Kaizen #158 - How to effectively handle API calls to optimize API credits?

Kaizen #158 - How to effectively handle API calls to optimize API credits?

Hello everyone!

Welcome back to another post in the Kaizen series!

In this post, we will discuss a few strategies to handle API calls effectively and optimize your API credits.

As you all know, your CRM edition comes with a set number of credits(this varies based on the number of licenses purchased) and all API calls consume these API credits. Refer to our API limits page for more information on the credit system.

Businesses use different processes for different needs, so they use different APIs. Here are a few strategies that can help you optimize your API usage and save up on credits while still maintaining efficient operations.

  1. Understand API Credit Consumption
  2. Optimize API Calls - Batch and bulk
  3. Implement Caching Mechanisms
  4. Minimize Redundant Calls
  5. Analyze Usage - track credit usage, set alerts
  6. Increase Credits to fit your needs

1. Understand API Credit Consumption

The primary step to optimize your usage is to understand it and know the credit system. Each API call consumes a specific number of credits based on its type. For example, a standard Get Users API call costs 1 credit, while a more complex operation, like converting a lead, consumes 5 credits.
Refer to the credit consumption table provided on the API Limits page to plan your usage efficiently.

2. Optimize API Calls

Batch Requests

Whenever possible, batch requests to combine multiple operations into a single API call. For instance, consider that you want to insert or update 20 records. Insert/Update Records API consumes 1 credit for every 10 records. So, instead of making the API call 20 times and spending 20 credits, you can insert or update all 20 records in a single API and spend only 2 credits.
You can also use Composite API to combine up to 5 API calls as sub-requests in one composite request based on your use case.

Bulk APIs

For large data sets involving thousands of records, leverage bulk APIs that can process multiple records in a single request. This approach not only saves credits but also enhances performance by reducing the number of individual requests sent to the server.
Furthermore, these APIs support callback by which you can reduce polling(thereby saving credits) and get near real-time notification of the bulk job.
Refer to our Kaizen post on When to use Get Records, Search Records, COQL and Bulk Read APIs? to decide which API will suit best for a given scenario.

3. Implement Caching Mechanisms

Store frequently accessed metadata locally or in a temporary cache. This allows you to get the data from the cache instead of making multiple calls to get the same information. Caching metadata of modules and fields would be a game changer as these are one of the most frequently accessed data.

4. Minimize Redundant Calls

Upsert Records API instead of Insert/Update Records

Use the upsert records API while creating records. If you have enabled duplicate check based on unique fields or display label, this API checks if there are existing records, and updates or inserts, accordingly. This helps you save up on credits instead of searching for records and then inserting or updating them.

Use Webhooks

Use webhooks to receive notifications about changes in data instead of polling. This reduces the need for frequent API calls to check for updates.
For example, when you use bulk APIs, they support both polling and callback. Use callback to get notified about the status of the job instead of using the API to poll for an update.

Similarly, you can use the Notification API to receive near real-time notification about changes in data. For instance, when you want to know whenever a deal is created, subscribe for the create action on the Deals module using the Notification API. This helps you avoid making repeated Get Records API calls to check for new records.
Instead of polling for updates, utilize webhooks to receive near real-time notifications about changes in data. This reduces the need for frequent API calls to check for updates. Notification APIs allow you to get near real-time notifications on data in CRM, while the Bulk APIs support both polling and callback op.

5. Monitor and Analyze Usage

Track API Credit Usage

Regularly monitor your API credit consumption through the API dashboard. The Dashboard gives you a comprehensive view of your credits, the usage pattern, consumption by modules, functions, integration tasks, etc. Understanding these patterns can help identify areas where you can avoid spending credits and optimize further.

Set Alerts for High Usage

Zoho CRM alerts the super admin of the org via an email whenever the API usage reaches 80, 90, or 100% of the available credits. Configure alerts based on your critical threshold limits to avoid unexpected disruptions. Refer to this page to learn how you can customize these alerts.

6. Increase Credits Wisely

Estimate Requirement Accurately

If you find that your organization consistently exceeds its credit limits, consider increasing your API credits from the API dashboard conveniently. Be mindful about add-on credits based on usage data in the past. Zoho CRM uses the pay-as-you-go model for add-on credits, so you only pay for what you use.

​
We hope that these simple strategies will help you optimize your API calls in Zoho CRM, effectively manage your API credits, and reduce unnecessary costs while maintaining efficient operations.
Let us know your thoughts in the comment section. Write to us at support@zohocrm.com if you have any questions.
See you next week!
Cheers!

    • 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 FAQs

    • Kaizen #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

    • Zoho CRM Sales Targets for Individual Salespeople

      Our organistion has salespeople that are allocated to different regions and have different annual sales targets as a result. I am building an CRM analytics dashboard for the sales team, which will display a target meter for the logged in salesperson.

