In response to the question about connecting Zoho Creator to Zoho Writer for prefilled documents, I wanted to share a working implementation that demonstrates how to use the
record_id parameter with the Zoho Writer Merge API. This allows Writer to automatically fetch data from your Creator record without manually building the merge data map.
The Solution
According to the
official Merge and Sign documentation, instead of using
merge_data, you can pass the
record_id and Writer will fetch the data internally:
Key Insight:
This approach is applicable only for Zoho CRM, Creator, Recruit and Bigin templates. When you pass the record_id parameter, Zoho Writer automatically retrieves the field values from your Creator record - no need to manually construct a merge data map.
Working Script Example
Here's a complete Deluge function that demonstrates using the Creator record ID with the Merge and Sign API:
Pro Tip:
When configuring your merge template in Writer, you'll connect it to a Creator report as the data source. If you trigger a merge manually within Writer, all fields will populate correctly. However, when triggered via the Merge API, Writer uses the
Creator Get Record by ID API to fetch data from your report — this means any fields not included in the connected Creator report will return empty in the merged document. Ensure all fields you need are present in the Creator report before using the API.
void zWriterSign.sendForSigning(Form_Name fnRecord)
{
//fetch employee record
eeRecord = Employee[ID = fnRecord.Employee_Lookup];
//
//Writer template ID (found in document URL)
templateId = "dfd8f76sf0dfdfeb8974ifcx9873d9876d8s03";
//
//Use the Creator record ID - Writer will fetch the data automatically
recordId = fnRecord.ID.toString();
//
param = Map();
param.put("record_id",recordId);
param.put("service_name","zohosign");
param.put("filename",fnRecord.Field_Name);
//
//Build signer list
signerList = List();
//
//First signer - approver
signerObj1 = Map();
signerObj1.put("recipient_1",ifnull(eeRecord.Email,"fallback@example.com"));
signerObj1.put("action_type","approve");
//approve|sign|view|in_person_sign
signerObj1.put("language","en");
signerList.add(signerObj1);
//
//Second signer - actual signer
signerObj2 = Map();
signerObj2.put("recipient_2",fnRecord.Signer_Email);
signerObj2.put("action_type","sign");
//approve|sign|view|in_person_sign
signerObj2.put("language","en");
signerList.add(signerObj2);
//
param.put("signer_data",signerList);
param.put("sign_in_order","true");
//
//Optional: custom message
if(!fnRecord.Custom_Message.isEmpty())
{
param.put("message",fnRecord.Custom_Message);
}
//
//Optional parameters
param.put("reminder_period","3");
param.put("set_expire","7");
param.put("test_mode",true);
//
//Execute the merge and sign request
newSignMerge = invokeurl
[
url :"https://www.zohoapis.eu/writer/api/v1/documents/" + templateId + "/merge/sign"
type :POST
parameters:param
connection:"zwritersign"
];
//
info newSignMerge;
}
Important: Data Center Considerations
The API endpoint URL must match your Zoho data center. Using the wrong domain will result in authentication failures or data access issues.
How to determine your data center:
- Log into your Zoho Creator application
- Check the URL in your browser's address bar
- If it shows
creator.zoho.eu, use zohoapis.eu - If it shows
creator.zoho.com, use zohoapis.com - Match the domain suffix accordingly for other regions
Prerequisites
Before using this API, ensure you have:
1. Template Access
Open your Writer template at least once from the Zoho Writer dashboard before sending API requests. Navigate to the hamburger menu → Automate tab.
|
2. OAuth Connection
Create a connection in Creator with the required scopes:
ZohoWriter.documentEditor.ALL
ZohoWriter.merge.ALL
ZohoSign.documents.ALL
|
Template Field Mapping:
Your Writer template merge fields must match your Creator form field names exactly. When using record_id, Writer automatically maps fields by their link names.
