Zoho Creator : Paint your records using Canvas Builder!

Zoho Creator : Paint your records using Canvas Builder!


Dear Creators,

We're thrilled to bring you an incredible new feature - the Canvas Builder, the solution that directly addresses the "user experience factor"! This cutting-edge tool is live now, and we are delighted to share how this feature will revolutionize the way you design detailed views for your records within Zoho Creator.

There is no longer a one-size-fits-all approach for every organization, and Canvas provides the precise flexibility we require, with its wide range of customization options. It offers a a simple drag-and-drop editor and pre-designed templates for every industry and department.

Great design drives usage and offers an immersive experience!

Designing made easy

You can now create stunning templates effortlessly. Canvas builder offers you three flexible options that makes re-ordering and visualizing your data easy, thereby drawing attention to essential information quickly and efficiently.

Gallery Templates

We have curated a collection of ten professionally designed templates for you to choose from and design your requirements. Simply select the one that fits best your needs , and with our live data preview, you can visualize how your template will appear in real-time and customize it exactly the way you have envisioned.


  

Create from Scratch

Unleash your creativity! Similar to working on a real canvas, you can intuitively drag and drop elements anywhere on the builder to start crafting your design. The builder is divided into three sections - DataElements, and Style - allowing you to customize every aspect of your template with ease and creativity.



Import Templates:

Canvas also allows you to download the custom template you've created in JSON format from the Canvas Builder. Importing these templates directly into your detail view saves you time and effort, making it a breeze to have your layout ready in no time.



A Plethora of Features

The Canvas Builder is packed with a plethora of features to ensure a seamless design experience. By organizing your data components the way you want and applying attractive designs, you are not only making your layouts presentable, but also extremely functional by offering your users exactly what they are looking for, the moment they land on record's detail view.

Drag and Drop Fields: Effortlessly add form fields, system fields, custom actions, blueprints and other add-ons to your canvas by simply dragging and dropping them, thereby streamlining the process of designing your dream layout.   

Primitive Elements: Explore an extensive set of primitive elements available in the Elements section. You can easily incorporate these elements into your design by dragging and dropping them wherever you desire.

Style Customization: The Style section empowers you to format all elements and fields according to your preferences and brand identity, ensuring a consistent and appealing visual appearance.

Use-case

Let's explore the Canvas feature with a real-time use case to provide a clearer understanding of its practical applications. 

Assume that Sam, a real estate entrepreneur wants to use the Canvas Builder in Zoho Creator to create personalized and visually appealing layouts for his property listings.

Accessing the Canvas Builder

  1. Sam logs in to his Zoho Creator account.
  2. He navigates to the "Reports" section from the main dashboard.

Initiating Canvas Layout Creation

  1. Within the "Reports" section, Sam identifies the "Detail View" option.
  2. Sam finds the "Create Custom Layout" button under the "Detail View" section.
  3. When he clicks the button, the Canvas Builder opens up.


 

Selecting Design Preferences

In the Canvas Builder, Sam is presented with two options: pre-designed gallery templates and designing from scratch. He decides to select a template from gallery templates to create a unique layout for his property listings.


Previewing with Live Data

In the "Gallery Templates" section, each template will load with Zoho Creator's live data. This enables Sam to preview each template and visualize how his property listings will appear in the live view using actual property information.



Customizing the Layout

Sam can intuitively drag and drop essential fields, including property details, location, and pricing, from the "Data" section onto the Canvas builder.
He explores and incorporates various primitive elements such as TabsLinesSections, Buttons, and Icons, aligning them as needed to create an appealing layout.



Styling to Match Brand Identity

Within the "Style" section of the Canvas Builder, Sam customizes fonts, colors, alignments, and spacing to ensure brand consistency and professional presentation. He can also apply his application's theme color or variations of the same inside the builder.



Width Adjustment

Sam sets the width of elements in the layout as "fluid" for some elements/components, allowing them to expand automatically and fill available space.
For other elements/components, he chooses "fixed" so that they will retain their default width.



Organizing Data with Tabs

To enhance the user experience, Sam effectively organizes property data by dragging related blocks into tabs within the layout.
Related blocks are nothing but Lookup and Subform data which are associated in the parent form.
This logical arrangement ensures that potential property buyers can easily access relevant information.


 

Creating Custom Actions:

In the Canvas Builder, Sam has the option to create custom actions that enhance the functionality of his property listings.
He creates a custom action to allow users to directly inquire about a property through the layout.



Fine-tuning Field Properties

Sam utilizes the "Properties" tab for each field to fine-tune specific properties according to his real estate business requirements.
He customizes the display format for the property pricing field to show currency symbols and decimal places.
For example,  he can customize the prefix, suffix, first name & last name properties for the name field i.e., he can hide/show the sub fields as required.


