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

    • Getting error "invalid warehouse_id" when trying to update any transaction in Zoho books

      I got a message from Zoho saying that the Warehouse and Branch has been merged into one category "Locations" Once I migrated to this setup I was no longer able to edit any invoice / create creadit notes - got an error saying "invalid warehouse_id" I never

    • Return "kit_quantity" when fetching Kit items via "List all the items" API call

      I have been appreciating the new Kits feature quite a bit, it is exactly what we were looking for in Zoho to solve many pain points. However, there is 1 problem I am running into and that is the fact there is no stock information that can be pulled for

    • Automating Pricing in Zoho Inventory Based on Brandline Quantity

      I am currently setting up my Zoho Inventory system and would like to implement an automatic pricing feature for sales orders. We have created a custom field called "brandline" for our items. All products with the same brandline value should have the same

    • Tags with Zapier

      Maybe I'm missing something....I hope so... Using tags for triggers is a key need.  This prevents us from having a ton of different lists. I am trying to find out how to add a tag using zapier when someone makes a purchase....but it doesn't seem to be

    • Print & PDF Support for Composite items

      There needs to be a way to print a composite item showing all the components, qty & images.

    • Build custom AI solutions with Catalyst’s QuickML capabilities in CRM

      Hello everyone, We’re thrilled to announce an improvement for our Zoho CRM Enterprise users: the ability to create custom AI solutions using Catalyst’s QuickML directly from Zoho CRM. As you may already know, Zia, Zoho CRM’s AI-powered assistant, offers

    • We cant create a custom function

    • Live webinar: Power-up your business presentations with Show's add-ons

      We all spend a good amount of time building presentations for meetings, reports, and pitches. But even with good content, slides can sometimes feel basic or less engaging. That’s where having the right tools helps. With Zoho Show’s add-ons, you can embed

    • Contractor recruitment

      We mainly supply contract staff, so there is an end point to when they are 'Hired'.  The problem we have is that once we have marked the candidate as 'Hired' there is no way that we can change their status afterwards without 'unhiring' them against the job. We need to be able to hire people for a fixed period of time, after which they would become 'available' again.  How do we go about doing this?

    • Writer very buggy and glitchy after only a few minutes of use... oh my.

      I am finding Writer to be very buggy and glitchy while using it. I've tried it in Firefox, Chrome, Safari... all Mac. Complete words get deleted on backspace (probably a feature, but disconcerting and bad design, esp. if you just want to delete a couple

    • How can I use the API to add a drop-shipping address to a sales order for one-time use?

      I need to be able to add a drop-shipping address for one-time use to a sales order via the API. Adding every such address to the contact (customer), then feeding the shippingaddress_id into the sales order, is not an acceptable approach; we have some

    • Zoho say my domain seems to be already associated with another account

      I created a website on zoho and associated my domain (bompescado.com) on it. You can see the A record and CNAME are working to it. Now I need to associate the same domain as webmail, but when I try it return with: " This domain name seems to be already associated with another account. If you own this domain, please contact us for assistance." Im following the advice and conctacting you to say I've not been associated this domain on zoho before.  What do I need? Well, I need you manually remove it

    • Mass Print Attachments from Selected Records in Custom Module

      Dear Zoho CRM Team, We’d like to request a feature enhancement regarding the handling of attachments. Use Case: We have a custom module that stores invoices uploaded by our affiliates. Currently, we need to open each record individually to print these

    • how to integrate zoho bigin to wordpress website ?

      hello , i want to integrate zoho bigin to wordpress webiste , can anyone help me with the tutorial ?

    • Surely it's time Inline editing from views

      I think the first request I found for in-line editing from grids was approximately 12 years ago - that post was locked because it was suggested Zoho sheetview solved the problem. However, it's now 2024, and in-line editing from grids is just a basic expectation.

    • Issue with POST request creating Calls in CRM

      Hello, I am in the middle of integrating some 3rd party Call center API with Zoho CRM and going through our logs I see some discrepencies. We sometimes get an error: {"data":[{"code":"INVALID_DATA","details":{"api_name":"Call_Duration","json_path":"$.data[0].Call_Duration"},"message":"Please

    • only lastname as index(?) field in custom module

      Hello, I have a small problem. I have created a custom module. The data records are only labeled with the last names. Also in the lookup etc.... It's stupid if you have different first names with the same surname. Then I only ever see the surname. In

    • How to read content out of File (Excel, Zoho Sheet, CSV) and iterate through rows

      Hello, I'd like to be able to iterate through all the rows in a CSV or Excel/Zoho Sheet file to perform actions on them. How is this possible in Flow? Thanks in advance! Best regards, Sven

    • Import CSV file into Zoho CRM using Zoho Flow?

      Is there a way to automate the import of contacts from Zoho Flow to Zoho CRM? I have a csv file on a remote server that I would like to pull off and import/update on a schedule.  I know you can do it with Zapier but I would like to stay within the Zoho

    • TDS Filing

      Is there any option for automatic 26Q and 24Q filing in Zoho books. Even Tally has this option. Why don't Zoho has this ? Is there any customisation available for this ?

    • Sorry to inform you that currently we cannot access the subform fields through writer deluge (zoho.writer.mergeAndSend).

      This is the premium support answer from zoho. It means we cannot merge and send thru deluge related records (sub forms) items... Has anybody suffered from the same ordeal ? DO you have a workaround ? If not can you vote for this feature to be added to

    • Quotes

      Has anyone figured out how to automatically upload a quote that was signed via Zoho Sign and insert it directly to that leads file and push it through the pipeline to proposal signed status?