Available Merge API Endpoints
The record_id approach works with multiple Writer Merge APIs:
| API |
Endpoint |
Purpose |
| Merge and Sign |
/merge/sign |
Merge document and send for electronic signature via Zoho Sign |
| Merge and Email |
/merge/email |
Merge document and send as email attachment |
| Merge and Store |
/merge/store |
Merge document and save to Zoho WorkDrive |
| Merge Document |
/merge |
Merge and return download link (expires in 2 days) |
| Merge and Share Fillable |
/merge/sharetofill |
Generate pre-filled fillable links for data collection |
Signer Configuration Options
//Available action types for signers:
signerObj.put("action_type","sign"); //Requires signature
signerObj.put("action_type","approve"); //Approval only, no signature
signerObj.put("action_type","view"); //View only access
signerObj.put("action_type","in_person_sign"); //In-person signing
//Optional: Specify recipient name
signerObj.put("recipient_name","John Smith");
//Optional: Add private notes to signer
signerObj.put("private_notes","Please review section 3 carefully");
//Optional: Alternative delivery methods
deliveryType = Map();
deliveryType.put("type","sms"); //or "whatsapp"
deliveryType.put("countrycode","+1");
deliveryType.put("phonenumber","5551234567");
signerObj.put("delivery_type",{deliveryType});
Common Issues and Solutions
| Issue |
Cause |
Solution |
| "Invalid merge data" error |
Record ID not found or wrong format |
Ensure record_id is passed as a string using .toString() |
| Empty merge fields |
Field name mismatch between Creator and Writer |
Verify template merge field names match Creator field link names exactly |
| Authentication failure |
Wrong data center domain |
Match API domain to your account's data center |
| "Template not accessible" error |
Template not opened in Writer UI |
Open template once from Writer dashboard → Automate tab |
| Connection scope error |
Missing OAuth scopes |
Regenerate connection with all required scopes listed above |
Pro Tip:
Use param.put("test_mode",true); during development. This allows you to test the merge without consuming Zoho Sign credits (though the output will contain a watermark). Remove this parameter for production use.
📚 Documentation References:
Recent Topics
Edit QR code with redirect to form
Guten morgen, wir haben ein Formular Reklamation_erstellen. Dort soll ein QR Code erstellt werden, der im Lieferschein angezeigt wird. Beim Scannen auf dem soll das jeweilige Formular zum BEARBEITEN geöffnet werden. Leider bekomme ich es nur so hin, dass
Getting all the ingredients together for baking an app
Good day everyone. After reading a lot of the help docs and watching videos, I now started on my app. To prevent hours and hours wasted on going down the wrong track, I would like some clarification on the following. But first some background: I have
Help Needed with Configuring ZC Microservice
I'm attempting to create a simple microservice, but am running into problems with scope and auth. Using Custom API Builder, here's my setup: 1. Method: GET 2. Auth: OAuth2 3. User Scope: All users 4. Response: Standard 5. Function: A function that returns
Creator Simplified #10: Predefine Form Field Values and Make Them Read-Only for Users
Hey Creators, Ready for this week's tip in the Creator Simplified series? Today, we will explore how to have read only fields in a form. Use Case: Assume a scenario where the default value for a Department field needs to be English Literature, but you
Zoho Mail : Email Outgoing Blocked
I suddenly received the following message yesterday. I cannot send any mail. Please resolve as soon as possible, I cannot work without sending email. Dear User, We regret to inform you that your email outgoing has been blocked and you will not be able
Creator and Tables
Good day. I am trying to create my first application. I have imported my data into Tables and am creating my app in Creator. I do not see my tables and cannot see how to write forms data to a table. Even the Workflow just uses the form. In one of the
customer Name and address details
i created one application there is no customer details in that . how to add customer details and
Recalculate every row in the subform
Hello, Can anyone help me with a script, please? I have an issue. Sometimes it happens, that in a multi row subform one of the rows show an incorrect row total value. Not really understand how it can happen, if I have a 20 row subform, 19 rows show correct
Creating Repeat Forms that remove redundancies
I wanted to understand if you can make multi-layer forms that reduce the need for users to input information in again and again. We want a form that our suppliers fill out per ingredient they sell, and the end result should have the Ingredient (Section
What is the difference between the free plan and the mail lite plan?
