Kaizen #90 - CRM Variables and APIs

Kaizen #90 - CRM Variables and APIs

Hello everyone!
Welcome back to another post in the Kaizen series!

This week, we will discuss what are CRM Variables and variable groups, how to create, update, and delete them through an API and the UI, and a simple example in Deluge of using a CRM variable in a function. 

Let's get started!

What are CRM Variables?

Often, we have the need to reuse certain data in CRM at various places. Instead of creating separate fields to hold such values in every module, we can create an org-level field and use the same value across the CRM system. This field is called a CRM Variable. 
These variables can be of any of the following data types:
  • Decimal
  • Single line
  • Multi line
  • Integer
  • Long integer
  • Percent
  • Currency
  • Date
  • DateTime
  • Email
  • Phone 
  • URL
  • Checkbox

Where can you use CRM Variables?

You can use CRM variables in mail merge templates, email templates, functions, workflows, buttons etc,.

What are Variable Groups?

When you have multiple variables, you can group them together for easy accessibility. For example, it makes sense to group all the authentication variables such as access token, refresh token etc., under a group called "Auth parameters".

How can you create a CRM Variable?

You can create CRM Variables from the UI or through the CRM API.

1. From the UI

  1. Go to Setup > Developer Space > Zoho CRM Variables > Create New Variable.
  2. In the Create Zoho CRM Variable pop up, enter the following details:
    a. The name of the variable in the Variable Name field.
    b. The API name of the variable in the API name field.
    c. A brief description of the variable in the Description field.
    d. The data type of the variable from the Variable Type drop-down.
    e. The group that the variable must belong to in the Grouped Under drop-down.
  3. Click Save.


2. Creating a variable through an API

Request URL: {api-domain}/crm/{version}/settings/variables
Request method: POST
Scope: ZohoCRM.settings.variables.ALL or ZohoCRM.settings.variables.CREATE

Input JSON keys

{
    "variables": [
       {
            "name": "Company Address",
            "api_name": "Company_Address",
            "variable_group": {
                "api_name": "General",
                "id": "3652397000004992001"
            },
            "type": "textarea",
            "value": "#24, Austin, TX",
            "description": "The address of the company when the state is Texas"
        }
    ]
}
where,
Key name and data type
Description
name
string, mandatory
The name of the variable.
api_name
string, mandatory
The API name you want to set for the variable.
variable_group
JSON object, mandatory
The API name and the ID of the variable group you want to group your variable under. If you do not have a variable group, you can only group it under "General". Use the Get Variable Groups API to get the ID and name of the variable group.
type
string, mandatory
The data type of the variable. The possible values are integer, text(for single line), percent, decimal, currency, date, datetime, email, phone, url, checkbox(for Boolean), textarea(for multi-line), and long.
value
string, mandatory
The value of the variable.
description
string, optional
A short description of the variable.

Sample Response


How can you update a CRM variable?

1. From the UI

  1. Go to Setup > Developer Space > Zoho CRM Variables.
  2. Hover over the variable you want to edit. 
  3. Click the "Edit" icon on the left-corner of the variable.
  4. In the Edit Zoho CRM Variable pop up, update the relevant details.

  5. Click Save.
Note
You cannot edit the Variable Type and Grouped Under fields.

2. Through an API

Request URL: {api-domain}/crm/{version}/settings/variables (or)
{api-domain}/crm/{version}/settings/variables/{variable_API_name or Variable_ID}
Request method: PUT
Scope: ZohoCRM.settings.variables.ALL or ZohoCRM.settings.variables.UPDATE

Input JSON keys
Note that besides "id", all the keys are optional based on what details you want to update.
{
    "variables": [
       { 
"id":"3652397000012482002";
            "name": "Company_Address",
            "api_name": "Company_Address",
            "value": "#24, Austin, TX",
            "description": "The address of the company when the state is Texas"
        }
    ]
}

where,
Key name and data type
Description
id
string, mandatory
The ID of the variable you want to update. You can get this ID from the Get Variables API.
name
string
The name of the variable.
api_name
string
The API name you want to set for the variable.
value
string
The value of the variable.
description
string
A short description of the variable.

Sample Response

How can you delete a CRM variable?

1. From the UI

  1. Go to Setup > Developer Space > Zoho CRM Variables.
  2. Hover over the variable you want to delete. 
  3. Click the "Delete" icon on the left-corner of the variable.

