Kaizen 215 - Workflow APIs - Part 3
Welcome back to another week of Kaizen!
Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve joined Zylker Cloud Services as they review and improve their workflows. In Part 1, we discovered and audited their sprawling workflow landscape. In Part 2, we learned how to use the Configuration API to understand valid triggers and actions, preventing errors before they happen.
Now, it is time to take action. Zylker has identified the "VP Alert - High Value Deal" workflow as a prime candidate for an update. It is old, has never run, and its logic might be too narrow. We will also explore how to create a new workflow from scratch to handle a new business requirement.
STEP 5: Update an Existing Workflow
From our audit in Step 2, we know that the existing ‘VP Alert - High Value Deal’ workflow (id: 4876876000016390024) hadn’t triggered even once. The original $50,000 threshold missed many valuable deals. Most winning opportunities actually land above $30,000. It has never executed, suggesting the criteria are too strict.
Let us use the Update Workflow Rule API to fix it. We'll change the criteria to trigger for deals greater than or equal to $30,000 and add an additional email notification.
What you can and cannot update
When working with the Update Workflow Rule API, not every field in a workflow is open for modification. Think of it like editing an existing automation blueprint. Some foundations are fixed, while others are flexible.
You can update:
Name and Description
Trigger : You can update triggers, but only within the same trigger type. For example, you can change a Record Action trigger from create to edit, but not from a Record Action trigger to a Score-based trigger. For more details on this, please refer to our detailed help documentation here.
Conditions and Criteria : add, remove, or refine them.
Actions : add new ones, remove existing ones, or update their configuration.
Status : activate or deactivate a workflow rule.
What cannot be updated
There are a few key restrictions to remember:
You cannot change the module associated with the workflow.
You cannot switch trigger categories (e.g., from Record Action to Email Trigger).
You cannot retain unsupported actions when changing to a trigger that doesn’t support them. For instance, if you change a trigger from Edit to Delete, but keep an Assign Owner action, the update will fail, because “Assign Owner” isn’t valid for Delete triggers.
Updating an existing workflow is not about replacing everything. it is about editing precisely what needs to change.
Here is how to do it:
Fetch the workflow details using the Get Workflow Rule API. This gives the full structure, including condition IDs, action IDs, and trigger details.
Identify what needs to change.
In this case, to fix the “VP Alert - High Value Deal” workflow, we can update the Workflow rule to:
lower the threshold to $300,000
change the comparator to greater_than.
To make the workflow more useful, Zylker has also decided to add a few new actions.
But before doing that, the developers needed to confirm which actions are supported for this workflow’s trigger type. That is where last week’s Configuration API comes in handy. Since we already know this is a Record Action trigger (create_or_edit), we can refer to the configuration response we explored in Part 2 to see which actions are valid.
{ "api_name": "create_or_edit", "deprecated": false, "name": "CreateorEdit", "scheduled_actions_supported": true, "actions": [ "field_updates", "assign_owner", "add_tags", "remove_tags", "email_notifications", "tasks", "create_record", "create_connected_record", "add_meeting", "webhooks", "functions", "circuits", "flow" ] }, |
The response clearly shows that email notifications, field updates, and tags are all supported for this trigger type. With that confidence, in addition to updating the condition, we can also add a 'Priority' tag to those records that trigger the Workflow. This makes the workflow more visible and actionable across the sales hierarchy.
Sample Request:
PUT {{api-domain}}/crm/v8/settings/automation/workflow_rules/4876876000016390024
{ "workflow_rules": [ { "description": "Notify sales leadership and track strategic opportunities", "name": "VP Alert - High Value Deal.", "conditions": [ { "sequence_number": 1, "criteria_details": { "criteria": { "group_operator": "AND", "group": [ { "comparator": "greater_than", // change in comparator operator "field": { "api_name": "Amount" }, "value": "300000" // Lowered threshold }, { "comparator": "equal", "field": { "api_name": "Stage" }, "value": "Negotiation/Review" } ] } }, "instant_actions": { "actions": [ { "type": "add_tags", "module": "Deals", "details": { "tags": [ { "name": "Priority" } ], "overwrite": true } } ] }, "id": "4876876000016390025" // id of the condition to be updated } ] } ] } |
After this update, the workflow now triggers for any deal worth more than $300,000 in the Negotiation/Review stage. Apart from sending the email notifications and adding the follow up task, it also tags these deals as Priority.