Applying Conditional Formatting

Sam applies conditional formatting to highlight essential data within the layout, such as displaying urgent listings with eye-catching colors.
This feature ensures that potential buyers can easily identify critical information and make informed decisions.



Importing and Exporting Templates

The Canvas Builder offers Sam the option to download pre-built templates in JSON format using the "Export" button. He exports his custom layout as a template for future-use or to share it with his colleagues to re-create the exact layout in other apps.



Ensuring Responsive Web Support

Canvas templates are initially supported for web use only, to ensure a seamless user experience on desktop browsers.

Thus, Canvas is truly a game changer in that it's all set to catapult your Creator user experience to new horizons. And the icing on the cake — you don't need to write a single line of code — and that, in other words, is the pinnacle of customization.

🔗 Access the Canvas Builder now and embark on a journey of crafting beautifully designed layouts with ease!

Release plan:

The canvas builder has been rolled out on August 1, 2023.

Help documentation: 

 
Thank you for being an integral part of the Zoho Creator community. Your feedback is invaluable as we continuously strive to improve and expand our offerings.

Stay tuned for more exciting updates!

Regards,
The Zoho Creator Team

 

    Access your files securely from anywhere







                          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

                                                          • Zoho Creator - 2023 Release Projection 1

                                                            Hello everyone! A very Happy New Year to you and your family. Hope you're all good and having a great time using Zoho Creator to make your lives easier and your businesses prosper. 2022 was an action-packed year for us at Creator, and we hope to continue
                                                          • Zoho Creator User Group meetups in a city near you! - Oct - Nov, 2023

                                                            Greetings from the Zoho Creator team! We're hosting a series of Zoho Creator meetups in various cities across the globe, and we'd love to meet you there! Our meetups are a great opportunity to network with industry peers, exchange ideas and best practices,
                                                          • Zoho Creator - 2023 Release Projection 2

                                                            Hello everyone! Time truly flies when you're having an incredible journey, and today we mark the completion of an eventful and action-packed six months. It feels like just yesterday when we embarked on this adventure together with the launch of our new
                                                          • Upcoming Updates - August 2022

                                                            Hi all, Greetings from the Zoho Creator team! Today we've got news for you on some exciting updates. And rest assured— there’s more to come! In this post, we'll be going over the upcoming features and improvements for this month as mentioned below. A
                                                          • Introducing Zoho Creator's v2 APIs

                                                            Hello App Creators, Welcome to Zoho Creator's v2 APIs! This post will serve as the central point for migrating implementations of Creator's current APIs (v1) to v2. Improvements that v2 brings OAuth-based authentication, which is more secure than the


                                                          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 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

                                                                                                          • Introducing Version-3 APIs - Explore New APIs & Enhancements

                                                                                                            Happy to announce the release of Version 3 (V3) APIs with an easy to use interface, new APIs, and more examples to help you understand and access the APIs better. V3 APIs can be accessed through our new link, where you can explore our complete documentation,
                                                                                                          • Does Zoho Sheet Supports https://n8n.io ?

                                                                                                            Does Zoho Sheet Supports https://n8n.io ? If not, can we take this as an idea and deploy in future please? Thanks
                                                                                                          • Bigin Android app update: User management

                                                                                                            Hello everyone! In the most recent Bigin Android app update, we have brought in support for the 'Users and Controls' section. You can now manage the users in your organization within the mobile app. There are three tabs in the 'Users and Controls' section:
                                                                                                          • Share records with your customers and let them track their statuses in real time.

                                                                                                            Greetings, I hope everyone is doing well! We're excited to introduce the external sharing feature for pipeline records. This new enhancement enables you to share pipeline records with your customers via a shareable link and thereby track the status of
                                                                                                          • Live webinar: Discover Zoho Show: A complete walkthrough

                                                                                                            Hello everyone, We’re excited to invite you to our upcoming live webinar, Discover Zoho Show: A Complete Walkthrough. Whether you’re just getting started with Show or eager to explore advanced capabilities, this session will show you useful tips and features
                                                                                                          • Deal Stage component/widget/whatever it is... event

                                                                                                            Deal Stages I am trying to access the event and value of this component. I can do it by changing the Stage field but users can also change a Deal Stage via this component and I need to be able to capture both values. Clicking on 'Verbal' for instance,
                                                                                                          • Create advanced slideshows with hybrid reports using Zoho Projects Plus

                                                                                                            Are your quarterly meetings coming up? It’s time to pull up metrics, generate reports, and juggle between slides yet again. While this may be easier for smaller projects, large organizations that run multiple projects may experience the pressure when
                                                                                                          • Add an option to disable ZIA suggestions