  4. Click Delete in the pop up that asks for confirmation.

2. Through an API

Request URL: {api-domain}/crm/{version}/settings/variables/{variable_id} (or) 
                       {api-domain}/crm/{version}/settings/variables?ids=id1,id2..
Request method: DELETE
Scope: ZohoCRM.settings.variables.ALL or ZohoCRM.settings.variables.DELETE

Sample Response


Use cases

Here are a few use cases where you can use CRM Variables.

  • Consider that you have integrated with RazorPay and want to send payment links to deals that you have won. Here, you can store the payment link in a variable and use it in the function that sends the link to the deal through an email.
  • You can improvise the above function, and have a condition that checks whether the payment link is valid or has expired. If it is invalid or expired, you can send an alternate payment link that is stored in another CRM variable.
  • Consider you have scheduled a function to run everyday. Now, you want to run this function except on Saturday and Sunday of a particular month. In this case, you can hard-code the Saturday and Sunday in CRM variables of the DateTime type, and check this while running your function. You case would be "if datetime =={CRM variable}, stop execution".
  • Another classic example of using CRM Variables would be in the banking sector. Consider that you have multiple modules that deal with the rate of interest. This rate will differ based on the tenure, the type of loan, the age of a person etc, and used at multiple places across the org. Here, you can set up variables for the different rates of interests and use them in various places. The best part is, when the rate of interest changes, you have to just change it at one place - CRM Variable. 

Let us see this example in detail.

I have a module called Loans. For home loans, the rate of interest is 10% for all, irrespective of the tenure. 
So, I have created a CRM variable called Interest, whose data type is decimal, and has the value 10.

In the Loans module, I have the following fields:
  • Customer Name(single line) to represent the name of the customer who has opted for the loan.
  • Principal(decimal) to represent the principal they have borrowed.
  • Tenure(number) that depicts the number of years they will repay the loan in.
  • EMI(decimal) to represent the monthly installment.
  • Total(decimal) to represent the total amount they will repay including the interest.
I have a function that calculates the EMI and the Total. Here is the code.

// In this function, we are getting principal, tenure and record id from the record and Interest from CRM Variables. 
//Calculate Total 
Total = Principal + Principal * Interest / 100 * Tenure;
info Total;
//Calculate EMI 
EMI = Total / (Tenure * 12);
info EMI;
//Variable with MAP type to hold the fields and values
record_info = {"EMI":EMI,"Total":Total};
info record_info;
info zoho.crm.getRecordById("Loans",record_id);
//Updating the record
zoho.crm.updateRecord("Loans",record_id,record_info);

The following image shows the function argument mapping.


I have now set up a workflow that is triggered upon record creation. This workflow has the Calculate EMI function associated to it as shown in the following image.


As you can see, in Argument Mapping, I have chosen the CRM variable Interest.

Here is a demo of how the workflow is triggered and function execution.


As you can see, based on the value in the CRM variable, the Total and EMI is calculated through the function triggered by the workflow upon record creation.

We hope you liked this post. We will see you next week with another interesting topic.

Please let us know if you have any questions in the comment section or write to us at support@zohocrm.com.

Cheers!

    • Recent Topics

    • Multi-currencies in Zoho Books

      I'd like to request multiple currencies in Zoho Books. I have customers paying in USD, CAD, CNY. I need to bill customers in these currencies too. I can set up a base currency, and then set up a exchange-rate table to convert these currencies.

    • I want refund of Zoho standard subscription on WEB payment

      Hi, Kindly help to refund the WEB payment made on 13/07/2025 for Zoho standard annual subscription. I didn't find the software useful for my project. Regards

    • Is Conditional display of field(s) possible in a Canvas Customer Portal?

      Is Conditional display of field(s) possible in a Canvas Customer Portal? How?

    • Automate Backups

      This is a feature request. Consider adding an auto backup feature. Where when you turn it on, it will auto backup on the 15-day schedule. For additional consideration, allow for the export of module data via API calls. Thank you for your consideration.

    • View Linked Subscription on Invoice list

      When looking at the list of invoices in billing is it possible to see the subscription that an invoice is for. This would allow you to see if it's a subscription a customer is behind on, or they simply haven't paid a one time invoice.