What is the difference between the free plan and the mail lite plan? How many emails can I send per day?
Unblock email
Hi The outgoing mail from a client of me is blocked. I already made tickets and tickets are send to the EU desk but nobody is responding. The problem is already 4 days! There is absolutely no help from the support. I am really not satisfied at all! Can
Domain verification failure
Hello Zoho Support, I purchased my domain directly through Zoho Mail, but the domain verification keeps failing with the message “TXT verification failed.” I’ve already waited and retried several times, but it still won’t verify. Could you please manually
Unable to send message;Reason:554 5.1.8 Email Outgoing Blocked.
My email account is unable to send emails, and I urgently need to use it. How can I resolve this?If there is anything we have done wrong, please let us know in advance so we can actively cooperate to improve. User ID: 850482493
URGENT: Email stopped workin - can't access admin panel
For some reason email sending stopped working. When I try to send an email it fails with "Unable to send message;Reason:451 4.7.1 Temporary system error" I can receive email just fine I see in my notifications some errors about the MX records, however
Can I associate an invoice to a Project after the fact?
We have generated an invoice but would like to assoicate it to a Zoho Project after the fact. Is there any way to accomplish that? Thanks, Scott
Emails I send as a cc or bcc NEVER GO THROUGH TO THA RECEIVER !!
every time i send a cc or bcc copy of an email to anyone when I’m using my zohomail.com email - no one ever gets the cc of bcc copy if the email: why???? And i triple check that the email addresses are correct; then i get back an email message (EVERYTIME)
Add Support for Authenticator App MFA in Zoho Desk Help Center
Hello Zoho Desk Team, We hope you are doing well. We would like to request an enhancement related to security for the Zoho Desk Help Center (customer portal). Currently, the Help Center supports MFA for portal users via SAML, JWT, SMS authentication,
Auto-fill Contacts in Zoho Mail not working for me
We just switched to Zoho Mail for our company, and I am noticing that the "auto fill" feature when composing an email -- where the "to" field is autofilled (like in the attachment) from Contatcts works for everyone except me. Any way I might have made
How to unlink a SAML user from the existing Zoho Desk user (domain change case)
Hi everyone, I’m trying to understand how to handle a situation where a customer changes their company domain. In our setup, users authenticate via SAML, so when the domain changes, the SAML system treats them as a new user. However, in Zoho Desk, I’d
Price Managment
I have been in discussions with Zoho for some time and not getting what I need. Maybe someone can help explain the logic behind this for me as I fail to understand. When creating an item, you input a sales rate and purchase rate. These rates are just
Related to zoho survey
Hi team. I want to know something regarding zoho survey question builder. I have two questions each of dropdown (One answer) - question type. In the first question, there are 16 answer choices and in the second question, there are 3 answer choices. For
Text Message
When trying to sent a text message, it says its an error i should contact a zoho agent
Zoho POS is now available for Canadian retailers
Hey everyone, We're excited to introduce the all-new Canadian edition of Zoho POS, which helps retail businesses simplify and manage their end-to-end business operations. Start by signing up and exploring the 15-day free trial. Sign up now How does Zoho
Payroll In Canada
Hi, When can we expect to have payroll in Canada with books
Mass update to change or shift all project dates and keep project structure + shift all sub-tasks dates with main tasks
Most users would expect that if they change the start date of their project then that will be reflected inside the actual project and any project structure would be retained. Additionally if a task list with associated sub-tasks is moved, most users would expect that those sub-tasks would also be moved along with their parent task. This is not the case. For a total Project shift of dates: * the start and end date from > "Edit Project" page can have a radio button added to "shift all project tasks
Closing Accounting Periods - Invoice/Posting dates
