Using schedules and workflow functions

Using schedules and workflow functions

Hello Biginners,

In our previous forum post, we explored install and uninstall actions and learned how to trigger custom logic the moment a topping is added or removed from an organization. In this post, we'll look at how to automate actions during regular, everyday use. To achieve this, we'll explore two important features in the Bigin Developer Console: schedules and workflow functions.

Together, schedules and workflow functions allow us to build toppings that respond to record events in real time and monitor conditions over time. To understand how these features work, let's walk through a common requirement in a customer support pipeline.

The challenge: Avoiding communication gaps and idle tickets

In a customer support pipeline, clear communication and timely follow-ups are crucial. A ticket represents a customer request, and delay affects customer trust.

There are two common scenarios that help make managing support tickets smoother for teams:
  1. When a ticket is created, sending an acknowledgment email to the customer and notifying the assigned ticket owner with customized content ensures clear and immediate communication.
  2. After a ticket is assigned, setting up a structured reminder system for tickets that remain idle in the same stage helps prevent them from being overlooked and ensures timely follow-ups.
We can build a topping to handle these scenarios.

Overview of the topping

We'll build a follow-up support automation topping that handles both real-time communication and time-based monitoring.

This topping will include:
  1. A workflow function that is triggered when a ticket is created. It sends an acknowledgement email to the customer saying that their request has been received and also sends a notification to the ticket owner about the new ticket.
  2. A scheduled function that runs 24 hours after a ticket is created. If the ticket remains open beyond 24 hours, the topping sends a reminder email to the ticket owner every 12 hours until the ticket is closed, ensuring timely follow-up.
We can achieve this by building a topping using the features available in the Bigin Developer Console, like workflows, schedules, and functions.

Setting up the topping

A topping needs to be created using the Bigin Developer Center. For detailed instructions on creating a topping, refer to this post for a tutorial.

Once you've created a topping and accessed the Bigin Developer Console, the next step is to create the required service connection.

Since the topping needs to have access to the Bigin pipelines and ticket owner details, you need to create a default service connection for Bigin with the scopes ZohoBigin.modules.Pipelines.ALL and ZohoBigin.org.ALL.

For detailed instructions on creating a default service connection, refer to this post for a tutorial.

After creating the Bigin connection, you can proceed with the first part of the topping implementation, which handles newly created tickets.

Creating a workflow rule for new tickets

To configure the workflow, navigate to the Automate section in the left panel of the Bigin Developer Console and select Workflow. Create a new workflow rule in the Pipelines module.


In the workflow configuration, set the rule to execute based on a Record action and choose Create so that it triggers whenever a new ticket is created. Under conditions, select Pipelines matching certain conditions and define the condition as Pipeline is Customer Support Standard. This ensures that the rule applies only to tickets created in that specific pipeline. Under Instant Actions, you need to associate the workflow with a custom function so that it executes immediately when the workflow is triggered.


This function will fetch the ticket details, send an acknowledgement email to the customer, and notify the assigned ticket owner.

Below is the code for sending the acknowledgment emails when a new ticket is created in the customer support pipeline:

Workflow Function – WorkflowFunction.txt – Please find the attachment with the code for sending emails via workflow


Once saved and activated, the workflow will automatically send the acknowledgement email every time a new ticket is created in the support pipeline.

While workflows react instantly to events, schedules allow us to monitor records over time. In simple terms, workflows respond immediately, and schedules keep watch in the background.

Now, let's handle the second part of the topping use case: monitoring tickets that remain unresolved for too long. For that, we need to create a schedule and associate it with a function.

Let's move into the scheduler implementation.

Creating a schedule for idle tickets

A schedule is a time-based execution mechanism that allows a function to run automatically at defined intervals. Unlike workflows, which react to record actions, schedules operate independently and continuously in the background.

For our use case, we need to monitor tickets after they're created and ensure they aren't left unresolved for long periods. This means the system should periodically check existing records, evaluate their status, and take action if certain conditions are met. Since this requirement is based on time rather than a user-triggered event, a schedule is the best solution.

To implement this, navigate to the Schedules section in the Bigin Developer Console and create a new schedule. Once you provide a name, choose Writing Function for the Function to be executed option.


