Map Dependency Fields in Zoho CRM using APIs

Map Dependency Fields in Zoho CRM using APIs




Hi Everyone!!

Welcome back to another week of Kaizen series!

Over the past few weeks, we have been addressing your questions and feedback shared through our Kaizen 200th feedback form. Thank you for your continued engagement and thoughtful queries. We truly enjoy helping users solve real challenges through these Kaizen series.

This week, we will explore the Map Dependency Fields in Zoho CRM, and how you can configure and manage them using Zoho CRM APIs.

Map dependency fields with a use case

In Zoho CRM, dependency fields are also called picklist dependencies. They create a relationship between two picklist fields. A controlling field is the parent field, and a dependent field is the child field. The option chosen in the parent field decides which options should be shown in the child field. Helps you to make easy data entry and maintain cleaner with only relevant options.

In many businesses, one field’s options depend on another. For example, if your support team tracks Issue Type and Sub-Issue, showing all sub-issues at once lets users select incorrect options. A user might accidentally choose Payment Failed under Login Issue. This results in incorrect data selection and makes confusion in records.

Dependency fields solve this problem by creating a parent-child relationship between two picklist fields.

Let us consider the Support Cases module, where two picklist fields are already created:
  1. Parent Field - Issue Type: The value chosen here determines which options appear in the dependent field.
  2. Child Field - Sub-Issue: The available options change dynamically based on the selected value in the parent field.
Below table shows the picklist fields along with their respective options.

                            Issue Type

                                   Sub-Issue 

Login Issue

Forgot Password, Account Locked, 2FA Not Working
Payment Issue

Credit Card Declined, Refund Not Received, Double Charge

Feature Request

New Integration, UI Enhancement, Report Customization

By mapping these fields, CRM users see only the Sub-Issue values relevant to the selected Issue Type.

Without map dependency

Without configuring a map dependency, the Sub-Issue picklist would always display all available options - regardless of the selected Issue Type. For example, users might see options like Forgot Password, Double Charge, and Report Customization all at once. This can easily confuse users and lead to incorrect selections, such as choosing Double Charge under Login Issue.

With map dependency

With mapping dependencies, you can guide users to make correct selections by showing only the relevant options in the child field based on the option selected in the parent field.

Mapping picklist options in UI

You can map picklist field options directly from the Zoho CRM user interface.
Follow these steps:
  1. Go to SetupCustomizationModules and Fields.
  2. Select the desired module. In this case, Support Cases.
  3. Click the (more) icon next to the module name.
  4. Select Map Dependency Fields.
  5. On the Map Dependency Fields page, click the New button to create a new dependency.
  6. Choose the Parent Field and Child Field you want to map.
  7. Click Next button.


      8. Add option mappings to define which child field options should be shown based on the option selected in the parent field, then Save your configuration.

UI options mapping view

Mapping picklist options via API

Before mapping the options, you must need the following APIs :
  1. Modules Metadata API - To know the API name of the module.
    1. Endpoint: GET - /settings/modules
    2. Here, the API name of the Support Cases module is Support_Cases.
  2. Layouts Metadata API - Since dependencies are layout-specific, this API helps you identify the layout ID and all the available picklist fields for mapping. It also provides detailed metadata such as the layout ID, field IDs, and the corresponding picklist value IDs.
    1. Endpoint: GET /settings/layouts?module=Support_Cases

Create Dependency using the POST Map Dependency

Request URL:  {{api-domain}}/crm/v8/settings/layouts/5725767000007972011/map_dependency?module=Support_Cases

Request Method: POST

Input JSON
Each object in the map_dependency array requires a parent field, a child field, and a pick_list_values array that maps each parent option to its relevant child options.


{

    "map_dependency": [ //Array that contains one or more dependency mappings

        {

            "parent": { // Mandatory - Represents the parent picklist

                "api_name": "Issue_Type", //Mandatory - API name of the parent field

                "id": "5725767000007985243" // Mandatory - Unique ID of the parent picklist

            },

            "pick_list_values": [  //Mandatory - List of parent picklist values and their corresponding child mappings

                {

                    "display_value": "-None-",

                    "maps": [

                        {

                            "display_value": "-None-",

                            "actual_value": "-None-",

                            "id": "5725767000007985204"

                        }

                    ],

                    "actual_value": "-None-",

                    "id": "5725767000007985249"

                },

                {

                    "display_value": "Login Issue",

                    "maps": [

                        {

                            "display_value": "Forgot Password", //Label shown in the UI for the parent value

                            "actual_value": "Forgot Password", //Actual stored value of the parent picklist option

