Introducing the all-new email parser!

Introducing the all-new email parser!

Greetings,
 
We are pleased to introduce to you, a brand-new, upgraded version of the Zoho CRM Email Parser, which is packed with fresh features and has been completely redesigned to meet latest customers needs and their business requirements.
 
On that note, the Old Email Parser will reach end-of-life on June 1, 2023. After EOL, old email parser will not be available in your CRM account. In the spirit of preparing for this deprecation, we encourage all of you to try the all-new email parser at the earliest. In this post, we will discuss key pointers on the following:
— the improvements made in the New Email Parser
— how to prepare for deprecation of the Old Email Parser

What is the email parser?

Email parser is a data extraction tool in Zoho CRM that helps an organization in various business functions such as lead generation and information updates. It is designed to automate the process of adding records to Zoho CRM by extracting information from incoming emails.
Now, let's have a detailed look at the functionalities that we have brought with this enhancement. 

Enhancements in the New Email Parser

The following are the enhancements you can now see when you switch to the latest version of the email parser:

1. Single parser email ID for all parser rules  

Previously, for each parser rule there was a different parser address. It was often tedious to assign and keep track of a new parser ID for each individual vendors. The logistics involved in tracking and maintaining these parser IDs was itself often time-consuming. However, in the new version of the email parser, there's only a single, common parser email ID for all rules, meaning that regardless of how many vendors you're working with or how many rules you create, you can use one parser ID for all. This makes working with the email parser much easier and cuts down your setup and maintenance time significantly.


Also, a maximum of five approved parser addresses can be set up in common for all rules early on during the configuration.

2. A more powerful and intuitive configuration interface  

In the latest version of email parser, the entire configuration interface allows free parsing and is highly intuitive, powerful, and, most importantly, user-friendly—unlike the previous version, which demanded rigid adherence to delimiters. 


The email parser interface automatically gives you a preview of the parsed data on the same screen where the field mapping occurs, so it's easier to get a snapshot of all the fields that are being parsed.

There's also an advanced configuration tab which involves options for filtering emails applicable to the parser based on criteria and associating automated actions, such as sending for approval, updating fields, and assigning records to certain users based on assignment rules.

You can also parse HTML emails directly, as opposed to converting them to plain text emails first—which was necessary for the old parser. You can also create email parser rules for each layout in a module.

3. Custom functions: Configure the email parser without associating a module

The new email parser now supports the execution of custom functions based on parsed data. In this case, the parser rule is not associated with a particular module. Using custom functions helps you with extensibility and interoperability in Zoho CRM. You can extend the email parser function to more than one module within Zoho CRM, and even to connect with other Zoho services. You can also perform ad hoc actions in third-party applications based on the parsed data.

  • For example, let's say that based on an incoming email inquiry, a property management company called Zylker wishes to update both Contact and Account records in CRM. The email sender's name, phone number, and address will go to the Contacts module, whereas their company information will go to the Accounts module.
  • Let's say also that the same company has another requirement: Based on an incoming email from a customer regarding the status of their property, they want to update corresponding information on a third-party listing website automatically. They can achieve this by using the email parser to execute custom functions.
Once you have the required custom functions written, you can associate them to the parser rule and have the action executed for subsequent incoming emails.

4. Update records and send them for approval

Update Record is a function by which you can update the latest information on a record from an incoming parsed email.

For example, say you receive an incoming email from a prospect named Jane Evans. Normally, a new lead record would be created for a new inquiry email, but if Jane is already in the CRM system, you want the CRM to update Jane's information on the same record as opposed to creating a duplicate record. If this is your expectation, you can check the Update Record option in the parser rule's Advanced Configuration settings.
 
Note: CRM will use the email field to detect duplicate records. For the Update Record option to show up, you must have first mapped the "Email" field from the email content, which serves as the primary identifier, or a "unique field" for a record.
 
You can also choose the Send for Approval option—in which case, records parsed via email parser need to be reviewed and approved from the Waiting for Approval tab in the selected module in order to become a part of the CRM system.

5. Informative parser reports 

In the new version of the email parser, you're presented with accurate, detailed insights on the number of emails being parsed per rule, the fields extracted, and a list of customized actions associated with the records the parser has created. This detail summary gives you a clear picture of how effective your rules have been and indicates the revisions you may need to make to those rules based on those insights.
 
