Extension pointers for integrating Zoho CRM with Zoho products #8: Upload and manage Zoho Workdrive folders and files from within Zoho CRM

Extension pointers for integrating Zoho CRM with Zoho products #8: Upload and manage Zoho Workdrive folders and files from within Zoho CRM

Keeping records on your customers and business prospects is essential for tracking data, conducting follow-ups, and running a business smoothly. When you use two separate applications, and store relevant data in each, checking and tracking data becomes more difficult.
 
Integrating applications that contain customer data is an effective solution for easily synchronizing and managing data across both applications. In this post, we'll look at how to integrate Zoho CRM with Zoho Workdrive in order to synchronize and manage Workdrive files and folders associated with a CRM contact across both applications.
 
Consider the following scenario: You've converted a lead to a contact in Zoho CRM. Now, you must associate files with that contact, such as legal documents or proofs. To do this, you can create a team folder where every team member can access and manage the contact's folders and files. 
 
In order to store contact-specific files, you can create a new folder (within the team folder) for each WorkDrive contact by clicking a button within their CRM record. You can even create a widget for uploading files to the contact's Workdrive folder from within CRM. 
 
Create a connector for Zoho Workdrive and add connector APIs
  • Create a new connector in your Zoho Workdrive extension using the Connectors feature under Utilities in the left-side panel of the Zoho Developer console. 
Note: Zoho Workdrive follows OAuth 2.0 protocols for authentication. You can learn how to register Zoho products and retrieve your client credentials here.
 
                                                
 
The connector details for the above example are as follows:

Request Token URL
https://accounts.zoho.com/oauth/v2/auth?scope=,WorkDrive.users.READ,WorkDrive.files.CREATE,
WorkDrive.teamfolders.CREATE&access_type=offline
Access Token URLhttps://accounts.zoho.com/oauth/v2/token
Refresh Token URLhttps://accounts.zoho.com/oauth/v2/token
Scopes
WorkDrive.users.READ,WorkDrive.files.CREATE,
WorkDrive.teamfolders.CREATE
                                                 
 
The Zoho Workdrive REST APIs we added for our example are as follows:
 
Connector API NameMethod typeURL
Get ZUIDGEThttps://www.zohoapis.com/workdrive/api/v1/users/me
Get all teams of a userGEThttps://www.zohoapis.com/workdrive/api/v1/users/${zuid}/teams
Create team folderPOSThttps://www.zohoapis.com/workdrive/api/v1/teamfolders
Create new folderPOSThttps://www.zohoapis.com/workdrive/api/v1/files
File uploadPOSThttps://www.zohoapis.com/workdrive/api/v1/upload?filename=${file_name}&parent_id=${file_parent_id}&override-name-exist=true
 
Note: You can refer to this post to see the detailed steps involved in creating a connector, adding the connector APIs, and associating them with the extension.
 
Create a settings widget to build team folder and assign them to Workdrive teams 
  • Create a settings widget to select a team to manage a contact's folders and files.
  • We'll also create a CRM variable called "Team Folder ID" to store the assigned team's ID information for future operations.


Settings widget.js code snippet
Util={};
var teamidvalue;
 
   //Subscribe to the EmbeddedApp onPageLoad event before initializing the widget 
   ZOHO.embeddedApp.on("PageLoad",function(data)
  {
var data =  {
    }
 
//Invoking the 'Get ZUID' API to retrieve the user's ZUID
ZOHO.CRM.CONNECTOR.invokeAPI("xxx.workdrive.getzuid",data)
.then(function(dataa){
    console.log(dataa);
    response = dataa.response
    responsejson=JSON.parse(response);
    zuiddata=responsejson.data;
    zuid=zuiddata.id;
 
    var data =  {
          "zuid" : zuid
    }
//Invoking the 'Get all teams of a user' API to fetch all the teams of a user
ZOHO.CRM.CONNECTOR.invokeAPI("xxx.workdrive.getallteamsofauser",data)
.then(function(dataa){
    console.log(dataa);
    response = dataa.response;
    responsejson=JSON.parse(response);
    teamdata=responsejson.data;
 