You'll be redirected to the deluge editor to implement the reminder logic.

In this function, you need to implement the reminder logic that evaluates each ticket and determines whether follow-up action is required. The function should retrieve the necessary ticket details, compare the ticket’s created time with the current time, verify that the ticket isn't already resolved, and then trigger a reminder email to the assigned owner if it's been longer than the set time.

The code below implements the logic for scheduled reminder:

Scheduler Function – SchedulerFunction.txt – Please find the attachment with the code for sending emails via schedule

Once you save the script, you’ll be redirected to the scheduler configuration page.

Here, provide a schedule name and choose an upcoming date and time for the Execution Start Date, since schedules must begin in the future. Under Frequency, select Hourly and configure it to run every 12 hours to match the reminder requirement. In the Ends section, choose Never because we want the schedule to continue running without stopping.


After saving, the scheduler will automatically execute the function at the defined intervals.

At this point, everything for the topping is in place. You can now test and publish it.

Once the topping is published, whenever a new ticket is created in the Customer Support Pipeline, an acknowledgment email will be sent to the customer and a notification email will be sent to the ticket owner.




If the ticket remains in an unresolved stage for more than 24 hours, the scheduled function will trigger and send a reminder email to the ticket owner every 12 hours until the ticket is resolved.


In this post, we explored how to use workflows and schedules together to automate real-time actions and time-based monitoring in a Bigin topping. The workflow sends emails when a ticket is created, and the schedule checks tickets periodically to send reminders if they remain unresolved. This approach helps ensure consistent follow-up without manual monitoring.

Stay tuned for more posts where we'll dive deeper into additional features and best practices for developing powerful toppings in Bigin.

    • Recent Topics

    • How Do Mutliple Sales People Prospect in the "LEADS" module without calling the same leads?

      We have 4 sales reps and the Leads module does not have real time intuitive knowlodge to make the sales rteps dont call the same people at the same time. How can we crate a fluent prospecting sytem where the salres reps can go out bound without calling

    • Keeping track of project expenses

      I have talked to a few support techs and it is very hard for me to believe that Zoho's project accounting software can't keep accounts for my projects. I must not understand what they're saying. We get a contract to build something. So the project revenue

    • Mailbox delegation - A secure way to enable collaboration

      Admins often encounter scenarios where a user needs another team member to access and manage their mailbox during extended leave, role transitions, or while handling high email volumes. In such situations, ensuring business continuity without sharing

    • Canvas View bug

      I would like to report a bug. When clone a canvas view from an existing canvas view, if the original canvas view have canvas button with client script. Then the new create canvas view will have canvas button, it is make sense. But when I try to delete

    • Export blueprint as a high-resolution PDF or image file

      This would be a good feature for organizations that want to share the blueprint process with their employees but don't want them to have access to the blueprint in the system settings. At the moment all that users can do is screenshot the blueprint or

    • Zoho Recruit Community Meetup - London 🇬🇧 (Venue Finalised)

      Hello Recruiters! We’re excited to announce that the Zoho Recruit team is coming to the UK for an in-person Zoho User Group (ZUG) Meetup in London! This is your chance to connect with fellow Zoho users, learn from experts, and walk away with actionable

    • Is Zoho down today?

      I can't do a single thing. I tried changing some views and reports and got "undefined" - then I tried editing a form, got "undefined' - started a new form and can't add any fields as when I drag and drop it also says "undefined." What is going on? HELP.

    • How to create estimates/Invoices with sub-totals

      Every other accounting package can create estimates and invoices with Sub-totals. How can I do that in ZohoBooks?

