Kaizen #84 - PHP SDK [Part I]

Kaizen #84 - PHP SDK [Part I]

Hello and welcome to another Kaizen week!

In this week's post, we'll show you how to get started with Zoho CRM's PHP SDK, and walk you through the configuration and initialization process.

PHP Software Development Kit

PHP SDK allows you to create client PHP applications that can be integrated with Zoho CRM effortlessly. It serves as a wrapper for the REST APIs, thus making it easier to use the services of Zoho CRM.

Why PHP SDK?

Easy authentication: You don't have to worry about manually managing authentication because the PHP SDK takes care of generating access/refresh tokens for you.
Easy and Efficient data exchange: With the PHP SDK, you can easily exchange data between Zoho CRM and your client PHP application, where the CRM entities are modelled as classes. You can declare and define CRM API equivalents as simple functions in your PHP application.

Prerequisites 

  • The client app must have PHP 7 or above with a cURL extension. cURL extension is used to connect and communicate with the Zoho CRM APIs.
  • The client app must have the PHP SDK installed through Composer. 

How to start using the PHP SDK?

  1. Prerequisite : Register your application with Zoho CRM.
  2. Install the PHP SDK.
  3. Knowledge Base : Token Persistence
  4. Configuration 
  5. initialization.

1. Register your application with Zoho CRM

Registering your application with Zoho CRM is a mandatory step in order to authenticate and authorize API calls using the OAuth2.0 standards.
  1. Go to https://api-console.zoho.com
  2. Click on Get Started or +ADD CLIENT.
  3. Choose the Client Type.
  4. Fill in the necessary details and click CREATE. Once you successfully register your self-client, you will receive a Client ID and Client Secret.

2. Install PHP SDK 

1. Install Composer, if not already installed. Please check the corresponding link for installation instructions.

2. Install PHP-SDK using Composer
  • Navigate to the workspace of your client app.
  • Run the following command in the workspace. Upon successful installation, the system will create a package named vendor in the workspace of your client app.   Note : This command installs SDK for API v2.1.

    composer require zohocrm/php-sdk-2.1

3. To use the SDK in your project, add the following line in your project PHP files. This loads and includes our PHP-SDK library in your project. If you skip this step, you will get a fatal error in response due to the missing libraries.

require 'vendor/autoload.php';

3. Token Persistence

Token persistence refers to storing and utilizing authentication tokens provided by Zoho, enabling the SDK to refresh the access tokens without the need for user intervention. The SDK offers three types of persistence - File, DB, and Custom - with file persistence being the default method. 
The persistence is achieved by writing an implementation of the inbuilt TokenStore interface, which has the following callback methods. 

Method
Description
getToken($user, $token)
Invoked before firing a request to fetch the saved tokens. This method returns an implementation of Token interface object for the library to process it.
saveToken($user, $token)
Invoked after fetching access and refresh tokens from Zoho. This method saves the token details.
deleteToken($token)
This method is used to delete the given token details.
getTokens()
This method is used to retrieve all the stored tokens.
deleteTokens() 
The method to delete all the stored tokens.
getTokenById($id, $token) 
This method is used to retrieve the user token details based on the unique ID.

a. Token Persistence using a Database

Database persistence is a technique that involves storing and retrieving data from a database. If you prefer using database persistence, you can use MySQL. 
Create a table in your database with the required columns. For example, if you want to persist your tokens in a table named token in database named zoho, use the following:
CREATE DATABASE zoho; // use this to create database named zoho
// use this to create a table named token, with the necessary columns
CREATE TABLE token ( 
  id varchar(255) NOT NULL,
  user_mail varchar(255) NOT NULL,
  client_id varchar(255),
  client_secret varchar(255),
  refresh_token varchar(255),
  access_token varchar(255),
  grant_token varchar(255),
  expiry_time varchar(20),
  redirect_url varchar(255),
  primary key (id)
);

In this example, your tokens will be persisted in the token table in your zoho database.

b. File Persistence

File Persistence allows storing and retrieving the authentication tokens from the given file path. The file contains id, user_mail, client_id, client_secret, refresh_token, access_token, grant_token, expiry_time and redirect_url. 

c. Custom Persistence

Custom Persistence refers to a technique where users can create their own method of storing and retrieving authentication tokens. To use this method, users need to implement the TokenStore interface and override its methods according to their own logic.

