Zoho Developer Community Monthly Digest – February 2025

Zoho Developer Community Monthly Digest – February 2025



Hello everyone,
​
First of all, an apology is in order—our January digest got swept away by a whirlwind of hackathon madness. But fear not, February's digest is here to make up for lost time! We’ve got everything from upcoming events like the Zoho Developer Hangout (with a special focus on Catalyst!) to our new Client Script Commands session. We also dive into resources like the latest Zoho CRM Developer updates and Kaizen posts to help you stay ahead. Plus, the community spotlight showcases real developer problem-solving moments, and some of the best insights shared in our Cliq channel.

So, without further ado, grab your favorite beverage, settle in, and let’s jump into the updates!

Previous Month Highlights
​
Before we dive into this month's updates, let's take a moment to celebrate the grand success of the ZDC Hackathon 2024. After 46 days of innovation, intense competition, and collaboration, we wrapped up the first-ever Zoho Developer Community Hackathon with a bang!

With over 1,000 participants, 797 teams, and representation from 45 countries, this truly was a global event. A special shout-out to all our participants—students, independent developers, customers, and partners—who brought their A-game to the table.

The judges had their work cut out, but after thorough evaluation, we're proud to announce the winners:



A massive thank you to everyone who participated and made this hackathon a tremendous success! You can check out all the category-wise winners on our website. Until next time, keep the innovation rolling and stay tuned for the next challenge!

Upcoming Events

Client Script

Title: Part 5: Introduction to Client Script Commands 
Date: March 11, 2025
Time: 10:00 AM IST & 8:00 PM IST (GMT+5:30)

In this session, we'll explore a new dimension of Client Script that enables users to trigger them anytime and anywhere in CRM, extending their event-driven functionality beyond just specific modules and pages. Using Client Script Commands, the user can either use custom keyboard shortcuts or command palette to execute Client Scripts. Click here for registration and more details.

Zoho Developer Hangout: Episode 19

Title: Catalyst for Zoho Developers
Date: March 13, 2025
Time: 8:30 AM CT / 8:00 PM IST

This session, presented by our power user @Christopher Mowers, is for Zoho developers who are familiar with typical approaches to working in the Deluge environment and who would like to learn to adapt to the approach that Catalyst requires. We will cover the Catalyst services that are most relevant to you as a Zoho developer and the fastest and most reliable ways to integrate your Catalyst layer with other Zoho applications. We will also cover important factors to consider when planning to use Catalyst as a part of your Zoho solution. Register now to get tips from the expert!

Zoho Community Developer Bootcamp – Deluge

Date: March 15 & March 29
Time: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM IST
Place: New Delhi & Mumbai

All applications must be automated to improve themselves as well as the businesses they serve. Zoho provides a plethora of relevant solutions for all your application needs. However, to cater to specific requirements and handle more complex business logic, we use our in-house scripting language—Deluge. Save your spot to immerse yourself in our engaging hands-on bootcamp, designed to equip you with the skills and knowledge to harness the full potential of Deluge for Zoho applications.

Catalyst 101

Title: Introduction to Catalyst
Date: March 18, 2025
Time: 10:00 AM IST & 8:00 PM IST (GMT+5:30)

Catalyst is a full-stack cloud development platform that simplifies the complex. Build, test, host, deploy, and optimize solutions like never before. Its easy learning curve eliminates complexities, empowering you to craft bold innovations at the lowest total cost of ownership (TCO). This is a four-part learning initiative that focuses on offering a thorough understanding of Catalyst—Zoho's cloud computing platform. Click here for registration and more details.

ZDK CLI (Zoho Development Kit Command Line Interface)

Date: Mar 20 | Apr 10
Time: 10:00 AM IST & 8:00 PM IST (GMT+5:30)

Managing metadata in Zoho CRM shouldn’t feel like navigating a maze. Yet, the endless clicks to modify profiles, roles, modules, or layouts—and the challenges of version control—can quickly become overwhelming. What if you could skip the hassle and manage your metadata effortlessly? Introducing ZDK CLI—your one-stop solution for streamlining metadata modifications, pushing changes directly from the command line, and tracking updates seamlessly with your preferred Version Control System (VCS). Register now to discover how to take control of your CRM workflow with ZDK CLI.