  for (i = 0; i < teamdata.length; i++) 
    {
 
      teamid=teamdata[i].id;
      attributes=teamdata[i].attributes;
      teamname=attributes.name;
      var teamlist = document.getElementById("teamlist");
      var option = document.createElement("OPTION");
      option.innerHTML = teamname;
      option.value = teamid;
      teamlist.appendChild(option);
    }
    })
})  
})
    Util.getvalues=function()
    {
//Retrieving the value chosen in the teamlist
      teamidvalue=document.getElementById("teamlist").value;
/*Constructing data and passing to 'Create team folder' API to create a team folder called "CRM Contacts test"*/
var data =  {
 
          "extension_team_folder_name" : "CRM Contacts test",
          "parent_id":teamidvalue
    }
ZOHO.CRM.CONNECTOR.invokeAPI("xxx.workdrive.createteamfolder",data)
.then(function(dataa){
    console.log(dataa);
    response = dataa.response;
    responsejson=JSON.parse(response);
    teamfolderdata=responsejson.data;
    teamfolderid=teamfolderdata.id;
 
//Set the ID of the team selected in the teamlist to the "Team Folder ID" CRM variable
          var variableMap = { "apiname": "xxx__Team_Folder_ID", "value": teamfolderid};
ZOHO.CRM.CONNECTOR.invokeAPI("crm.set", variableMap);
 
ZOHO.CRM.API.getOrgVariable("xxx__Team_Folder_ID").then(function(data){
  console.log(data);
});
});
    }

 
Create a button in the Contacts module to make a new Workdrive folder for a contact
  • Create a button called "Create a new workdrive Folder" using the Links & Buttons feature available in the Components section of the Zoho Developer console. Then, write a function to perform the desired action.
  • For our use case, since we're creating a new folder specific to a contact inside a WorkDrive team folder, we'll create the folder with the Full Name of the Zoho CRM contact.
  • We'll also create a custom field in the Contacts module called "Folder ID" to store the ID of the new Workdrive folder to perform future operations.
Create a new Workdrive folder: Function code snippet

//Fetching the current contact details and retrieving the Full Name and custom field folder ID of the contact
response = zoho.crm.getRecordById("Contacts",contact.get("Contacts.ID").toLong());
Fullname = response.get("Full_Name");
contactfolderid = response.get("xxx__Folder_ID");
if(contactfolderid == null)
{
/*Invoking the 'Create new folder' API to get create a folder in Workdrive for the Zoho CRM contact with the name as their Full Name*/
parentfolderid = zoho.crm.getOrgVariable("xxx__Team_Folder_ID");
dynamic_map = Map();
dynamic_map.put("name",Fullname);
dynamic_map.put("folder_parent_id",parentfolderid);
 
newfolderresp = zoho.crm.invokeConnector("xxx.workdrive.createnewfolder",dynamic_map);
newfolderresponse = newfolderresp.get("response");
newfolderdata = newfolderresponse.get("data");
newfolderid = newfolderdata.get("id");
contactinfo = {"xxx__Folder_ID":newfolderid};
/* Updating the 'Folder ID' custom field in contact's record with the new folder ID obtained from the response*/
folderresponse=zoho.crm.updateRecord("Contacts",contact.get("Contacts.ID").toLong(),contactinfo);
 