4. Configuration

Configuration is a critical step in which you set up SDK's configuration details like user authentication, token persistence, logging and API call timeout settings, and more. Listed below are the keys that you define in this step.

Key
Description
user
mandatory
Represents the mail id, which is used to identify and fetch tokens from the File or DB.
environment
mandatory
Represents the data centre details in Domain::Environment pattern.
Domains : USDataCenter, EUDataCenter, INDataCenter, CNDataCenter, AUDataCenter
Environments : PRODUCTION(), DEVELOPER(), SANDBOX()
token
mandatory
Contains user token details. Depending on the tokens, you can choose grantToken flow, refreshToken flow or accessToken flow.
logger
optional
Contains the configuration for logging exceptions and API call information. By default, the logs will be available in the workspace as sdk_logs.log.
store
optional
Contains details for the Token Persistence object. You can choose between DB Store, File Store or Custom Store, and configure accordingly.
SDKConfig
optional
Contains additional configuration details like timeout, autorefresh fields, picklistvalidation, etc
requestProxy
optional
Contains the details of the proxy, if you are using a proxy server to authenticate and make the API calls.
resourcePath
optional
The path containing the absolute directory path to store user specific files containing the module fields information.


Let us discuss how to configure each of them, in detail.
a. user : The user key will be used to store and identify the tokenstore details in the DB or File Storage for token persistence. Create an instance of UserSignature that identifies the current user with the following :
  1. $user = new UserSignature("patricia@zoho.com");
b. environment : The API environment which decides the domain and the URL to make API calls. 
  1. $environment = USDataCenter::PRODUCTION();
c. token : Create an instance of OAuthToken with the information that you get after registering your Zoho client. Depending on the tokens available with you, you can choose one of the following flows. 
Note : You need to generate the tokens (grant/access/refresh) beforehand. 
  • grantToken flow - You should use the grant Token for configuration.
    $token = (new OAuthBuilder())
      ->clientId("clientId")
      ->clientSecret("clientSecret")
      ->grantToken("grantToken")
      ->redirectURL("redirectURL")
      ->build();

  • refreshToken flow -In this flow, use the refresh token.
    $token = (new OAuthBuilder())
      ->clientId("clientId")
      ->clientSecret("clientSecret")
      ->refreshToken("refreshToken")
      ->redirectURL("redirectURL")
      ->build();

  • accessToken flow - You can use the access token to configure in this flow. Please note that the token will not be persisted in this case, and the access token will be directly used to make the API calls.

    $token = (new OAuthBuilder()
      ->accessToken("accessToken")
      ->build(); 

d. logger : Create an instance of Logger Class to log exception and API information. You can set the level you want to log (FATAL, ERROR, WARNING, INFO, DEBUG, TRACE, ALL, OFF), and also configure the file path and file name for the log file.

$logger = (new LogBuilder())
->level(Levels::INFO)
->filePath("/Documents/php_sdk_log.log")
->build();

e. store : Configure your token persistence using this method. If this is skipped, the SDK creates the sdk_tokens.txt in the current working directory to persist the tokens by default.
  • DB Store - Configure the Database details, where you want to store your tokens.
    $tokenstore = (new DBBuilder())
    ->host("hostName")
    ->databaseName("dataBaseName")
    ->userName("userName")
    ->password("password")
    ->portNumber("portNumber")
    ->tableName("tableName")
    ->build();

  • File store - Give the absolute file path, where you want to store the tokens. 
    $tokenstore = new FileStore("absolute_file_path");

  • Custom Store - In this method, you can implement your own method for storing and retrieving the tokens. Please note that to do so, you must implement the TokenStore interface, and override its callback methods (getToken, saveToken, deleteToken, getTokens, deleteTokens, getTokenById). 
    $tokenstore = new CustomStore();

Note :  The corresponding storage will  have id, user_mail, client_id, client_secret, refresh_token, access_token, grant_token, expiry_time and redirect_url. The id is a unique system generated key.

f. SDKConfig : The additional SDK configurations are taken care of with this method. 