Extensions 101

Title: Zoho Projects – Modal Boxes
Date: March 27, 2025
Time: 10:00 AM IST & 8:00 PM IST (GMT+5:30)

This series aims to guide developers through the process of building extensions for various Zoho products using the Zoho Developer platform, Sigma. Our previous sessions in this series covered extension development for multiple Zoho products and highlighted the platform's key capabilities for developing efficient extensions. Register for the upcoming sessions, where we'll delve deep into developing extensions for Zoho products like Projects, CRM, Books, and Desk.

Learning Table Series

Title: Creator for the Logistics industry
Date: April 3, 2025
APAC & ANZ: 11 AM to 12 PM IST - Registration Link
EMEA: 4 PM to 5 PM IST - Registration Link
Americas: 9 PM to 10 PM IST - Registration Link

We designed this series to provide users with valuable insights and knowledge about Creator's capabilities in various business use cases and applications. We have adopted the 12 Months 12 Industries concept. Every month, we will focus on a specific industry, illustrating its unique processes with real-time business scenarios and how to make best use of Creator for that industry. Our previous webinar on Creator for the Manufacturing Industry was a success, and in the upcoming session, we'll be exploring Creator for the Logistics industry.
 
Creator Tech Connect

Title: Product Release Updates in Zoho Creator
Date: April 10, 2025
APAC & ANZ: 11 AM to 12 PM IST - Registration Link
EMEA: 4 PM to 5 PM IST - Registration Link
Americas: 9 PM to 10 PM IST - Registration Link

Creator's tech connect series would comprise of technical sessions that provide immersive training on the key essentials and technical nuances of building a solution in Zoho Creator. This is a great opportunity for our developer community to stay informed about Creator's new feature releases, product roadmap, best practices to follow while scripting in deluge, new deluge concepts, and cloud functions. In our previous session, we discussed enhancing dashboards with Javascript widgets in Zoho Creator. In the upcoming session, we will explore the recent product release updates in Zoho Creator.

Resource Spotlight

Info
We've consolidated all the resources from the developer community learning series into a centralized hub for your convenient access. Consider bookmarking our Zoho Developer Community website to stay informed about the latest updates in the developer community.
  • Zoho CRM Developer Updates:
    • Introducing Catalyst Solutions to streamline automation at scale with minimal effort. 
    • The Bulk Data Processor CodeLib, powered by Catalyst, offers a ready-to-use solution for bulk reading, processing, and writing large datasets. It automatically handles the setup with pre-configured resources. Simply add your custom processing logic, and let the solution do the heavy lifting for you!
    • Refer to our Getting Started guide for setting up and the GitHub Repository for Code Samples.
Fill out this Early Access Form to get this feature enabled for your account. This feature will tentatively be opened in the second week of April, 2025.
    • Client Script support for Subforms is now available across all DCs.
Subform events are triggered from user actions, such as adding or deleting rows or updating data in subform.
These events allow you to run Client scripts for validation, automation, or dynamic updates.
By leveraging Subform Events, you gain precise control over subform behaviour. Click here to view the announcement post. Click here to view the updated help document.
    • Client Script functionality is extended to Zoho CRM Portals, allowing businesses to enhance portal interactions without creating new scripts. We understand that many of you have been eagerly awaiting this enhancement, and we are pleased to inform you that this support is now live for US DC. We will update once its rolled out for other DCs. Click here to view the announcement post.
    • Python SDK - Upgraded python SDK supporting V7 APIs to version 4.0.0. GitHub, pypi.
    • Upgraded NodeJS SDK supporting V7 APIs to version 4.0.0.
    • Kaizen Posts

      • Kaizen 171 - Check out the frequently asked questions on the Zoho CRM COQL API in the Zoho Community Forum with answers.
      • Kaizen 172 - This post discusses how you can use the 'crmAPIResponse' object in a standalone function and use that REST API-enabled function as a Source in Queries.
      • Kaizen 173 - Comparing Zoho CRM REST APIs and Zoho CRM GraphQL APIs.
      • Kaizen 174 - Learn how to trigger Client Scripts anywhere within Zoho CRM, extending the scope of Client Script beyond standard pages and events.
      • Kaizen 175 - Learn how to configure a Settings Widget for your Zoho CRM extension to enable key configurations and enhance user experience.
      • Kaizen 176 - Learn how you can optimize your queries in different ways using record ID as a variable.