Detailed weekly performance reports can be sent to the creator of these rules or a custom email ID. Email reports are also sent upon record creation failure so that the appropriate users can take immediate action.


6. Reorder and filter  

You now have an option to reorder the list of parser rules based on your preferred order. This is important because the email parser system is designed to execute only the very first rule whose criteria an incoming email meets. Therefore, the order of the parser rules becomes essential for effective email parser performance.

You can also filter rules by status (active/inactive) and also by module.

7. Contextual access to parsed emails  

You can view not only the Configuration Info for each parser rule, but also insights based on parsed emails.




This way, from the perspectives of both parser rules and parsed emails, you can derive useful insights.
 
The "Email" tab lists the most recent email in your parser inbox, where you can check properties like parsing status, the rule used to parse it, and more. If the email has not met any rule, you may also create a new parser rule contextually from this email page.


You can also re-run an email in the event of parser failure if there's no match found, as well as parse emails in bulk. (Note that this is applicable only for the emails that have a template match and for which the parsing was unsuccessful.)

Preparing for deprecation of the Old Email Parser

For existing users:

Existing users, who have not already switched to the new parser can do so by clicking on the Switch to New Parser button. Rules available in both the parsers will be working simultaneously until the Old parser is deprecated, but the rules available in the Old parser will not be displayed in the New parser view, and vice versa.



It's essential to manually create the existing rules in the New parser because once the Old parser is deprecated, only the rules present in the new parser will function. Since there won't be any rules from the previous parser available, the new parser will require that you create all rules from scratch.

Please note:  

  • Until the deprecation of the Old Email Parser on June 1, 2023, both the old and new versions will co-exist, after which, the New Email Parser will become the default version. .
  • The rules in the Old Email Parser parser won't be available once it has been deprecated. Therefore, if no rules are added to the New Email Parser , there won't be a parser to run. So be sure to write rules in the New Email Parser before the deprecation. Additionally, keep in mind that once your old rules have become obsolete, they cannot be recovered.

For new signups  

For new signups, only the new parser will be available as the default feature, and not the old parser. There is no action required from users in new signups.

Further reading   

Help Doc: Click here
What's New and What has Changed — A comparison guide: Click here

Thanks, have a great day. 
Regards, 
Sai Shree | Zoho CRM 

    • Recent Topics

    • Accounting on the Go Series-54: Effortlessly Find Your Zoho Books Customers in Your Phone’s Contact List

      Hello Zoho Books users! How are you all ? We’re happy to share a handy new feature in Zoho Books mobile app. Now, you can access your Zoho Books customers right from your phone's contact list, making it easier to stay connected on the go. How this can

    • Integration of Phase 2 -e-invoicing- KSA

      Zoho Team, I want to get a training of integration of phase 2 invoicing KSA in zoho step by step.

    • I can not save new invoice

      Hello Now I am trying to save a new invoice but I can not save it because showing unpaid invoice warning which are not overdue. Please let me know how to skip unpaid invoice warning letter and save new invoice. Thank you

    • ADD CONDITIONS FOR FIELD IN ZOHO BOOKS TEMPLATE CUSTOMAZATION

      HELLO I WANT TO ADD CONDITIONS FOR FIELD IN ZOHO BOOKS TEMPLATE CUSTOMAZATION FOR SALES ORDER . I HAVE SET %StatusStamp% IF APPROVAL I WANT THAT TEXT TO BE DISPLAYED WITH GREEN COLOR OTHERWISE OF OTHERR STATUS RED COLOR AS SHOWN IN CODE BELOW . BUT IT

    • Accounting on the Go Series-55: Seamlessly Add New Vendors While Creating Transactions from Scanned Documents

      Hi there! We’ve made handling documents and vendors in Zoho Books even simpler. Now, when you upload a document and scan it, if the app detects a vendor that isn’t already in your organization, you don’t have to leave the page to add them manually. With

    • Accounting on the Go Series-57: Effortlessly Add and Manage Bank Accounts from the Zoho Books Mobile App

      Hi all, Great news for our users in the US and Canada! Managing your finances just got a whole lot easier. Zoho Books has always made it seamless to integrate bank accounts and fetch feeds automatically. Now, we’re taking it up a notch—directly from the

    • Accounting on the Go Series:58-Effortless Compliance: Download XML for Invoices & Credit Notes on Mobile

      Hi there! In Mexico, XML files are crucial for electronic invoicing and fulfilling SAT (Tax Administration Service) requirements. These files ensure your transactions are accurately recorded and tax-compliant. Now, you don’t need to rely on the web app

    • Auto Generated Invoice number YEAR

      Auto Generated Invoice number shows transaction year as 25 even though it's 24 still.