Configuration Key
Description
autoRefreshFields
Default Value : False
A boolean configuration key to enable or disable automatic refreshing of module fields in the background. If set to true, fields are refreshed every hour, and if set to false, fields must be manually refreshed or deleted.
pickListValidation
Default Value : True
This field enables or disables pick list validation. If enabled, user input for pick list fields is validated, and if the value does not exist in the pick list, the SDK throws an error. If disabled, the input is not validated and the API call is made.
enableSSLVerification
Default Value : True
A boolean field to enable or disable curl certificate verification. If set to true, the SDK verifies the authenticity of certificate. If set to false, the SDK skips the verification.
connectionTimeout
Default Value : 0
The maximum time (in seconds) to wait while trying to connect. Use 0 to wait indefinitely.
timeout
Default Value : 0
The maximum time (in seconds) to allow cURL functions to execute. Use 0 to wait indefinitely.
  1. $autoRefreshFields = false;
  2. $pickListValidation = false;
  3. $enableSSLVerification = true;
  4. $connectionTimeout = 2;
  5. $timeout = 2;
  6. $sdkConfig = (new SDKConfigBuilder())
  7. ->autoRefreshFields($autoRefreshFields)
  8. ->pickListValidation($pickListValidation)
  9. ->sslVerification($enableSSLVerification)
  10. ->connectionTimeout($connectionTimeout)
  11. ->timeout($timeout)
  12. ->build();
g. requestProxy : Create an instance of RequestProxy containing the proxy properties of the user. Configure this only if you're using a proxy server to make the API calls.

$requestProxy = (new ProxyBuilder())
 ->host("proxyHost")
 ->port("proxyPort")
 ->user("proxyUser")
 ->password("password")
 ->build();

h. resourcePath : Configure path containing the absolute directory path to store user specific files containing module fields information.

$resourcePath = "/Documents/phpsdk-application";

5. Initilization

Once you have completed the configuration process, you can move on to initializing the SDK and begin making API requests.

Here is a sample code to initialize the SDK, using refresh token flow and DB Persistence.

<?php
use com\zoho\api\authenticator\OAuthBuilder;
use com\zoho\api\authenticator\store\DBBuilder;
use com\zoho\api\authenticator\store\FileStore;
use com\zoho\crm\api\InitializeBuilder;
use com\zoho\crm\api\UserSignature;
use com\zoho\crm\api\dc\USDataCenter;
use com\zoho\api\logger\LogBuilder;
use com\zoho\api\logger\Levels;
use com\zoho\crm\api\SDKConfigBuilder;
use com\zoho\crm\api\ProxyBuilder;
use com\zoho\api\authenticator\store\DBBuilder;

require_once "vendor/autoload.php";

class Initialize
{
  public static function initialize()
  {
    $user = new UserSignature("patricia@zoho.com");
    $environment = USDataCenter::PRODUCTION();
    $token = (new OAuthBuilder())
    ->clientId("1000.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx")
    ->clientSecret("554a9776d10ff016a92c1eb01xxxxxxxxxx")
    ->refreshToken("1000.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx")
    ->redirectURL("www.zoho.com")
    ->build();
    $logger = (new LogBuilder())
    ->level(Levels::INFO)
    ->filePath("/Documents/php_sdk_log.log")
    ->build();
   $tokenstore = (new DBBuilder())
    ->host("insert_your_hostname_here")
    ->databaseName("insert_your_database_name_here")
    ->userName("insert_your_db_username_here")
    ->password("insert_your_db_password_here")
    ->portNumber("insert_your_portnumber_here")
    ->tableName("insert_your_table_name_here")
    ->build();
    $autoRefreshFields = false;
    $pickListValidation = false;
    $connectionTimeout = 2;
    $timeout = 2;
    $sdkConfig = (new SDKConfigBuilder())
    ->autoRefreshFields($autoRefreshFields)
    ->pickListValidation($pickListValidation)
    ->sslVerification($enableSSLVerification)
    ->connectionTimeout($connectionTimeout)
    ->timeout($timeout)
    ->build();
    $resourcePath = "/Documents/phpsdk-application";
    $requestProxy = (new ProxyBuilder())
    ->host("proxyHost")
    ->port("proxyPort")
    ->user("proxyUser")
    ->password("password")
    ->build();
    (new InitializeBuilder())
    ->user($user)
    ->environment($environment)
    ->token($token)
    ->store($tokenstore)
    ->SDKConfig($configInstance)
    ->resourcePath($resourcePath)
    ->logger($logger)
    ->requestProxy($requestProxy)
    ->initialize();
  }
}
?>


