Title: Creating custom connections for extensions | Community | Zoho Finance

Title: Creating custom connections for extensions | Community | Zoho Finance

In our previous post, we discussed the significance of connections, identified their types, developed a predefined connection, and demonstrated how it can be integrated with Zoho Books using an example. In this post, we'll walk through the process of creating a custom connection using an example.

Custom connections facilitate the integration of applications with Zoho Books by aiding in configuring the required application's connection manually by providing application-specific details. Let's go over the steps involved in configuring custom connections in detail using a use case scenario.

Use case

Let's say an organization uses Zoho Books to manage its financial operations. To improve sales for the organization, one must contact and communicate with multiple clients, as well as check in with vendors on a regular basis to remain up to date on new products on the market, take demos, and assess whether the products need to be brought into the organization.

In these cases, it is best to schedule appointments with clients and vendors in order to conduct business in an organized manner. This can be easily performed by integrating an appointment scheduling software so appointments can be scheduled with a click.

For our demo purpose, let's consider Zoho Bookings as the appointment scheduling software. Since it is not available under the default list of services in predefined connections, let's create a custom connection to achieve this.

Steps to create a custom connection
  • Go to Sigma and access your workspace.
  • Enter the developer portal of the Zoho Books extension you're creating a connection for.
  • Navigate to the Build section and click Connections.
   
  • Click New Connection to create a new connection.
NotesNote: Alternatively, you can use the View All option under a connection type to see all the services under that particular connection type and begin creating connections.
     
  • Choose Custom Services and click Create Service.
   
  • Provide the details of the service.
➤ Enter a name for the service, and the service link name will be immediately filled in.
➤ Choose the authentication type that corresponds to the authentication mechanism supported by the service for which you are building the connection. These details will be available as part of the service's API documentation. For our example, we'll use OAuth2, because Zoho Bookings supports it as an authentication mechanism.         
  
➤ The remaining fields to be configured for the service differ based on the authentication type used. In our case, the parameter type is Header, and the grant type is Authorization Code.
   
➤ Please refer to the table below for the values that need to be configured in the remaining fields.
Note: Register the service in the Zoho Developer API console to get the client credentials.
  • Finally, click the Create Service button.
  
  • The service is created successfully. Click Create Connection to create a connection for this service.
  • Provide the connection details, select the scope, and click Create and Connect.
 
  • Proceed with the flow to accept the scopes and authorize the connection.
 

The connection is now authorized, and you'll be directed to the connection details page. This page will also contain sample code in both Deluge and JSON formats that can be used to utilize this connection as part of your extension components. Depending on which component you want to invoke the connection in, you can use the appropriate sample code format.

Additionally, a predefined connection for Zoho Books is created to perform operations on Zoho Books data to implement our use case. Get more information on predefined connections in our previous post.

Now, in accordance with our use case, let's create a custom button that includes this connection to schedule appointments (in Zoho Bookings) with clients and vendors using Zoho Bookings with a single click (from Zoho Books).
We require two custom fields for our logic, one for setting the meeting start time with the client or vendor, and the other to display the Bookings appointment calendar link once the meeting is scheduled.
  • Create custom fields for the Customers and Vendors module by selecting Preferences > Customers and Vendors > Field Customization > New Custom Field.
 
  • Next, create a custom button and include the logic to schedule an appointment.
  • Create a custom button for the Customers and Vendors module by selecting Preferences > Customers and Vendors > Custom Buttons > New.
InfoBook meeting custom button function Deluge code - Please find code snippet as an attachment in the post
  • In the above code, the Get Contacts API of Zoho Books is invoked through the InvokeURL method using the predefined connection to get the contact/customer details for whom the appointment has to be scheduled in Zoho Bookings. Refer to this post to get complete details on the parameters required to call the InvokeURL method.
  • From the API response, the required details are fetched from which the start time (custom field data) is formatted to the way required by the Zoho Bookings API.
  • Next, the Zoho Bookings API to get the service ID and staff ID are invoked consecutively through the InvokeURL method using the custom connection created.
  • The Book appointment API is used to schedule the appointment using the service ID, the staff ID obtained from the Zoho Bookings API, and customer details obtained previously via the Zoho Books API.
  • Finally, using the update contact Zoho Books API, the Zoho Bookings calendar URL is updated in the custom field created to display the calendar booking URL.
We've now completed the extension setup for our use case.

After testing and publishing the extension, as per our use case, you can book a meeting for a Zoho Books customer through Zoho Bookings and have your Zoho Bookings calendar reflected inside Zoho Books as well.

z
This is an example demonstration of the benefits of using a custom connection in a Zoho Books extension. This is a versatile use case that may even be used to schedule an internal meeting with your Zoho Books teammates who are working on a project. Similarly, this use case can be enhanced and implemented based on your needs.

We hope you found this information useful. Keep following us for more tips.

SEE ALSO

    • Recent Topics

    • Add a Way to Duplicate Cards in the Same Canvas (Retain All Settings)

      Dear Zoho SalesIQ Team, We would like to request a new feature in Zoho SalesIQ: the ability to duplicate an existing card within the same canvas while retaining all of its information and settings, including conditions, configurations, and display preferences.