Edit vs Add:
To edit an existing condition or action, include its existing id in your update payload. Zoho CRM will recognize it as an update to that object.
To add a new condition or action, simply omit the id. CRM treats any object without an ID as a new addition.
STEP 6: Create a new Workflow Rule
With the “VP Alert - High Value Deal” workflow now fixed and performing as expected, Zylker’s sales team quickly began to see results.
But their sales team noticed that deals often stall after proposals are sent, with no systematic follow-up. Zylker has hence refined the requirements for a new Workflow.
They want to automatically trigger follow-up actions when a high-value deal (above ₹30,000) is marked “Closed Lost” due to pricing reasons. This workflow must ensure that every lost opportunity is reviewed, tagged, and re-engaged after a cooling-off period. To achieve this, they want to create a workflow to be triggered whenever a deal’s Stage is updated to Closed Lost. It must perform the following actions:
Add tags Lost due to Pricing and Re-engagement Pending.
Send an email alert to the Sales team, with the details of the failed Deal, so they can look into the reasons.
After 30 business days, automatically create another “Lost Deal - Feedback” task to remind the owner to re-contact the customer for feedback, and for future opportunities.
Before proceeding, Zylker makes an API call to the Workflow Configuration endpoint. This ensures that their chosen trigger type and actions are supported. From the response snippet below, it is clear that a field_update trigger supports scheduled actions and the required action types.
{ "api_name": "field_update", "deprecated": false, "name": "FieldUpdate", "scheduled_actions_supported": true, "actions": [ "field_updates", "assign_owner", "add_tags", "remove_tags", "email_notifications", "tasks", "create_record", "create_connected_record", "add_meeting", "webhooks", "functions", "circuits", "flow" ] } |
With these details validated, we can now move on to adding a new workflow for Zylker using the Create Workflow Rule API request.
Understanding the input JSON structure
Every workflow definition follows the same hierarchy - defining when the rule runs, what conditions it checks, and which actions it performs.
The top-level input object contains a workflow_rules array. You must include just one workflow rule object per request. Each workflow rule defines its name, trigger type, and one or more condition blocks, each with its own criteria and actions.
Here is a breakdown of what is inside a single workflow rule:
{ "workflow_rules": [ { "name": "VP Alert - High Value Deal.", //name of the workflow rule "description": "Notify leadership when high-value deals are lost due to pricing.", "module": { "api_name": "Deals" }, //module to which the workflow applies "execute_when": { ... }, //trigger configuration (e.g., on record edit, field update, etc.) "conditions": [ { "sequence_number": 1, // order of execution. this is the first condition "criteria_details": { ... }, // condition logic (criteria group) "instant_actions": { "actions": [ ... ] }, //instant actions executed instantly cheduled_actions": [ // schedules actions executed after a delay { "execute_after": { ... }, // delay period for the scheduled action "actions": [ ... ] } ] }, { "sequence_number": 2, // second condition "criteria_details": { ... }, "instant_actions": { "actions": [ ... ] } } ] } ] } |
Associative vs. Non-Associative Actions
Every workflow rule performs one or more actions like sending an email, creating a task, or updating a field, etc. These actions fall into two broad categories: associative and non-associative.
Type | Description | Example Actions |
Non- Associative Actions | These are defined inside the workflow rule itself. They do not need to exist beforehand. You can configure their details directly within the workflow payload. | Create record, schedule a call, add a meeting, convert records, social actions, create record on email received, assign owner, |
Associative Actions | These are reusable actions created separately in CRM and referenced by their IDs. They can be used across multiple workflows and other automation tools. | Field updates, Email notifications, tasks, Webhooks, Add/Remove tags |
When you create or update a workflow via API, the associative actions require you to pass their existing action IDs. These IDs can be fetched using the corresponding Actions APIs : Field Updates, Email Notifications, Webhooks, and Tasks. In the coming weeks of Kaizen, we will take a closer look at each of these Actions APIs. We will see how to create, manage, and delete them within your workflow automation strategy.