return "A new workdrive folder has been created with the ID - " + newfolderid;
}
else
{
return "Folder already present for contact in Workdrive";
}
  • The above code snippet fetches the record details for the current contact to retrieve the customer's Full Name. 
  • The Workdrive parent folder ID (set using the settings widget), where the new folder for the contact will be created, is then retrieved using the getOrgVariable deluge task . 
  • The parent folder ID and the contact's Full Name are delivered to the Create new workdrive folder API to create a new folder for the contact in Workdrive.
  • The ID of the new folder is then updated in the "Folder ID" custom field using updateRecord task. 
Create a button in the Contacts module to upload files to a contact's Workdrive folder and associate it with a widget
  • Create a button called "Upload file to Workdrive" using the Links & Buttons feature available in the Components section of the Zoho Developer console, then associate a widget to perform the desired action.
Upload file to workdrive - widget.html - Please find the attachment for the widget html code.
  • The code snippet fetches the record details of the current contact, from which the custom field 'Folder ID' value is retrieved. 
  • The input file selected is also checked for its file type and name.
  • The Folder ID and the file name are then constructed and passed as parameters to invoke the 'Upload File to Workdrive' API.
Sample output
  • After installing the extension, authorize the Zoho Workdrive connector.
  • Go to Settings on the extension configuration page.
  • Choose a team to manage the contact's folders and files. Click Save.
                                    
  • A new team folder, CRM Contacts test, is created in Zoho Workdrive for the chosen team.                                    
  • Go to the Contacts module. Click on the Create a new workdrive folder button on the record's view page.                                     
  • A new folder is created in workdrive with the name of your contact.                          
  • Once the folder is created, the custom field, Folder ID is also automatically updated with the new folder ID value.                         
  • Now, click on the Upload file to Workdrive button on the record's view page.                    
 
  • The widget appears. Choose a file and click the Upload file to Workdrive button. The file will be uploaded to Workdrive.
                                     
Using this method, you can integrate Zoho CRM with Zoho Workdrive through an extension to perform necessaryfunctionalities for your business. We hope you find this information helpful! 
 
In our next post, we will show you how to track, view, and access these Workdrive files within Zoho CRM. Keep following this space for more advice!


SEE ALSO


    • Recent Topics

    • TrueSync regularly filling up my local disk

      Seems that WorkDrive's TrueSync randomly starts filling up my local hard drive space. None of the folders have been set as "Make Offline" but still it seems to randomly start making file offline. The settings of the app is so minimal and is of no real

    • Check out in Meetings

      Why there is no check out in Meetings of Zoho CRM, very difficult to track

    • Issue with Zoho Projet

      Zoho Project on all the cellphones of my customer is crashing. He has mixed brands (Samsung and Pixel). Everything is fine on website and mobile website. Could not reproduce the issue in workshop using Samsung/Pixel/iPhone Uninstallation of Zoho Project

    • SecurePass email English language issue -- please hire someone to correct the English language issues sprinkled throughout your interface

      I wrote previously about some incorrect English in your SecurePass offering. After about six months it was corrected. I have never revoked permission before today and just discovered another language mistake that was not corrected. When you revoke a SecurePass

    • Published Components

      @zoho team, Checking if we can add a password for the public links as we have non-licensed users

    • Zoho Creator customer portal users

      Hi, I'm in a Zoho One subscription with our company. I'm running a project now that involves creating a Zoho Creater application and using the Zoho Creator Customer Portal.  At most we need 25 customer portal users. In our Zoho One plan we only get 3

    • Please Enable Snippets for Agents Adding Comments

      Snippets and templates are currently enabled for agents when they use the reply functionality. There is currently no way to add a template or snippets when an agent comments. This is really weird. Our agents don't use the reply functionality, only the

    • Tip of the Week - Extracting Data from JSON Columns

      Let's say you are importing a CSV or Excel file into Zoho Analytics. What if the file contains a few columns in JSON format? This is where Zoho DataPrep, embedded right within Zoho Analytics, comes in handy. This week's tip explains how to extract data

    • Deluge UI Updates

      Are there any updates planned for the Deluge UI in Zoho Desk? It feels quite dated and lack-lustre after you've spent some time in the CRM Deluge UI.

