow these steps to create a connector with the required APIs for the widget.

      3. In the console, navigate to Utilities > Connectors on the left-side menu.

      4. Click Create Connector and provide the required details using the guidance available on the Server-based Application help page.

           

      5. Use the generated Redirect URL to register your application in Zoho's API Console. After registration, enter the Client ID and Client Secret in the developer console.  

           

      6. Create Connector APIs for the following: 

•  GET List of all Channels to fetch all the available channels from your Zoho Cliq Account.  
  
  
  
  The Authorization header is automatically added to all the Connector APIs. 
• POST Message in Channel to notify the incoming leads in the channel. 
  
  
  
  You can include dynamic place holders in the URL, header, or request body using this format ${place_holder}.

      7. Once the APIs are configured, publish and associate the connector with the extension. 

            

          
           Refer to the Connectors help document to learn more. 

Variable 

Variables are required to store the admin's preferred channel details and retrieve them when a lead enters Zoho CRM through the extension. Upon installing the extension, this variable is automatically created in your Zoho CRM org. 

      8. Go to Build > Custom Properties and create a variable. 

         

Set the variable's permission to Hidden to prevent the CRM users from accessing/modifying the variable data from the Zoho CRM Variables page. This ensures that variables can only be configured through the extension.

For more information, refer to the Custom Variables help document. 

Tip

In your Zoho CRM, go to Setup > Security Control > Profiles and restrict permissions for your extension to prevent unauthorized access to the settings page.

Building a Connected App 

      9. In the console, go to Utilities > Connected Apps on the left-side menu.

      10. Follow the steps provided in this kaizen to create a new Zoho CRM widget for this use case. 

Code Logic for the Settings Panel

• Create a drop-down field called Select Cliq Channel to the settings panel. This dropdown should dynamically list the channels from your Zoho Cliq account by invoking the GET Cliq Channels API. Follow the given Invoke Connector method to execute Connector APIs.           

// Initialize Zoho Embed SDK         ZOHO.embeddedApp.on("PageLoad", function () {             fetchCliqChannels();         });         ZOHO.embeddedApp.init();         // Fetch Cliq channels         async function fetchCliqChannels() {             const channelDropdown = document.getElementById("cliqChannel");             try {                 console.log("Fetching channels from Zoho Cliq...");                 const req_data = {                     "parameters": {}                 };                 const response = await ZOHO.CRM.CONNECTOR.invokeAPI("leadgeneration.zohocliq.listofallchannels", req_data);                 console.log("Response from Zoho Cliq:", response);                 const parsedResponse = JSON.parse(response.response);                 const channels = parsedResponse.channels;                 if (channels && Array.isArray(channels)) {                     channelDropdown.innerHTML = channels.map(channel => `<option value="${channel.unique_name}">${channel.name}</option>`).join('');                 } else {                     throw new Error("Invalid response structure");                 }             } catch (error) {                 console.error("Error fetching channels:", error);                 if (error.code === '403') {                     console.error("Authorization Exception: Please check your API permissions and authentication.");                 }                 channelDropdown.innerHTML = '<option value="">Failed to load channels</option>';             }         }

• Add a Save Configuration button that stores the selected channel name and channel ID in the variable created earlier. To save the selected data into the variable, use the invokeAPI() function, with the namespace as crm.set. 

// Save configuration         async function saveConfiguration(event) {             event.preventDefault();             const channelDropdown = document.getElementById("cliqChannel");             const selectedChannelUniqueName = channelDropdown.value;             const selectedChannelName = channelDropdown.options[channelDropdown.selectedIndex].text;             if (!selectedChannelUniqueName) {                 alert("Please select a channel.");                 return;             }             const settings = {                 unique_name: selectedChannelUniqueName,                 name: selectedChannelName             };             const data = {                 "apiname": "leadgeneration__Cliq_Channel",                 "value": JSON.stringify(settings)             };             try {                 const response = await ZOHO.CRM.CONNECTOR.invokeAPI("crm.set", data);                 console.log("Updated settings:", response);                 document.getElementById("setupStatus").innerText = "Configuration saved successfully!";             } catch (error) {                 console.error("Error saving configuration:", error);                 document.getElementById("setupStatus").innerText = "Failed to save configuration.";             }         }

• When a lead enters Zoho CRM through the extension, it should trigger a function that:Retrieves the saved channel details:  
  

                  > Retrieves the saved channel details: Uses the Get Organization Variable JS SDK to call the Zoho CRM GET Variable API to fetch the saved channel details.
                        

