Kaizen #124 - Manipulating Subform using Zoho CRM APIs
Hello everyone!
Welcome back to another post in our Kaizen series.
In this post, we will discuss how to manipulate the Subform data using Zoho CRM APIs.
Subforms
A Subform is a data section embedded in the primary form to collect details related to the parent record. It helps in maintaining multiple records under a single parent record.
Using subform, you can create a parent-child relationship between modules, where the parent module represents the primary data and the child module contains the related data.
Data Model Representation
The above diagram shows the data model representation when you create a subform in a module. Use Case
Consider Zylker Consulting organization using Zoho CRM to maintain their leads and their projects. Zylker uses the Project Details subform in the Leads module to collect project-specific information collected from their Leads.
The Project Details subform includes fields such as Project Title,Type, Budget, and Status, in addition to the Parent_Id lookup field.
Now, the Zylker's sales team needs to retrieve all the details of the projects from the Leads module for further project analysis, expected budgets, and status. Let's see how to manipulate these data in CRM using Zoho CRM APIs.
The APIs used in this post
API | Methods |
Subforms API | GET, POST, UPDATE |
Records API | POST, UPDATE, DELETE |
Search API | GET |
COQL API | POST |
Bulk Read API | POST, GET |
How to retrieve subform records using the Zoho CRM APIs?
To retrieve subform records from the subform module, specify the subform module's API name to access their records or fields.
Step - 1
To know the API names of the subform fields in a module, make a GET - Fields Metadata API call. Among all the Leads' fields, subform field can be identified by the json key data_type with the value subform. Corresponding subform module can be found from the json associated_module. Below is the API call & response for such a subform field.
Request URL :
{api-domain}/crm/v6/settings/fields/{subform_field_id}?module=Leads
Request Method: GET
Sample Response:
Step - 2
Using the api_name of the subform module, make a GET Fields metadata API call to get the list of fields (along with their api_name) in the subform. One of the fields of the subform module will be Parent_Id with the data_type as lookup, pointing to the parent module (here it is Leads).
Request URL
Request Method: GET
Sample Response:
Now you know how to get the API name of the subform and its corresponding fields.
Step - 3
Sample Request and Response to retrieve subform records
The below request will retrieve all the subform records in the Leads module. The linking of subform record to the Lead's module will be available in the Parent_Id field, which is highlighted. The id key inside the Parent_Id json object is the id of the Leads records.
How to add data to the subforms?
To add records to the subform, you need the API name of the subform and its corresponding field API names.
Request URL:
Request Method: POST
Sample Input
Retrieve Subform Data via Search API and COQL API
Search API
The above response shows all records that meet the specified criteria.
How to retrieve subform records from a particular parent record?
Retrieving Subforms Data via COQL API
Sample Response:
{ "data": [ { "Last_Name": "Patricia", "Company": "Info Technology", "Email" : "patricia@mail.com", "Project_Details": //API name of the subform [ { "Project_Name": "Mobile App Development for Productivity", "Project_Type": "Mobile App Development", "Expected_Budget": 50000, "Status": "Negotiation in Process" }, //API names of the subform fields { "Project_Name": "Big Data Infrastructure Implementation", "Project_Type": "Infrastructure Upgrade", "Expected_Budget": 30000, "Status": "Proposal Submitted" }, { "Project_Name": "Big Data Infrastructure Implementation", "Project_Type": "Infrastructure Upgrade", "Expected_Budget": 30000, "Status": "Proposal Submitted" } ] } ] } |
The above highlighted syntax is used for adding data to the subform records.
Sample Response:
Kaizen #33 - Subforms API explains in detail how to Fetch, Update, and Delete the subform data with sample requests, inputs, and responses.
Retrieve Subform Data via Search API and COQL API
There may be situations where you need to fetch records based upon certain conditions.
Criteria :
The sales team wants to retrieve the subform records whose budget is greater than or equal to $40000. In this case, we will use Zoho CRM's Search API and COQL API. Let's see how to achieve this.
Search API
To retrieve the records that match your search criteria, retrieve subform data using its corresponding module API name. Note that using Search API, you can fetch data quickly from a single module.