Sample Request:
POST {{api-domain}}/crm/v8/settings/automation/workflow_rules
{ "workflow_rules": [ { "execute_when": { "details": { "trigger_module": { "api_name": "Deals", "id": "4876876000000002181" }, "criteria": { "comparator": "equal", "field": { "api_name": "Stage", "id": "4876876000000002565" }, "type": "value", "value": "Closed Lost" }, "repeat": false, "match_all": false }, "type": "field_update" }, "module": { "api_name": "Deals", "id": "4876876000000002181" }, "description": "Triggers tasks, tags, and follow-up reminders for high-value deals lost due to pricing", "name": "Lost Deal due to Pricing - Follow Up", "conditions": [ { "sequence_number": 1, "instant_actions": { "actions": [ { "name": "Lost Deal - Feedback", "id": "4876876000016794047", "type": "tasks" }, { "details": { "module": { "api_name": "Deals", "id": "4876876000000002181" }, "over_write": false, "tags": [ { "name": "Lost due to Pricing", "id": "4876876000016794071", "color_code": "#658BA8" }, { "name": "Re-engagement pending", "id": "4876876000016794075", "color_code": "#879BFC" } ] }, "type": "add_tags" }, { "name": "Deal Lost Alert", "id": "4876876000016794062", "type": "email_notifications" } ] }, "scheduled_actions": [ { "execute_after": { "period": "business_days", "unit": 30 }, "actions": [ { "name": "Lost Deal - Feedback", "id": "4876876000016794047", "type": "tasks" } ] } ], "criteria_details": { "criteria": { "group_operator": "AND", "group": [ { "comparator": "greater_equal", "field": { "api_name": "Amount", "id": "4876876000000002557" }, "type": "value", "value": "30000" }, { "comparator": "equal", "field": { "api_name": "Reason_For_Loss__s", "id": "4876876000002440001" }, "type": "value", "value": "Price" } ] } } } ] } ] } |
The execute_when defines when the workflow should fire.
type = field_update means this rule runs when a field’s value changes.
criteria : Stage = Closed Lost so the rule triggers whenever the Stage field is updated to Closed Lost.
repeat = false ensures it will not trigger multiple times for the same record.
In simple terms: “Whenever a deal is marked as Closed Lost, run this workflow.” The criteria_details section refines the trigger. The workflow only runs when the Amount ≥ ₹30,000 AND Reason for Loss = Price.
The instant_actions section inside the conditions array has the actions to be executed immediately when the criteria are met.
Add Tags : labels the record for easy filtering and reporting.
Send Email Alert : notifies the sales team instantly about the lost deal.
The scheduled_actions defines what happens after some time has passed. In this case, after 30 business days. Here, the workflow automatically creates a “Lost Deal - Feedback” task, reminding the deal owner to follow up with the customer to get feedback, and for future opportunities.
- The Amount is greater than or equal to ₹30,000, and
The Reason for Loss is “Price.”
By combining these elements, this workflow achieves a full closed-loop follow-up system.
Conclusion:
Zylker’s updated and new workflows make their automation smarter and more responsive. They are now able to spot key deals and ensure lost opportunities are revisited.
We hope you are now well on your way to mastering Workflow APIs. Share your thoughts in the comments or write to us at support@zohocrm.com.
Additional Reading:
- Workflow APIs - Part 1 - Auditing Workflows
- Workflow APIs - Part 2 - Find out what actions and triggers are supported for each module
Topic Participants
Anu Abraham
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 thisKaizen #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 howKaizen #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
string(87) "{"code":"INVALID_TOKEN","details":{},"message":"invalid oauth token","status":"error"} " grtting this error
Using access token i am trying to add sales orders through api but it is throwing errors like the above i have mentioned. Please help me for thatHow to mute chat notification sound by default in Zoho SalesIQ?
We’ve recently embedded the Zoho SalesIQ chatbot on our website, and we’ve noticed that notification sounds sometimes play even when the visitor hasn’t interacted with the chat widget yet. We’re trying to understand two things: Why do these sounds occurKanban View for Projects.