    • Zia Agents - Follow Ups

      It would be nice to have Zia Agents do follow ups. A lot of times agents are trying to schedule things with users and they say "can we set your printer up tomorrow?" and the user never says anything. A way to have a personalized reminder to the user automatically

    • Hide Agents name in Ticket Responses in "My Area"

      We were able to hide the agents name in the emails, however, the customer is able to see which agent has responded to a ticket in the thread of emails by going into their Help Center thread. Is there any way we can hide that information?

    • Option to Automatically Update Extensions

      Hello Zoho Desk Team, We recently received an email notifying us about an extension update that must be done manually. We’d like to request a feature that allows extensions to be updated automatically without requiring manual intervention. This would

    • Embed Report with Auto Height

      Hello Developers, When we embed report within Page, we are getting one awesome feature to adjust the report height. "Auto" and "Custom' height. This "Auto" option works well when we have no records. But I want to embed report based on some conditions

    • Zoho Payroll: Product Updates - August 2025

      This month’s updates to Zoho Payroll bring enhanced efficiency and smarter features, simplifying payroll management for users in India, UAE, KSA, and US. Read on to explore how these updates can streamline your workflow. Filter Pay Runs by Type (India,

    • Numerical Rating for Interviewer Assessments

      Introducing Numerical Rating, a powerful new addition to interviewer assessments that brings precision and flexibility to candidate evaluations. ✅ What is Numerical Rating? Numerical Rating lets interviewers assign a score for each question in the assessment,

    • User Tips: Adding Multiple Products (Package) to a Quote v2.0 (with Client Script)

      This solution is an improvement on the original idea which used deluge. My solution was posted in the comments are: https://help.zoho.com/portal/en/community/topic/adding-multiple-products-package-to-a-quote The updated version uses client script instead

    • Are downloadable product available in Zoho Commerce

      Hi all. We're considering switching to Zoho Commerce for our shop, but we sell software and remote services. Is there a features for downloadable products? I can't find any information about this. Thank you very much Alice

    • Need Faster Help? Try Live Chat Support

      Hello there, We understand that sometimes, whether you’re facing an issue, exploring a feature, or need quick clarification, sending an email and waiting for a response just doesn’t cut it. You need answers, and you need them now. That’s exactly why we

    • Custom image for each contact using merge tag

      Hi, I'm wondering if it's possible to set up an email campaign to display a different image for each contact using a custom field for the image url. I tried inserting custom html: <img src='$[UD:APP_IMAGE_URL||]$'/> but the editor seemed to reject this and did not actually add anything to the email template. Has anyone got any ideas? cheers, Jeremy

    • Comment Reactions like a Thumbs Up

      Can we please have the ability to emoji react on comments or at the very least, thumbs a comment up? Literally every other project management system out there can support this and it is very much needed to just acknowledge a comment instead of completely

    • Zoho Mail Search Engine Sucks

      Hello There! I really like all the features of Zoho Mail and I believe is way better than Gmail except for the Search Function. I believe Zoho Mail has a very poor search function, if you misspelled a word in the search box, Zoho Mail won't display any

    • Allow Subtasks and Task Lists to have their own Layout

      I'd like to have the ability for subtasks and task lists to have their own layout.  A subtask for us doesn't require all the fields that a parent task has.  The subtask seems cluttered with all the extra fields. Within a project Task List had different purposes.  I'd like the task layout to be different for some task lists.

    • How to update Customers in Zoho Books through Zoho Flow?

      Updating customers in Zoho Flow using a "update customer" action is deleting contact persons in Zoho Books.

    • Conect chat of salesiq with zoho cliq

      Is there any way to answer from zoho cliq  the chat of salesiq initiated by customers?

    • How to transfer credit between customers?

      Hi All, We have a slightly odd situation. It happens that we have two separate customers that are related to each other personally. One customer has an amount of credit, and would like to use that credit to pay the *other* customers invoice. How would

    • Zoho Books Reports: Basic report with total items sold and Cost of goods sold

      How can books show a report with Item Name || Qty Sold || Total Revenue || Total Cost of Goods Sold || Margin I need to factor in also invoices that have been credited where customers returned good. This seems like such a basic report, I'm sure I'm missing

    • The amount entered is more than the balance due for the selected bills."