    • Books generiert keine valide XRechnung

      Hallo zusammen, ich möchte hier ein Problem ansprechen, das mir aktuell bei der Nutzung von Books erhebliche Schwierigkeiten bereitet, und hoffe auf Austausch oder Lösungsansätze von anderen Nutzern. Bei der Erstellung von XRechnungen mit Books treten

    • WHEN UPDATE ORGANIZATION INFO OLD INVOICES ALSO CHANGE INVOICING DATA

      Hi We have updated our tax information because we have become a company, up until now we were an individual. The problem is that when updating the data in the zoho books profile all the old invoices change their tax information as well. Is there a way

    • Invoice import error - duplicate customer name column - there are no duplicates

      It is not allowing the importing of any rows because of a duplicate customer name problem, but there are no duplicates in the custoemr name row. Has anyone dealt with this issue before?

    • [WEBINAR][Feb 2025] Automate your entire financial operations from receipts to reconciliation with Zoho Books & Zoho Expense integration

      Hello there, We are hosting a free, live webinar on the importance of travel and expense management solutions for businesses, and how Zoho Expense automatically syncs with Zoho Books to simplify your accounting even further. The webinar is on February

    • Customize Layout

      I am using "Customize Layot" for customize Quotation template but I try to add logo into the header by "%ScaledLogoImage%" code but dont add logo into header. what is problem?

    • Problem - cant add Users (i.e. Zoho one / CRM Users) to BCC or CC in email, i.e. Sales orders or Retainers

      I can go to zoho books email templates, and select any email template, and automatically include any Zoho One user, i.e. member of staff. However in the context of sending an email, it will not let us add a member of staff from the user list, instead

    • UK MTD ITSA

      UK Making Tax Digital for Income Tax I have had notice this is to apply from April 2026. What is Zoho doing about this? I will need to start planning to implement this in the next months so need an update as to what I will and will not be able to do in

    • Partial refunds

      I am trying to process refund for a one item invoice, however the refund is partial: i am getting this error while creating credit note, can anyone share some wisdom about this

    • Zoho Books Roadshows are back in the UAE!

      Hello there, Business owners and accounting professionals of the UAE, we’re coming to your cities! FTA accredited Zoho Books is now officially one of the Digital Tax Integrators in the UAE. With the newly launched direct VAT filing capabilities, we're

    • New user After moving over from QBO

      New user observations/suggestions. QBO took away a lot of features I was used to with the desktop version. Chaos ensued. Zoho Books has a lot of what I was used to and a bit more. Good deal Some things I have run into and suggest some upgrades. 1: The

    • Sole Trader - Financial Advisor (Appointed Representative) - Paid via Capital Account but no Invoicing...

      Hi. I'm about to venture into a new business after 12 months of intensive learning/exams. A little chuffed if I may say so especially at 52! I really like the look of ZoHo Books for my modest enterprise but I'm in need of some guidance, please. My services

    • Multi-Unit Inventory with Flexible Unit Selection (Purchase in One Unit, Sell in Another)

      We need multi-unit inventory management in Zoho Books with the flexibility to choose units (e.g., Box or Piece) at the time of purchase or sale. For example, if 1 Box = 10 Pieces, we should be able to record purchases in Boxes but sell either in Boxes

    • Disputed Purchase Invoices

      We have recently moved to Zoho Books from Sage. In Sage we were able to post a purchase/vendor invoice but mark it as on dispute. This would usually be a pricing query or if something was damaged. It would show in their ledger, so we could agree their

    • No TDS Deduction

      In some of our case, where we are reselling items at the same rate we purchased. In this scenario, Indian IT Law has a provision to request customer not to deduct TDS if the transaction value is same. TDS is paid by us (intermediary reseller) before we

    • CBSA - GST CHARGES on imports

      Hi there, We have a questions about landed cost categorization. We received a shipment from overseas. CBSA invoiced us for the GST on the items. Now we entered the CBSA-GST as a separate bill and attached it as landed cost to the main invoice based on

    • Zoho Books

      How do I manually insert opening balance?