At our organization, we describe active projects with various statuses like "In Proofing" or "Printing" or "Mailing". In the Projects view, one can set these project statuses by selecting from the appropriate drop-down. While this works, it's difficult to view and comprehend the progress of all of your projects relative to each other in a table. Creating a Kanban view for projects where I can move them from one status to another allows me to see where each project is in the order of our workflow.How to Hide Article Links in SalesIQ Answer Bot Responses
I have published an article in SalesIQ, and the Answer Bot is fetching the data and responding correctly. However, it is also displaying the article link, which I don’t want. How can I remove the link so that only the message is shown?Add RECURRING option when adding email to calendar events
When you add an email to a calendar event, there is no option to make that new calendar event into a recurring event. It is counterproductive to make an event from your email to then have to go to your calendar, find the event, and make it recurring.LINE Auto Message Connect to Zoho
When I integrated LINE into the CRM, I was prompted to disable “Chat,” “Auto Response,” and “Greeting Messages,” and to enable the webhook. However, since I have already set up some auto-reply features in LINE, including Rich Messages and greeting automation,Option to block bookings from specific email address or ip adresss in zoho booking
Sometime few of our client keep booking irrelevant booking service just to resolve their queries and they keep booking it again and again whenever they have queries. Currently its disturbing our current communication process and hierarchy which we haveThreaded conversations for emails sent via automation
Hi Guys, I hope you are doing well. Don't you guys think we should have an option in a workflow to notify users either as a new email or the previous email thread. For example, if you have one deal in the process and there are 10 different stages duringCreate folder is fetch fails
coming from zapier... zapier has a google drive task that searches for a specific folder in google drive, and if it fails to find the folder it will create a folder based on the search criteria, and contine along the singluar path of the flow. TryingMeetups de Usuarios de Zoho - Noviembre 2025
¡Hola, Comunidad! Durante el mes de noviembre celebraremos los Meetups de usuarios de Zoho, encuentros presenciales pensados para quienes queráis mejorar vuestras estrategias de lead nurturing y aprender a sacar el máximo partido a herramientas como ZohoIntroducing 8 New Connectors in Zoho DataPrep!
We’ve just made data management even easier - Zoho DataPrep now supports 8 new external connectors to help you build more robust, scalable ETL pipelines. Why it matters: ✅ Broader data access ✅ More automation, less manual work ✅ Smarter pipelines, betterFirst day of trying FSM in the field.
What we found. 1. with out a network connection we were unable to start a service call? 2. if you go to an appointment and then want to add an asset it does not seem possible. 3. disappointed not to be able to actually take a payment from within the appHow to Automate Email Sequence
I'm having trouble trying to set up a workflow to automate an email sequence. Once a group of emails in a Task has been tagged by a certain tag, I want an instant email template to be sent. After 7 days with no response, another email template would beZoho Sprints Android v2.0.4 app update: Item reminders, archive Epics, Kanban projects, Epic progress
Hello everyone! In the latest version(v2.0.4) of the Zoho Sprints Android app update, we have introduced various new features. Let's take a look at what's new! Item Reminder Stay organized and never miss an important date with the all-new Item ReminderCredit Management: #3 Setting Credit Limit for Customers
Think about that one familiar customer of yours who always buys on credit. They usually pay on time, maybe a little late here and there, but not alarming. So, you are fine saying, "Sure, pay later." Then, one day, they place a significantly bigger orderUpdate on the client portal URL for Guest users
We’re updating the way Guest users access their Connect network. As part of this change, all client organization portals used by Guest users will now be accessible through a dedicated domain specific to each data center. The access URLs mentioned hereUnable to see Zoho contacts in Zoho app on ios
Hi Support Team, I am a new user, I have created my account and installed zohomail app on iOS 16 which works. I was also able to import my Gmail contacts into Zoho Contacts, which I can see. The problem is that I can’t see these imported cobalts in ZohomailTask Due Date greater than 10 years.
We use recurring tasks in Projects where every week, month, year etc Some of our projects are greater than 10 years and we are unable to set a new due date because the difference between start date and due date is greater than 10 years. As an exampleExternal User onboarding for zoho connect is not really intuitive.
So the external user is sent an invite, which has a button that directs them to login to zoho to view the invite, but if they don't have a zoho account, they cannot access that invite, which seems kinda silly, as there is not real way on for them to createHosting external websites on Zoho?
How can I host my external website on zoho? Do we have that option? I am currently with hostinger and am looking to switch to zoho. Kindly help. Thanks.How to Add Time Formula Duration (hh:mm)
Hi everyone — I’m trying to create a formula field in Zoho CRM that calculates the difference between a “Call Start Time” and “Call End Time” and displays the duration in HH:MM format (for example: 1:04 for one hour and four minutes). My current setupHow can I calculate the physical stock available for sale?
Hey Zoho Team, I've tried to calculate the physical stock on hand in various ways - but always receive a mismatch between what's displayed in Zoho Inventory & analytics. Can you please let me know how the physical stock available for sale is calculated?Marketing Tip #4: Build your email list early
Email marketing has one of the highest returns on investment. Don’t wait until later; start collecting subscribers now. When you've got their attention, you can send them emails about offers, new product launches, seasonal greetings, and more. Try thisIs anyone else having trouble saving a custom image in their email signature, or is it just me?
