Zoho CRM APIs: The Ultimate Guide

Zoho CRM APIs: The Ultimate Guide

Zoho CRM offers API (Application Programming Interface) that allows you to integrate CRM with third-party applications such as accounting, e-commerce, self-service portals, etc. At the time when you work with the Zoho CRM API, you must ensure that you are using the latest version of the API.

With API versioning, you can create new API endpoints while adding functionality to them which also makes sure that the API is easily accessible to all the third-party applications and integrations for continuous usage.

Zoho CRM’s API allows you to fetch important CRM data from the Zoho CRM account. You can get your records, add them or remove them, search and even update your records. The Zoho CRM comes with many modules including contacts, potentials, campaigns, tasks, events, cases, solutions, price books, vendors, purchase orders, sales orders, invoices, etc.

Zoho CRM Rest APIs:

Zoho CRM comes with standard modules including Accounts, Leads, Deals, Forecasts, Activities, Contacts, and so on. With the use of Zoho CRM Rest API, you can easily retrieve the list of all the available modules from the Get List of Modules API.
  1. You can easily refer to the API in the JSON data at the time you access the resource. Each field, module, and related list is going to have an API name which you can use easily in the third-party integrations. For instance, if you wish to access the module titled Leads then you can use “Leads” which can be the api_name each time you access the resource. The Zoho CRM can easily generate API names while also creating custom modules, custom fields, and related list labels. You cannot change the API Names for any default modules including fields and related lists. Instead, you can easily change API names for custom modules, related lists, and fields.
  2. The formed API name only contains numbers, alphabets, and even underscores. The API name must start with an alphabet and must not have two consecutive underscores or end with an underscore.
  3. You must refer to Response Structure for details about JSON keys, descriptions, and values of the available modules. You can use the sample response of every module as the input when you insert, update, and upsert a record in the corresponding module.

Bulk Read API:

The Bulk Read API enables you to fetch a large set of data. The API is extremely useful when you need to export a large amount of data or even take a backup of data without creating a big impact on the API limits.

This is usually an asynchronous API which means that the response to the request is not usually available instantly. You are going to be notified of the callback URL whenever the data is ready to be downloaded and you can also choose the job status periodically.

  1. The first step is to create a POST API call by providing the module, a list of fields to be exported along with criteria that can be used for filtering records. This will help in creating an asynchronous job and it will also return a unique identifier which can be the reference of a request.
  2. In case you need the system to notify you automatically on the job completion then you can also offer the callback URL when you create a bulk read job. Otherwise, you can also choose to check the status of this job at periodic intervals by using a GET API call using the Job ID.
  3. After the job is completed, the download_url can be available in the result attribute of the response of API. You can also download the result of the job by calling download_url. This is how a zip file will get downloaded which will also contain the CSV or ICS file in it.

Notification API:

The notification APIs enable you to get instant notifications anytime an action is performed on the module records. The system easily notifies you about the event on the URL that is provided. It is also easy to allow notifications on the basis of operations such as create, update, and delete.

For instance, let us think that a user wishes to get notified about the create operation that can be performed on a specific module. Anytime a contact gets created in the Zoho CRM, the system will be notifying the user to notify the URL.

You can also create a unique ID for each module for ensuring that the notification is coming from a particular channel. This can be done by setting the expiry time for instant notifications for all channels. Moreover, there is also an option to disable the notifications anytime.

The notification APIs enable you to enable notifications, get notification details, update notification details, update specific information of a notification, disable notifications, and also disable specific notifications.

Query API:

Another API used for custom applications is called the CRM Object Query Language which is based on the SQL syntax. It allows the users to write queries for getting records from Zoho CRM and use field API names instead of column names and module API names rather than table names.

This API can be used for filtering and fetching records on the basis of some factors instead of creating custom views and passing the Custom View ID as a parameter in the request. With the use of this API, you can easily retrieve over 200 records.

  1. COQL supports just the SELECT query with some clauses such as WHERE, ORDER, FROM, BY, LIMIT, AND OFFSET.
  2. COQL keywords must not be case-sensitive. SELECT can be the same as select.
  3. The system sorts the record in ascending order on the basis of record ID in case the order is not included in the query.
  4. The default value for LIMIT can be 200 and the OFFSET value can be 0.

Conclusion:

Zoho CRM API allows developers to build custom applications for managing enterprise operations. They offer easy integration of Zoho CRM in almost all platforms that a business uses and you never have to worry about the development or IT challenges stressing your operations.
The developer platform offers low code development along with microservices for professional code for automation, enterprise-wide data integration and the formation of custom web and mobile solutions.
 

