Tips and Tricks #21: How to schedule tasks in Zoho Subscriptions using Custom Schedulers

Tips and Tricks #21: How to schedule tasks in Zoho Subscriptions using Custom Schedulers

Custom Schedulers is one of our newest features, which helps you save time by scheduling frequently performed tasks. In this week's post, we'll be taking a look at how you can set up custom schedulers to address niche use-cases for your subscription business.
Missed our previous post? Give it a read to learn how you can prevent contact duplication with existing leads from Zoho CRM.



1. Schedule crucial sales reports to stay informed about your business' health

Reports like Lost Opportunities, Churned Subscriptions and Under Risk provide actionable insights about your sales. They can help your sales team proactively follow up with customers on crucial events like errors while signing up, subscription payments that are overdue and subscriptions that have been cancelled. 

Accessing this information on time can be vital--that's where custom schedulers come in handy. With custom schedulers, you can schedule a summary of these reports to be sent directly to your email, which will allow you to make informed decisions about your business' sales.

Apart from the reports mentioned above, the custom scheduler that you're about to create will also include the number of trial subscriptions that are about to expire in the next seven days.

The script for this custom scheduler has already been written and works thanks to Zoho Subscriptions' powerful APIs. All you have to do is configure the scheduler with the script, which we've made available on Github. Here's how to set it up:
  • Go to Settings > Automation > Custom Schedulers.
  • Click + New Custom Scheduler.

  • Set the Frequency as Daily (or Weekly, based on your needs) and the Start Date as your current date.
  • Copy the script for the custom function from Github and paste it in the Deluge script editor.
  • Make sure to edit the script with your Auth Token as well as any other changes that you'd like. 
  • Click Save.
Now, the scheduler will automatically send a summary of these reports along with a link to the full report to your email address.



2. Schedule a subscription to get cancelled on a particular date

Zoho Subscriptions lets you cancel your customers' subscriptions immediately or at the end of the current cycle. However, there may be cases where you or your customers want a subscription to be cancelled on a particular date in the future. This custom function will let you handle such cases.

How It Works

To achieve this, we'll be using custom schedulers. First, you'd have to create a custom field that can store a custom cancellation date in your subscriptions. Next, a custom scheduler, which runs daily, will go through subscriptions that have custom cancellation dates. If the scheduler finds a custom cancellation date that matches the current date, it will cancel the subscription.

End result? You'll be able to cancel a subscription simply by updating it with a cancellation date and let the custom scheduler do the rest.

Setting It Up

There may be a lot of steps involved with this one, but the setup is fairly simple and shouldn't take you more than 5-10 minutes.

To start things off, create a custom field that can store a date in your subscriptions.
  • Go to Settings > Preferences > Invoice.
  • Navigate to the Custom Field tab and click + New Custom Field.

  • Enter the Label Name as "Custom Cancellation Date".
  • Select the Data Type as Date.
  • Ensure that you leave the Default Value field empty.
  • Click Save.
When you want to cancel a subscription at a future date, update the custom field. Here's how: 
  • Go to the Subscriptions module from the left sidebar and select the subscription that you want to cancel.
  • Click the More dropdown and select the Update Custom Fields option.

  • Set the subscription's cancellation date in the custom field that you created earlier. 
  • Click Save
You can also customize the columns in the default subscription list view to make it easier to view cancellation dates. In the Subscriptions module, click the Column Customization icon and mark the custom field for cancellation dates. Click Save to show the cancellation date in the default subscription list view.



Our custom scheduler will also need a Custom View, which will help it sort through subscriptions with cancellation dates. To create the custom view: 
  • Go to the Subscriptions module and click the View Filters dropdown. 
  • Click + New Custom View

  • Enter a Name for the custom view. 
  • Add a criterion with the Field as your cancellation date's custom field, the Comparator as is and the Value as This Month.

  • Click Save.

Now, it's time to wrap things up and finally create our custom scheduler. 
  • Go to Settings > Automation > Custom Schedulers.
  • Click + New Custom Scheduler.