                     

                  > Notifies the channel: Sends a message to the retrieved channel using the Post Message API. 

Info

-> A complete working code sample for the use case is attached at the end of this post for your reference.  

-> The test function for triggering notifications is also included in the attachment. You can use the same snippet in your extension to initiate the notification process.

-> Ensure to replace the unique names of your Connector APIs and Variable.

      11. Fill in the details of the application as shown in this image and upload the widget ZIP file packed using the Zoho CLI command. 

             

      12. Click Save.  

Configure the Settings Widget

      13. Navigate to Build > Settings Widget in the left menu.  

      14. Provide a Name and the Resource Path of your widget.   

      15. Click Save.

             

The Settings Widget for Extension is available upon request. Contact support@zohocrmplatform.com to enable it for your account. 

Packaging, Publishing and Deploying 

      16. Go to Package > Publish on the left-side menu and publish the extension.   

      17. The review process for listing an extension in the Marketplace will take from three weeks to one month. 

            For the demo, we will proceed with deploying the extension using the private plugin deployment link.

            

      18. Now, replace the URL of your Zoho CRM page with the deployment link from the Developer Console and approve the extension installation.  

Try it Out! 

Once installed: 

> A pop-up will appear, prompting you to authorize Zoho Cliq for the required configurations. 

If you do not already have a Zoho Cliq account, you can sign up directly from the pop-up and proceed with the authorization.

> After authorization, you will be redirected to the Settings widget page, where you can select and save your preferred Cliq channel.

> If you need to update the settings later, you can find them on the Installed Extensions page under the respective extension.

 

Note

The demo videos above use a testing function to notify the channel. You can deploy it anywhere in your extension to trigger a notification whenever a lead enters a Zoho CRM organization through the extension.

Find the function in the attachments at the end of this post.

Similar Scenarios

• Sales Territory Management: An extension that auto-assigns incoming leads to sales reps can use a settings widget to allow managers to define territories and sales rep mappings dynamically.
• Custom Field Mapping: For extensions that sync data between Zoho CRM and external systems, a settings widget can let users map CRM fields to external system fields.
• Automated Email Preferences: In email automation extensions, the settings widget can allow users to specify email templates, recipients, or trigger conditions for follow-ups and campaigns.

Adding a Settings Widget to your Zoho CRM Extensions not only enhances user experience but also boosts the flexibility and efficiency of your extension. Whether it is notifying sales teams or customizing field mappings, a well-designed settings page is a game-changer for your extensions. 

Explore the Widget section in our Kaizen collection to try out various widget types and discover their unique use cases. 

If you have any queries or a topic to be discussed reach out to us at support@zohocrm.com or drop your comment below. 

Until next time, keep innovating!

Cheers! 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Related Reading

1. Zoho CRM Widget - An Overview, Installation and Creation, Mobile Compatibility, Telephony Widget Extension, and other Kaizens.
2. Widget SDKs - An Overview, Invoke Connector and Get Organization Variable.
3. Zoho Developer Console - An Overview, Creating Extensions, Building Connected Apps, and A Quick Start Guide.
4. Zoho Extensions - Custom Variables and Connectors
   
5. Zoho Cliq - GET List of Channels and POST Message in Channel.
6. Zoho Marketplace - An Overview

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Previous Kaizen: Kaizen #174 - Client Script Commands | Kaizen Collection: Directory

More enhancements in the COQL API are now live in Zoho CRM API Version 7. Check out the V7 Changelog for detailed information on these updates.

• Topic Participants

• Kiruthiga G

  

• 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

• Clone / Export Popup Design Across PageSense Projects

  Hello Zoho PageSense Team, We hope you’re doing well. We would like to request an enhancement that allows popup designs to be reused across different PageSense projects. Problem Statement: Currently, Zoho PageSense allows popups to be duplicated only

• Are there settings for hyperlinks?

  Clicking a hyperlinked cell in Sheet creates this little pop-up with the actual hyperlink inside. Is it possible to have a 1-click link where if you click the cell it opens the link directly with no pop-up?

• Automatically include all ticket attachments in the ticket resolution email

  Hello Zoho Community, We are implementing Zoho Desk in a real customer-facing production environment and have run into a limitation that is becoming a blocking requirement for our clients. The problem When a ticket is closed or resolved, Zoho Desk sends

• Keep Zoho People Feature Requests in the Zoho People Forum

  Hello Zoho People Product Team, Greetings. We would like to submit a feature request regarding the handling of feature requests themselves, specifically for Zoho People. Issue: Feature Requests Being Moved to Zoho One Zoho People feature requests are

• Can I write a check in Zoho Books with no associated bill?