Request URL:
Request Method: GET
Sample Response :
The above response shows all records that meet the specified criteria.How to retrieve subform records from a particular parent record?
To retrieve subforms records in a particular lead record that meet the above criteria, follow the below sample request.
Sample Request URL:
Sample Response:
Retrieving Subforms Data via COQL API
We know that the subform is maintained in a separate module. So, retrieve subform data by querying the subform module's API name and it's parent module via the Parent_Id lookup field.
Request URL:
Request Method : POST
Sample Input:
{ "select_query" : "select Expected_Budget from Project_Details where ((Expected_Budget >=40000) and (Parent_Id = 5725767000002105043))" } |
Sample Response:
Using a Parent_Id (lookup field pointing to Leads module) in the COQL criteria automatically adds a left join to the child module (Project_Details). With that join, criteria can be applied to the fields of the parent module also. Below example illustrates that we want to fetch the Expected_Budget field of the Project_Details module where the Expected_Budget is greater than or equal to 40000 for the corresponding Leads with Annual Revenue greater than 1000000.
{ "select_query" : "select Expected_Budget from Project_Details where ((Expected_Budget >=40000) and (Parent_Id.Annual_Revenue > 100000 ))" } |
From the SQL perspective, above COQL can be interpreted as
select pd.Expected_Budget from Project_Details as pd left join Leads as l on pd.Parent_Id=l.id where pd.Expected_Budget>=40000 and l.Annual_Revenue > 1000000 |
Bulk Read API
Bulk Read API allows you to fetch a large set of data i.e., you can fetch a maximum of 200,000 records in a single API call.
To export subform records in the Leads module in CSV file format, use the subform's API name.
Request URL:
Request Method: POST
Sample input to export subform records:
{ "callback": { "method": "post" }, "query": { "module": { "api_name": "Project_Details" //API name of the Subform module }, "file_type": "csv" } } |
Export subform records that meet the specified criteria
To export subform records based on the given criteria above (similar to the criteria for Search and COQL APIs).
Sample Input:
{ . . . "query": { "module": { "api_name": "Project_Details" }, "fields": [ "Project_Name", "Project_Type", "Expected_Budget", "Status" ], "criteria": { "field": { "api_name": "Expected_Budget" }, "comparator": "greater_equal", "value": "40000" //Retrieving subform records with an expected budget greater than or equal to $40,000 } } } |
Export subform records that meet the specified criteria for the particular parent record
To export the subform records of a particular parent record in the Leads module. Check the below sample request.
Sample Input:
{ . . . "query": { "module": { "api_name": "Project_Details" }, "fields": [ "Project_Name", "Project_Type", "Expected_Budget", "Status" ], "criteria": { "group": [ { "field": { "api_name": "Expected_Budget" }, "comparator": "greater_than", "value": "39999" }, { "field": { "api_name": "Parent_Id" }, "comparator": "equal", "value": "5725767000002105043" } ], "group_operator": "AND" } } } |
As the API is an asynchronous API, the response will not be available instantly; the bulk read job is scheduled, and the status can be checked. Once the job is completed, it'll be notified in the callback URL. The records are available in a downloadable CSV file or ICS file (for events). You can export subform records in a module using the subform module API name. See Kaizen #12 Bulk Read API to know how to view the status of the scheduled job and download the file, along with more sample requests and responses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Is the API name of the subform case-sensitive? Also, how can I view the API name of a subform field in the web UI?
Yes, the API name of a subform is case-sensitive. To know the API name of a subform module (e.g. Project Details) Please go to Setup -> Developer Hub -> APIs -> CRM API -> API names -> Click on the parent module where the subform was created (e.g. Leads) and scroll down there you can view the subform field's API name.
Q. I changed the order of subform records and made a GET - Records API call. The system listed the records in the same order as displayed in the UI, rather than the order of their creation. Is this the system design?
When you make a GET - Records API call for a module, it lists the subform records ordered in the UI. Note that you can re-order the subform records. So, when you retrieve those records via the API, they will be listed in the same order as they are arranged in the UI.