    • Recording Credit Card Fees when Recording Payment for Bills

      It seems I am unable to record credit card fees when paying a bill. I pay close to 100% of my bills with a company credit card via online portals. I'm happy for the CC fess to be recorded as Bank Charges but it will not allow that field to be used if

    • Workerly/Zoho One Pricing

      Hi What is the pricing model that is suppose to be as a Zoho One user? If i use the services of a freelancers or temp workers (Sometimes for a few hours a week/month), I need to purchase a zoho one license for each of them as well as workerly licenc

    • DKIM

      I have my DKIM in Titan, which is another email service provider. I get this notification on my portal. What shall I do? ( Improve the deliverability of emails sent from Zoho Social by adding DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) records to your DNS settings.

    • Show All Notes For A Single Record

      I would like to be able to view a list of all Notes for a particular record. We can add several (unlimited) Notes for the Leads, Contacts, Accounts and Potentials records. The subject line and some of the note content for up to 10 notes is visible on the first page. You can select the arrow to view additional notes in the list. I would like a button next to the New Note button that says View All. This would bring up a printable list of all notes listed in descending order by Modified Time (newest

    • Zoholics Europe 2025: Build Smarter with the Zoho Creator Low-code Workshop!

      Why should you attend? This year, Zoholics Europe 2025, Zoho’s official user conference, is your opportunity to connect directly with the teams behind the tools you use every day. Don’t miss one of the most requested sessions: dedicated, hands-on workshop

    • Assigning multiple roles to a user in Creator

      Hi I find we can assign only one role and permission to an user in creator. There is a requirement to assign multiple roles and corresponding permission to one user. Is there any solution or workaround for this? Refer the screenshot below

    • 【Zoho CRM】ウィザード機能のアップデート：セクション要素の追加

      ユーザーの皆さま、こんにちは。コミュニティチームの中野です。 今回は「Zoho CRM アップデート情報」の中から、ウィザード機能のアップデートをご紹介します。 ウィザード機能に新たに「セクション要素」が追加されました。 各ウィザード画面内で項目、テキスト、サブフォーム、ウィジェット要素などをより柔軟に整理できるようになりました。 セクション要素とは？ ウィザードの中で、関連する項目や要素をひとつの「サブエリア」 としてまとめられる新しい構成要素です。 セクション要素活用メリット 入力内容やプロセスによっては、より細かな構造や階層化が求められる場合があります。

    • Edit PDFs from within your web app using Zoho Office Integrator

      Hi users, We are excited to introduce PDF editing capabilities in Zoho Office Integrator. You can now open, edit, and collaborate on PDFs from within your web app—in addition to documents, spreadsheets, and presentations—and save them in your configured

    • Zoho CRM Workflow and Function Backup Options

      Hi everyone! I have been able to make several backups of my CRM data and noticed that the Workflows and Functions are not included in these backups. To my knowledge, there is no backup feature for workflows and functions, which is problematic in of itself.

    • Zoho Recruit > Job Opening Module> Editing, Deleting, Adding (Fields)

      Hello All In the Job Opening Modules How do i go about deleting the Positing Title or changing to Job Title or can i hide it from all? I want to add a Look Up User Field, however when i select the look up field i do not see that Can i have the industry

    • Can you create a lead without assigning an owner?

      Here is the question I have:   Is there a way I can create a bunch of leads without assigning it an owner?   What I want is for my salespeople to pick and choose their own leads without me assigning them..   right now all leads are owned by me because

    • Bug - Incorrect example in the documentation

      I found an issue in the Zoho API documentation. The example "Sample Request" on this page is incorrect — it shows the example for "Get Email Attachment Info" instead of "Get Email Attachment Content". Wrong example: curl "https://mail.zoho.com/api/accounts/12345678/folders/9000000002014/messages/1710915488416100001/attachmentinfo"

    • Power of Automation :: Dynamically generate Tasklists based on values selected in Task Custom Fields

      Hello Everyone, A custom function is a software code that can be used to automate a process and this allows you to automate a notification, call a webhook, or perform logic immediately after a workflow rule is triggered. This feature helps to automate

    • WhatsApp Enhancements to Boost Customer Engagement

      We're excited to introduce a series of powerful enhancements to the WhatsApp integration in Zoho FSM, making customer interactions faster, smarter, and more actionable—right from your Zoho FSM interface. Here’s a quick rundown of what’s new: Try It Out

    • Store reviews module just got smarter in Zoho Apptics

      Hello, Apptics community! Every app deserves better visibility in the marketplace, and reviews play a crucial role in improving your app's App Store Optimization (ASO), rankings, and credibility across stores. That's why we've rolled out a set of enhancements

    • Try CRM for everyone button in the way of workflow

      Please consider using the bottom bar for offers. Using the top bar for offers like "Try CRM for everyone" really gets in the way of my day to day workflow.