    • All new Address Field in Zoho CRM: maintain structured and accurate address inputs

      The address field will be available exclusively for IN DC users. We'll keep you updated on the DC-specific rollout soon. It's currently available for all new sign-ups and for existing Zoho CRM orgs which are in the Professional edition. Managing addresses

    • Transfer all Related Data to new Account Owner

      Currently when I change the account Owner I only see the option to change only the open deals But I want the new account owner to take over all the related modules and all the deal stages Is it not possible right now? Am I missing something? Do I really

    • Can i connect 2 instagram accounts to 1 brand?

      Can i connect 2 instagram accounts to 1 brand? Or Do i need to create 2 brands for that? also under what subscription package will this apply?

    • How to Calculate MTTR (Mean Time to Resolve)

      We want to calculate MTTR (Mean Time to Resolve) in our Zoho Analytics report under Tickets. Currently, we are using the following fields: Ticket ID Ticket Created Time Ticket Closed Time Ticket On Hold Time We are planning to calculate MTTR (in days)

    • How to export project tasks, including the comments

      Hi, how can I export the project tasks, whereby I can also see the comments associated to a specific task? The use-case is that often we use comments to discuss or update a task related ideas. I would like to export the tasks, where we can also see the

    • How to Install Zoho Workdrive Desktop Sync for Ubuntu?

      Hi. I am newbie to Linux / Ubuntu. I downloaded a tar.gz file from Workdrive for installing the Workdrive Desktop Sync tool. Can someone give me step by step guide on how to install this on Ubuntu? I am using Ubuntu 19.04. Regards Senthil

    • Introducing Version-3 APIs - Explore New APIs & Enhancements

      Happy to announce the release of Version 3 (V3) APIs with an easy to use interface, new APIs, and more examples to help you understand and access the APIs better. V3 APIs can be accessed through our new link, where you can explore our complete documentation,

    • Does Zoho Sheet Supports https://n8n.io ?

      Does Zoho Sheet Supports https://n8n.io ? If not, can we take this as an idea and deploy in future please? Thanks

    • Bigin Android app update: User management

      Hello everyone! In the most recent Bigin Android app update, we have brought in support for the 'Users and Controls' section. You can now manage the users in your organization within the mobile app. There are three tabs in the 'Users and Controls' section:

    • Share records with your customers and let them track their statuses in real time.

      Greetings, I hope everyone is doing well! We're excited to introduce the external sharing feature for pipeline records. This new enhancement enables you to share pipeline records with your customers via a shareable link and thereby track the status of

    • Live webinar: Discover Zoho Show: A complete walkthrough

      Hello everyone, We’re excited to invite you to our upcoming live webinar, Discover Zoho Show: A Complete Walkthrough. Whether you’re just getting started with Show or eager to explore advanced capabilities, this session will show you useful tips and features

    • Deal Stage component/widget/whatever it is... event

      Deal Stages I am trying to access the event and value of this component. I can do it by changing the Stage field but users can also change a Deal Stage via this component and I need to be able to capture both values. Clicking on 'Verbal' for instance,

    • Create advanced slideshows with hybrid reports using Zoho Projects Plus

      Are your quarterly meetings coming up? It’s time to pull up metrics, generate reports, and juggle between slides yet again. While this may be easier for smaller projects, large organizations that run multiple projects may experience the pressure when

    • Add an option to disable ZIA suggestions

      Currently, ZIA in Zoho Inventory automatically provides suggestions, such as sending order confirmation emails. However, there is no way to disable this feature. In our case, orders are automatically created by customers, and we’ve built a custom workflow

    • Email Integration - Zoho CRM - OAuth and IMAP

      Hello, We are attempting to integrate our Microsoft 365 email with Zoho CRM. We are using the documentation at Email Configuration for IMAP and POP3 (zoho.com) We use Microsoft 365 and per their recommendations (and requirements) for secure email we have

    • Formula field with IF statement based on picklist field and string output to copy/paste in multi-line field via function

      Hello there, I am working on a formula field based on a 3-item picklist field (i.e. *empty value*, 'Progress payment', 'Letter of credit'). Depending on the picked item, the formula field shall give a specific multi-line string (say 'XXX' in case of 'Progress

    • CRM x WorkDrive: File storage for new CRM signups is now powered by WorkDrive

      Availability Editions: All DCs: All Release plan: Released for new signups in all DCs. It will be enabled for existing users in a phased manner in the upcoming months. Help documentation: Documents in Zoho CRM Manage folders in Documents tab Manage files

    • Zoho CRMの流入元について

      Zoho CRMとZoho formsを連携し、 formsで作成したフォームをサイトに埋め込み運用中です。 UTMパラメータの取得をformsを行い、Zoho CRMの見込み客タブにカスタム項目で反映される状況になっています。 広告に関してはUTMパラメータで取得できているため問題ないのですが、オーガニック流入でフォーム送信の場合も計測したいです。メールやGoogle、Yahoo、directなどの流入元のチャネルが反映されるようにしたいのですが、どのように設定したら良いでしょうか。 また、

    • Error While Sign in on Zoho Work Drive

      Dear Team, I hope this email finds you well. I have recently created a Zoho account and started using it. But while I am trying to log in to Zoho work drive it won't log me in its crashing every time I try it. I have tried it on android app, phone browser

    • Choosing a portal option and the "Unified customer portal"?

