Zoho Creator to Zoho Writer for prefilled documents...

Zoho Creator to Zoho Writer for prefilled documents...

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.
Data Center Region API Domain
US United States https://www.zohoapis.com/writer/api/v1/...
EU Europe https://www.zohoapis.eu/writer/api/v1/...
IN India https://www.zohoapis.in/writer/api/v1/...
AU Australia https://www.zohoapis.com.au/writer/api/v1/...
JP Japan https://www.zohoapis.jp/writer/api/v1/...
CA Canada https://www.zohoapis.ca/writer/api/v1/...
CN China https://www.zohoapis.com.cn/writer/api/v1/...
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.