      Hi Team i am trying to record payments for vendors using API and getting this error in response as { "code": 28011, "message": "The amount entered is more than the balance due for the selected bills." } JSON is prepared according to Documentation and

    • VBA handling named ranges

      In VBA I'm able to work with a single cell named range. E.g. Set Jr = Range ("Year").Value. Also other options are working fine, like Range("Year").Address shows $L$3. However a named range refering to multiple cells is not working for me. Eg. tbl_Test

    • Kaizen #176 - Optimizing the Use of Record ID Variables in Zoho CRM Queries

      Hello everyone! Welcome to another week of Kaizen! Since the release of Queries, we have covered Handling Query Variables in Zoho CRM, Serialization and Schema Management, and Leveraging the 'crmAPIResponse' object in Queries in previous posts. Today,

    • Unbilled Items Report?

      Hello! Is there any way to display a list of items that remain unbilled, without creating an invoice for each customer to see if the unbilled items box is displayed? ;-) Ben

    • Consolidation of Multi currency

      Would like to discuss on the possibility of consolidating the ZOHO companies

    • Landed Cost Allocation / Custom Duty manual data entry

      My client is an import business. They must manually enter the duty for each item with landed cost allocation in Bill. This is because customs duties cannot be allocated based on Quantity, Value, Weight, and Dimensions. Manual data entry is highly time-consuming

    • Territories Just Don't Work

      I have been on chat and screenshare support for the past 3 days and am getting no resolution so hopefully, someone here can help me. I am the Super Admin of my organization. We publish books globally. I want to break down the books into territories so

    • Negative Opening Balance

      How can I add Negative Opening balance - meaning a credit balance to a Customer or a debit balance to a vendor? If I go thru Sales-->Customers, and if the opening balance is Rs. 1000 (credit balance), it does not allow me to enter a "minus" sign or mention

    • Single-Line Invoicing from Sales Order Despite Multiple SKUs Shipped

      We deal mostly with Government Tenders And Lets say we got a tender that needs 125 XYZ Laptops Then we found 95 Laptops with a different SKUs and 30 Laptops with different SKUs We talk with the IT department of the government company and they approve

    • 📣📣 Zoho Bookings Schedulathon 2025 is here!

      Hey Zoho Bookings fam, We're excited to invite you to our first-ever hackathon: Yes, Zoho Bookings Schedulathon 2025 is live now. This is a virtual event and you can participate anywhere from the world. Businesses should be able to set up meetings from

    • I want to send out a new newsletter each month

      Without rebuilding a whole journey is there a way to create a new newsletter that is sent to an existing journey monthly?

    • Reinstalling Workdrive Truesync client

      Hi, I attempted to update to the beta version of TrueSync, but it was unstable and kept crashing, so I need to revert to the stable version. How do I properly reinstall TrueSync on a Windows PC? I couldn't install the 3.15.x version directly over the

    • Evaluating Creator; yesterday fine; today connection times out

      Yesterday I spent hours creating a new app, and it worked fine. Today I cannot access creator.zoho.com. Is this common? I'm in the evaluation mode, but I'm thinking I'm going to keep looking. It worked from my home computer, and now I'm checking it from my work computer. My work computer always works just fine, so I shouldn't htink there would be special settings or anything. If there are, how to find out what they could be? Using Chrome on Windows XP The error I get is: The webpage at https://creator.zoho.com

    • Pivot Chart seems to show "old" data - how do I make it update?

      I wonder how to make a Pivot Chart "update" its data contents. Here is the background: I need to report a subset of data that is so complicated that it is easier to make a calculation and put the result in a "reporting form", and then display the data from that form.  So, I get data from the "original form" GRANTS, make some calculations and put the result in the "reporting form" PERIOD.  Now I can watch the result in a list called LIST, which works fine. The list LIST shows that form PERIOD contains

    • Next Page