Automation#33: Automate Splitting Names for Existing Contact Records

Automation#33: Automate Splitting Names for Existing Contact Records



An organized directory – who doesn't love one?
Previously, we explored how to split contact names into First Name and Last Name for new contacts in Zoho Desk. But what about existing contacts already in your database? This week, we bring you a custom function that automates this process, ensuring a well-structured and easily searchable contact list.

Handling Existing Contacts
  • On ticket creation for an existing contact, this custom function will scan the email and split the name stored in the "Last Name" field into "First Name" and "Last Name."
  • To avoid unnecessary modifications, we introduce a checkbox in the contact layout. This allows you to mark contacts that have already been split, preventing duplicate actions.
Let's walk through the steps needed to ensure a smooth and error-free execution. 

I. Create a Checkbox Field in the Contacts Layout

a. Go to Setup >> Customization >> Layouts and Fields >> Select the Contacts module >> Select the layout >> Drag the checkbox field >> Give a desired name for the checkbox (e.g., Name Split).
b. Click on the gear icon of the checkbox field, select Edit Properties, and note the API name. This API name must be pasted into the custom function on line 4.
c. Uncheck the Enable by Default checkbox if it is marked.

II. Configure Custom Function within the Workflow Rule

Prerequisites
1. Create a connection
  1.1 Go to Setup(S) and choose Connections under Developer Space.
  1.2 Click Create Connection.
  1.3 Select Zoho Desk under Default Services.
  1.4 Set the connection name as deskcontact.
  1.5 Under Scope, choose the below scope values:
Desk.contacts.UPDATE
Desk.contacts.READ
  1.6 Click Create and Connect.
  1.7 Click Connect and click Accept.
Connection is created successfully.

2. Create a Workflow Rule
 2.1. Go to Setup, choose Workflows under Automation. 
 2.2 Under Workflows, click Rules >> Create Rule.

In the Basic Information section,
2.3. Select Tickets from the drop-down menu under Module.
2.4. Enter a Rule Name and Description for the rule.
2.5. If you want to activate the rule right away, select the Active checkbox. Else, create the rule and activate it later.
2.6. Click Next.
 
In the Execute on section, follow these steps:
2.7. Select Create.   
2.8. Click Next.
 
2.9. In the Criteria section, add criteria if required. click Next. 
2.10. In the Actions section, click the + icon and select New next to Custom Functions.
2.11. Enter a Name and Description for the custom function. Choose Tickets under Module.
2.12 Under Argument Mapping, give a desired Method Name. Map the arguments as below:       
         2.12.1 In the Argument Name field, type contactId and select Contact ID under the Contacts Section.                                     
2.13. In the script window, insert the Custom Function given below:
  1. //------------- User Input ----------
  2. orgId = "60xxxxxxxx0"; //replace with your Org ID
  3. operator = "."; 
  4. checkBoxFieldAPIName = "enter_the_field_api_name"; //Enter API name of the checkbox
  5. //---------------------------------
  6. logs = Map();
  7. try {
  8. contacts = zoho.desk.getRecordById(orgId,"contacts",contactId, "deskcontact");
  9. firstName = contacts.get("firstName");
  10. lastName = contacts.get("lastName");
  11. if(lastName.contains(operator))
  12. {
  13.        if(operator.contains(".")){
  14.          lastName = lastName.subString(0,lastName.indexOf("@"));
  15.        }
  16.        firstName = lastName.subString(0,lastName.indexOf(operator)).trim();
  17.        lastName = lastName.subString(lastName.indexOf(operator) + 1);
  18.        updateContact = zoho.desk.update(orgId,"contacts",contactId,{"firstName":firstName,"lastName":lastName,"cf":{checkBoxFieldAPIName:true}},"deskcontact");
  19.    }
  20. }
  21. catch (errorInfo)
  22. {
  23. logs.insert("errorInfo":errorInfo);
  24. }
  25. info "logs: \n" + logs;

