Testing and publishing Bigin toppings

Testing and publishing Bigin toppings

Hey Biginners!

In previous forum posts, we discussed what a Bigin topping is and explored the Bigin Developer Console's features. In this post, we're going to create a topping from scratch and discuss how to test and publish it.

Our topping will automate follow-up management in Bigin and ensure that follow-up calls are systematically created based on certain conditions, helping users improve the efficiency of their sales cycles and stay on top of their tasks.

Setting up the topping

We'll start with a custom field and workflow by creating a topping in the Bigin Developer Center.

Inside the created topping's Developer Console, add a new field by navigating to the Components section under the Build category and clicking the New Custom Field button. Create a custom field named "Follow-up Needed" in the Tasks module. This field should be a picklist with two values: "Yes," which will trigger a follow-up, and "No," which indicates that no follow-up is needed.


Creating a default Bigin connection

Next, create a default Bigin connection and authorize it to securely access your Bigin data. This connection allows authorized interaction between the topping and Bigin's modules.

For a more detailed explanation, refer to our post on creating Bigin connections. 


Creating a workflow rule

To create a workflow rule to schedule follow-up calls, go to the Automate section and select Workflow, then click the Create Rule button. From the Module dropdown, choose Tasks and enter "Schedule Follow-Up Call" as the rule name. Once done, click the Next button.



On this screen, we'll define the workflow rule. Set Record action as the criteria for the workflow rule execution. Then, select the Create or Edit option to specify which operation should trigger the rule.

Note: To ensure the workflow runs every time the task is updated, check the option Repeat the workflow whenever a task is edited, and click on the Next button to continue.



Next, you can define conditions that determine when the workflow should be triggered. To automate a follow-up call, apply these conditions:
  1. The status of the task is updated to completed.
  2. The Follow-up Needed field is set to "Yes."
Once the conditions are set, navigate to the Instant Actions section and select Function from the list of available actions. Provide a function name and display name, then click the Create Function button. This will redirect you to the Deluge editor, where you can write the logic for the function.



When the workflow criteria and conditions for a task are met, the function (which is created in the Deluge editor and linked to the workflow) will be executed automatically.

Let's look at how the logic is handled within the function in the Deluge editor.
  1. // Fetch the details of the task that's triggered by the workflow
  2. taskDetails = zoho.bigin.getRecordById("Tasks",task.get("Tasks.ID"),Map(),"taskscheduler__connectbigin");
  3. //Initialize a map to store call details
  4. callDetails = Map();
  5. callDetails.put("Call_Duration", null);
  6. callDetails.put("Call_Start_Time", "2025-03-04T18:00:00");
  7. callDetails.put("Call_Type", "Outbound");
  8. //Retrieve task data from the fetched task details
  9. taskData = taskDetails.get("data").get(0);
  10. //Extract task owner details
  11. ownerMap = Map();
  12. taskId = taskData.get("id");
  13. ownerMap.put("id", taskData.get("Owner").get("id"));
  14. //Assign owner details to the call record
  15. callDetails.put("Owner", ownerMap);
  16. //Assign contact details to the call record
  17. callDetails.put("Related_To",taskData.get("Related_To"));
  18. // Create a call record in Bigin
  19. response = zoho.bigin.createRecord("Calls", callDetails, Map(), "taskscheduler__connectbigin");

Overview of Code Logic

  1. Retrieve task details: The first step is to fetch the task details required for creating a follow-up call. (Note: We recommend using Bigin's Deluge functions to work with Bigin records.)
  2. Setup to create a call: A map is initialized to store call details.
  3. Create a new call record: Using the retrieved task details, which includes essential information like task owner details and related contact information, a new call record will be created in the Calls module in Bigin.
Once the function is created and saved, testing the topping ensures that any potential issues are identified and resolved before making it available to others.

Testing the topping in a sandbox

Thoroughly testing a topping is essential to make sure it's working as expected before it's submitted to the Marketplace team and listed in the Marketplace.

Before initiating the testing process, the developer must authorize the Bigin connection associated within the topping. For more details on connector authorization, please refer to the Connections guide.

This authorization enables secure data exchange between the topping and the connected Bigin account. Authorizing this connection is equally important when testing the topping using the sandbox environment, a virtual testing space that simulates the structure and behavior of a typical Bigin production account. The sandbox allows you to test your topping before deployment in an isolated environment where changes don't affect your live data.

To begin testing, navigate to the Test your Topping button located in the top right corner of the Bigin Developer Console. This will launch the virtual sandbox environment.



In the sandbox account, you can test the topping by creating a new task. Click on the Create New Record button and select Task from the options. Enter the necessary task details, ensuring that the Related To field is provided. This associates the task with the Bigin contact, enabling the follow-up call activity to be triggered for that specific contact when the workflow criteria is met. Next, set the Follow-up Needed field to Yes and save the task.

Navigate to the Activities module and go to the newly created task. Here, the automation happens based on two criteria specified in the workflow:
  1. The field value of Follow-up Needed is "Yes."
  2. The task is marked as completed.

Upon satisfying these two criteria, a follow-up call for the task will be created in the Calls module.



If the topping isn't working as intended, you can fix the issue instantly in the Developer Console and test in the sandbox environment.

Publishing the topping

Once you finish building and testing the topping, you can publish it two ways, depending on how you want to distribute it to users:
  1. Publish your topping privately.
  2. Submit it to the Bigin Marketplace.

Publishing a topping for private customers

If you're building a topping for a particular set of customers, you can choose private publishing. Choose the Publish option in the left panel of the Bigin Developer Console to do this.

After choosing the option, the Bigin Developer Console displays the customizations and components used in the topping.

Provide a release note for the topping and click the Confirm button. You'll get an installation URL for your topping. You can share this URL with customers so they can install the topping in their Bigin account.

You can also share the topping privately via email. Click the Share Privately option for a preconfigured email template. Enter the customer's email in the To field, then click the Share button to send the email.


Publishing publicly in Bigin Marketplace

If you want to share your topping with a wide audience, the Bigin Marketplace is your go-to platform. This platform lists Bigin toppings and makes them available to all users. If you want to list your topping in the Bigin Marketplace, you must follow a set of procedures:
  1. Submit the topping for review to the Marketplace team.
  2. Ensure the topping satisfies all the Marketplace standards.
To submit the topping to the Marketplace, navigate to the Bigin Developer Center, choose the topping you need to publish, and click on the Toppings details icon.



Under the Status section, click Submit to Marketplace.



Here, you need to provide details about your topping in the Marketplace Details window. Once the Bigin Marketplace team completes the review process, the topping will be listed in the Bigin Marketplace, allowing users to find and install it in their Bigin accounts.

From integrating components to submitting toppings for review, we've covered building and testing toppings.

In upcoming posts, we'll take a closer look at each feature with a detailed use case.

Stay tuned!

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