Q. Can we change a subform field's API name via API?
You can change the API name of the subform field only through the UI. Go to Setup -> Developer Hub -> APIs -> CRM API -> API names -> Click on the parent module where the subform was created (e.g. Leads) and go to the Field Label section. There you can view the subform field name and edit the API by clicking on the Edit option.
We trust that this post meets your needs and is helpful. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section or reach out to us at support@zohocrm.com
Stay tuned for more insights in our upcoming Kaizen posts!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Previous Kaizen Post : Kaizen #123 Data Synchronization from a third party application
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cheers!
Additional Reading:
Kaizen Posts:
- Kaizen #10 - Search Records API and Query API
- Kaizen #31 - Subforms API
- Kaizen #80 - COQL API - Part I
- Kaizen #81 - COQL API - Part II
Topic Participants
Subramanian K
Vigneshwaran K
Raghuram T
Andres
dkvagency
Sticky Posts
Kaizen #197: Frequently Asked Questions on GraphQL APIs
🎊 Nearing 200th Kaizen Post – We want to hear from you! Do you have any questions, suggestions, or topics you would like us to cover in future posts? Your insights and suggestions help us shape future content and make this series better for everyone.Kaizen #198: Using Client Script for Custom Validation in Blueprint
Nearing 200th Kaizen Post – 1 More to the Big Two-Oh-Oh! Do you have any questions, suggestions, or topics you would like us to cover in future posts? Your insights and suggestions help us shape future content and make this series better for everyone.Celebrating 200 posts of Kaizen! Share your ideas for the milestone post
Hello Developers, We launched the Kaizen series in 2019 to share helpful content to support your Zoho CRM development journey. Staying true to its spirit—Kaizen Series: Continuous Improvement for Developer Experience—we've shared everything from FAQsKaizen #193: Creating different fields in Zoho CRM through API
🎊 Nearing 200th Kaizen Post – We want to hear from you! Do you have any questions, suggestions, or topics you would like us to cover in future posts? Your insights and suggestions help us shape future content and make this series better for everyone.Client Script | Update - Introducing Commands in Client Script!
Have you ever wished you could trigger Client Script from contexts other than just the supported pages and events? Have you ever wanted to leverage the advantage of Client Script at your finger tip? Discover the power of Client Script - Commands! Commands
Recent Topics
ERROR CODE :512 - 5.4.4 DNS error:NXDOMAIN.
Suddenly we cant send mail, we are getting this error for all outbound mail to multiple domains.Can Zoho Flows repeat Actions more than once?
I'm attempting to make an intentional Zoho Flow loop using the below layout. However, when "WithinLimit" condition is met, the program fails to execute the action "Get & Add Request Co..." again. Is this by design? Is Zoho Flows unable to repeat actionsUnveiling Cadences: Redefining CRM interactions with automated sequential follow-ups
Last modified on 01/04/2024: Cadences is now available for all Zoho CRM users in all data centres (DCs). Note that it was previously an early access feature, available only upon request, and was also known as Cadences Studio. As of April 1, 2024, it'scustomer data security
We are exploring ways to enhance our within Zoho CRM. Our Goal: We want to fully integrate RingCentral with Zoho CRM to enable click-to-call functionality for our sales team. However, to comply with data privacy regulations and protect customer contactZoho Cliq not working on airplanes
Hi, My team and I have been having this constant issue of cliq not working when connected to an airplane's wifi. Is there a reason for this? We have tried on different Airlines and it doesn't work on any of them. We need assistance here since we are constantlySync CRM inventory data with Zoho Books
I just switched everything over to ZoHo books, but I am trying to find out why the CRM Estimates, Invoices, and Sales Orders created in ZoHo CRM are not then duplicated in ZoHo Books? I had Quickbooks before, and had to do everything twice, I thoughtmask Customer phone number and agents cant see customer phone number
Is there any way we can integrate Zoom Phone with Zoho CRM while ensuring that customer phone numbers remain masked? We need a solution where agents can make outbound calls but cannot see customer phone numbers. Please let us know if there is any solutionEmail Reminders on Shared Calendars
How do we turn off the setting that emails reminders to everyone who has accepted or declined a calendar invite? If 8 of us have been invited to the same meeting, we receive 8 notifications for every step of the process, from invitation to decision.WebDAV / FTP / SFTP protocols for syncing
I believe the Zoho for Desktop app is built using a proprietary protocol. For the growing number of people using services such as odrive to sync multiple accounts from various providers (Google, Dropbox, Box, OneDrive, etc.) it would be really helpful if you implemented standard protocols such as WebDAV / FTP / SFTP so that alternative inc clients can be used.What's New in Zoho Inventory | Q2 2025
Hello Customers, The second quarter have been exciting months for Zoho Inventory! We’ve introduced impactful new features and enhancements to help you manage inventory operations with even greater precision and control. While we have many more excitingHow to refresh a ticket view ?