    • I wan to schedule a meeting report From previous Thursday to this thursday of this week on Every 6 pm want to recive this report in zoho CRM

      I wan to schedule a meeting report From previous Thursday to this thursday of this week on Every 6 pm want to recive this report in zoho CRM. How I Can achive this in Zoho CRM.

    • Importing a contact with a linked product

      Hi, I'm trying to import my contacts from an excel spreadsheet and each of those contacts have fields that relate to products. Is there a way that I can import the contact with their linked product? Some of the contacts in my spreadsheet have multiple

    • CRM - Workflow Rules to be applied and work across modules

      Hello, It seems that you can't use workflow rules in CRM to work across modules, is this correct? I need a customer account status to be changed IF there have been no new deals or new quotes in the last 6 months. I can't see this is possible? I can create

    • Auto assign account owner

      hi, i need to auto assign leads and accounts to an owner by rules. i have created all the territories i need, and all territories have their owner. but when i want to auto assign a new or an existing account to a user by the rules of territories, only

    • How do I enter phone extensions?

      How do I add a phone extension correctly so that when I dial the main number it will pause and dial the extension of the contact I want to talk to Greg

    • How do you make tabs and place certain leads in them?

      I am trying to figure out how to make a tab for my Florida contacts, California contacts and New York contacts. I make a new view named "Florida Leads" but when I click on it, ALL of my leads pop up in the same view... Is there a way to move leads into different categories? Thanks, Wayne

    • Boolean Fields in Mail Merge Displaying as Checkmarks

      I'm really liking the new mail merge functionality. It's replaced the Zoho Sign extension for us. One problem I've seen is that boolean operators (i.e. Checkbox fields) in CRM merge as "True" or "False". This looks a little ugly in my final document —

    • Web to lead form not working

      I am starting to use this Zoho product (3 users for free) to see if it really does what it should prior to making a purchase decision. One of the important parts of the ZOHO CRM is the ability to create a web form that auto generates a lead. We have set

    • Is this a valid email from Zoho or a scam?

      Hi, I received an email advising me to update MX records for Zoho mail. Is it legitimate? Thanks, Nelson. Dear Admin, You may know that your domain (eg, yourcompany.com) has an MX record that points to an email server configured to process email for your domain. We have noticed that some of our customers have used Zoho IP address (instead of DNS server name) in their MX records to specify the mail server. This is NOT recommended practice. Vendors will sometimes change IP addresses for number of valid

    • Search on Postcode criteria not working properly

      Hi there, I used to be able to do an advanced candidate search on 'Postcode starts with' and then enter the first two letters of the UK postcode.  So if I used CH then it would bring back candidates in CH1, CH2, CH3 etc.  This seems to have changed in the last week so that it now only brings back postcodes that exactly match CH only.  I tend to use this search criteria extensively so need a fix for it asap please.

    • Quotes vs Invoices vs Sales Orders

      We have the need to create either quotes, invoices or sales orders for services we provide to clients for our sales team to present to them.  However, we are confused in the purpose of each and which we should choose.  Could someone explain the difference in them? Also, with these, we will have setup costs for our clients and then fixed monthly costs.  For instance, we have services that are one-time services at $997 and then we have others that are monthly only ($250 per month).  In addition, we

    • Tip 14: How to iterate a set of Deluge code a specific number of times.

      Hello folks, As you might already know, recursive functions are used to perform a particular action a specific number of times. We had explained this in detail in our Tip #2. Similarly, there is another way in which you can iterate a set of Deluge code 'n' number of times. All you need to do is to create a List and use the For each index task to iterate it for a specific number of times.    Here are a few use cases where this would be useful to you:  To create 'n' number of duplicate records for

    • Can't set conditional layout rule on lookup field in Zoho CRM

      Namaskaram Zoho CRM team,      Usually any fields of module except mandatory fields can be hide using conditional layout rules.  But that can't be set on lookup fields event that is not a mandatory fields.  Many users are in need of that.   Crafted with

    • Online Calculator

      Created a public shipping volume calculator for my website visitors to use. its pretty cool when you combine the power of zoho sheets and the web experience. I chose zoho because our users dont need to login or created acct like google doc users. this is great because ppl will accept the technology more without resistance. you can see the online calculator here: hxxp://www.dblusa.com/dbl_calculator.php peace! RSA

    • All about Users in Zoho Projects

      To form a functional team, businesses should define different types of users in their team. Businesses can be effectively managed by inviting users to various roles. And, the person who has the administration privileges can invite or add users to various roles in the project. Two types of users Before going into the steps to add users to your portal or project, let's understand the different types of users:  Portal Users - Users who work for the projects in your team.                      ~ Portal

    • Zoho Projects API 100 requests/2 min. Limit

      Hi Requesting clarification on the API documentation. "You can invoke or call an API for 100 times in a span of two minutes. If you invoke more than 100 times, the particular API request will be locked for the next 30 minutes. " Does this limit apply

    • Calendar Connection Enhancement

      Hello everyone, Greetings from the Bookings team. We're here to announce an important Calendar enhancement that will roll out soon. Let's take a look at what's being changed. Improved and more straightforward UI The Calendars UI is undergoing a complete

    • Bookings to CRM - New Events and Contacts

      Hello, I have an issue with appointments taken by clients from a Zoho Bookings page. Previously when an appointment was reserved, if there were no client created in Zoho CRM, it would create it in the CRM through the integration between both platform.

    • Next Page