    • Sales IQ needs to capture both first and last names

      Sales IQ chat only has one field for name. When this then syncs with Campaigns, the field populates the "last name" field in Campaigns. However most people fill in the "name" field of Sales IQ with either their full name or their Christian name. This

    • Multi-Card Selection and Cross-Zobot Copy-Paste Functionality

      Dear Zoho SalesIQ Team, We’d like to suggest a productivity-enhancing feature for the Zobot builder in Zoho SalesIQ: the ability to select multiple cards (modules) at once using a selection area, and then copy-paste them either within the same canvas

    • Personal Link / Meeting ID

      with zoho meetings do I have my own personal link to my 'meeting space' ? I have an email template in Zoho CRM which confirms people's appointment with me, I would like to include the link to my Zoho Meetings so that they have it in advance. How do I

    • Ability to Initiate WhatsApp Template Messages in Zoho SalesIQ Without Preexisting Chat

      Hi Zoho SalesIQ Team, I hope you're doing well. I understand that with the WhatsApp integration in SalesIQ, clients can contact us via WhatsApp, and we can use WhatsApp templates to send messages outside of the 24-hour window by reopening an existing

    • Related Lists filter

      I have Contacts showing in our Accounts module. I customized the Contacts module with an Employment Status field, with the following picklist options: "Primary Contact", "Secondary Contact", "Active Staff(not a main contact)", and "No longer employed".

    • Adding Overlays to Live Stream

      Hello folks, The company I work for will host an online event through Zoho Webinar. I want to add an overlay (an image) at the bottom of the screen with all the sponsors' logos. Is it possible to add an image as an overlay during the live stream? If so,

    • Making money out of Zoho Sheets - How?

      Hello, Suppose I come up with a brilliant Zoho Sheet that I want to sell to other people, can I do this? How? Thanks.

    • How Do I Refund a Customer Directly to Their Credit Card?

      Hi, I use books to auto-charge my customers credit card. But when I create a credit note there doesn't seem to be a way to directly refund the amount back to their credit card. Is the only way to refund a credit note by doing it "offline" - or manually-

    • Mobile Display Issues on Zoho Sites After Recent Update

      Hello! I’m currently facing an issue with my Zoho website that I created for my small business. After the recent updates, I’ve noticed that my site is not displaying correctly on mobile devices. Specifically, the layout appears distorted, and some elements

    • Can i set per-client hourly rate in Zoho Desk and not to correct the calculation on invoice?

      We use Zoho Desk to run one ticket per client per month. All time entries go to the ticket, we have to enter hourly rate manually and then correct it when we do the invoicing at the end of the month. So, our workflow is as following: I worked for 30 minutes,

    • Unable to add Agents

      I am trying to add agents to my account. While filling the details and sending invitation, the system mentions that invitation is sent. But no email is received on the user side. I have tried this multiple times and have also checked Spam and other

    • How to add new widgets?

      Searched and searched and cannot find anywhere. Why is everything so hidden in zoho! Why is there not a button right here that allows me to create a new one, why is it buried somewhere else! Zoho's UI is so infuriating

    • Submit Ticket from Custom Form on Website

      Hi I would like to create new tickets from our custom form on our website including some custom fields like serial number. I would prefer PHP to create the ticket. I know there is the Zoho webform but we would like to create our own. I have now read into the API and with AuthToken this would work with PHP but it is deprecated  and will not be supported any more in the future, so this not an option. OauthToken on the other hand needs an interaction from the ticket creator (customer) which we would

    • Customising Sign Up Page in Zoho Help Centre Sandbox

      Hi, I would like to customise the Sign Up page in my Help Centre Sandbox Environment but when I try to access it I get this message: What setting or permission do I need to achieve this? Many thanks, Kunal

    • Sort data in Pivot Table

      Is it possible to sort by a data field. I can gruop and filter, but I culdn't find how to sort the results. Tank You.

    • How to interact webhooks with Creator?

      How can I interact webhooks from external websites with Zoho Creator?  I'd like to get notifications from external websites (Stripe, Zoho Subscription, etc.) These notifications are coming as HTTP POST request from those servers, on maybe daily, monthly or based on any events.  How should I prepare my app in creator to receive these requests? Where and how to should I program in Deluge if I'd like to add some part of the JSON/XML data to my form?  Thank you BR, Balazs

    • No Experiment Visitors

      I have an experiment running for five days. PageSense web analytics data shows the page is getting visitors, but the experiment data itself says zero visitors. I am in trial mode, not sure if that's related. A week ago, I contacted support through chat

    • How do I get at the data in "Partially Saved Entries"?

      Hi, Zoho Newbie here - I'm helping to support an existing Zoho installation, so this is all a bit new to me. I have to say, I'm liking what I've seen so far! We've just spotted that we have a number of respondents to our forms who don't end up submitting

    • SOLVED: Stopping Multiple Invitations when sync with Google Calendar

      I wanted to share this solution as I wasn't able to find it when searching through the Zoho community and via web search. The issue: When requestor books a meeting through Zoho Bookings, the requestor receives a confirmation email from both Bookings and

    • Help Needed with Creating Close % Reporting

      Now that our company has a good data set to work with we want to use ZCRM reports ways to track the performance metrics we have established. Specifically, I want to be able to calculate closing % for individual salespeople and individual support people.