      • Kaizen 177 - This post explains the Duplicate Check Preferences API, the Upsert API, and their differences, along with real-time scenario.

      • Kaizen 178 - Learn in detail about Criteria and Filter support in Zoho CRM APIs, how to construct them, and explore the various comparators supported for different field types.

      • Kaizen 179 - Discover when to use ZDK CLI vs. Zoho CRM UI for CRM customization. Learn the best practices while using ZDK CLI.

  • Building extensions for Zoho Finance Suite applications: 
  • Zoho Finance: We've supported new SDK methods in widgets. You can now include a confirmation modal and display success and failure messages in your widgets. Additionally, we have created a separate help document for the widget locations supported in Zoho Books.

  • Zoho IoT: The Internet of Things is no longer a futuristic concept—it’s a driving force for innovation across industries. Zoho IoT simplifies the complexity of IoT, offering a low-code platform that empowers businesses to harness the full potential of their data. Learn all about how you can build, visualize, and automate your workflows with Zoho IoT.

  • The Ultimate Guide to Automation: Are you tired of spending time on repetitive tasks? Automating routine processes not only boosts efficiency but also frees up your team to focus on what truly matters. Discover how automation can streamline workflows, reduce errors, and drive business growth. 

  • Zoho Cliq: Stay ahead of the game with Cliq Bot Calls! Automate alerts, speed up decision-making, and keep your team in sync—all without lifting a finger. Find out how this feature can transform your workflow.

  • Zoho DataPrep: Data preparation is evolving, and 2025 is set to bring smarter, faster, and more automated solutions! From AI-powered cleaning to real-time data enrichment, stay ahead of the trends shaping the future of data. Explore the top data preparation trends for 2025.

  • Zoho RPA: Not all tasks are created equal—some are perfect for automation! Discover which business processes are best suited for Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and how automating them can save time and reduce errors.

  • Zoho Analytics: This article explores how Zia can help you leverage advanced analytics, helping businesses identify trends, predict outcomes, automate insights like never before, and make smarter business decisions.

Community Discussions

Zoho Developer Forum

Developers ZUG Cliq Channel

Info
These conversations are confined to the Developers ZUG Cliq channel members. If you're keen on becoming a part of this space, visit our website, click JOIN NOW, and complete the form to get an invite to the channel.

Ever feel like you're banging your head against a wall trying to figure out a tech problem? Well, you're not alone! This month, we saw some awesome examples of how a community of Zoho users can turn those frustrating moments into "aha!" moments.
  • Real People, Real Problems, Real Solutions:
    • Imagine you're coding a script, and suddenly, it just...stops working. That's what happened to @Andre. Instead of spending hours pulling his hair out, he asked for help. And guess what? @Mike spotted a potential cause right away—a sneaky change behind the scenes. That's the power of having experienced folks around!
    • Or picture this: you're trying to connect two apps, but you keep getting an error message. @Buddy Quaid ran into this with Zoho Writer and CRM. Thankfully, @Mike (again, our resident superhero!) explained the missing piece, and boom, problem solved.
    • And it's not just about fixing errors. @Himali was trying to figure out a tricky workflow in Zoho Inventory. The community jumped in, explained the process, and @Bijoy even suggested a workaround to make things smoother. That's how we learn from each other!
    • We also had a great chat about keeping track of all those automations and workflows. Anyone else feel like you're herding cats sometimes? It was awesome to see everyone sharing their tips and tricks.
  • Unlocking the Power of Zoho Together:
  • Why this matters? (especially if you're new here):
    • You're never alone: Tech can be confusing, but in a community like this, you'll always find someone willing to help. So, the next time you're stuck, just ask the community—someone might just have the answer (or three)!
    • Learn by doing: Seeing how others solve problems is a fantastic way to learn something new. 
    • Discover hidden gems: You might stumble upon a clever trick or workaround you never knew existed.
    • We talk about the practical stuff: Like how to manage and keep track of your automations and workflows across the Zoho platform.