  This currently does not seem possible, and I have a client that desperately needs this function if I am able to convert them with Quickbooks. Thank you in advance for your reply. 

• Finding text within a ticket: Expand All or Search this Ticket

  The auto-collapse feature within a ticket is nice for screen scrolling, however it makes it difficult to find text within the ticket if the email is collapsed. In fact you cannot find text if it is collapsed. I would like to propose a feature that allows

• Books & Desk. Client mapping

  Hi, I’ve been using Zoho Books for several years and am now looking to improve my customer service. I'm experimenting with Zoho Desk and want to sync and map my client data from Zoho Books. However, it seems that mapping requires both contacts to have

• String handling

  If I cut a currency string from a quote and try and paste it into the Deal "Amount", it will fail unless I manually delete any commas. Dollar signs are no problem, but comma's seem to fail. Please correct this Input Validation error.

• Allow Stripe Credit Card and Stripe ACH payment methods to be enabled separately on an invoice.

  I need to be able to pick at the invoice level whether Stripe Credit Card and/or Stripe ACH payment methods are available. Currently, I'm not able to select from the two Stripe payment methods individually on an invoice. However, there are some larger

• Feature Request - Allow Customers To Pick Meeting Duration

  Hi Bookings Team, It would be great if there was an option to allow customers to pick a duration based on a max and minimum amount of time defined by me and in increments defined by me. For example, I have some slots which are available for customers

• YouTube Live streaming? how to? Zoom has this feature, built-in. Can't find it on zoho meetings.

  YouTube Live streaming? how to? Zoom has this feature, built-in. Can't find it on zoho meetings.

• Feature Request - A Way To Search Item Groups

  Hi Inventory Team, I can't find any way to filter or search by fields of Item Groups. It would be great to see that functionality added. I have a use case where a single product might come from 5 or more suppliers and each supplier's item is an Item in

• Feature Reqeust - Include MPN In Selectable FIelds

  I have noticed that the MPN is not available to show in the list view of Items. Please consider adding it as EAN, UPC and ISBN are all available, so it doesn't make much sense to exclude this similar option. Thanks for considering my feedback.

• Feature Request - Option To Hide Default System Fields on Items

  Hi Zoho Inventory Team, As far as I know it is not possible to hid some of the defult system fields on Items, such as UPC, MPN, EAN, ISBN. A good use case is that in many cases ISBN is not relevant and it would be an improved user experience if we could

• Campaigns does not work!

  I am running into so many problems trying to use Zoho Campaigns, that I am seriously considering dropping the app from my (shrinking) list of Zoho applications I actually use. Apart from having to fight the software trying to create a design and email,

• Feature Request - Make Available "Alias Name" Field In Item List View

  Hi Zoho Inventory Team, I have noticed that the "Alias Name" field does not appear on the list of selectable columns in the Customise Columns feature in the Items module. This would be very useful to see for businesses who are using the Alias Name field

• product name field issue-n8n

  Hey guys, I have a question. I want to create a new product using the workflow. The problem is with the product name field; I don't know how to fill it in. The workflow starts with retrieving information from the leads table, retrieving links to scrape

• How to filter Packages in zoho inventory api

  Hi Team, I want to perform some tasks in a schedular on the packages which are in "Shipped" state. I tried to use filter_by in my api call but in return I get response as {"code":-1,"message":"Given filter is not configured"} My Api request is as follows

• CRM

  Is anyone else experiencing this issue? Our company is not moving out of using Gmail's web app. It just has more features and is a better email program than Zoho Mail. Gmail has an extension (Zoho CRM for Gmail) that we're using but we've found some serious

• Syncing with Google calendar, Tasks and Events

  Is it possible to sync Zoho CRM calendar, task and events with Google Calendar's tasks and events. With the increasing adoption by many major tool suppliers to sync seamlessly with Google's offerings (for instance I use the excellent Any.do task planning

• How can i view "Child" Accounts?

  It can be very useful in our field of business to know the parent-child account relationship. However, there seems to be a shortcoming in the parent account view: no child account list. How can we view the child accounts per each account?