When I try to save the image I get an error that says "Operation Failed" I opened a support ticket two weeks ago and received a response that it would be debugged, but it still isn’t workingImplementing Inventory Process
I am just starting to create an inventory system through Zoho for a nonprofit. We receive in-kind donations of items for kids, and utilize them in 2 or 3 different programs. Then families come in and take the items. I'm thinking of this structure: OurZoho Desk Domain mapping / Cloudflare CNAME not recognized
Hello, my website is behind Cloudflare and SSL. From the Cloudflare control panel I added a CNAME record such as support.mydomain.com pointing to desk.cs.zohohost.com but I'm stuck with the message "Make sure you've mapped the CNAME entry..."I want to add my other zoho account in same pc
why does zoho restrict me doing many things as i also want to add my second mail account bit its not allowing me to do thatSearch in Zoho Community Not Working
I realize this is a bit of a meta topic, but the search for the various Zoho Communities appears to not be working. I'm under the impression that they run on some version of the Zoho Desk platform, so I'm posting this here.Capture Stripe’s Customer ID
Does anyone know of a way to capture Stripe’s customer ID that is created when the form/payment is processed? I would like to have the customer ID stored in our CRM so we could utilize in some custom functions down the road.Custom Modules - Where are Comments??
In the standard ticket module and in the tasks module, we have an interactive comment box that we can post important details/notes and can tag others if needed. Where is this functionality for Custom Modules? Ideally, custom modules would have very similar,Zoho Mail will not set up in Thunderbird
I am using Thunderbird 13.0.1 in Linux Mint 13 64-bit. I cannot set up my Zoho IMAP email in this client. This is evidently a common problem as evidenced by these postings in the Thunderbird forum: thunderbird can't seem to "find the settings" I cannot configure it for my zoho.com email account I can not get ZOHO to configure. Any suggestions? The best T-bird seems to be able to do is to refer these users to the Zoho forum. I believe the instructions in the Zoho help wiki are correct, althoughZoho ShowTime: Certificates of Completion - Award your learners with a sense of achievement
In our increasingly competitive market, professional trainers need to differentiate themselves if they are to survive. One way to do this is to focus on innovation and deliver an ideal learning experience. By developing a renowned certificate program that provides learners with a specialized skill set for a particular industry, both trainees and future prospects will recognize the trainer's leadership in that field. This can help with long-term growth, revenue generation, and even marketing and branding.IMAP Migration from Gmail
I have been trying to import my email from a Gmail server and keep receiving the following error. I have reduced the security, activated imap and no improvement. The link to the Google support item has not helped. Unable to connect to your account. PleaseYour Incoming has been blocked and the emails will not be fetched in your Zoho account and POP Accounts Click here to get unblocked.
When entering my account, this error is thrown at me, and I deleted a good part of my deleted messages, but I still can not unblock it, I would appreciate your help. reservas@lineasperutravel.comRequest for Creating Multiple Email Accounts on One Mobile Number
Dear Zoho Team, I am planning to shift all my work-related communication to Zoho Mail because of its reliability and features. For my work, I need to create 3–4 separate email accounts for different purposes. Could you please confirm if it is possibleSignature issue
Problem: The signature does not appear when replying or forwarding an email. solve issue: settintgs/Signature Check option place a signature above the content with quotation marksmail admin not loading
i am trying to login to mailadmin ... gears keeps rotating forever... its not a password issue whats so ever ... not cookies issues whatsoever from android app i can login but there so few things to do from there .. i changed ip address the same... iUnify All Zoho Video Meeting Experiences into One Standardized Platform
Hi Zoho Team, We would like to share an important user experience concern regarding the current state of video meeting functionality across the Zoho ecosystem. The Problem Within Zoho, there are multiple ways to initiate or schedule a video meeting: ZohoChanging Account in Quote form does not update address information.
I am trying to update the address information in a quote I've created. I corrected the address in the "Account" but that did not change in the quote. If I re-enter the Account Name in the Quote form, nothing updates. How do I fix this?Zoho One Backup of entire account
Hello, When using Zoho one is there a way to backup your entire account of all apps that you are using \ activively using in a single step or do you have to backup each applications data individually? Thanks,Next Page