    • Recent Topics

    • Client Script | Update - Introducing ZRC: Simplified HTTP request library

      Hello Developers! Are you tired of juggling different methods to make API calls? Are you confused with multiple syntaxes and version restrictions? Have you ever wished for one simple way to make all API calls in CRM? We heard you :) Here comes ZRC (Zoho

    • Selection Filed for Data Export section

      Hi FSM Team, I hope you are all doing well. I would like to share an idea for future development based on my experience. Currently, in FSM, we can only download up to 5,000 records at a time. If the development team could add a selection option to choose

    • Text wrap column headers in reports?

      Is it possible to auto wrap column headers so that a longer multi-word header displays as two lines when the column is narrower than the width of the header title?

    • What if I dont see contacts on the left side list

      My CRM does not show the contacts tab. In order to create list this is needed and I cant find it.

    • Comments Vs. Replies

      I'm curious as to the difference between a "Reply" and a "Comment" on a ticket. It appears that "Replies" are what's used to determine response time SLA's and there are also used to automatically re-open tickets. I'm just trying to understand the key differences so I can educate both our clientele and our back-end users on which function/feature to use to better improve the ticket lifecycle. If anyone has any insight it would be appreciated. Thanks!

    • Transitioning to API Credits in Zoho Desk

      At Zoho Desk, we’re always looking for ways to help keep your business operations running smoothly. This includes empowering teams that rely on APIs for essential integrations, functions and extensions. We’ve reimagined how API usage is measured to give

    • Add Custom Reports To Dashboard or Home Tab

      Hi there, I think it would be great to be able to add our custom reports to the Home Tab or Dashboards. Thanks! Chad

    • Resetting auto-number on new year

      Hi everyone! We have an auto-number with prefix "D{YYYY}-", it generates numbers like D2025-1, D2025-2, etc... How can we have it auto-reset at the beginning of the next year, so that it goes to D2026-1? Thanks!

    • Microsoft Phone Link

      Does anyone know if you can use Microsoft Phone Link to make calls through Zoho?

    • Voip Phone system that integrates with Zoho

      Just checking to see if anyone could tell me what phone system they are using with Zoho that is on the list of systems that integrate with Zoho.  I use Vonage and have been with them for quite a few years but their service has really gone down hill and

    • Removing Related Modules Lookup Fields Assignment / Relationship

      Issue: When creating a related list, I accidently selected module itself creating a circle reference. See attached. Situation: I wish to relating a custom module called "Phone Calls" to Leads and Contacts. Outcome: 1) I either want to remove the this

    • [Product Update] TimeSheets module is now renamed as Time Logs in Zoho Projects.

      Dear Zoho Analytics customers, As part of the ongoing enhancements in Zoho Projects, the Timesheets module has been renamed to Time Logs. However, the module name will continue to be displayed as Timesheets in Zoho Analytics until the relevant APIs are

    • Kaizen #210 - Answering your Questions | Event Management System using ZDK CLI

      Hello Everyone, Welcome back to yet another post in the Kaizen Series! As you already may know, for the Kaizen #200 milestone, we asked for your feedback and many of you suggested topics for us to discuss. We have been writing on these topics over the

    • Can you prevent closing Ulaa window when the last tab is closed (inadvertently)?

      Most browsers have started to bring this feature in to prevent closing their windows when the last tab is closed (inadvertently). I hope Ulaa should get this in too.

    • Seriously - Create multiple contacts for leads, (With Company as lead) Zoho CRM

      In Zoho CRM, considering a comapny as a lead, you need us to allow addition of more than one contact. Currently the Lead Section is missing "Add contact" feature which is available in "Accounts". When you know that a particular lead can have multiple

    • can I link a contacts to multiple accounts

      can I link a contacts to multiple accounts

    • Rotate an Image in Workdrive Image Editor

      I don't know if I'm just missing something, but my team needs a way to rotate images in Workdrive and save them at that new orientation. For example one of our ground crew members will take photos of job sites vertically (9:16) on his phone and upload

    • Free webinar! Digitize recruitment and onboarding with Zoho Sign and Zoho Recruit

      Hello, Tired of being buried in onboarding paperwork? With the integration between Zoho Sign and Zoho Recruit, a powerful applicant tracking system, you can digitize and streamline the entire recruitment and onboarding process, all from one platform.

    • is it possible to add more than one Whatsapp Phone Number to be integrated to Zoho CRM?

      so I have successfully added one Whatsapp number like this from this User Interface it seems I can't add a new Whatsapp Number. I need to add a new Whatsapp Number so I can control the lead assignment if a chat sent to Whatsapp Phone Number 1 then assign

    • Open Activities view.

      I really like the new views for the open and closed activities inside the deals. But when you are in the tab view instead of the column view you can only complete and edit the open activity there isn't the 3 dot option to be able to delete the activ

    • Potentially Outdated and Vulnerable Chromium Engine Installed by Ulaa Browser Installer

      I just installed Ulaa Browser a few minutes ago. Whats My Browser page shows I am using an outdated Chromium engine meaning I might be vulnerable for security exploits that might have got fixed in the new version.