                            "id": "5725767000007985185" //Mandatory - Unique ID of the parent picklist option

                        },

                        {

                            "display_value": "Account Locked",

                            "actual_value": "Account Locked",

                            "id": "5725767000007985187"

                        }

                        

                    ],

                    "actual_value": "Login Issue", //Actual value of the parent field's option

                    "id": "5725767000007985242" //Mandatory - Unique ID of the parent field's option

                },

                {

                    "display_value": "Payment Issue",

                    "maps": [

                        {

                            "display_value": "Credit Card Declined",

                            "actual_value": "Credit Card Declined",

                            "id": "5725767000007985191"

                        },

                        {

                            "display_value": "Refund Not Received",

                            "actual_value": "Refund Not Received",

                            "id": "5725767000007985193"

                        },

                        {

                            "display_value": "Double Charge",

                            "actual_value": "Double Charge",

                            "id": "5725767000007985195"

                        }

                    ],

                    "actual_value": "Payment Issue",

                    "id": "5725767000007985244"

                },

                {

                    "display_value": "Feature Request",

                    "maps": [

                        {

                            "display_value": "New Integration",

                            "actual_value": "New Integration",

                            "id": "5725767000007985197"

                        },

                        {

                            "display_value": "UI Enhancement",

                            "actual_value": "UI Enhancement",

                            "id": "5725767000007985199"

                        },

                        {

                            "display_value": "Report Customization",

                            "actual_value": "Report Customization",

                            "id": "5725767000007985201"

                        }

                    ],

                    "actual_value": "Feature Request",

                    "id": "5725767000007985246"

                }

            ],

            "child": { //Mandatory - Represents the child field

                "api_name": "Sub_Issue", //Mandatory - API name of the child field

                "id": "5725767000007985186" //Mandatory - Child picklist field ID

            }

        }

    ]



Sample Response 

{
    "map_dependency": [
        {
            "code": "SUCCESS",
            "details": {
                "id": "5725767000008174001"
            },
            "message": "map dependency created",
            "status": "success"
        }
    ]
}


Retrieve the configured field mappings using the GET Mapped Dependency Fields API

Request URL:  {{api-domain}}/crm/v8/settings/layouts/5725767000007972011/map_dependency/5725767000008174001?module=Support_Cases

Request Method: GET
Sample Response

{
    "map_dependency": [
        {
            "parent": {
                "api_name": "Issue_Type",
                "id": "5725767000007985243"
            },
            "internal": false,
            "active": true,
            "id": "5725767000008180001",
            "source": 1,
            "category": 0,
            "pick_list_values": [
                {
                    "display_value": "-None-",
                    "maps": [
                        {
                            "display_value": "-None-",
                            "actual_value": "-None-",
                            "id": "5725767000007985204"
                        }
                    ],
                    "actual_value": "-None-",
                    "id": "5725767000007985249"
                },
                {
                    "display_value": "Login Issue",
                    "maps": [
                        {
                            "display_value": "Forgot Password",
                            "actual_value": "Forgot Password",
                            "id": "5725767000007985185"
                        },
                        {
                            "display_value": "Account Locked",
                            "actual_value": "Account Locked",
                            "id": "5725767000007985187"
                        },
                        {
                            "display_value": "2FA Not Working",
                            "actual_value": "2FA Not Working",
                            "id": "5725767000007985189"
                        }
                    ],
                    "actual_value": "Login Issue",
                    "id": "5725767000007985242"
                },
              .
              .
              .
            ],
            "child": {
                "api_name": "Sub_Issue",
                "id": "5725767000007985186"
            }
        }
    ]
}
You will get a JSON structure containing all dependency mappings. Check if your parent and child fields appear as configured.

Update the existing mapped options using the PUT Mapped Dependency Fields API

Request URL:  {{api-domain}}/crm/v8/settings/layouts/5725767000007972011/map_dependency/5725767000008174001?module=Support_Cases

Request Method: PUT

Input JSON

{

    "map_dependency": [

        {

            "parent": {

                "api_name": "Issue_Type",

                "id": "5725767000007985243"

            },

            "pick_list_values": [

                {

                    "display_value": "-None-",

                    "maps": [

                {

                    "display_value": "Login Issue",

                    "maps": [

                        {

                            "display_value": "Forgot Password",

                            "actual_value": "Forgot Password",

                            "id": "5725767000007985185"

