Kaizen #180: Automating Data Transfer from Zoho Sheets to Zoho CRM Subforms

Kaizen #180: Automating Data Transfer from Zoho Sheets to Zoho CRM Subforms



Hello everyone!
Welcome back to another exciting Kaizen post! This time, we will discuss the solution for a use case—leveraging Client Scripts and Functions to get the job done efficiently by integrating with Zoho Sheets.

In this kaizen post,

  1. Handling Manual Entries of Data in Subforms
  2. Scenario 
  3. Solution
  4. Add a button in Create Page(Canvas)
  5. Create a Function to fetch data from Sheet
  6. Create a Client Script to get Sheet Details, fetch and populate data
  7. Summary
  8. Related links

1. Handling Manual Entries of Data in Subforms

Manually entering data into Zoho CRM subforms is simple and straightforward when dealing with a few rows. However, repeatedly copying a large set of rows from a Sheet to a Subform can be challenging. Manually mapping lookup fields and adding parent IDs is not only time-consuming but also prone to errors, leading to inefficiencies in data entry. Automating this process can greatly improve efficiency, saving both time and effort.
Here’s how you can seamlessly fetch data from Zoho Sheets and populate Zoho CRM subforms—including lookup fields—using Client Scripts and Functions.

2. Requirement

Zylker manufactures medical instruments, and its sales representatives manage bulk orders from distributors and hospitals. Product details are typically provided in a sheet, which the sales reps must manually enter into the subform on the Order Creation Page. However, creating numerous entries is tedious, time-consuming, and prone to errors. To streamline the process, a "Populate from Sheet" button is embedded in the Order module of Create Page(Canavas). When clicked, it should
  • Display a pop-up asking to enter the Sheet ID.
  • Fetch order details (product names, quantities, and prices) from a specific Zoho Sheet.
  • Fetch the id of the Product name from the Products module and populate the lookup field "Product".
  • Populate other data into the Product list Subform inside Zoho CRM.

3. Solution 

To accomplish this requirement with a button click, you need to use a Canvas Page and add a button to it. (Currently, Client Scripts do not support Custom Buttons on the Create Page(Standard). When clicked, the Client Script should be triggered, it should retrieve the Sheet ID from the user, invoke a function to read the data, and populate the content into the Subform.

So you need to follow the following steps.
  • Add a button in Create Page(Canvas)
  • Create a Function to fetch data from Sheet
  • Create a Client Script.

a. Add a button in Create Page(Canvas)
  • Go to Settings > Canvas > Form View tab. Click the three dots next to the Canvas Order Create Page and click edit.


  • Right click on the button and add the Element ID for the new button and click Save.



b. Create a Function to fetch data from Sheet
  • Go to Setup > Developer Hub > Functions.
  • In the Functions page, click + Create New Function.
  • Choose the category as Button.
  • Click Create.
  • In the Create Function page, enter a name and description for your function.
  • Write your function code. The below function is used to integrate CRM with Zoho Sheets and reads the content of the Sheet using zoho.sheet.getRecords(sheetid ,tab name)
  1. SheetData = zoho.sheet.getRecords(sheetid,"Sheet1");
  2. d = list();
  3. for each  record in SheetData.get("records")
  4. {
  5. d.add(record);
  6. }
  7. info d;
  8. return d.toString();

  • Click Edit Argument next to the function's namespace and define the parameter "Sheetid" and click Save.
  • Click the three dots next to the Function name and select REST API.
  • Enable the OAuth2 for the Function csvRead as shown below.




    c. Create a Client Script

  • Go to Setup > Developer Hub > Client Script. Click +New Script.
  • Specify the details to create a script and click Next.
  • Enter the following script and click Save.

  1. var a = ZDK.Page.getField("Product_list").getValue();
  2. var casesheetid = ZDK.Client.getInput([{ type: 'text', label: 'Enter the Sheet ID' }], 'Sheet details', 'OK', 'Cancel');
  3.     console.log("casesheetid " + casesheetid);
  4. if (casesheetid == null) {
  5.         ZDK.Client.showAlert("Enter the *Case Sheet ID - Import* to import data");
  6.     }
  7.     let csvdata = []; // list to store csv data
  8.     let imported_list = [
  9.         {
  10.         "Product_Name": {
  11.         "id": "",
  12.         "name": ""
  13.         },
  14.         "Quantity":"",
  15.         "Unit_Price": "",
  16.         "Amount": ""
  17.         }
  18.     ]
  19.     try {