                                                                                                            Currently, ZIA in Zoho Inventory automatically provides suggestions, such as sending order confirmation emails. However, there is no way to disable this feature. In our case, orders are automatically created by customers, and we’ve built a custom workflow
                                                                                                          • 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
                                                                                                          • Formula field with IF statement based on picklist field and string output to copy/paste in multi-line field via function

                                                                                                            Hello there, I am working on a formula field based on a 3-item picklist field (i.e. *empty value*, 'Progress payment', 'Letter of credit'). Depending on the picked item, the formula field shall give a specific multi-line string (say 'XXX' in case of 'Progress
                                                                                                          • CRM x WorkDrive: File storage for new CRM signups is now powered by WorkDrive

                                                                                                            Availability Editions: All DCs: All Release plan: Released for new signups in all DCs. It will be enabled for existing users in a phased manner in the upcoming months. Help documentation: Documents in Zoho CRM Manage folders in Documents tab Manage files
                                                                                                          • Zoho CRMの流入元について

                                                                                                            Zoho CRMとZoho formsを連携し、 formsで作成したフォームをサイトに埋め込み運用中です。 UTMパラメータの取得をformsを行い、Zoho CRMの見込み客タブにカスタム項目で反映される状況になっています。 広告に関してはUTMパラメータで取得できているため問題ないのですが、オーガニック流入でフォーム送信の場合も計測したいです。メールやGoogle、Yahoo、directなどの流入元のチャネルが反映されるようにしたいのですが、どのように設定したら良いでしょうか。 また、
                                                                                                          • Error While Sign in on Zoho Work Drive

                                                                                                            Dear Team, I hope this email finds you well. I have recently created a Zoho account and started using it. But while I am trying to log in to Zoho work drive it won't log me in its crashing every time I try it. I have tried it on android app, phone browser
                                                                                                          • Choosing a portal option and the "Unified customer portal"?

                                                                                                            I am trialling Zoho to replace various existing systems, one of which is a customer portal. Our portal allows clients to add and edit bookings, complete forms, manage their subscriptions and edit some CRM info. I am trying to understand how I might best
                                                                                                          • Elevate your CX delivery using CommandCenter 2.0: Simplified builder; seamless orchestration

                                                                                                            Most businesses want to create memorable customer experiences—but they often find it hard to keep them smooth, especially as they grow. To achieve a state of flow across their processes, teams often stitch together a series of automations using Workflow
                                                                                                          • Unified Directory : How to Access ?

                                                                                                            I signed in to Zoho One this morning and was met with the pop up about the upgraded directory (yay!) I watched the video and pressed "Get Started" ... and it took me back to the standard interface. How do I actually access the new portal/directory ?
                                                                                                          • Translation support expanded for Modules, Subforms and Related Lists

                                                                                                            Hello Everyone!   The translation feature enables organizations to translate certain values in their CRM interface into different languages. Previously, the only values that could be translated were picklist values and field names. However, we have extended
                                                                                                          • Unified task view

                                                                                                            Possible to enable the unified task view in Trident, that is currently available in Mail?
                                                                                                          • Bigin, more powerful than ever on iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe, and watchOS 26.

                                                                                                            Hot on the heels of Apple’s latest OS updates, we’ve rolled out several enhancements and features designed to help you get the most from your Apple devices. Enjoy a refined user experience with smoother navigation and a more content-focused Liquid Glass
                                                                                                          • Importing data into Assets

                                                                                                            So we have a module in Zoho CRM called customers equipments. It links to customers modules, accounts (if needed) and products. I made a sample export and created extra fields in zoho fsm assets module. The import fails. Could not find a matching parent
                                                                                                          • Allow instruction field in Job Sheets

                                                                                                            Hello, I would like to know if it is possible to have an instruction field (multi line text) in a job sheet or if there is a workaround to be able to do it. Currently we are pretty limited in terms of fields in job sheets which makes it a bit of a struggle
                                                                                                          • Streamlining Work Order Automation with Zoho Projects, Writer & WorkDrive

                                                                                                            Hello Community, Here is the first post in 'Integration & Automation' Series. Use Case :: Create, Merge, Sign & Store Documents in Zoho WorkDrive. Scenario :: You have a standard Work Order template created in Zoho Writer. When a task status is chosen
                                                                                                          • The dimensions of multilingual power