                        },

                        {

                            "display_value": "Account Locked",

                            "actual_value": "Account Locked",

                            "id": "5725767000007985187"

                        },

                        { // mapped a new option to the existing mapping

                            "display_value": "2FA Not Working",

                            "actual_value": "2FA Not Working",

                            "id": "5725767000007985189"

                        }

                    ],

                    "actual_value": "Login Issue",

                    "id": "5725767000007985242"

                }

            ],

            "child": {

                "api_name": "Sub_Issue",

                "id": "5725767000007985186"

            }

        }

    ]

}





Delete existing dependency using the DELETE Mapped Dependency Fields API

Request URL:  {{api-domain}}/crm/v8/settings/layouts/5725767000007972011/map_dependency/5725767000008174001?module=Support_Cases

Request Method: DELETE

Sample Response


{
    "map_dependency": [
        {
            "code": "SUCCESS",
            "details": {
                "id": "5725767000008174001"
            },
            "message": "map dependency deleted",
            "status": "success"
        }
    ]
}



Assigning picklist values using the Insert Records API

When you insert a record, you can directly pass the picklist option’s display value (not the ID) in the request body.

Request URL: {api-domain}/crm/v8/{module_api_name}
Request Method: POST

Sample Input 

{

    "data" : [

        {

            "Name" : "Support Case 1",

            "Support_Case" : "Login Issue",

            "Issue_Type" : "Login Issue",

            "Sub_Issue":"Forgot Password"

        }

    ]

}


Note: When creating or updating records via API, CRM does not validate the dependency relationship between parent and child picklist values.
To ensure data consistency and prevent data loss, always use the Get Map Dependency API before creating or updating records and to know correct mappings as well. This helps you retrieve the correct parent–child mappings and pass only valid picklist values in your API requests.

FAQs

Q1. Is the Map Dependency field supported in subforms?

Yes. You can configure dependency mappings for picklist fields within subforms as well. The Map Dependency Fields API supports creating parent–child picklist relationships directly inside a subform. To do this via API, use the subform’s API name as the module name when making the dependency mapping call.
This ensures that the dependency is created specifically for the picklist fields inside that subform, not the main module.

Q2. Can I keep the parent field in the main form and the child field in the subform?

Not currently. As of Zoho CRM API Version 8, cross-level mapping where the parent field is in the main form and the child field is in a subform, or vice versa is not supported neither via the UI nor through the API.

You can only:
  1. Map picklists within the main form, or
  2. Map picklists within the same subform.

Q3. What happens if I delete a picklist value that is part of a dependency?

If you delete a picklist option, the corresponding mapping will be automatically removed from the dependency.


Q4. What happens if I rename a picklist value that is part of a dependency?

If you rename a picklist option, the dependency will be automatically updated with the new option label.



We hope this post helps you learn more on mapping dependency fields in CRM using Zoho CRM APIs. Try it out, and let us know your experience in the comment section or reach out to us at support@zohocrm.com 

Stay tuned for more insights in our upcoming Kaizen posts!



    • Sticky Posts

    • 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.
    • Kaizen #226: Using ZRC in Client Script

      Hello everyone! Welcome to another week of Kaizen. In today's post, lets see what is ZRC (Zoho Request Client) and how we can use ZRC methods in Client Script to get inputs from a Salesperson and update the Lead status with a single button click. In this
    • Kaizen #222 - Client Script Support for Notes Related List

      Hello everyone! Welcome to another week of Kaizen. The final Kaizen post of the year 2025 is here! With the new Client Script support for the Notes Related List, you can validate, enrich, and manage notes across modules. In this post, we’ll explore how
    • Kaizen #217 - Actions APIs : Tasks

      Welcome to another week of Kaizen! In last week's post we discussed Email Notifications APIs which act as the link between your Workflow automations and you. We have discussed how Zylker Cloud Services uses Email Notifications API in their custom dashboard.
    • Kaizen #216 - Actions APIs : Email Notifications

      Welcome to another week of Kaizen! For the last three weeks, we have been discussing Zylker's workflows. We successfully updated a dormant workflow, built a new one from the ground up and more. But our work is not finished—these automated processes are
    • Recent Topics

    • Search not working!