  21.      ZDK.Client.showLoader({type: 'page', template:'vertical-bar', message: 'Loading ...'});
  22.         resp = ZDK.Apps.CRM.Functions.execute("getData", casesheetid); // invoke function that extracts data from Sheet
  23.     }
  24.     catch {
  25.         ZDK.Client.showAlert("Unexpected error occured" + resp);
  26.     }
  27.     var k = resp._details.userMessage;
  28.     k = "[" + k + "]";
  29.     let jsonArray = JSON.parse(k);//Convert to a valid JSON array format
  30.     jsonArray.forEach((pr, i) => {
  31.         csvdata.push(pr);
  32.     });

  34.     if (csvdata.length) {
  35.         log("csvdata length" + csvdata.length);
  36.         csvdata.forEach(row => {
  37.             log("Product_Name" + row.Product_Name);
  38.             log("Case Version" + row.Version);
  39.             log("Case " + row.Case);
  40.             imported_list.push({ Product_Name: { id: "", name: row.Product }, Quantity: row.Quantity, Unit_Price: row.Unit_Price, Amount: row.Amount});
  41.         });
  42.     }
  43.     imported_list.shift(); // remove the dummy row
  44.     imported_list.forEach((row, i) => {
  45.         apiResponse = ZDK.Apps.CRM.Products.searchByCriteria(`(Product_Name:equals:${row.Product_Name.name})`);
  46.  if (apiResponse.length == 0) {
  47.             // If there is no matching record, ask user if a new record has to be created or not.
  48.             var count = i + 1;
  49.             ZDK.Client.showAlert("*S.No* " + count + " - '" + row.Product_Name.name + "'" + " is an *invalid Product Name*", "Invalid Product Name", "Okay");
  50.         }
  51.         apiResponse.forEach((rec) => {
  52.             if (!(rec.id == null)) {
  53.                 row.Product_Name.id = rec.id;
  54.             }
  55.         });
  56.     });
  57. ZDK.Page.getField('Product_list').setValue(imported_list);
  58. ZDK.Client.hideLoader();


  • In this code, several ZDKs are used for various purposes. Click on the ZDK hyperlinks to learn more.

  1. User Input: The code uses ZDK.Client.getInput() to fetch a "Sheet ID" from the user. This input is crucial for further operations.
  2. Input Validation: If the user cancels or doesn't enter a sheet ID, the code checks for null and prompts the user to enter the ID using ZDK.Client.showAlert().
  3. Function Invocation: The code invokes a CRM function named getData using ZDK.Apps.CRM.Functions.execute(), passing the sheet ID as a parameter. 
  4. Loader Display: To indicate that a process is running, a loader is displayed using ZDK.Client.showLoader(). 
  5. Data Parsing and Transformation: The response from the function "resp" is parsed into a JSON array format. This involves converting the response into a string and then parsing it into a JSON object. The processed data is transformed into a format suitable for populating a CRM field. This involves creating a new list (imported_list) and pushing the transformed data into it.
  6. Subform Population: Finally, the transformed data is used to populate the Subform named Product_list using ZDK.Page.getField().setValue(). After completing the process, the loader is hidden using ZDK.Client.hideLoader().
  • Here is how the Client Script works.


  • Here, using Client Script, you can instantly add all products from the Sheet with a single click and populate the lookup field without specifying ID for the lookup field "Product".

4. Summary

In this post, we have discussed,
  • How to get input from the user and pass the input while invoking a Function
  • How to Invoke a Function
  • How to import data from Sheets to Zoho CRM Subform
  • How to use Search Records API to fetch the ID of a field.


    • Recent Topics

    • Zoho Autoplay Issue

      Currently, we run our graphics on a playlist with youtube videos interspersed in our office -- however, when we go to update the playlist (since last Thursday at around 8-9am EST) it no longer saves the autoplay function.  We have tried making a new account, manually saving with cntrl+s, making a new show, etc but nothing seems to work.  Even with our old program, we can't change it off of autoplay for ones that were created in the past. Another issue is that if we change a slide transition to anything

    • Where is the Global Search field?

      I am looking for an alternative to SF.com. Zoho CRM seems to be work fine, and be customizable in terms of the fields and reports. But there's one big thing missing and it's going to prevent us from using it: there's no global search box at the top of

    • Zoho Sheet Autofit Data

      While using Autofit Data function in Zoho Sheets with Devnagri Maratji or Hindi Fonts, a word or a number, it keeps couple of characters outside the right side border.