  26. if(logs.containKey("errorInfo"))
  27. {
  28. throws "Error happen in the CF execution";
  29. }
NOTE
a. In Line 2, Enter your OrgId with  "  ". To access OrgId, go to Setup (S) >> Developer Space >> APIs >> API Authentication.
b. In Line 4, enter the API name of the check box created within the Contacts layout.  
Information
This custom function will split the contact name as First Name and Last Name based on the "." operator between the names in the email. 
2.14. Click Save to save the custom function.
2.15. Click Save again to save the workflow.
By implementing this custom function and workflow rule, you can automate the process of splitting contact names within Zoho Desk, ensuring a clean and organized database, which will enhance searchability. 
We hope this guide helps streamline your contact management! If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to share in the comments. Happy Organizing!
Best regards, 
Lydia |Zoho Desk

    Access your files securely from anywhere


          All-in-one knowledge management and training platform for your employees and customers.






                                Zoho Developer Community




                                                      • Desk Community Learning Series


                                                      • Digest


                                                      • Functions


                                                      • Meetups


                                                      • Kbase


                                                      • Resources


                                                      • Glossary


                                                      • Desk Marketplace


                                                      • MVP Corner


                                                      • Word of the Day


                                                      • Ask the Experts



                                                                • Sticky Posts

                                                                • Register for Zoho Desk Beta Community

                                                                  With the start of the year, we have decided to take a small step in making the life of our customers a little easier. We now have easy access to all our upcoming features and a faster way to request for beta access. We open betas for some of our features
                                                                • Share your Zoho Desk story with us!

                                                                  Tell us how you use Zoho Desk for your business and inspire others with your story. Be it a simple workflow rule that helps you navigate complex processes or a macro that saves your team a lot of time; share it here and help the community learn and grow with shared knowledge. 
                                                                • Tip #1: Learn to pick the right channels

                                                                  Mail, live chat, telephony, social media, web forms—there are so many support channels out there. Trying to pick the right channels to offer your customers can get pretty confusing. Emails are most useful when the customer wants to put things on record. However, escalated or complicated issues should not be resolved over email because it's slow and impersonal.  When you need immediate responses, live chat is more suitable. It's also quick and convenient, so it's the go-to channel for small issues. 
                                                                • Welcome to Zoho Desk Community - Say hello here!

                                                                  Hello everyone! Though we have been here for a while, it’s time to formally establish the Zoho Desk Community; we’re really happy to have you all here! This can be the place where you take a moment to introduce yourself to the rest of the community. We’d love to hear all about you, what you do, what company or industry you work for, how you use Zoho Desk and anything else that you will like to share! Here’s a little about me. I am Chinmayee. I have been associated with Zoho since 2014. I joined here
                                                                • Webinar 1: Blueprint for Customer Service

                                                                  With the launch of a host of new features in Zoho Desk, we thought it’ll be great to have a few webinars to help our customers make the most of them. We’re starting off with our most talked about feature, Blueprint in Zoho Desk. You can register for the Blueprint webinar here: The webinar will be delivered by our in-house product experts. This is a good opportunity to ask questions to our experts and understand how Blueprint can help you automate your service processes. We look forward to seeing


                                                                Manage your brands on social media



                                                                      Zoho TeamInbox Resources



                                                                          Zoho CRM Plus Resources

                                                                            Zoho Books Resources


                                                                              Zoho Subscriptions Resources

                                                                                Zoho Projects Resources


                                                                                  Zoho Sprints Resources


                                                                                    Qntrl Resources


                                                                                      Zoho Creator Resources



                                                                                          Zoho CRM Resources

                                                                                          • CRM Community Learning Series

                                                                                            CRM Community Learning Series


                                                                                          • Kaizen

                                                                                            Kaizen

                                                                                          • Functions

                                                                                            Functions

                                                                                          • Meetups

                                                                                            Meetups

                                                                                          • Kbase

                                                                                            Kbase

                                                                                          • Resources

                                                                                            Resources

                                                                                          • Digest

                                                                                            Digest

                                                                                          • CRM Marketplace

                                                                                            CRM Marketplace

                                                                                          • MVP Corner

                                                                                            MVP Corner









                                                                                              Design. Discuss. Deliver.