  • Set the Frequency as Daily and the Start Date as your current date.
  • Copy the script for the custom function from Github and paste it in the Deluge script editor.
  • Edit the script to suit your needs and also make sure to copy and paste the previously created script's customview_id parameter. 

(You can find the customview_id parameter by going to your custom view and copying it from your browser's URL bar.) 
  • Click Save.
You're all set! Now, the scheduler will automatically cancel subscriptions whenever it finds a subscription that has a cancellation date in the custom field that you created.

Note: Zoho Subscriptions will not charge your customer for their pro-rated usage. So, if you want to charge your customer for their usage until the cancellation date, you can do it by adding an additional charge to their subscription before it gets cancelled.

We hope you try this out and let us know how it goes in the comments below. We're always open to suggestions, so let us know if you have a specific business scenario that you'd like to see us tackle in our weekly tips and tricks. Until next time!

Cheers,
Varun Steven
The Zoho Subscriptions Team

    Access your files securely from anywhere







                            Zoho Developer Community




                                                  • Desk Community Learning Series


                                                  • Digest


                                                  • Functions


                                                  • Meetups


                                                  • Kbase


                                                  • Resources


                                                  • Glossary


                                                  • Desk Marketplace


                                                  • MVP Corner


                                                  • Word of the Day


                                                  • Ask the Experts



                                                            • Sticky Posts

                                                            • Tip #4 : Refer and Earn Workflow system for your Subscription Business

                                                              Hello everyone, We've been coming up with a tip every week to address specific business scenarios which can be implemented for your business. In continuation to the previous post, this week we will be seeing about how you can implement the Refer and Earn Workflow system to acquire more customers. Why are Referrals important? Customer Acquisition is crucial for any business to sustain itself in a constantly evolving market. It involves persuading new consumers to purchase your products. Customers
                                                            • Tip #2 - Cancellation of Offline Subscriptions based on the Expected Payment Date

                                                              Hello everyone, As you all know, we are coming up with a custom function workflow every week to address specific business scenarios. In continuation of this previous blog, this week we will be seeing about Cancellation of Offline Subscriptions based on the Expected Payment Date. Business Scenario: In general, for any business, the customers make payments via online as well as offline. In case of subscription where the automatic collection of charge is enabled (aka online subscription), the customer's
                                                            • Tip #3 : Send SMS Reminders for your Subscription Business

                                                              Hello everyone, As you all know, we are coming up with a tip every week to address specific business scenarios. In continuation to the previous blog, this week we will be seeing how you can use SMS reminders for your Subscription Business. Using SMS messages for your Subscription Business: While managing your subscription business, more often than not, you need to keep your customers informed about upcoming renewals, payment reminders and cancellations. By keeping them informed in advance, you can
                                                            • Tips And Tricks - Announcement

                                                              Hello everyone, Every business is unique and each of them follows a specific workflow. While managing your customers' subscriptions with Zoho, you might have some needs unique to your business. Custom Functions helps you address such needs. This is a start to a series of posts, where we will be coming up with a custom function workflow every week that addresses specific business scenarios. Watch this space for further updates! Also, if you have any specific business scenario which needs to be addressed,
                                                            • Tip #6 : Accessing external URLs from Zoho Subscriptions

                                                              Hello everyone, We have been sharing a tip every week to address specific business scenarios which you can implement for your subscription business. Last week, we shared a tip about implementing the Approval Workflow system. This week, let's look at how you can access external URLs with the help of Custom Link. Business Scenario: Every business functions differently and has its unique requirements. At times, businesses might want to access other websites or applications by appending specific information


                                                            Manage your brands on social media



                                                                  Zoho TeamInbox Resources



                                                                      Zoho CRM Plus Resources

                                                                        Zoho Books Resources


                                                                          Zoho Subscriptions Resources

                                                                            Zoho Projects Resources


                                                                              Zoho Sprints Resources


                                                                                Qntrl Resources


                                                                                  Zoho Creator Resources



                                                                                      Zoho CRM Resources

                                                                                      • CRM Community Learning Series

                                                                                        CRM Community Learning Series


                                                                                      • Kaizen

                                                                                        Kaizen

                                                                                      • Functions

                                                                                        Functions

                                                                                      • Meetups

                                                                                        Meetups

                                                                                      • Kbase

                                                                                        Kbase

                                                                                      • Resources

                                                                                        Resources

                                                                                      • Digest

                                                                                        Digest

                                                                                      • CRM Marketplace

                                                                                        CRM Marketplace

                                                                                      • MVP Corner

                                                                                        MVP Corner









                                                                                          Design. Discuss. Deliver.