    • KPI Widget dashboard select periods

      I have a problem with selecting periods as a user filter. In the beste scenario I would like to have to have a period filter like Google Analytics has of Datastudio (see attachment). In the KPI widget I "Group by "inquiry_date" on week&Year". It selects

    • Unattended Access on Android without Play Store

      I'm testing Zoho Assist for remote config and maintenance of our IoT devices. The devices are running Android 8.1 and do NOT have Google Play Store installed, nor can it be installed. I've been able to install Zoho Assist on the devices and load the enrollment

    • Search 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.

    • Kaizen #152 - Client Script Support for the new Canvas Record Forms

      Hello everyone! Have you ever wanted to trigger actions on click of a canvas button, icon, or text mandatory forms in Create/Edit and Clone Pages? Have you ever wanted to control how elements behave on the new Canvas Record Forms? This can be achieved

    • Workdrive on Android - Gallery Photo Backups

      Hello, Is there any way of backing up the photos on my android phone directly to a specific folder on Workdrive? Assuming i have the workdrive app installed on the phone in question. Emma

    • The Social Wall: September 2025

      Hello everyone, As we step into the fall season, some major updates are on the horizon. Meanwhile, here are the exciting updates we rolled out this September. Approvals in iOS Managing approvals just got more seamless on mobile. With this update, the

    • Add a Way to Duplicate Cards in the Same Canvas (Retain All Settings)

      Dear Zoho SalesIQ Team, We would like to request a new feature in Zoho SalesIQ: the ability to duplicate an existing card within the same canvas while retaining all of its information and settings, including conditions, configurations, and display preferences.

    • Market cap

      Market cap formula?? Kaise nikale

    • Zoho Sheet for Desktop

      Does Zoho plans to develop a Desktop version of Sheet that installs on the computer like was done with Writer?

    • Google enhanced conversions not working

      Hi guys, I've connected Zoho CRM through Google Ads interface with the goal to setup the enhanced conversion tracking in Google Ads. I have to Zoho related conversion goals which you can see in the images below: For the conversion goal above I've setup

    • Need Help to setup plugs along with codeless bot buidler. To send sms OTPs to users via Zoho Voice and to verify it

      Need Help to setup plugs along with codeless bot buidler. To send sms OTPs to users via Zoho Voice and to verify it. I get leads from our website and we need to make sure those are not junk. So we are using proactive chat bot and we need mobile OTPs to

    • Direct Integration Between Zoho Cliq Meetings and Google Calendar

      Dear Zoho Team, We’d like to submit the following feature request based on our current use case and the challenges we’re facing: 🎯 Feature Request: Enable meetings scheduled in Zoho Cliq to be automatically added to the host's Google Calendar, not just

    • Cliq iOS can't see shared screen

      Hello, I had this morning a video call with a colleague. She is using Cliq Desktop MacOS and wanted to share her screen with me. I'm on iPad. I noticed, while she shared her screen, I could only see her video, but not the shared screen... Does Cliq iOS is able to display shared screen, or is it somewhere else to be found ? Regards

    • Zoho sheet

      Unable to share zoho sheet with anyone on internet with editer option only view option is show

    • Mail and OS

      Jai Hind! Zoho is doing good by creating good software (made in india) on par with other tech giants. 🥰 Suggestion: 1. Whenever we sign up on zoho mail its asking for other mail id. It shouldn't be like that. You should ask general details of a user

    • Personal account created under org account

      Hi there, I am Jayesh. We are using ME Central, and we have an account by the email ID soc@kissht.com.. Now I have created a personal account., jayesh.auti@zohomail.in, accidentally. Can you help me to remove this jayesh.auti@zohomail.in from my organization

    • Add another account

      How to add another mail account to my zoho mail.

    • Recover deleted user

      Hi by mistake i have deleted an added user and his email associated. Please help me recover it thank you.

    • No connection to the server

      Hello! I can't add a new email address to my mailbox because your server is rejecting me. Please help. I took and added a screenshot of this problem Marek Olbrys

    • URGENT: Business Email Disruption – SMTP Authentication Failed

      Dear Zoho Support, I am writing to escalate a critical issue with my business email account: 📧 marek@olbrys.de My domain olbrys.de is fully verified in Zoho (MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC all valid – green status). I am using the correct configuration: smtp.zoho.eu

    • Emails missing from desktop but visible on phone

      Subject says it all. Windows 11 laptop. Apple phone. all systems up to date.