    • Restricting Calendar View to Working Hours

      Hi: I'm trying to implement a calendar which displays all of my customer appointments.  Currently, the calendar shows all 24 hours of the day.  Is there a way to restrict the hours to simply the times my business is open? Thanks!

    • Static Prefill URLs Functionality in the App

      Hi, It would be great to be able to use the same functionality within the App, so create the Static Prefill URL as today and be able to use online as today, and then have an area within the App showing these Entries that can be pressed and opens the form

    • Outbound Gateway

      Hi, Is it possible to configure the Outbound Gateway to route external domains only and keep inter-domain emails locally delivered? When one of my users sends an email to another user within our own domain, I want user1@mydomain.com to user2@mydomain.com not to exit. However, if anyone within our domain sends to an external address, I want that email to be routed using the Outbound Gateway. Thanks. P.

    • 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

    • Delivery Note Delivered item must be reduce in inventory stock

      When I create any Delivery note with product like mobile In our stock if it was 10 Unit I sold thru invoice, 4 unit And thru Delivery note, 2 Unit and I also change Delivery note status as delivered So in my stock it should display remaining 4 unit But write now it display 6 unit only. Please help me for that Because when I creating new invoice it display 6 unit in stock but actually in my physical stock its only 4. So I miss guide with stock display

    • Adding bills from docs *** Internal Error ***

      Same internal errors in Chrome & Edge !

    • Response time when adding customers to the database is increasing over time.

      Response time when adding customers to the ZoHo books database is increasing over time. The response time to retrieve a newly added customer is now 1.5 to 2 minutes. The database has approximately 2,000 customers. I think you need to reorganise the

    • Excluded transactions in Banking

      Why are the payees not checked when 2 payments are for the same amount to avoid exclusion? If there are 2 ( or more ) payment amounts which are the same then they are automatically excluded, this should not happen unless the payee names are the same

    • Introducing Zia AI in Zoho Show

      AI is no longer a distant concept. It’s one of our everyday tools, from answering casual questions to generating critical business documents. And presentations are one area where AI can be especially helpful. At Zoho Show, we’ve been deliberate in how

    • Plug Sample #10 - Simplify Ticket Management (Zoho Desk) with Chatbots

      Hi everyone! We're here with another simple yet effective plug for your chatbot to integrate with Zoho Desk. When a customer reports an issue/request during chat, it's logged as a ticket on Desk. When they return for updates, you end up searching through

    • Trigger a field rule when Choice Availability reaches 0

      First of all, thanks for shipping the new Choice Availability counter. It solves the basic “stop over-booking” problem. What’s missing, though, is a way to react when an option is sold out. Right now we can only disable/hide the choice; we can’t fire

    • Unattended Access on Android without Play Store

      I'm testing Zoho Assist for remote config and maintenance of our IoT devices. The devices are running Android 8.1 and do NOT have Google Play Store installed, nor can it be installed. I've been able to install Zoho Assist on the devices and load the enrollment

    • Zoho People > Performance Management > Appraisal cycle

      Hello All I am using this 2 users to test out how it work on Performance Management User 1 - Reportee User 2 - Reporting Manager : Li Ting Haley User 1 : Self Appraisal Error How do i fix this error?

    • What's New - June 2025 | Zoho Backstage

      Plans change. People cancel. Tickets get handed off. It happens, and we understand. As an organizer, you need tools that offer flexibility for attendees while protecting your event’s integrity. That’s why we’ve built features to help you manage these

    • Include Article Sync Details in SalesIQ–Desk Integration Notification Email

      Dear Zoho SalesIQ Team, Greetings, We are using the integration between Zoho SalesIQ and Zoho Desk to sync articles from the Zoho Desk Knowledge Base into SalesIQ. As part of this integration, we receive the following email notification: "Your scheduled

    • Naming a Visitor in SalesIQ Messes up First and Last Name

      When I go to Visitor History to manually associate a visitor with a known contact, I press the pencil symbol next to the system-generated ID number. I enter first and last name, then email. Looks good so far. However, when it syncs with CRM, first name

    • Partial Sync

      Hi, got an issue with syncing cards across windows app, web app and iphone app. If I create a card and add some text content then everything syncs across all platforms ok. If I create a card and add an attachment, be it pdf, jpg or movie then the card

    • Related activity records for custom modules

      For default modules in CRM, whenever I create a task for a contact, the task also appears in the record for the parent account. How do I replicate this with custom modules? My specific situation is that I have a custom module as a child module to Accounts.

    • Why Do My Portal Users Can't See Any Data in Reports

      In My zoho crm i have created a button automation which basically is it converts a quote into invoice and sales order , so initially when a person who is my app user submits a quotation form it goes into quote module and record is created and in each

    • Next Page