                                                                                          Create visually engaging stories with Zoho Show.

                                                                                          Get Started Now


                                                                                            Zoho Show Resources

                                                                                              Zoho Writer

                                                                                              Get Started. Write Away!

                                                                                              Writer is a powerful online word processor, designed for collaborative work.

                                                                                                Zoho CRM コンテンツ



                                                                                                  Nederlandse Hulpbronnen


                                                                                                      ご検討中の方




                                                                                                              • Recent Topics

                                                                                                              • Free Webinar : Unlock AI driven business insights with Zoho Inventory + Zoho Analytics

                                                                                                                Are you tired of switching between apps and exporting data to build customized reports? Say hello to smarter & streamlined insights! Join us for this exclusive webinar where we explore the power of the Zoho Inventory–Zoho Analytics integration. Learn
                                                                                                              • Critical Issue: Tickets Opened for Zoho Support via the Zoho Help Portal Were Not Processed

                                                                                                                Hi everyone, We want to bring to your attention a serious issue we’ve experienced with the Zoho support Help Portal. For more than a week, tickets submitted directly via the Help Portal were not being handled at all. At the same time no alert was posted
                                                                                                              • Hide/Show Subform Fields On User Input

                                                                                                                Hello, Are there any future updates in Hide/Show Subform Fields "On User Input"?
                                                                                                              • Cloning Item With Images Or The Option With Images

                                                                                                                Hello, when I clone an item, I expect the images to carry over to the cloned item, however this is not the case in Inventory. Please make it possible for the images to get cloned or at least can we get a pop up asking if we want to clone the images as
                                                                                                              • Archiving Contacts

                                                                                                                How do I archive a list of contacts, or individual contacts?
                                                                                                              • WorkDrive and CRM not in sync

                                                                                                                1/ There is a CRM file upload field with WorkDrive file set as the source: 2/ Then the file is renamed in WorkDrive (outside CRM): 3/ The File in CRM is not synced after the change in WorkDrive; the file name (reference) in CRM record is not updated (here
                                                                                                              • Custom validation in CRM schema

                                                                                                                Validation rules in CRM layouts work nicely, good docs by @Kiran Karthik P https://help.zoho.com/portal/en/kb/crm/customize-crm-account/validation-rules/articles/create-validation-rules I'd prefer validating data input 'closer to the schema'
                                                                                                              • Adding Default Module Image into mail merge field

                                                                                                                As with most people finding their way to these forums i have a specific requirement that doesn't seem to be supported by Zoho I have created 2 custom modules to suit my purpose 1 is an inventory type module that lists aluminium extrusions, and all relevant
                                                                                                              • Sync Data from MA to CRM

                                                                                                                Currently, it's a one-way sync of data from the CRM to MA. I believe we should have the ability to select fields to sync from MA to the CRM. The lead score is a perfect example of this. In an ideal world we would be able to impact the lead score of a
                                                                                                              • Is it possible to roll up all Contact emails to the Account view?

                                                                                                                Is there a way to track all emails associated with an Account in one single view? Currently, email history is visible when opening an individual Contact record. However, since multiple Contacts are often associated with a single Account, it would be beneficial
                                                                                                              • Update CRM record action

                                                                                                                Currently, MA only offers a "Push Data" action to push data to a CRM module. This action is built to cover the need to both create a new record and update an existing record. Because it has been implemented this way all required fields on the CRM module
                                                                                                              • Notes badge as a quick action in the list view

                                                                                                                Hello all, We are introducing the Notes badge in the list view of all modules as a quick action you can perform for each record, in addition to the existing Activity badge. With this enhancement, users will have quick visibility into the notes associated
                                                                                                              • What's new in Zoho One 2025