                                                                                              Create visually engaging stories with Zoho Show.

                                                                                              Get Started Now


                                                                                                Zoho Show Resources

                                                                                                  Zoho Writer

                                                                                                  Get Started. Write Away!

                                                                                                  Writer is a powerful online word processor, designed for collaborative work.

                                                                                                    Zoho CRM コンテンツ





                                                                                                      Nederlandse Hulpbronnen


                                                                                                          ご検討中の方





                                                                                                                    • Recent Topics

                                                                                                                    • Sent email stuck on processing

                                                                                                                      My sent emails are stuck on processing, whats going on?
                                                                                                                    • [Webinar] What's new in Zoho Analytics: Q2 2026

                                                                                                                      Hey data lovers! Our What's New webinar series is bringing you another lineup of exciting features and product enhancements from the past quarter, all designed to help you get more out of your analytics. Get an inside look at new data connectors, Zoho
                                                                                                                    • Alterar número de telefone para receber o código OTP

                                                                                                                      Boa tarde! Como posso alterar o número de telefone da minha conta para aceder ao meu email corporativo? Estou tentando logar, mas não consigo, pois está sendo enviado o código OTP para o número antigo, preciso aceder urgente meu email, porque e de trabalho.
                                                                                                                    • Automation Series: Mandatory Time Logging Before Task Closure

                                                                                                                      In a project, when users work on multiple tasks simultaneously, they track time in different ways, either by starting a timer or by adding a time log. Sometimes users may forget to add time, which can lead to discrepancies in the timesheet. When timesheets
                                                                                                                    • CRM x WorkDrive: We're rolling out the WorkDrive-powered file storage experience for existing users

                                                                                                                      Release plan: Gradual rollout to customers without file storage add-ons, in this order: 1. Standalone CRM 2. CRM Plus and Zoho One DCs: All | Editions: All Available now for: - Standalone CRM accounts in Free and Standard editions without file storage
                                                                                                                    • Request to Increase URL Field Character Limit

                                                                                                                      Hi Arthi, Hope you are doing well. I'm trying to save a URL in the Work Order (WO) module using the URL field, but I receive the following error message: "Please enter a valid Repair File. Maximum 450 characters are allowed." The issue is that the URL
                                                                                                                    • How to change column headings in pivot table?

                                                                                                                      Hi, Is there a way to rename the column headers of a pivot table? Now some the columns are named with value labels: 'SUM of .....'. We would like to rename those headers. As of now we couldn't find any direct solution to adjust the headers, besides copying and reformat. We want to avoid these extra steps. Best, Tiemen
                                                                                                                    • Undelivered Mail

                                                                                                                      I suspect that there are recipient's servers that blocks my emails. I receive the following email from mailer-daemon@mail.zoho.eu : A message that you sent could not be delivered to one or more of its recipients. This is a permanent error. pantelis.sarantos@unipakhellas.gr,
                                                                                                                    • Email not loading on PC

                                                                                                                      Hello, my email opens on but it doesn’t load on PC. I don’t have other issues with the email, all the configurations are ok and I face with following issue in the photo. It says “ mail.zoho.com refused to connect” I will be very thankful if anyone can
                                                                                                                    • Why are bounce/error emails being sent to info@ instead of contact@?