    • Website Hosting

      Hello, I want to host my domain on Hostinger, and I want my emails to run through Zoho Mail. Please provide me with the SPF record, MX record (Type: TXT), and A record, so that I don’t face any issues with my emails. My website is on Hostinger hosting,

    • Can not search zoho mail after update V.1.7.0

      i can not search mail on to and cc box from attached picture and then search contacts box can't click or use anything. include replay mail too.

    • Urgent Security Feature Request – Add MFA to Zoho Projects Client Portal Hello Zoho Projects Team,

      Hello Zoho Projects Team, We hope you are doing well. We would like to submit an urgent security enhancement request regarding the Zoho Projects Client Portal. At this time, as far as we are aware, there is no Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) available

    • How to retreive the "To be received" value of an Item displayed in Zoho inventory.

      Hi everyone, We have our own Deluge code to generate a PO according to taget quantity and box quantity, pretty usefull and powerful! However, we want to reduce our quantity to order according to "To be received" variable. Seems like this might not even

    • Payment on a past due balance

      Scenario: Customer is past due on their account for 4 months. We suspend their billing in Zoho books. Customer finally logs into the portal and enters a new credit card. We associate that cardwith their subscription, which will permit the card to be used

    • Instant Sync of Zoho CRM Data?

      With how valuable Zoho Analytics is to actually creating data driven dashboards/reports, we are surprised that there is no instant or near instant sync between Zoho CRM and Zoho Analytics. Waiting 3 hours is okay for most of our reports, but there are

    • Kaizen #211 - Answering your Questions | Using Canvas and Widgets to Tailor CRM for Mobile

      Howdy, tech wizards! We are back with the final post in addressing the queries you shared for our 200th milestone. This week, we are focusing on a couple of queries on Zoho CRM mobile configurations and custom payment gateway integration. 1. Mobile SDK

    • Remove "Invalid entries found. Rectify and submit again" modal

      Following up on a post from a few years back, but can the Zoho team consider either removing the 'Invalid entries found. Rectify and submit again' modal that displays for empty mandatory fields OR allow an admin to change it? I've built a custom error

    • Validation function not preventing candidates under 18 or over 30 from submitting the web form

      Hello everyone, I’m trying to create a validation rule for the Candidate Webform in Zoho Recruit. I added a custom field called “Date of Birth”, and I want to make sure that candidates cannot submit the form unless their age is between 18 and 30 years.

    • Cadence reports as front-end reports

      Hello everyone, We have built a cadence which is connected to the Leads module. There are 11 steps in total, 7 are automatic emails and 4 are tasks for the Lead owners. As admins, we have access to this (very nicely made) 'View Reports' tab where we can

    • Zoho Commerce in multiple languages

      When will you be able to offer Zoho Commerce in more languages? We sell in multiple markets and want to be able to offer a local version of our webshop. What does the roadmap look like?

    • Show elapsed time on the thank-you page?

      Is it possible to display the total time a user spent filling out a Zoho Form on the thank-you? I’d like to show the difference between the `form submission timestamp` and the `start time` (currently have a hidden Date-Time field set to autofill the date

    • Email Integration - Zoho CRM - OAuth and IMAP

      Hello, We are attempting to integrate our Microsoft 365 email with Zoho CRM. We are using the documentation at Email Configuration for IMAP and POP3 (zoho.com) We use Microsoft 365 and per their recommendations (and requirements) for secure email we have

    • I need to do crud with snippet html

      I need to implement a form with an improved user interface. I would like to use snippets to build a CRUD that allows me to create and update records. How could I achieve this using snippets?

    • Allow Stripe Credit Card and Stripe ACH payment methods to be enabled separately on an invoice.

      I need to be able to pick at the invoice level whether Stripe Credit Card and/or Stripe ACH payment methods are available. Currently, I'm not able to select from the two Stripe payment methods individually on an invoice. However, there are some larger

    • Enhancements to finance suite integrations

      Update: Based on your feedback, we’ve updated the capabilities for integration users. In addition to the Estimates module, they can now create, view, and edit records in all the finance modules including Sales Order, Invoices, Purchase Order. We're also

    • Next Page