                                                                                                                Greetings! We hope you have all had a chance by now to get hands-on with the new features and updates released as part of ZO25. Yes, we understand that you may have questions and feedback. To ensure you gain a comprehensive understanding of these updates,
                                                                                                              • Good news! Calendar in Zoho CRM gets a face lift

                                                                                                                Dear Customers, We are delighted to unveil the revamped calendar UI in Zoho CRM. With a complete visual overhaul aligned with CRM for Everyone, the calendar now offers a more intuitive and flexible scheduling experience. What’s new? Distinguish activities
                                                                                                              • Add deluge function to shorten URLs

                                                                                                                Zoho Social contains a nice feature to shorten URLs using zurl.co. It would be really helpful to have similar functionality in a Deluge call please, either as an inbuilt function or a standard integration. My Creator app sends an email with a personalised
                                                                                                              • Edit default "We are here to help you" text in chat SalesIQ widget

                                                                                                                Does anyone know how this text can be edited? I can't find it anywhere in settings. Thanks!
                                                                                                              • Quick way to add a field in Chat Window

                                                                                                                I want to add Company Field in chat window to lessen the irrelevant users in sending chat and set them in mind that we are dealing with companies. I request that it will be as easy as possible like just ticking it then typing the label then connecting
                                                                                                              • How to create a two way Sync with CRM Contacts Module?

                                                                                                                Newbie creator here (but not to Zoho CRM). I want to create an app that operates on a sub-set of CRM Contacts - only those with a specific tag. I want the app records to mirror the tagged contacts in CRM. I would like it to update when the Creator app
                                                                                                              • Zoho Sheet for Desktop

                                                                                                                Does Zoho plans to develop a Desktop version of Sheet that installs on the computer like was done with Writer?
                                                                                                              • Allow Manual Popup Canvas Size Control

                                                                                                                Hello Zoho PageSense Team, We hope you're doing well. We would like to request an enhancement to the PageSense popup editor regarding popup sizing. Current Limitation: Currently, the size (width and height) of a popup is strictly controlled by the selected
                                                                                                              • Where is the settings option in zoho writer?

                                                                                                                hi, my zoho writer on windows has menu fonts too large. where do i find the settings to change this option? my screen resolution is correct and other apps/softwares in windows have no issues. regards
                                                                                                              • How to set page defaults in zoho writer?

                                                                                                                hi, everytime i open the zoho writer i have to change the default page settings to - A4 from letter, margins to narrow and header and footer to 0. I cannot set this as default as that option is grayed out! so I am unable to click it. I saved the document
                                                                                                              • Develop and publish a Zoho Recruit extension on the marketplace

                                                                                                                Hi, I'd like to develop a new extension for Zoho Recruit. I've started to use Zoho Developers creating a Zoho CRM extension. But when I try to create a new extension here https://sigma.zoho.com/workspace/testtesttestest/apps/new I d'ont see the option of Zoho Recruit (only CRM, Desk, Projects...). I do see extensions for Zoho Recruit in the marketplace. How would I go about to create one if the option is not available in sigma ? Cheers, Rémi.
                                                                                                              • How to import data from PDF into Zoho Sheet

                                                                                                                I am looking to import Consolidated Account Statement (https://www.camsonline.com/Investors/Statements/Consolidated-Account-Statement) into zoho sheet. Any help is appreciated. The pdf is received as attachment in the email, this document is password
                                                                                                              • Zoho Projects Android app: Integration with Microsoft Intune

                                                                                                                Hello everyone! We’re excited to announce that Zoho Projects now integrates with Microsoft Intune, enabling enhanced security and enterprise app management. We have now added support for Microsoft Intune Mobile Application Management (MAM) policies through
                                                                                                              • Cant't update custom field when custom field is external lookup in Zoho Books

                                                                                                                Hello I use that : po = zoho.books.updateRecord("purchaseorders",XXXX,purchaseorder_id,updateCustomFieldseMap,"el_books_connection"); c_f_Map2 = Map(); c_f_Map2.put("label","EL ORDER ID"); c_f_Map2.put("value",el_order_id); c_f_List.add(c_f_Map2); updateCustomFieldseMap
                                                                                                              • Wrapping up 2025 on a high note: CRM Release Highlights of the year