      I have items in my notebook tagged but when I search for a tag nothing comes up! Any fix for this?
    • Zoho Books | Product updates | January 2026

      Hello users, We’ve rolled out new features and enhancements in Zoho Books. From e-filing Form 1099 directly with the IRS to corporation tax support, explore the updates designed to enhance your bookkeeping experience. E-File Form 1099 Directly With the
    • Updates for Zoho Campaigns: Merge tag, footer, and autoresponder migration

      Hello everyone, We'd like to inform you of some upcoming changes with regard to Zoho Campaigns. We understand that change can be difficult, but we're dedicated to ensuring a smooth transition while keeping you all informed and engaged throughout the process.
    • 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.
    • How do i integrate google analytics to Zoho Campaigns?

      Looking to track Zoho Traffic from email Current topic is outdated
    • How do teams manage meeting follow-ups across Zoho tools?

      We’re using Zoho tools for collaboration and tracking, but managing meeting notes, action items, and follow-ups across teams is still challenging. Curious how others are handling this within Zoho workflows. Are there best practices or integrations that
    • 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!
    • Let us view and export the full price books data from CRM

      I quote out of CRM, some of my clients have specialised pricing for specific products - therefore we use Price Books to manage these special prices. I can only see the breakdown of the products listed in the price book and the specialised pricing for
    • Mejoras urgentes para ZOHO MEETING

      Tengo unos meses usando Zoho Meeting. En general, es buena, pero hay cosas vitales que no logra cumplir con mínima calidad. 1) Calidad de audio y video: urge mejoras. Audio con retraso, imagen borrosa, mal recorte de silueta con fondos virtuales. Además,
    • Multiple header in the quote table???

      Hello, Is it possible in Zoho CRM to add multiple headers or sections within the Quote product table, so that when the quote is printed it shows separate sections (for example “Products” and “Services”)? To clarify, I’m asking because: This does not appear
    • Saving sent email campaign as PDF

      I'm looking to add all campaigns sent to an archive folder in sharepoint. Is there anyway to accomplish this in Zoho Flow ? I'm falling at the first hurdle ... can I automatically save a sent campaign as a PDF to a folder location ?
    • Exporting All Custom Functions in ZohoCRM

      Hello, All I've been looking for a way to keep about 30 functions that I have written in Zoho CRM updated in my own repository to use elsewhere in other instances. A github integration would be great, but a way to export all custom functions or any way
    • Conditional Layouts On Multi Select Field

      How we can use Conditional Layouts On Multi Select Field field? Please help.
    • Appreciation to Qntrl Support Team

      We are writing this topic to appreciate the outstanding level of support from Qntrl Team. We have been using Qntrl since 2022 after shifting from another similar platform. Since we joined Qntrl, the team has shown a high level of professionalism, support,
    • How can I hide "My Requests" and "Marketplace" icon from the side menu

      Hello everybody, We recently started using the new Zoho CRM for Everyone. How can I hide "My Requests" and "Marketplace" from the side menu? We don't use these features at the moment, and I couldn't find a way to disable or remove them. Best regards,
    • Whatsapp Integration on Zoho Campaign

      Team: Can the messages from Zoho Campaign delivered through Whatsapp... now customers no longer are active on email, but the entire campaign module is email based.... when will it be available on whatsapp.... are there any thirdparty providers who can
    • Mandatory Field - but only at conversion

      Hello! We use Zoho CRM and there are times where the "Lead Created Date & Time" field isn't populated into a "Contractor" (Account is the default phrase i believe). Most of my lead tracking is based on reading the Lead Created field above, so it's important
    • Using data fields in Zoho Show presentations to extract key numbers from Zia insights based on a report created

      Is it possible to use data fields in Zoho Show presentations along with Zoho Analytics to extract key numbers from Zia insights based on a report created? For example, using this text below: (note that the numbers in bold would be from Zia Insights) Revenue
    • Free webinar: AI-powered agreement management with Zoho Sign

      Hi there! Does preparing an agreement feel like more work than actually signing it? You're definitely not alone. Between drafting the document, managing revisions, securing internal approvals, and rereading clauses to make sure everything still reflects
    • WhatsApp Channels in Zoho Campaigns

      Now that Meta has opened WhatsApp Channels globally, will you add it to Zoho Campaigns? It's another top channel for marketing communications as email and SMS. Thanks.
    • CRM For Everyone - Bring Back Settings Tile View

      I've been using CRM for Everyone since it was in early access and I just can't stand the single list settings menu down the left-hand side. It takes so much longer to find the setting I need. Please give users the option to make the old sytle tile view
    • Lets have Dynamics 365 integration with Zohobooks

      Lets have Dynamics 365 integration with Zohobooks
    • Add notes in spreadsheet view