You are now all set to explore the functionalities of SDK. Here is a sample code to get the records from Leads module, with the ifmodifiedsince header.

<?php
use com\zoho\api\authenticator\OAuthBuilder;
use com\zoho\crm\api\dc\USDataCenter;
use com\zoho\crm\api\InitializeBuilder;
use com\zoho\crm\api\UserSignature;
use com\zoho\crm\api\record\RecordOperations;
use com\zoho\crm\api\record\GetRecordsHeader;
use com\zoho\crm\api\HeaderMap;
use com\zoho\crm\api\ParameterMap;
require_once "vendor/autoload.php";

class Record
{
    public static function initialize()
    {
        $user = new UserSignature('myname@mydomain.com');
        $environment = USDataCenter::PRODUCTION();
        $token = (new OAuthBuilder())
        ->clientId("1000.xxxxxxx")
        ->clientSecret("4b5baxxxxxxxxxxxxf")
        ->grantToken("1000.xxxxx")
        ->build();
        (new InitializeBuilder())
            ->user($user)
            ->environment($environment)
            ->token($token)
            ->initialize();
    }

    public static function getRecords()
    {
        $recordOperations = new RecordOperations();
        $paramInstance = new ParameterMap();
        $headerInstance = new HeaderMap();
     $ifmodifiedsince = date_create("2022-06-01T12:00:00+05:30")->setTimezone(new \DateTimeZone(date_default_timezone_get()));
        $headerInstance->add(GetRecordsHeader::IfModifiedSince(), $ifmodifiedsince);
        $response = $recordOperations->getRecords("Leads", $paramInstance, $headerInstance);
        echo($response->getStatusCode() . "\n");
        print_r($response);
    }
}
Record::initialize();
Record::getRecords();


Next week, we will dive deeper and provide more sample codes to help you further. Stay tuned!

If you have any queries, let us know the comments below, or drop an email to support@zohocrm.com. We would love to hear from you. 



    • Recent Topics

    • Kaizen #192 - Implementing Custom Token Persistence in Python SDK

      Welcome back to another week of Kaizen! Last week, we discussed how to implement Login with Zoho using OAuth 2.0 and saw how to bring it to life in a real-world application with the Zoho CRM Python SDK. We also discussed how Zylker Academy built a custom

    • Showing the map along with mileage expense

      When you use the GPS to track mileage, it shows you the map of the actual path travelled. It would be very useful and practical to save that map with the mileage expense, so that when the report is created, it provides a map of each mileage expense associated

    • Enable Validation Rule for Multi-Select Picklist Field

      Zoho, Please allow validation rules for multi-select fields.

    • File Upload field not showing in workflow

      Hi, I have added a field on Zoho CRM. I want to use it in a workflow where that particular field is updated based on another field, however it is not showing up in the field list to select it in the workflow. Why is this please?

    • CRM Custom function updating a module record shows the Super Admin user as the record modifier

      Dear Zoho CRM Team, Is there any way to update this so that when a custom function has updated a record the Super Admin user doesn't become the modifier? This happens on the record as a modifier and shows up in the audit logs. It would be more useful

    • Best practice importing items and matching assemblies

      Hi, I was wondering what would be the best practice to import items and composite items (assemblies) From my backup, what should I import first? The items or the composite items? I am on Zoho one, using inventory and books. Kind regards, Sabine

    • Best way to fetch employee names from Zoho People into Zoho Creator Inventory Stock Form field Employee Name Lookup

      Hi Team, I have a requirement in my Zoho Creator application (Inventory Stock Adjustment) where I need to fetch employee names from Zoho People and use them as a lookup in a form. Currently, I am considering using an integration field to fetch this data

    • get file api is returning Junk data

      I am working on extension development where at one point I need to retrieve attachments on records I found out I can use only invokeconnection and not invokeurl in extension development The invoke connection returns the image in raw binary format. When

    • Need help with message box

      End user updates many records at once. Each have unique serial number. They want a confirmation box that says starting number, ending number and qty. Is there any way to do this? I been searching and asking support but seems like no great solution.