                                                                                                                Dear Customers, 2025 was an eventful year for us at Zoho CRM. We’ve had releases of all sizes and impact, and we are excited to look back, break it down, and rediscover them with you! Before we rewind—we’d like to take a minute and sincerely thank you
                                                                                                              • About Zoneminder (CCTV) and Zoho People

                                                                                                                Hi team I would like to implement a CCTV service for our branches, with the aim of passively detecting both the entry and exit of personnel enrolled in Zoho Peeple, but my question is: It is possible to integrate Zoho People with Zoneminder, I understand
                                                                                                              • Introducing the Zoho Projects Learning Space

                                                                                                                Every product has its learning curve, and sometimes having a guided path makes the learning experience smoother. With that goal, we introduce a dedicated learning space for Zoho Projects, a platform where you can explore lessons, learn at your own pace,
                                                                                                              • Create CRM Deal from Books Quote and Auto Update Deal Stage

                                                                                                                I want to set up an automation where, whenever a Quote is created in Zoho Books, a Deal is automatically created in Zoho CRM with the Quote amount, customer details, and some custom fields from Zoho Books. Additionally, when the Sales Order is converted
                                                                                                              • How to show branch instead of org name on invoice template?

                                                                                                                Not sure why invoices are showing the org name not the branch name? I can insert the branch name using the ${ORGANIZATION.BRANCHNAME} placeholder, but then it isn't bold text anymore. Any other ideas?
                                                                                                              • Admin asked me for Backend Details when I wanted to verify my ZeptoMail Account

                                                                                                                Please provide the backend details where you will be adding the SMTP/API information of ZeptoMail Who knows what this means?
                                                                                                              • Unable to remove the “Automatically Assigned” territory from existing records

                                                                                                                Hello Zoho Community Team, We are currently using Territory Management in Zoho CRM and have encountered an issue with automatically assigned territories on Account records. Once any account is created the territory is assigned automatically, the Automatically
                                                                                                              • Kaizen #223 - File Manager in CRM Widget Using ZRC Methods

                                                                                                                Hello, CRM Wizards! Here is what we are improving this week with Kaizen. we will explore the new ZRC (Zoho Request Client) introduced in Widget SDK v1.5, and learn how to use it to build a Related List Widget that integrates with Zoho WorkDrive. It helps
                                                                                                              • Set connection link name from variable in invokeurl

                                                                                                                Hi, guys. How to set in parameter "connection" a variable, instead of a string. connectionLinkName = manager.get('connectionLinkName').toString(); response = invokeurl [ url :"https://www.googleapis.com/calendar/v3/freeBusy" type :POST parameters:requestParams.toString()
                                                                                                              • Possible to connect Zoho CRM's Sandbox with Zoho Creator's Sandbox?

                                                                                                                We are making some big changes on our CRM so we are testing it out in CRM's Sandbox. We also have a Zoho Creator app that we need to test. Is it possible to connect Zoho CRM's Sandbox to Zoho Creator's Sandbox so that I can perform those tests?
                                                                                                              • I Need Help Verifying Ownership of My Zoho Help Desk on Google Search Console

                                                                                                                I added my Zoho desk portal to Google Search Console, but since i do not have access to the html code of my theme, i could not verify ownership of my portal on Google search console. I want you to help me place the html code given to me from Google search
                                                                                                              • Timeline Tracker

                                                                                                                Hi Team, I am currently using Zoho Creator – Blueprint Workflows, and I would like to know if there is a way to track a timeline of the approval process within a Blueprint. Specifically, I am looking for details such as: Who submitted the record Who clicked
                                                                                                              • Primary / Other Billing Contacts

                                                                                                                If you add an additional contact to a Zoho Billing Customer record, and then mark this new contact as the primary contact, will both the new primary and old primary still receive notifications? Can you stop notifications from going to the additional contacts
                                                                                                              • Missing Import Options

                                                                                                                Hello, do I miss something or is there no space import option inside of this application? In ClickUp, you can import from every common application. We don't want to go through every page and export them one by one. That wastes time. We want to centralize
                                                                                                              • Next Page