    • Potentially hardcoded list of Browsers to import from (after Ulaa Setup)

      I have just installed Ulaa Browser and found that the list of browser to import data is potentially hardcoded ones rather than looking at the system. I do not have FF, IE and Edge is not my default itself. I would appreciated if Ulaa detected my browsers

    • From Layout to Code: Finding Custom Field IDs in Zoho Projects.

      Hello everyone! Ever found yourself wondering how to get the API names and IDs of custom fields in Zoho Projects while working on custom functions? Here’s a simple and effective way to do it! This method makes it super easy to locate the right field details

    • How to notify all members on any updates to zoho crm?

      Hi, I am using the free version of zoho CRM and currently seeing this will work for our company. We are a small company and wanted to be more informed about all the changes in zoho.   1. How do I set notifications that go to the team for any and all changes made in Zoho. At this point, we'd rather be over-informed than under-informed. 2. Create a custom field (or rename an unused field) to be able to capture any "Product Feature Requests" from customers or prospects we're talking to. I have anyone

    • Zoho Mail Desktop App Not Loading + Can’t Manage Multiple Accounts

      Hi everyone, I’ve been having ongoing issues with the Zoho Mail desktop app for the past few weeks. The app starts to load but gives up midway and never actually opens — there’s no error message, it just stops loading. The main reason I use the desktop

    • How can I transfer data from Production to Development environment?

      Hi, I am using Creator V6 and would like to bring all the data in production to the Development and Testing environments? Is there an easy way of doing that or I have to export and import each table?

    • Billing frequency is not displayed correctly.

      Hello There is an issue while displaying the billing frequency on a subscription quote. I am able to activate the subscription details and get this lovely overview: If I am adding a Plan which I charge quarterly, first of all it should be possible to

    • Calling Function via REST API with API Key gives 401 using Zoho Developer

      Hi, I created a couple of functions using the one month trial of Enterprise edition, which I was able to call using the API Key method from Postman and from an external site. Now that my trial has expired, I have created the same functions in the Developer

    • Session Expired

      I constantly get "Session Expired" and need to relogin or close and open the application again. This gets really frustrating during the day. Is this something that can be solved? This really makes me want to leave the app as it is no go to need to reopen

    • Employee type and source translation

      In Zoho People, when I fill in the employee’s information, there is the option to determine the type of employment (employee type) and the hiring source. Both options ALWAYS appear in English. It is extremely inconvenient to deal with poorly translated

    • Sync Issue Between Zoho Notebook Web App on Firefox (PC) and Android App

      Hi Zoho Notebook Community, I'm facing a sync problem with Zoho Notebook. When I use the web version on Mozilla Firefox browser on my PC, I create and save new notes, and I've synced them successfully. However, these new notes aren't showing up in my

    • Request for Clarity on Timeline for True GPT/Zia Auto-Response Capabilities

      I appreciate Zoho’s steady innovation, but I’m concerned that Desk and Zia remain well behind modern AI capabilities. For years, GPT-based tools have been able to generate and send contextual responses, yet Zoho Desk only supports summarization or suggested

    • Notebook audio recordings disappearing

      I have recently been experiencing issues where some of my attached audio recordings are disappearing. I am referring specifically to ones made within a Note card in Notebook on mobile, made by pressing the "+" button and choosing "Record audio" (or similar),

    • Has anyone built a ticket export that allows Help Center users to export the tickets shown in the My Area list they are looking at?

      Hi, We are moving to Zoho Desk soon. Our current support system displays an option in our help center allowing customers to export their Open, Closed, or all tickets based on which list they are looking at. We need to offer the same in Zoho Desk help

    • Two factor authentication for helpdesk users

      The company i work for wants use the helpdesk site in Zoho desk, as a place for their distribution partners to ask question and look for information about our product. The things there is suppose to go up there is somewhat confidential between my company

    • Zoho Desk: Q2 2025 | What's New

      Hello everyone, We are excited to announce Zoho Desk's 2025 Autumn updates. This release brings new features and enhancements that improve work management and enable businesses to provide a better overall support experience. Spanning from Zia Agents to

    • Change text in help desk

      Hi, Please let me know how can i change the this text, see screenshot.

    • Items Below Reorder Point Report?

      Is there a way to run a report of Items that are below the Reorder Point? I don't see this as a specific report, nor can I figure out how to customize any of the other stock reports to give me this information. Please tell me I'm missing something s

    • Blog Widget: Show recent blog posts on my homepage

      Hey there I am using the Zoho Sites Blog feature. On my homepage, on the bottom I'd like to have a featured content section where I show some of my blog posts (selected, most recent, filtered by category and so on...). It would be nice to have a blog

    • Committed Stock and To Be Received Stock via API?

      Is it possible to retrieve Committed Stock and/or To Be Received Stock for an Item via the API? I want to use this information for calculating the amount of inventory needed to be purchased.

    • Next Page