    • Include EVERYTHING in Language Files

      Hey, we are building out a system, that needs to be translated. The language files lack a few things though. 1. Blueprint names 2. Canvas View elements like tab names Please include everything into these files, otherwise it's not really a multi language

    • A way to create kits (groups of items) that do not require bundling and are added to an order as the individual items

      We are evaluating moving off of Sage BusinessWorks (which handles accounting, order entry, inventory control, accounts receivable, etc) to Zoho Books/Inventory. One of the things we heavily use is a feature called Kits, which allows creating a group of

    • Allocating Salesman To Customer

      Hello, please add a feature to allocate a salesman to a particular business customer/account. Regards

    • Shipment

      I have 70 shipments Out of which 40 delivery date are updated( since it is live tracked) 30 numbers i need to update manually. How to do it in bulk?

    • arabic not printing

      Qatar has a legal requirement to have invoices in English and Arabic. When writing invoice fields in Arabic, they don't print. Why?

    • How to show Order Number/SO Ref on Invoice emails

      When creating a sales order or invoice we have an option to input an order number or ref# (see attached images). For the Sales Order email template we can add a placeholder for the SO_REF. However, for the Invoice email template there's no option to reference

    • Specify in-line image size in question

      I have an image inserted into a file upload type question. I can click and drag the corner of the image to make it larger or smaller, but I would like to manually input the dimensions I need. No matter what size I make the image in photoshop before uploading

    • Can you limit who creates tags?

      Hi there, I'd like to find out if it's possible to limit which Agents create tags on Zoho desk. Thank you. 

    • Auto CC - Moving Departments

      We have Auto CC e-mail replies to your support mailbox enabled. We have two departments: Helpdesk (helpdesk@domain.com) Delivery (delivery@domain.com) If we create a Helpdesk ticket, and reply, replies are CC'd to helpdesk@domain.com (OK) We then move

    • Sudden Layout Issue After Last CSS Update for ZML (Temporary Fix Inside)

      Hi, Our clients have noticed today that every section laid out with ZML suddenly shows an unwanted top padding/blank space that interrupts the user screens. It appears that Zoho has changed the default CSS for the .zcp-col.zcp-panel-rowtype-auto element.

    • Customer paid excess. How do I record payment?

      A customer has paid me Rs. 7150 which is in excess. The amount due is Rs. 5388 I owe them Rs. 1762 back which I will be transferring to their account tomorrow. How do I get this entered into Zoho Books? I'm a little lost. :) Rishi

    • Tabular View Report | Scale To Fit Screen

      Please add the option to scale Tabular View reports to fit the screen. I constantly have to adjust the column size of Tabular View reports to fit various screen sizes and it just looks messy. You can see in the screenshot below there is a blank gap after

    • Why Server error in creatiing Landing Pages

      Hi Zoho Team, pls see my screenshot and tell me, what's wrong. Thx

    • Tip 31: How to make a field in a Zoho Creator form mandatory based on criteria

      Hi folks,   I'm sure most of you are familiar with the Mandatory property available in our form builder. It enables you to ensure that your users enter an input in a required field. If they don't enter an input in that field, they'll be unable to submit

    • Bulk update account type when adding a bill

      Hi I've only been using Zoho Books for a short while but I'm impressed so far, keep up the great work. One minor issue I'm coming up against is when creating a new bill from a scanned document (supplier invoice). In some cases, the supplier invoice could

    • How to start fresh after many years of using Zoho Books without deleting everything and creating a new organisation?

      Hi, I have used Books since 2016, but never reconciled with my bank account. I was thinking of trying to go back and fix that, but I don't just don't have the time it would take. Instead, I'd like back up my old records and start anew. What is the best

    • How do I modify the the incoming/current call popup? I can modify other call pages but not that one.

      I want to modify the incoming and active call popup on the crm to include customer relevant information, such as purchase history or length of relationship. Under modules and fields, I don't seem to see active call as a choice to modify, only the main

    • Canvas: Add Sections to Detail View

      Currently it is only possible to add fields to a canvas detail view. This makes Canvas hard to maintain, because everytime we add a field to our system, someone needs to go into the canvas view and add it there as well. This leads to additional work and

    • Automation#32:Auto Add New Portal Users to the Help Center User Groups

      Hello Everyone, Introducing a custom function that automates the process of adding new portal users to Help Center user groups, making user management effortless! By default, Zoho Desk allows you to assign new portal users to groups manually. But with

    • Next Page