Community Spotlight

Cliq Contributors

We want to express our sincere appreciation to all our community contributors. Your commitment, expertise, and the time you invest are invaluable to the community. 



For those who are new to the Zoho Developer Community, check out this post to get started. 

Make sure to follow the digest every month for the most recent updates and conversations. Stay connected and participate in the forums and the Cliq channel to be featured in the upcoming month's digest. Wishing you all an amazing month ahead!


SEE ALSO



    • Recent Topics

    • Zoho Analytics Automatically Deletes Queries and Reports When a Synced CRM Field Is Removed

      We’ve encountered a serious and recurring issue that poses a massive data integrity risk for any Zoho Analytics customer using Zoho CRM integration. When a field is deleted in Zoho CRM — even an unused one — Zoho Analytics automatically deletes every

    • Prevent new Record Association

      Hello all, We have a small sales organization therefore, it's helpful for everyone on the sales team to be able to view the full list of accounts to assist in preventing duplicate accounts from being created. However we want to prevent people from creating

    • Tip of the Week #73– Automate workflow with Make integration.

      Make is a no-code workflow automation platform designed to connect your favorite apps and automate repetitive tasks across services. By integrating Make with Zoho TeamInbox, you can streamline everyday inbox management and save valuable time. With this

    • Viewing attachments

      I'm using a Web Form integrated in my web site to collect Leads several info, including a image upload. In order to to approve each lead, we have to view the image uploaded. Unfortunately, in the Leads view, the Attachments can only be downloaded, not

    • Kaizen #89 - Color Coding using Client Script

      Hello everyone! Welcome back to another exciting Kaizen post. Today let us see how you can apply color codes to the List and Detail Pages of Zoho CRM using Client Script. Need for color code in Zoho CRM When you mark things with different colors as a

    • Instant Sync of Zoho CRM Data?

      With how valuable Zoho Analytics is to actually creating data driven dashboards/reports, we are surprised that there is no instant or near instant sync between Zoho CRM and Zoho Analytics. Waiting 3 hours is okay for most of our reports, but there are

    • Is it possibly to directly set the tax amount on order instead of indirectly via tax rates?

      We own an eCommerce application and want to funnel submitted orders from that system into Zoho. We're already calculating tax in our application and just need a way to set it in Zoho. We tried to use Zoho's tax objects for tax by setting the rates to

    • Zoho account sign in with passkey

      Hello, I am trying to sign in using passkey, but the option doesn't show up in the web and is disabled in Oneauth on mobile, saying the admin has restricted the use. On the Admin page in Security MFA I can find no option for passkey. Help would be greatly

    • Rescheduled US meetups: Zoho Desk user meetups are coming to seven U.S. cities in October and November, 2025

      Hello to our Zoho Desk users in the United States, We're excited to share the revised dates for the upcoming Zoho User Groups happening across the US this summer. Our product experts are heading to seven cities throughout the country, and for the first

    • Checklists as templates

      Is it possible to save checklists as templates to reuse them in other tasks? Example: I have a web project. I maintain individual web URLs as tasks. Within the tasks the same checklist should be used again and again: - Page created in CMS - Properties

    • Send mass email using my secondary email

      Hello, When I send an email to just one person from Zoho CRM, a complete email editor appears, where I can choose which of my email addresses I want to use in the From field. When I send a mass email, there is not such option. I can only select the email

    • Add the same FROM email to multiple department

      Hi, We have several agents who work with multiple departments and we'd like to be able to select their names on the FROM field (sender), but apparently it's not possible to add a FROM address to multiple departments. Is there any way around this? Thanks.

