Kaizen #170: FAQs on Notification APIs

Kaizen #170: FAQs on Notification APIs

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

In this post, we will address the most frequently asked questions about Zoho CRM's Notification APIs from the Zoho CRM Developer Community Forum.



Notification API

This API allows you to subscribe to events such as creating, updating, and deleting a record in a module through a webhook URL. Each of these actions triggers a corresponding HTTP request to your webhook.

1. How can I turn off related record notifications when using the Notification API?

Answer: 
When enabling the notification, you can pass "notify_on_related_action": false in the input data. This will prevent a notification from being sent for related records (like the account record) when the contact record is updated. If this parameter is not included, the default value is true, meaning related records will still receive notifications.
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2. What is the expiry duration for a channel, and how can I update it when it expires?

Answer:
  • From V2 to V3: The default channel expiry time is one hour, with a maximum limit of one day.
  • From V4, the default expiry time remains one hour, but the maximum limit is one week.
To continue receiving notifications, you must resubscribe the channel before its expiry using the Enable Notification API.
Example:
If your channel expiry time is set to one day, the best practice is to re-subscribe every 23 hours and 55 minutes (just under 24 hours). If you do not specify an expiry time during subscription, the channel will expire within one hour by default.
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3. A few modules have not received any notifications, even though we have already subscribed to them. How should we handle this?

Answer:
We suggest updating the notification for the modules where you are facing issues and checking again.
If this does not resolve the problem, please share the following information with support at support@zohocrm.com, and our experts will assist you further.
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4. How can I get my notify URL since I have subscribed to multiple channels for different modules using the Notification API?

Answer:
You can use the channel ID obtained during the notification subscription to retrieve the notify URL through the GET Notification Details API. The response will provide the module-specific notify URL, along with other details like return_affected_fields, resource_name, channel_expiry, and more. Explore further by using our Notification API.
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5. How can I use the Notification API to get notification when a deal is created or edited?
Answer: You can use the Notification API to subscribe to events like creation or editing of deals.
Note that the notification channel expires after a maximum of one day / one week (channel_expiry),
so you must update it regularly to keep the notification alive.
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6. I am not receiving notifications after updating my configuration using the PUT - Update Details of a Notification API. How can I ensure proper notifications in Zoho CRM?

Answer:
The "events" JSON array is mandatory when updating your notification configuration using the PUT - Update Details of a Notification API. Ensure you include the "events" JSON array with valid data in the input data, along with respective channel_id and channel_expiry keys.

For updating specific details, you can use the PATCH - Update Specific Information of a Notification API, where the "events" key is not mandatory.
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7. Does the token field become null when I update a notification using the PATCH request?

Answer:
In the PATCH request for updating notification details, only the fields provided in the input data are updated. Fields not included in the input will retain their existing values. 

                     PUT Method

                       PATCH method

The  PUT request replaces the entire notification details for the specified channel_id with the information provided in the input data.

The PATCH request updates only the specific fields included in the input data, while preserving all other existing notification details.

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8. Why shouldn't  I delete the current channel using "channel_id" with "HTTP method DELETE", and then create a new one with the parameters I need?

Answer:
Deleting and recreating notifications in Zoho CRM is not recommended, as it may result in missed notifications for data changes that occur during the gap between deletion and recreation. Istead, you should update the expiry time regularly, add new events, or enable new notifications using the existing APIs (e.g., PATCH or PUT).
However, if you no longer need a notification channel, you can use the DELETE method to remove it completely. For selectively deleting certain events from an existing notification, use PATCH call.
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9. Can I get notifications when specific actions, such as updates or deletions, occur on certain fields? How can I achieve this?

Answer:
Yes, you can receive notifications only for specific fields when they are updated. Use the "notification_condition" JSON array key in your input to set conditions for these fields. This support is available from Zoho CRM API version 6. Refer to the Enable Notifications API document for details on setting up field-specific conditions.