    • [Webinar] The Transformative Power of Gen BI

      Traditional decision-making tools are no longer enough. The integration of generative AI into business intelligence (BI) is proving to be a true game changer—enabling businesses to make faster, smarter, and better informed decisions. Early adopters of

    • Backorder process review - Automating Removal of Sales Order from "On Hold" When PO is Received

      Hello Zoho Inventory Team, Currently, sales orders in On Hold status are released only when the bill for the purchase order is created. In our workflow, it would be much more efficient if the sales order could automatically move out of On Hold as soon

    • How to access the saved Query using API?

      I have created a query in setting. Is it possible to access it from a API? What's the endpoint? I tried /v8/queries/important_deals but didnt' work.

    • création d'une base de données

      base de donnee d'un lycée

    • User Session variables to recall after form submit & redirect to menu

      Hey, Forgive me if this is a simple answer I have overlooked. I have built a big onboarding process for my SAAS platform which is built and managed by an external Dev team. I am hoping to embed my new creator app on the SAAS platform. I have a menu page

    • Zoho Writer Merge Template with data from Zoho Analytics Views

      Hello, Is there any way to pull information from Zoho Analytics and put it into a Merge Template? I am trying to create a bulk export of one report that filters on a field to create a single document for each of the filter fields.

    • Having to enter bill before stock shows as available.

      Hi, Am I right in thinking you must create a bill from the purchase order receipt before the goods are available for shipping?

    • Agent Availability Report

      From data to decisions: A deep dive into ticketing system reports Businesses need to track when their support agents check in and check out from work. This report, titled Agent Availability, is one of the static reports that helps managers track the number

    • Writing by Hand in "Write" Notes

      Hi there! I just downloaded this app a few moments ago, and I was wondering if there was a way to write things by hand in "Write" mode instead of just typing in the keyboard. It would make things a bit more efficient for me in this moment. Thanks!

    • AI-driven construction analytics using Zoho Projects Plus

      Construction projects thrive on timelines; if a project is completed on or before the expected time, it makes headlines, but if it gets delayed, the company’s credibility will be at risk. Such projects require precise planning and constant monitoring,

    • Canadian payroll

      Hello ZOHO, is any updates on when payroll for Canada will be available?

    • Unified customer view: Bringing product intelligence into your CRM data

      For businesses today, applications and digital interfaces are the main touch points in the customer journey. While Zoho CRM data already tells who your customers are and what they buy, Zoho Apptics tells you how they interact and engage with your product.

    • Zoho Creator SaaS app with multiple client AND multiple users

      I am close to finalizing a Zoho Creator app that will be used by different companies to manage sale info, and each company can have multiple users using the app. Things were going perfectly until I tried a search on a report. I use a database field in each table to separate the data for each company, which works great. BUT when I do a search, I get to see ALL the data. This means that Company A could easily see the data from Companies B and C via the built-in search. Is there a way to set up the

    • Project Change Orders and Additions

      We are in the process of migrating from QuickBooks Online to Zoho Books. We have Zoho One and like the ability to sync all of our data across everything. And I like that projects work in a way that's less dumb than QuickBooks. I'm trying to figure out

    • Track online, in-office, and client location meetings separately with the new meeting venue option

      Hello everyone! We’re excited to announce meeting enhancements in Zoho CRM that bring more clarity and structure to how meetings are categorized. You can now specify the meeting venue to clearly indicate whether a meeting is being held online, at the

    • Possible to send Zoom AI Companion transcripts and summaries to contacts in CRM?

      Title says it all. Is it possible to send Zoom AI Companion transcripts and summaries to contacts in Zoho CRM?