    • ZOHO TEAM INBOX Calendar Integration

      The Problem: Clients send meeting invitations to our TeamInbox address. TeamInbox receives these invites, but we cannot accept them. We do not use individual inboxes for transparency purposes. Ideal Solution: A way to accept calendar invites sent to our

    • Unearned / Deferred Revenue Automatic Calculation for Subscriptions

      As a SaaS business, we have multiple active subscriptions with varying dates and amounts. Is there a way to have a monthly automatic calculation for all of them that debits or credits the unearned revenue and revenue accounts accordingly? Alternatively,

    • Zoho Desk Limit for Comma Separated Queries

      Hi, I have just discovered a limit that I believed is not mentioned in any of Zoho's documentations. My search query looks like so: "query: {"accountId":"786050000091629966,786050000163589273,786050000163589427,786050000162753705,786050000162112971,786050000161987643,786050000160752868,786050000167089504,786050000167089378,786050000167089024,786050000167070005,786050000166295256,786050000128153693,786050000110560021,786050000046594575,786050000039106461,786050000002225356,786050000076889093,786050000047895103,786050000043365354,786050000044765191,786050000041790249,786050000040359116,786050000037945198,786050000024605077,786050000000525015,786050000155333895,786050000157741437,786050000000718125,786050000011574353,","departmentId":"786050000042648070","status":"Finished","sortBy":"createdTime","customField2":"cf_completion_date:2025-01-28T03:00:00.000Z,2025-10-28T03:00:00.000Z","customField3":"cf_billed:false"}"

    • Module Name doesn't exist

      I am trying to create a module named Activity, with plural Activities, but I have an error that module name already exists. This module is doesn't exist, and I don't have a single field called Activity or Activities.

    • Zoho Desk iOS and Android app update: AI powered: Reply Assistance and Refine Messages on IM module.

      Hello everyone! We are excited to introduce new AI powered features on the IM module of the Zoho Desk app. Reply Assistance: Reply Assistance generates suggested responses for incoming chat messages, which you can directly insert into the conversation

    • Unify All Zoho Video Meeting Experiences into One Standardized Platform

      Hi Zoho Team, We would like to share an important user experience concern regarding the current state of video meeting functionality across the Zoho ecosystem. The Problem Within Zoho, there are multiple ways to initiate or schedule a video meeting: Zoho

    • Is it possible to embed Youtube shorts?

      Hi Zoho desk support, This is Ryan from Accuver America. While I'm trying to create a knowledge base article with embed video, I ran into this issue. "www.youtube.com refuse to connect" A little bit background is that because this video is recorded on

    • Zoho Inventory - Move Orders

      Quick question about Move Orders... Why is there no status to say something like "Draft", "In Progress" and "Completed", similar to Transfer Orders? I'm assuming that when something needs to be moved it should be planned in Inventory, executed and then

    • Split functionality - Admins need ability to do this

      Admins should be able to split an expense at any point of the process prior to approval. The split is very helpful for our account coding, but to have to go back to a user and ask them to split an invoice that they simply want paid is a bit of an in

    • Delegates - Access to approved reports

      We realized that delegates do not have access to reports after they are approved. Many users ask questions of their delegates about past expense reports and the delegates can't see this information. Please allow delegates see all expense report activity,

    • How to include total km for multiple trips in expense report.

      Whenever I create a mileage report it only shows the total dollar amount to be reimbursed. The mileage for each individual trip is included but I also need to see the total distance for all trips in a report? How do I do this?

    • Get logged in user ID in Deluge script

      Hello all, How do I get the id of the logged-in user in a deluge script? the "zoho.loginuserid" function actually returns the users email address or whatever the user id they use to login to zoho with and not the id of the user record, and given that

    • Item Details Field - New Barcode / Document option?

      Is this a new feature??? its in both books and inventory.