    • 【参加無料】東京 Zoho ユーザ交流会 NEXUS ー AI エージェント (Zia Agents)の活用事例 / CRMで実現するマーケティング業務効率化

      ユーザーの皆さま、こんにちは。コミュニティチームの藤澤です。 3月27日(金)に東京、新橋で「東京 Zoho ユーザー交流会 NEXUS」を開催します！ ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー ✒️申し込みはこちらから：https://www.zohomeetups.com/tokyo2026vol1#/?affl=communityforumpost2 ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー ★参加のおすすめポイント ✅ AIエージェント（Zia）のリアルに使える実例を知る

    • Python - code studio

      Hi, I see the code studio is "coming soon". We have some files that will require some more complex transformation, is this feature far off? It appears to have been released in Zoho Analytics already

    • 🚀 WorkDrive 6.0 (Phase 1): Empowering Teams with Content Intelligence, Automation, Accessibility, and Control

      Hello, everyone! WorkDrive continues to evolve from a robust file management solution into an intelligent, secure, and connected content collaboration platform for modern businesses. Our goal remains unchanged: to simplify teamwork, strengthen data security,

    • Support Custom Background in Zoho Cliq Video Calls and Meetings

      Hello Zoho Cliq Team, We hope you are doing well. We would like to request an enhancement to the video background capabilities in Zoho Cliq, specifically the ability to upload and use custom backgrounds. Current Limitation At present, Zoho Cliq allows

    • ISO 27001 Compliance

      What are people doing to ensure ISO 27001 compliance for their Zoho environments? It would make sense for Log360 Cloud to integrate natively with the Zoho suite, but that is not the case. It requires a gateway cluster, which is not an option for a fully

    • Zoho People - Retrieve the Leave Details - get("LeaveCount")

      Hi, Zoho People I need to collect all of an employee's leave requests for the calendar year and check how many half-days they have taken. If I run the script on the query he just modified, I can retrieve the information related to that query and use the

    • What's new in Zoho Sheet: Simplify data entry and collaboration

      Hello, Zoho Sheet community! Last year, our team was focused on research and development so we could deliver updates that enhance your spreadsheet experience. This year, we’re excited to deliver those enhancements—but we'll be rolling them out incrementally

    • Marketer's Space: New to Campaigns? Some common early mistakes that might occur

      Hello Marketers, Welcome back to another post in Marketer's Space. If you're just getting started with Zoho Campaigns, things can feel exciting and slightly confusing at the same time. You're not alone. Most early frustrations come from setup gaps rather

    • This user is not allowed to add in Zoho. Please contact support-as@zohocorp.com for further details

      Hello, Just signed up to ZOHO on a friend's recommendation. Got the TXT part (verified my domain), but whenever I try to add ANY user, I get the error: This user is not allowed to add in Zoho. Please contact support-as@zohocorp.com for further details I have emailed as well and writing here as well because when I searched, I saw many people faced the same issue and instead of email, they got a faster response here. My domain is: raisingreaderspk . com Hope this can be resolved.  Thank you

    • Performance issue with too many notebooks or notebooks that are too large?

      I just migrated around 30 folders from Evernote. Most of these folders were created in order that the enex migration files would be < 500mb (requirement by Zoho Notebook). I want to now clean up many of these artificial notebooks mostly by combining them

    • Workflow Rule - Field Updates: Ability to use Placeholders

      It will be great if you can use placeholder tags to update fields. For example if we want to update a custom field with the client name we can use ${CONTACT.CONTACT_FIRSTNAME}${CONTACT.CONTACT_LASTNAME}, etc

    • Need a Universal Search Option in Zohobooks

      Hello Zoho, Need a Universal Search Option in Zohobooks to search across all transactions in our books of accounts. Please do the needful Thanks

    • Implement Date-Time-Based Triggers in Zoho Desk

      Dear Zoho Desk Support Team, We are writing to request a new feature that would allow for the creation of workflows triggered by specific date-time conditions. Currently, Zoho Desk does not provide native support for date-time-based triggers, limiting

    • Why is my Lookup field not being set through Desk's API?

      Hello, I'm having trouble setting a custom field when creating a Ticket in Zoho Desk. The endpoint I'm consulting is "https://desk.zoho.com/api/v1/tickets" and even though my payload has the right format, with a "cf" key dedicated to all custom fields,

    • How exactly does "Reply assistance" work in Zoho Desk? What context is sent to the LLM?