I am doing a widget where I send a rest api call to make a new draft to the ticket I am viewing. The issue is sometimes it refresh a ticket view and I can see inserted draft right away, but sometimes I do not see it even if it is inserted correctly andUgh! - Text Box (Single Line) Not Enough - Text Box (Multi-line) Unavailable in PDF!
I provide services, I do not sell items. In each estimate I send I provide a customized job description. A two or three sentence summary of the job to be performed. I need to be able to include this job description on each estimate I send as it's a criticalMerge Items
Is there a work around for merging items? We currently have three names for one item, all have had a transaction associated so there is no deleting (just deactivating, which doesn't really help. It still appears so people are continuing to use it). I also can't assign inventory tracking to items used in past transactions, which I don't understand, this is an important feature moving forward.. It would be nice to merge into one item and be able to track inventory. Let me know if this is possible.Supervisor Rules - Zoho Desk
Hi, I have set up a Supervisor Rule in Zoho Desk to send an email alert when a ticket has been on hold for 48 hours. Is there a way to change it so that the alert only sends once and not on an hourly basis? Thank you LauraResponseCode 421, 4.7.0 [TSS04] Messages from 136.143.188.51 temporarily deferred due to user complaints
Had email bounce. Let me know if you can fix this. Thanks. MichaelZoho Canvas - Custom templates for related lists
Hi, I see that the example pages load always one of our related lists in a custom template, but I dont know how to work with that: 1) How can i make my own custom templates for related lists? 2) Where and how can i check out existing custom templates?Automation #15: Automatically Adding Static Secondary Contacts
Rockel is a top-tier client of Zylker traders. Marcus handles communications with Rockel and would like to add Terence, the CTO of Zylker traders to the email conversations. In this case, the emails coming from user address rockel.com should have TerenceNew Zoho triggers Google Dangerous flag due toabnormal charcters
Just signed up and doing my first email test. I sent it to my google email account but it got flagged as Dangerous" due abnormal characters. My DNS setup looks ok. Page snips attached Help Please Thanks, Rick DC PowerWorldIs there a API to fetch tasks in a Board/Section
I am writing a scheduled function that retrieves all the tasks and send an reminder on cliq. I cannot seem to find a API to fetch tasks (by user / board / section) What are the way to fetch tasks?Having trouble fetching contents of Zoho Connect Feeds using the API, requesting alternative API documentation.
I'm trying to retrieve feed/post data from Zoho Connect using the API but facing challenges with the current documentation. What I've tried: OAuth authentication is working correctly (getting 200 OK responses) Tested multiple endpoints: /pulse/nativeapi/v2/feeds,Adding an Account Name to Tasks/Reminders
Does anyone know how to add the related account name to a task? When we look at the list of activities and when the reminders pop up, there is no way of quickly seeing who the account is.Triggering Zoho Flow on Workdrive File Label
Right now Im trying to have a zoho flow trigger on the labeling/classification of a file in a folder. Looking at the trigger options they arent great for something like this. File event occurred is probably the most applicable, but the events it has arentSendMail to multiple recipients
Hi, I'm trying to send an email to a list of recipients. Right now the "to" field is directed to a string variable. (List variables won't work here). In the string variable, how can I make it work? trying "user@app.com;user2@app.com" or "user@app.com; user2@app.com" just failed to send the emails. RavidPopulate drop down field from another form's subform
Hello, I found how to do that, but not in case of a subform. I have a Product form that has a subform for unit and prices. A product might have more than one unit. For example, the product "Brocoli" can be sold in unit at 3$ or in box of 10 at 25 $. BothUsar o Inventory ou módulo customizado no CRM para Gestão de Estoque ?