      It would be great if we could Add/edit notes in the spreadsheet view of contacts/leads. This would enable my sales teams to greatly increase their number of calls. Also viewing the most recent note in the Contact module would also be helpful.
    • Opening balances - Accounts Receivable and Payable

      Our accounting year starts on 1st August 2013 and I have a Trial Balance as at that date, including Accounts Receivableand Accounts Payable balances, broken down by each customer and supplier. Q1 - do I show my opening balance date as 31st July 2013 or
    • Cancel Subscription

      Hi , Im want to cancel my account but without success please help me to do it
    • Making an email campaign into a Template

      I used a Zoho Campaign Template to create an email. Now I want to use this email and make it a new template, but this seems to be not possible. Am I missing something?
    • Direct Access and Better Search for Zoho Quartz Recordings

      Hi Zoho Team, We would like to request a few enhancements to improve how Zoho Quartz recordings are accessed and managed after being submitted to Zoho Support. Current Limitation: After submitting a Quartz recording, the related Zoho Support ticket displays
    • Multiple Cover Letters

      We are using the staffing firm edition of Recruit and we have noticed that candidates cannot add more than one cover letter. This is a problem as they might be applying for multiple jobs on our career site and when we submit their application to a client,
    • URGENT: Deluge issue with Arabic text Inbox

      Dear Deluge Support, We are facing an issue that started on 12/Feb/2026 with custom functions written using Deluge within Qntrl platform. Currently, custom functions do not accept Arabic content; it is replaced with (???) characters. Scenario 1: If we
    • File Conversion from PDF to JPG/PNG

      Hi, I have a question did  anyone every tried using custom function to convert a PDF file to JPG/PNG format? Any possibility by using the custom function to achieve this within zoho apps.  I do know there are many third parties API provide this with
    • Now in Zoho One: Orchestrate customer journeys across apps with Zoho CommandCenter

      Hello Zoho One Community! We’re excited to introduce Zoho CommandCenter as a new capability available in Zoho One. For the whole customer journey As Zoho One customers adopt more apps across sales, marketing, finance, and support, a common challenge emerges:
    • annualy customer report

      we need a report per customer that looks like this invoic number cleaning laundry repair management 01 january xxx euro xx euro xx euro xxx euro 02 february xxx euro xxx euro x euro xxxx euro and so on the years 12 months is that possible to make and
    • Totals for Sales Tax Report

      On the sales tax report, the column totals aren't shown for any column other than Total Tax. I can't think of a good reason that they shouldn't be included for the other columns, as well. It would help me with my returns, for sure. It seems ludicrous
    • Free Webinar: Zoho Sign for Zoho Projects: Automate tasks and approvals with e-signatures

      Hi there! Handling multiple projects at once? Zoho Projects is your solution for automated and streamlined project management, and with the Zoho Sign extension, you can sign, send, and manage digital paperwork directly from your project workspace. Join
    • Exported Report File Name

      Hi, We often export reports for information. It is time consuming to rename all the reports we export on a weekly basis, as when exported their default name is a seemingly random string of numbers. These numbers may be important, I'm not sure, but I am
    • Automatic Refresh on Page?

      Hi everyone, We use a page as a dashboard which shows data for the laboratory and tasks pending etc. Is there a way to set the page to automatically refresh on a X time? Many thanks TOG
    • Add RTL and Hebrew Support for Candidate Portal (and Other Zoho Recruit Portals)

      Dear Zoho Recruit Team, I hope you're doing well. We would like to request the ability to set the Candidate Portal to be Right-to-Left (RTL) and in Hebrew, similar to the existing functionality for the Career Site. Currently, when we set the Career Site
    • Default Reminder Time in New Tasks or New Event?

      Any way to change this from 1:00am? Thanks, Gary Moderation Update (February 2026): With the Calendar preferences, the default reminder time for Meetings, Appointments and All-Day Meetings can be set. Read more: Calendar preferences in Zoho CRM Regarding
    • Dynamic Field Folders in OneDrive

      Hi, With the 2 options today we have either a Dynamic Parent Folder and lots of attachments all in that one folder with only the ability to set the file name (Which is also not incremented so if I upload 5 photos to one field they are all named the same
    • Right Shift key not sending to Zoho Assist environments

      I'm unable to use Right Shift key in Zoho environments. Zoho environments are Win10. Computer I access from is Win 11. Issue started when I changed to Win 11. Have tried: - Multiple browsers - web client AND desktop client - 3rd party mapping tools to
    • Next Page