Hi, I have seen in another thread but I'm unsure on how the 'transaction locking' works with regards to new and old transactions. When producing monthly accounts if I close December 24 accounts on 8th Jan 25 will transaction locking prevent me from posting
In-person ZUG Meetups for Real Estate Professionals - US Q1 2026
The Real Estate Zoho User Group is going on a multi-city, in-person meetup tour across the US, and we’d love to see you there! These meetups are a great opportunity to: Connect with fellow real estate professionals using Zoho Share challenges and discover
Zoho CRM custom fields not showing in zoho creator
Hi Team, I have created a Products form with Zoho CRM integration and connected it to Products module of CRM. But when I see the reports of Products in Zoho creator then I am not able to see custom fields of Products module. Only standard fields of Products
Sending email notifications based on language
Hello. I would like to know how we can bypass the default notifications (which are just in English) for when a ticket is created/replied to/closed, to be in other languages, based on the language field in the ticket? I can create other email templates,
Zoho Error: This Operation has been restricted. Please contact support-as@zohocorp.com for further details
Hello There, l tried to verify my domain (florindagoreti.com.br) and its shows this error: This Operation has been restricted. Please contact support-as@zohocorp.com for further details. Screenshot Given Below - please check what went wrong. Thanks
Download a file from within a zoho creator widget
I have a widget running in Zoho Creator , it displays uploaded documents in a table file, and I have added a download link in the view. ( The widget is created with html, css and javascript). I do not succeed in getting the download working. Do I have
Zoho / Outlook Calendar sync
The current Marketplace -> Microsoft -> Meetings integration needs 2 changes. 1. The current language for the Two-Way sync option should be changed. It currently states, "Sync both your Zoho CRM Calendar and Office 365 Calendar meetings with each other."
Email content just contain 'OK' ,not what we expect
create campaign API URL: https://campaigns.zoho.com/api/v1.1/createCampaign req params: {'campaignname': 'General_Outreach_d0cfc415-43aa-4b96-bb09-558e76a3dda3_50_20251117_214806_660', 'from_email': 'admin@allinmedia.ai', 'subject': 'ALL IN MEDIA', 'list_details':
Reopen ticket
Hello! Can I reopen a ticket just using the API ticket/sendReply ? What's the rules to do it? I'm trying but it doesn't reopen the ticket, it just send the reply
Allow Admins to Transfer Ownership of Their Own Files & Folders
Hi Zoho WorkDrive Team, Hope you are doing well. We would like to request an important enhancement to the ownership-transfer functionality in Zoho WorkDrive, specifically regarding administrator capabilities. As administrators, we have the ability to
Tip#46: Capture accurate log hours
Hello everyone, Use the newly introduced timer settings that will streamline the usage of timers and help admins or workspace owners to manage the time entries of the workspace users better. Check out the below mentioned timer settings added to the Timesheet
Moving to app-specific authentication for Google integrations
Hello everyone, We’re making an important change to how Google integrations work in our platform. Until now, we used a common Google project across Zoho to enable integrations like Google Drive, Calendar, and more. Going forward, we’ll be moving to an
Lost the ability to sort by ticket owner
Hi all, in the last week or so, we have lost the ability to sort tickets by Ticket Owner. Unlike the other columns which we can hover over and click on to sort, Ticket Owner is no longer clickable. Is it just us, or are other customers seeing this too?
How Can i put a form in Zobot
Hi,how can i integrate a form which has a multiple options to choose from.the form should be opened or displayed by zobot after it meets a requirement in the conversation. Thanks in advance !
Playback and Management Enhancements for Zoho Quartz Recordings
Hello Zoho Team, We hope you're all doing well. We would like to submit a feature request related to Zoho Quartz, the tool used to record and share browser sessions with Zoho Support. 🎯 Current Functionality As of now, Zoho Quartz allows users to record
Next Page