Minha maior dor hoje em usar o zoho é a gestão do meu estoque. Sou uma empresa de varejo e essa gestão é fundamental pra mim. Obviamente preciso que esse estoque seja visível no CRM, Inicialmente fiz através de módulos personalizados no próprio Zoho CRM,Signup forms behaviour : Same email & multiple submissions
My use case is that I have a signup form (FormA) that I use in several places on my website, with a hidden field so I can see where the contact has been made from. I also have a couple of other signup forms (FormB and FormC) that slight differences. Allgetting error in project users api
Hello, I'm getting a "Given URL is wrong" error when trying to use the Zoho Projects V3 API endpoint for adding users to a project. The URL I'm using is https://projectsapi.zoho.com/api/v3/portal/{portalid}/projects/{projectid}/projectusers/ and it'sChange total display format in weekly time logs
Hi! Would it be possible to display the total of the value entered in the weekly time log in the same format that the user input? This could be an option in the general settings -> display daily timesheet total in XX.XX format or XX:XX.Different Company Name for billing & shipping address
We are using Zoho Books & Inventory for our Logistics and started to realize soon, that Zoho is not offering a dedicated field for a shipping address company name .. when we are creating carrier shipping labels, the Billing Address company name gets alwaysHow to display historical ticket information of the total time spent in each status
Hi All, Hoping someone can help me, as I am new to Zoho Analytics, and I am a little stuck. I am looking to create a bar chart that looks back over tickets raised in the previous month and displays how much time was spent in each status (With Customer,Zoho Projects iOS app update: Global Web Tabs support
Hello everyone! In the latest version(v3.10.10) of the Zoho Projects app update, we have brought in support for Global Web Tabs. You can now access the web tabs across all the projects from the Home module of the app. Please update the app to the latestZoho Community Weekend Maintenance: 13–15 Sep 2025
Hi everyone, We wanted to give you a heads-up that Zoho Community will undergo scheduled maintenance this weekend. During this period, some community features will be temporarily unavailable, while others will be in read-only mode. Maintenance Window:Agent Performance Report
From data to decisions: A deep dive into ticketing system reports An agent performance report in a ticketing system provides a comprehensive view of how support agents manage customer tickets. It measures efficiency and quality by tracking key performanceShow both Vendor and Customers in contact statement
Dear Sir, some companies like us working with companies as Vendor and Customers too !!! it mean we send invoice and also receive bill from them , so we need our all amount in one place , but in contact statement , is separate it as Vendor and Customer,URL validation
We use an internal intranet site which has a short DNS name which Zoho CRM will not accept. When attempting to update the field it says "Please enter a valid URL". The URL I am trying to set is http://intranet/pm/ Our intranet is not currently setup with a full DNS name and given the amount of links using the shortname probably isn't a feasible change for us.Pourquoi dans zohobooks version gratuite on ne peut ajouter notre stock d'ouverture??
Pourquoi dans zohobooks version gratuite on ne peut ajouter notre stock d'ouverture ??How can I adjust column width in Zoho Books?
One issue I keep running into is as I show or hide columns in reports, the column widths get weird. Some columns have text cut off while others can take a fourth of the page for just a few characters. I checked report layout guides and my settings, butInvalid value passed for file_name
System generated file name does not send file anymore - what is the problem?Custom Function for Estimates
Hey everyone, I was wondering if there was a way to automate the Subject of an estimate whenever one is created or edited: * the green box using following infos: * Customer Name and Estimate Date. My Goal is to change the Subject to have this format "<MyFirm>-EstimateThis domain is not allowed to add. Please contact support-as@zohocorp.com for further details
I am trying to setup the free version of Zoho Mail. When I tried to add my domain, theselfreunion.com I got the error message that is the subject of this Topic. I've read your other community forum topics, and this is NOT a free domain. So what is theNext Page