• Easily perform calculations using dates with the new DATEDIF function

  Hey Zoho Writer users! We've enhanced Zoho Writer's formula capabilities with the new DATEDIF function. This allows you to calculate the difference between dates in days, months, and years. Function syntax: =DATEDIF(start_date, end_date, unit) Inputs:

• Adding Comments Using Workflows - How to Change User Attributed

  We have worklflows in Desk where a comment is added to a ticket based on certain criteria. It seems that the comment added is always attributed to the user who last edited the workflow. This does not make sense for us because: - It's misleading to other

• Add Attachment Support to Zoho Flow Mailhook / Email Trigger Module

  Dear Zoho Support Team, We hope you are well. We would like to kindly request a feature enhancement for the Mailhook module in Zoho Flow. Currently, the email trigger in Zoho Flow provides access to the message body, subject, from address, and to address,

• Conect chat of salesiq with zoho cliq

  Is there any way to answer from zoho cliq the chat of salesiq initiated by customers?

• Les dernières avancées en saisie de données et collaboration

  Après une année dédiée à la recherche et au développement, notre équipe est prête à dévoiler des améliorations majeures pour Zoho Sheet. Ces nouveautés seront lancées par étapes afin d’en assurer une prise en main optimale. Nous commençons avec des fonctionnalités

• Rich Text For Notes in Zoho CRM

  Hello everyone, As you know, notes are essential for recording information and ensuring smooth communication across your records. With our latest update, you can now use Rich Text formatting to organize and structure your notes more efficiently. By using

• Implement Meeting Polls in Zoho Bookings

  Dear Zoho Bookings Support Team, We'd like to propose a feature enhancement related to appointment scheduling within Zoho Bookings. Current Functionality: Zoho Bookings excels at streamlining individual appointment scheduling. Users can set availability

• Service Account Admin for API Calls and System Actions

  Hello, I would like to request the addition of a Service Account Admin option in Zoho product. This feature would allow API calls and system actions to be performed on behalf of the system, rather than an active user. Current Issue: At present, API calls

• Please can the open tasks be shown in each customer account at the top.

  Hi there This has happened before, where the open tasks are no longer visible at the top of the page for each customer in the CRM. They have gone missing previously and were reinstated when I asked so I think it's just after an update that this feature

• How to Customize Task Creation to Send a Custom Alert Using JavaScript in Zoho CRM?

  Hello Zoho CRM Community, I’m looking to customize Zoho CRM to send a custom alert whenever a task is created. I understand that Zoho CRM supports client scripts using JavaScript, and I would like to leverage this feature to implement the alert functionality.

• Send Whatsapp with API including custom placeholders

  Is is possible to initiate a session on whatsapp IM channel with a template that includes params (placeholders) that are passed on the API call? This is very usefull to send a Utility message for a transactional notification including an order number

• ZO25: The refreshed, more unified, and intelligent OS for business

  Hello all, Greetings from Zoho One! 2025 has been a remarkable year, packed with new features that will take your Zoho One experience to the next level! From sleek, customizable dashboards to an all-new action panel for instant task management, we’ve

• Introducing Multi-Asset Support in Work Orders, Estimates, and Service Appointments

  We’re excited to announce a highly requested enhancement in Zoho FSM — you can now associate multiple assets with Work Orders, Estimates, and Service Appointments. This update brings more clarity, flexibility, and control to your field service operations,

• [Product Update] Locations module migration in Zoho Books integration with Zoho Analytics

  Dear Customers, As Zoho Books are starting to support an advance version of the Branches/Warehouses module called the Locations module, users who choose to migrate to the Locations module in Zoho Books will also be migrated in Zoho Analytics-Zoho Books

• Introducing Schedules for smarter availability management

  Greetings from the Zoho Bookings team! We’re excited to introduce Schedules, a powerful enhancement to manage availability across your workspace. Schedules are reusable working-hour templates that help you define and maintain consistent availability across

• Why Zoho Contracts Prefers Structured Approvals Over Ad-hoc Approvals

  Approvals are one of the most important stages in a contract’s lifecycle. They determine whether a contract moves forward, gets revised, or needs further discussion. The approval process also defines accountability within the organization. Zoho Contracts

• Whatsapp Connection Status still "Pending" after migration

  Hello, I migrated my WhatsApp API to Zoho from another provider a day ago. So far the connection status is still “Pending”. There is a problem? How long does it usually take?

• 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

• How to Filter timewise question to check uploaded one month or two months before in these community question ?

  i want to find the question that is asked some month or before any particular year, so how can i filter it ?

• Next Page