    • Sales order & purchase order item links for item details

      This is fantastic for checking lots of things, I use it a lot. It would be great to see it extended to invoices & bills On another note, may as well throw in my favourite whinge ..... Wish you guys would get the PO receive differences sorted urgently,

    • Bank charges are applied. Please select a bank account.

      Hello, I'm trying to add bank charges to a customer payment, but I get the error message "Bank charges are applied. Please select a bank account." I found this old thread, where it says that I need to "select a Bank account for the 'Deposit To' dropdown

    • How to add receipts

      How to add receipts

    • Support for auto-upgrade in TrueSync (for Windows)

      WorkDrive TrueSync app now supports auto-upgrading to the latest version for Windows OS. You must manually download and install the TrueSync app version 3.4.0 to avail this feature. Download the latest TrueSync app for Windows (version 3.4.0) Supported

    • WorkDrive API Documentation

      WorkDrive provides users and developers an extensive set of APIs to help integrate functionalities of Zoho WorkDrive with other Zoho applications and third-party tools. We have published the official WorkDrive API Documentation page for all external users.

    • March 15, 2023: Zoho Docs is discontinued

      As of today (March 15, 2023) Zoho Docs is discontinued for all users. We would like to thank our customers for trusting us for so many years! Going forward, we're confident you'll enjoy using Zoho WorkDrive for all your advanced file management and collaboration

    • Introducing WorkDrive 4.0: Enhanced productivity. Advanced data administration. (Phase 1)

      Hello All, We're excited to share the release of WorkDrive 4.0, which includes important new features and enhancements focused primarily on productivity, secure collaboration, data administration, integrations, and user experience. Read the official announcement

    • External download link limit

      Can You please help us to understand this For Zoho WorkDrive external users, the download limit is a maximum of 5 GB total download size and a maximum of 50 first-level files and folders What is the meaning of first level? We are using these files in

    • Dynamically catching new file creations

      I have a team folder with many subfolders, and in those folders we add new documents all the time. I'd like to have a workflow or script to notify me (and then take other actions) when a file is added anywhere in that structure that ends in "summary.txt".

    • Rotate an Image in Workdrive Image Editor

      I don't know if I'm just missing something, but my team needs a way to rotate images in Workdrive and save them at that new orientation. For example one of our ground crew members will take photos of job sites vertically (9:16) on his phone and upload

    • Workflow workdrive rollout

      Hi! When will workflow be rolled out to all users? Thanks.

    • Creating and managing a Team Folder using WorkDrive TrueSync

      Hello everyone, Are you tired of constantly switching between your Desktop TrueSync app and the WorkDrive web app to create and manage Team Folders? We’ve made things easier for you. You can now create and manage Team Folders directly within the TrueSync

    • Edit images seamlessly with WorkDrive's built-in Image Editor

      Are you tired of switching between multiple tools just to make simple edits to your images? We understand the hassle, which is why Zoho WorkDrive now comes with a built-in image editing tool, powered by Zoho Annotator. This tool allows you to edit images

    • Supercharge your email workflow with WorkDrive's add-in for Microsoft Outlook

      Consider this: You’re handling a critical project, and your inbox is packed with important attachments, email threads, and client communications. The back-and-forth routine of downloading files to your computer, uploading them to WorkDrive, and manually

    • Secure and promote your content with Custom Watermarking

      Imagine this: You’re a professional photographer who regularly shares your work online with potential clients and collaborators. Recently, you notice that some of your images have been reposted without any credit or permission. This not only impacts your

    • Join us in Singapore for the Zoho WorkDrive User Group meetup!

      Hello, everyone! Exciting news! We'll be hosting an upcoming Zoho WorkDrive user group meetup in the beautiful city of Singapore this November. At this Zoho User Group meetup, we'll guide you through ways to use WorkDrive as a platform and build custom

    • Next Page