      Hi, Im trying to better understand the technical behavior of the feature "Reply assistance" in Zoho Desk, and I couldn’t find detailed information in the current documentation. Specifically, I have questions about what data is actually being sent to the

    • Deletion Workflows

      Hello, Unless I missed it, we can't create deletion workflows. My usecase is to auto-delete junk leads. We have field called lead status, and an agent qualify all our new leads. When it's a junk lead she chose the correspondant value in the picklist. My goal is that the system delete them automatically. Is that possible? Planed ?

    • URGENTImpossible to book an appointement

      J'essaie plusieurs fois mais aucun créneau n''est disponible Message d'erreur lorsque j'essaie de sélectionner une date

    • Sendpulse SMTP/IMAP Issues

      It’s possible Zoho made some changes on their side. Sometimes, even if your regular password works, Zoho requires an app-specific password for external apps like SendPulse to connect via IMAP. You can create this in Zoho’s security settings and use it

    • Insane mail security

      I cannot access my email... anywhere. For some reason the password for the Mail app on my Mac is being rejected, it worked yesterday but now it doesn't? Ok let's try the web interface. I can access my general Zoho login with the password but if I want

    • Task list flag Internal/External for all phases

      Phases are commonly used in projects to note milestones in the progression of a project, while task lists can be used to group different types of tasks together. It makes sense to be able to define a task list as either internal or external however the

    • HAVING PROBLEM WITH SENDING EMAIL

      Hi all, I'm unable to receive emails on info@germanforgirls.eu. I'm getting an error code 550. 5.1.1. invalid email recipients. Moreso, I would like info@germanforgirls.eu to be the default "send from" email and not solomon@germanforgirls.eu. Kindly see

    • Sharing my portal URL with clients outside the project

      Hi I need help making my project public for anyone to check on my task. I'm a freelance artist and I use trello to keep track on my client's projects however I wanted to do an upgrade. Went on here and so far I'm loving it. However, I'm having an issue sharing my url to those to see progress. They said they needed an account to access my project. How do I fix this? Without them needing an account.

    • Different Task Layouts for Subtasks

      I was wondering how it would be possible for a subtask to have a different task layout to the parent task.

    • Subscription went to default (@zoho.com) address instead for custom domain

      Hello! So I bought a lite sub to test things out, wanting to use my own domain. However, after passing through all the verification steps (completed now), it seems that the sub I bought was assigned to the default email that I already had with Zoho and

    • Canvas templates and font-family

      i dont understant why its always the smallest things that waste all of my time! why in some videos i see they have tamplates in the Canvas editor and i cant seem to fint it? and why oih why cant i cange the font? i just want simple Arial! help meeeeeeeeee

    • Re: Ca.gory groups and not all email addresses being added to a group emails

      Hi, I have added emails under 'Contacts' into categories but when sending a group email and putting the category name in not all email addresses go onto the email. I have refreshed the page, deleted and redone the info etc with no luck. I only found out

    • IMPORTANT

      Dear Zoho Support Team, I am currently experiencing an issue when trying to send emails from my Zoho Mail account. Each time I attempt to send a message, I receive the following error: "Unable to send message; Reason: 554 5.1.8 Email Outgoing Blocked."

    • Able to Send Emails from Zoho but Not Receiving Emails from Gmail

      Hello, I am experiencing an issue with my shopify domain email setup and would appreciate your help. Current situation: I can successfully send emails using Zoho. I can receive emails from some services (for example, Facebook). However, I cannot receive

    • Announcing new features in Trident for Windows (v.1.38.5.0)

      Hello Community! Trident for Windows just received a major update, with a range of capabilities that focuses on strengthening and enhancing communication. Let’s dive into what’s new! View complete technical email details. For those who need deeper visibility

    • Accounting of Amazon

      I have recently started selling on Amazon.in and I am facing issues with different types of transactions: What entry to do in case of return? If I had sent two products and customer returned both the products but I had received only one and got the claim

    • Compose Emails Faster Using Templates and Snippet

      Hello everyone, We have made an enhancement to the Send as Email option in Tickets. Agents can use templates and snippets to draft their response, which helps save time and maintain consistency. The Send as Email page will display the available templates

    • Customize Colors used on graphs and charts according to users desire.

      It would be great if we could customize the graph's colors as we see fit. I hate that yellow is always the default color!

    • Next Page