      I am trialling Zoho to replace various existing systems, one of which is a customer portal. Our portal allows clients to add and edit bookings, complete forms, manage their subscriptions and edit some CRM info. I am trying to understand how I might best

    • Elevate your CX delivery using CommandCenter 2.0: Simplified builder; seamless orchestration

      Most businesses want to create memorable customer experiences—but they often find it hard to keep them smooth, especially as they grow. To achieve a state of flow across their processes, teams often stitch together a series of automations using Workflow

    • Unified Directory : How to Access ?

      I signed in to Zoho One this morning and was met with the pop up about the upgraded directory (yay!) I watched the video and pressed "Get Started" ... and it took me back to the standard interface. How do I actually access the new portal/directory ?

    • Translation support expanded for Modules, Subforms and Related Lists

      Hello Everyone!   The translation feature enables organizations to translate certain values in their CRM interface into different languages. Previously, the only values that could be translated were picklist values and field names. However, we have extended

    • Unified task view

      Possible to enable the unified task view in Trident, that is currently available in Mail?

    • Bigin, more powerful than ever on iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe, and watchOS 26.

      Hot on the heels of Apple’s latest OS updates, we’ve rolled out several enhancements and features designed to help you get the most from your Apple devices. Enjoy a refined user experience with smoother navigation and a more content-focused Liquid Glass

    • Importing data into Assets

      So we have a module in Zoho CRM called customers equipments. It links to customers modules, accounts (if needed) and products. I made a sample export and created extra fields in zoho fsm assets module. The import fails. Could not find a matching parent

    • Allow instruction field in Job Sheets

      Hello, I would like to know if it is possible to have an instruction field (multi line text) in a job sheet or if there is a workaround to be able to do it. Currently we are pretty limited in terms of fields in job sheets which makes it a bit of a struggle

    • Streamlining Work Order Automation with Zoho Projects, Writer & WorkDrive

      Hello Community, Here is the first post in 'Integration & Automation' Series. Use Case :: Create, Merge, Sign & Store Documents in Zoho WorkDrive. Scenario :: You have a standard Work Order template created in Zoho Writer. When a task status is chosen

    • The dimensions of multilingual power

      Hola, saludos de Zoho Desk. Bonjour, salutations de Zoho Desk. Hallo, Grüße von Zoho Desk. Ciao, saluti da Zoho Desk. Olá, saudações da Zoho Desk. வணக்கம், Zoho Desk இலிருந்து வாழ்த்துகள். 你好，来自 Zoho Desk 的问候。 مرحباً، تحيات من Zoho Desk. नमस्ते, Zoho

    • Multi-line address lines

      How can I enter and migrate the following 123 state street Suite 2 Into a contact address. For Salesforce imports, a CR between the information works. The ZOHO migration tool just ignores it. Plus, I can't seem to even enter it on the standard entry screen.

    • Accessing Zoho Forms

      Hi all, We're having trouble giving me access to our company's Zoho Forms account. I can log in to a Forms account that I can see was set up a year ago, but can't see any shared forms. I can log into Zoho CRM and see our company information there without

    • Archiving Contacts

      How do I archive a list of contacts, or individual contacts?

    • Cost of good field

      Is there a way we can have cost of good sold as a field added to the back end of the invoicing procedure and available in reports?

    • How to add image to items list in Invoice or Estimate?

      Hello! I have just started using Zoho Invoice to create estimates and, possibly to switch from our current CRM/ERP Vendor to Zoho. I have a small company that is installing CCTV systems and Alarm systems. My question is, can I add images of my "items" to item list in Zoho Invoice and Estimates and their description? I would like to show my clients the image of items in our estimates so they can decide if they like these items. And I tell you, often they choose more expensive products just because

    • Issue with the Permission to Zoho Form

      I am getting an error by signing in to zoho form as it is stated that i don't have permission to access this is admin account

    • CRM templates

      Hello everyone, In my company we use Zoho campaigns where we set up all newsletters and we use Zoho CRM for transactional emails. I have created some templates in Zoho campaigns but from my understanding i cannot use those in Zoho CRM, right?

    • Meet Canvas' Grid component: Your easiest way to build responsive record templates

      Visual design can be exciting—until you're knee-deep in the details. Whether it's aligning text boxes to prevent overlaps, fixing negative space, or simply making sure the right data stands out, just ironing out inconsistencies takes a lot of moving parts.

    • Addin Support in Zoho Sheet

      Is there any addin support available in zoho sheet as like google marketplace to enhance productivity by connecting with other apps, providing AI data analysis, streamlining business processes, and more?

    • Where to integrate Price Book and Product List Price

      Hello, We sync zoho crm all modules with all data to zoho analytics. In zoho crm, we have "Price Books" and "Products" modules, where each product is assigned to a few price books with different list prices. From zoho crm, I am able to export a dataset

    • Next Page