                                                                                                                      I have my Zoho Mail and WordPress site configured so that normal website emails should go to contact@hybridbatteryservice.com. However, I keep receiving technical bounce/error emails and delivery failure notifications at info@hybridbatteryservice.com
                                                                                                                    • I want to create a gaming website

                                                                                                                      Hi, I wanted to ask if it's possible to build a custom website using Zoho? I would like to create a website similar to https://busimulatorultimateapk.com/ with almost the same features, functionality, and user experience. I'm not looking for an exact
                                                                                                                    • Do Not Disturb status not respected when Cliq bar is enabled across Zoho apps

                                                                                                                      Hi Zoho Cliq team, I want to report what appears to be a bug with how the Do Not Disturb status interacts with the embedded Cliq bar in other Zoho apps. **Issue:** When my Cliq status is set to Do Not Disturb, I continue to receive notification tones
                                                                                                                    • Introducing the Employee Portal for internal job posting

                                                                                                                      Employee referrals and internal applications are one of the most trusted hiring channels. But in many organizations, employees only hear about openings through messages, word of mouth, or after the role has already been open for a while. When employees
                                                                                                                    • Zoho Webinar Summer Broadcast 2026

                                                                                                                      What if your webinar platform could connect directly with your business tools, automate routine tasks, trigger actions across your workflows, and support every stage of your webinar lifecycle? That’s the question we’ve been answering so far this year.
                                                                                                                    • Zoho CRM Layout Rules: Nine New Actions, Profile-Based Execution, and Interactive Preview

                                                                                                                      Hello everyone, Availability: This feature is now available for customers in the JP and SA DCs. It is planned to be released for other customers in soon. We’re excited to announce powerful new enhancements to Layout Rules in Zoho CRM - a feature built
                                                                                                                    • Invalid request when trying to access Mail

                                                                                                                      When I click on the red button to access Zoho Mail at https://mail.zoho.com/zm/, I get a big yellow warning triangle with "invlid request, The input passed is invalid or the URL is invoked without valid parameters. Please check your input and try ag
                                                                                                                    • Whats the average response time for ticket submitted?

                                                                                                                      I submitted a request to unblock my mail accounts. They seem to be blocked for outgoing mail, and I have been waiting for days to have this fixed with no reply. I have submitted 2 tickets and an email. My work has to completely stop. I pay for the service
                                                                                                                    • All new Address Field in Zoho CRM: maintain structured and accurate address inputs

                                                                                                                      Availability Update: 29 September 2025: It's currently available for all new sign-ups and for existing Zoho CRM orgs which are in the Professional edition exclusively for IN DC users. 2 March 2026: Available to users in all DCs except US and EU DC. 24
                                                                                                                    • Is there any way to have Dataprep ingest RSS?

                                                                                                                      As stated by the title. Does the Zoho environment offer tools that I can use to, directly or using workarounds, have Dataprep ingest an RSS feed? Thanks
                                                                                                                    • Introducing Color Coding of Picklist Values

                                                                                                                      Dear Everyone, Greetings!! Zoho CRM is uplifting the user experience. Recently, we had some notable aesthetic improvements in CRM like Kanban View UI enhancement, New List view UI enhancement, color coding of tags, and color coding of picklists in meetings.
                                                                                                                    • Important updates to your Widget JS APIs

                                                                                                                      Hello everyone, Greetings from Zoho Creator! This is an urgent notice for developers and Partners who use widgets in their Zoho Creator applications. We previously announced an update to the CDN URLs used for loading the Widget JS API, with a deadline
                                                                                                                    • Deluge sendmail in Zoho Desk schedule can't send email from a verified email address

                                                                                                                      I am trying to add a scheduled action with ZDesk using a Deluge function that sends a weekly email to specific ticket client contacts I've already verified the email address for use in ZDesk, but sendmail won't allow it in its "from:" clause. I've attached
                                                                                                                    • Mailbox delegation “Send As” error

                                                                                                                      I believe there may be an issue with mailbox delegation. When I create a delegation from the Admin Console, it works correctly if I select Read permissions. However, if I select Send As permission for the delegated user, I immediately receive the following
                                                                                                                    • Restrict Zoho Cliq Webinars and Announcements to Admins Only

                                                                                                                      Hi Zoho Team, We hope you're doing well. We would like to raise a feature request regarding in-app announcements in Zoho Cliq, such as the recent webinar popup about the Cliq Developer Platform: While these announcements are useful, they are not always
                                                                                                                    • Desk Contact Name > split to First and Last name

                                                                                                                      I am new to Zoho and while setting up the Desk and Help Center, I saw that new tickets created or submitted from the Help Center used the Contact Name field. This would create a new Contact but put the person's name in the Last Name field only. The First
                                                                                                                    • how do i get mail.mydomain.com to point to zoho mail web-mail?