    • How do I edit the Calendar Invite notifications for Interviews in Recruit?

      I'm setting up the Zoho Recruit Interview Calendar system but there's some notifications I don't have any control over. I've turned off all Workflows and Automations related to the Calendar Scheduling and it seems that it's the notification that is sent

    • Posibility to add Emoticons on the Email Subject of Templates

      Hi I´ve tried to add Emoticons on the Subject line of Email templates, the emoticon image does show up before saving the template or if I add the Emoticon while sending an Individual email and placing it manually on the subject line. Emoticons also show

    • Clarity on extended contract status

      Clarity on “extended” status- How does Zoho “extend” a contract?  E.g. if client extends by 1 month, can the “end date” be adjusted accordingly in Zoho and tagged as “Extended” with a clear audit trail that also captures the client’s email? Note- Email

    • Customizing contract status

      Can we customize/add/remove status on Zoho contracts ourselves or does Zoho needs to do this? Context- There is a long list of status on Zoho but not all of them are relevant for us . There are few status which are missing and needs to be added. E.g-

    • Set Custom Business Calendars and Holidays for Global Teams

      Managing a project across diverse teams means accounting for more than just tasks and deadlines; it means acknowledging how and when each team actually works. Users might follow different working days or observe region-specific holidays that cannot be

    • [Integration edition] Deluge learning series - Integrations between Zoho apps and Third-party services with Deluge | 28 August 2025

      We’re excited to welcome you to the Deluge learning series: Integration edition! The Integration edition will run for three months: Session 1 – Integrating Zoho Apps with Deluge using inbuilt integration tasks Session 2 – Integrating Zoho Apps with Deluge

    • Critical Vulnerability in all major password manager plugins - is Zoho Vault affected?

      Hi Zoho, a security researcher found a critical clickjacking vulnerability in all major browser password managers: DOM-based Extension Clickjacking: Your Password Manager Data at Risk | Marek Tóth Is Zoho Vault affected as well? Apparently the Vault extension

    • Introducing SecureForms in Zoho Vault

      Hey everyone, Let’s face it—asking someone to send over a password or other sensitive data is rarely straightforward. You wait. You nudge. You follow up once, twice—maybe more. And when the information finally arrives, it shows up in the worst possible

    • Tables from ZohoSheets remove images when updated from source

      I have a few tables from a ZohoSheet in a ZohoWriter document that will remove the images in the cells when I refresh from the source. The source still has the images in the table when I go to refresh. After updating from the source, as you can see the

    • Change eMail Template for Event-Invitations

      Hello ZOHO-CRM Team How I can change the eMail Template for Event-Invitations? I work with the German Version of the Free Version. I know how I can modify eMail alerts or Signature Templates, but where I can other eMails modify you send out? Thank you for your answer. Regards, Juerg

    • Need Your Insights

      Hi Zoho, I'm confused why the flow only sends to one output. setVariable15 is from a list. It doesn't consider the 2nd entry. Any thoughts?

    • Map Dependency Fields - How can can I limit picklist values from a multi-select Parent field?

      I know the "Map Dependency Fields" feature doesn't allow a multi-select parent field. However, I need the functionality. Can I do it through a deluge function, and would it still support color coding picklists? We need the color coding for quick scanning

    • DYK 1 - Color Palette for Enhanced Visual Identification of Status

      Introducing the Did You Know series of posts. The goal of this series is to familiarize users with certain features or enhancements in Zoho Projects that may not be evident at first glance. The first post in this series deals with color palettes for indicating

    • Invalid field in the COQL query

      Dear Zoho Support! I believe that you already helped me with a similar problem a few years ago. One of my clients has a custom field named "LOB" in the "Deals" Module (see the field's metadata below). The COQL query using this field: : "select id, Deal_Name,

    • Automating Employee Birthday Notifications in Zoho Cliq

      Have you ever missed a birthday and felt like the office Grinch? Fear not, the Cliq Developer Platform has got your back! With Zoho Cliq's Schedulers, you can be the office party-cipant who never forgets a single cake, balloon, or awkward rendition of

    • Next Page