                                                                                                            Hola, saludos de Zoho Desk. Bonjour, salutations de Zoho Desk. Hallo, Grüße von Zoho Desk. Ciao, saluti da Zoho Desk. Olá, saudações da Zoho Desk. வணக்கம், Zoho Desk இலிருந்து வாழ்த்துகள். 你好,来自 Zoho Desk 的问候。 مرحباً، تحيات من Zoho Desk. नमस्ते, Zoho
                                                                                                          • Multi-line address lines

                                                                                                            How can I enter and migrate the following 123 state street Suite 2 Into a contact address. For Salesforce imports, a CR between the information works. The ZOHO migration tool just ignores it. Plus, I can't seem to even enter it on the standard entry screen.
                                                                                                          • Accessing Zoho Forms

                                                                                                            Hi all, We're having trouble giving me access to our company's Zoho Forms account. I can log in to a Forms account that I can see was set up a year ago, but can't see any shared forms. I can log into Zoho CRM and see our company information there without
                                                                                                          • Archiving Contacts

                                                                                                            How do I archive a list of contacts, or individual contacts?
                                                                                                          • Cost of good field

                                                                                                            Is there a way we can have cost of good sold as a field added to the back end of the invoicing procedure and available in reports?
                                                                                                          • How to add image to items list in Invoice or Estimate?

                                                                                                            Hello! I have just started using Zoho Invoice to create estimates and, possibly to switch from our current CRM/ERP Vendor to Zoho. I have a small company that is installing CCTV systems and Alarm systems. My question is, can I add images of my "items" to item list in Zoho Invoice and Estimates and their description? I would like to show my clients the image of items in our estimates so they can decide if they like these items. And I tell you, often they choose more expensive products just because
                                                                                                          • Issue with the Permission to Zoho Form

                                                                                                            I am getting an error by signing in to zoho form as it is stated that i don't have permission to access this is admin account
                                                                                                          • CRM templates

                                                                                                            Hello everyone, In my company we use Zoho campaigns where we set up all newsletters and we use Zoho CRM for transactional emails. I have created some templates in Zoho campaigns but from my understanding i cannot use those in Zoho CRM, right?
                                                                                                          • Meet Canvas' Grid component: Your easiest way to build responsive record templates

                                                                                                            Visual design can be exciting—until you're knee-deep in the details. Whether it's aligning text boxes to prevent overlaps, fixing negative space, or simply making sure the right data stands out, just ironing out inconsistencies takes a lot of moving parts.
                                                                                                          • Addin Support in Zoho Sheet

                                                                                                            Is there any addin support available in zoho sheet as like google marketplace to enhance productivity by connecting with other apps, providing AI data analysis, streamlining business processes, and more?
                                                                                                          • Where to integrate Price Book and Product List Price

                                                                                                            Hello, We sync zoho crm all modules with all data to zoho analytics. In zoho crm, we have "Price Books" and "Products" modules, where each product is assigned to a few price books with different list prices. From zoho crm, I am able to export a dataset
                                                                                                          • Pending Sales Order Reports

                                                                                                            Pending sale order report is available for any single customer, Individual report is available after 3-4 clicks but consolidated list is needed to know the status each item. please help me.
                                                                                                          • Zoho Mail SMTP IP addresses

                                                                                                            We are using Zoho Mail and needs to whitelist IP for some redirections from your service to another e-mails. You can provide IP address list for Zohomail SMTP servers?
                                                                                                          • Migrate Your Notes from OneNote to Zoho Notebook Today

                                                                                                            Greetings Notebook Users, We’re excited to introduce a powerful new feature that lets you migrate your notes from Microsoft OneNote to Zoho Notebook—making your transition faster and more seamless than ever. ✨ What’s New One-click migration: Easily import
                                                                                                          • Zoho Campaigns - Why do contacts have owners?

                                                                                                            When searching for contacts in Zoho Campaigns I am sometimes caught out when I don't select the filter option "Inactive users". So it appears that I have some contacts missing, until I realise that I need to select that option. Campaigns Support have
                                                                                                          • One Contact with Multiple Accounts with Portal enabled

                                                                                                            I have a contact that manages different accounts, so he needs to see the invoices of all the companies he manage in Portal but I found it not possible.. any idea? I tried to set different customers with the same email contact with the portal enabled and
                                                                                                          • End Date in Zoho Bookings

                                                                                                            When I give my appointments a 30 minutes time I would expect the software not to even show the End Time.  But it actually makes the user pick an End Time.  Did I just miss a setting?  
                                                                                                          • email forwarding not working

                                                                                                            Your email forwarding service does not work. I received the confirmation email and completed the confirmation, after that nothing and nothing since no matter what I have tried. Shame as everything else was smooth. I spose it's harder to run one of these web based internet mail services than you guys thought!!! can you fix the email forwarding asap PLEASE!
                                                                                                          • Next Page