                                                                                                                      I have started using zohomail, and am loving it. With my previous provider, I used to go to mail.mydomain.com, and it would take me to my webmail. I am not able to find the mapping for zoho's webmail to map to it. It is difficult to go to webmail with
                                                                                                                    • Number of decimal places

                                                                                                                      Hi Latha, I have added the following three fields to the Company module. Currently, these fields only allow a maximum of 2 decimal places. However, for some of our requirements, we need to enter values with up to 10 decimal places. Could you please help
                                                                                                                    • zoho imap connection stopped working 05/28 12pm EST

                                                                                                                      Hi, beginning Thursday, 5/28, ~12 pm est imap to siteground stopped working. When I tried to reconnect the account, connection was failing with the following message: Unable to connect SMTP server:gvam1107.siteground.biz, Port: 587. I did notice that
                                                                                                                    • User Name in Zoho Cliq Not Updating Across Apps?

                                                                                                                      We updated the name of a user in Zoho. (From Sue to Taylor) Her name has not been updated in Cliq on all apps. When in Zoho One, if I go to Cliq directly, it is correct, but if I am in another app, and the Cliq bar pops up on the bottom, it will be the
                                                                                                                    • Service currently unavailable

                                                                                                                      The Zoho Mail Webmail is working, the Mail Admin Console is not: "Our service is temporarily unavailable, please try after sometime." How long must I wait to retry? edit: To add to this, the Webmail is not working 100% - I can open mail in the inbox,
                                                                                                                    • Service currently unavailable

                                                                                                                      Service currently unavailable It is not possible to access email; the entire Zohoworkplace platform is down
                                                                                                                    • User Permission Log

                                                                                                                      Our external auditors are asking for a way to view changes made to user permissions (basically, a user permission change log). Is this feature built into Creator? 
                                                                                                                    • E-mail down

                                                                                                                      We cannot get into our email inboxes, are you affected by a Microsoft update issue? How long do you think as to restoration?
                                                                                                                    • ZOHO MAIL SERVICE NOT WORKING

                                                                                                                      Hello i've a problem my zoho mail account says a display with this text "our service is temporally unavaible"
                                                                                                                    • ايميل مجانى

                                                                                                                      Can I create a free email account on Zahoo?
                                                                                                                    • Sign up for email for a domain

                                                                                                                      Hi - I thought I had signed up for a domain of <domain>.com, but only see the email of @zohomail.com . How do I get the <domain.com> domain linked to my email?
                                                                                                                    • Feature Request: Include Creator-applicable Deluge updates in the Creator Release Notes

                                                                                                                      I'd like to put forward a suggestion about how Deluge updates are surfaced to Zoho Creator developers, and I'm hoping the Creator team will consider it. Zoho Creator is built on Deluge. Every workflow, custom function, validation and schedule we write
                                                                                                                    • Zoho Books | Product updates | June 2026

                                                                                                                      Hello users, Welcome to this month's roundup of what's new in Zoho Books! We have an exciting line-up this time. The highlight is the launch of the all-new France Edition with full ISCA compliance. We're also introducing features such as Layout Rules
                                                                                                                    • Partner with HDFC And Sbi Bank.

                                                                                                                      Hdfc and sbi both are very popular bank if zoho books become partner with this banks then many of the zoho books users will benefit premium features of partnered banks.
                                                                                                                    • name change of company in same GSTIN registration . how to retain historical company name for past transactions?

                                                                                                                      hello I have recently change my company name from BHANU DIAM to BHANUMATI IMPEX in same GSTIN registration number While i have update the company name in profile name that change all my historic data like sale invoices and purchase bill , i would like
                                                                                                                    • Next Page