    • Super Admin Logging in as another User

      How can a Super Admin login as another user. For example, I have a sales rep that is having issues with their Accounts and I want to view their Zoho Account with out having to do a GTM and sharing screens. Moderation Update (8th Aug 2025): We are working

    • Shared Mailbox - Mark as read for all users

      Hi all, Maybe someone can help me out. At the moment we have a shared mailbox without streams. When a users reads an mail or marks it as read other users will not see this. How can we resolve this? We now archive the mails when read and followed up. However

    • How do I increase the email attachment size in Zoho CRM ?

      It looks like I'm limited to 10MB when sending an attachment using the email widget on a record in Zoho CRM. Is there a way to increase the size? Or can I use some other tool? From what I'm reading online, I'm maxed out at 10MB. Any insight would be greatly

    • Can I export to PDF in Zoho Learn

      I have seen help pages where export to pdf options are available but I do not see that option available from the application. I see that exprt is available in my free trial version but that is only to html pages. I need to be able to export my manuals

    • Zoho Sites "pages" management page

      I have 80 plus pages on zoho sites. When I go to the "pages" link to view and edit pages, They are not in any kind of order, so I spend lots of time searching for pages when I need to edit or create new. How can I change the view order of all my pages

    • Staff rules

      Hi! Do you people know what are the default staff rules when a new booking is created? We have two staff members in my team (me as the admin, and my employee). As we share the same services, I'm wondering how Zoho will pick the staff for new apointments.

    • Add Image Upload Field to Zoho Bookings Registration Form

      Hi, We would like to request the addition of an image upload field to the Zoho Bookings registration form. Currently, Zoho Bookings only supports text-based fields (e.g., Single Line, Multi-Line, Email, Checkbox, Dropdown, Radio Button, and Date), but

    • Merge Tags Output Incorrect Placeholder Text After CRM Sync

      Hi everyone, I’m experiencing an issue with merge tags in Zoho Campaigns after last sync of contacts and leads from Zoho CRM (days before everything worked perfectly). Here’s the situation (seems like a default configuration in Campaigns) : My leads have

    • UI Improvement - Ability to Collapse Flow

      The UI for Flow is generally pretty good. However, when multiple decision trees are used, the layout can get pretty convoluted and hard-to-follow (see one of my Flows below): In these cases, even the auto-arrange fails to make this something that a normal

    • Windows agent 2025_M02 release notes

      Agent Version: 111.0.3.300 Release date: 24 February, 2025 Various Major enhancements to improve overall performance and optimize the user experience. Squashed a few bugs to improve overall product quality.

    • Windows agent 2025_M01 release notes

      Agent Version: 111.0.3.299 Release date: 05 February, 2025 Major Enhancement: Live Monitor feature compatibility released. Major Enhancement: Updated Scaling for multi technician cases with Android and Web based viewers. Various other bug fixes and performance

    • how to record deferred revenue?

      Dear Zoho Team, We issue invoices relating to 12-month web hosting service. When we issue the invoice, we should record the entire amount of the invoice as DEFERRED REVENUE (ie. $10 x 12 mths = $120, balance sheet item). After the particular month of the hosting service, $10 of revenue has been earned and deferred revenue amount will be $110. We must keep adjusting the balance sheet and income statement over the course of the service until the company has fulfilled its obligation of services and

    • Narrative 13: Importing your data

      Behind the scenes of a successful ticketing system: BTS Series Narrative 13: Importing your data When importing data into an application, it is crucial to prevent data loss or duplication. These types of errors can hinder the development of a clean and

    • Blueprint Not Triggering When Lead Status Is Updated by Workflow (IndiaMART Integration)

      I have set up a blueprint that triggers when a lead’s status is “New Lead.” Our CRM is integrated with IndiaMART, and when leads are created from IndiaMART, their Lead Status is initially set to None. To handle this, I created a workflow that automatically

    • Update Subform in specific field(Status) without affecting other fields in Zoho CRM using Deluge?

      Scenario: PRODUCT Module(change name Plot) in any product status change From Available to Booked then on PROJECT Custom Module have Subform So, Subform name is Property Details now in that Subform 1 field is STATUS that update according to  product status

    • Next Page