Sample Input:


{
    "watch": [
        {
            "channel_id": "10000",
            "events": [
                "Leads.all"
            ],
            "notification_condition": [
                {
                    "type": "field_selection",
                    "module": {
                        "api_name": "Leads",
                        "id": "554023000000000131"
                    },
                    "field_selection": {
                        "field": {
                            "api_name": "Company",
                            "id": "554023000000000525"
                        }
                    }
                }
            ],
            "channel_expiry": "2024-12-31T09:58:09+05:30",
            "token": "leads.all.notif",
            "return_affected_field_values": true,
            "notify_url": "https://webhook.site/2c9a0xxc20fa9"
        }
    ]
}

This JSON input sets a notification channel for monitoring all actions related to the Leads module in Zoho CRM, specifically focusing on changes to the "Company" field. 
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10. How can I know which fields have been updated and what their new values are?

Answer: 
By default, notifications do not include details about the updated fields. To know information about fields that were modified along with their new values, set "return_affected_values": true in your input body when enabling notifications. 

Sample Input:


{
    "watch": [
        {
            "channel_id": "10000",
            "events": [
                "Leads.edit"
            ],
            "notification_condition": [
                {
                    "type": "field_selection",
                    "module": {
                        "api_name": "Leads"
                    },
                    "field_selection": {
                        "field": {
                            "api_name": "Company"
                        }
                    }
                }
            ],
            "token": "leads.all.notif",
            "return_affected_field_values": true,
        }
    ]
}


Sample Response JSON Notification:


{
  "server_time": 1735038997457,
  "affected_values": [
    {
      "record_id": "5725767000005053017",
      "values": {
        "Company": "Tech Info"
      }
    }
  ],
  "query_params": {},
  "module": "Leads",
  "ids": [
    "5725767000005053017"
  ],
  "affected_fields": [
    {
      "5725767000005053017": [
        "Company"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "operation": "update",
  "channel_id": "10000",
  "token": "leads.all.notif"
}

In the above response,  the "affected_fields" contains a list of the fields that were modified and "affected_values" contains the new values for the modified fields, along with the respective record details.
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11. I am trying to use the Zoho Notification API. I can successfully enable notifications, but I don't receive any notifications when an event occurs.

Answer:
  • Ensure that your webhook URL is active and accessible. If it is down, Zoho CRM cannot send notifications about data updates.
  • Check if the notification channel has expired. 
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12. Can I receive notifications if a subform or multi-select lookup (MxN) field in a module is modified or updated?

Answer: 
Yes, you can receive notifications when a subform or MxN field is updated. Though subforms and MxN fields are fields in a module, the system internally creates a separate module for each. As a result, subforms and MxN fields are treated as independent modules. 

To enable instant notifications for actions performed on these modules, use the respective API names of the subform or MxN (linking module) in the input body.

Sample Input:


{
    "watch": [
        {
            "channel_id": "10000",
            "events": [
                "Project_Details.all"  //Project_Details represents the API name of the subform
            ],
            "return_affected_field_values": true  
        }
    ]
}

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13. How is the Notification API useful for data synchronization with a third-party application?

Answer: 
Refer to our Kaizen #122 for a detailed explanation of data synchronization  between Zoho CRM and third-party application using the Notification API and the Bulk Read API with a third-party application.

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14. I am facing delays in receiving notification responses for bulk records. In what cases do notification delays occur, and how can I ensure faster notifications for bulk record actions?

Answer: 
When performing bulk actions (e.g., record creation or updates), if your processing speed exceeds 100 milliseconds per notification (e.g., 500 to 800 milliseconds), it will result in notification delays.
To avoid delays, ensure that your processing speed remains below 100 milliseconds per notification.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please note that the above-mentioned queries were frequently asked in the Zoho CRM Developer Community Forum and most of them were addressed by the Zoho CRM Support team. This post aims to put them all in one place and add additional questions with their solutions.


We trust that this post meets your needs and is helpful.
Let us know your thoughts in the comment section or reach out to us at support@zohocrm.com


Stay tuned for more insights in our upcoming Kaizen posts!



Cheers!!!

✨Wishing you a fantastic year ahead in 2025 ✨



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