Extension pointers for integrating Zoho CRM with Zoho products #7: Initiate remote sessions and assist customers with their concerns from within Zoho CRM

Extension pointers for integrating Zoho CRM with Zoho products #7: Initiate remote sessions and assist customers with their concerns from within Zoho CRM

With an increase in customers, there's also an increase in the demand for customer support. While customer support can be provided via a variety of channels, such as live chat, email, or phone, there may be times when a visual demonstration is required in order for a support representative to check on the issue and resolve it.

In this post, let's see how to help Zoho CRM customers through an integration with Zoho Assist. In general, a support technician handles the customer's concern in the Cases module of Zoho CRM. Consider the following scenario: whenever a support representative wants to have a remote session with a customer to troubleshoot an issue on their end, they can do so with the click of a button from within Zoho CRM.

In order to resolve the problem, the technician will have met with the customer multiple times. Having all of the created sessions logged in a separate custom module, and the case-specific sessions as a related list in the specific case record, would make it easier to keep track of the assistance provided. Let's see how we can achieve this.

Creating a connector for Zoho Assist and adding connector APIs
  • Create a new connector in your extension for Zoho Assist using the Connectors feature under Utilities in the left panel of the Zoho Developer console. 
Note: Zoho Assist follows OAuth 2.0 protocols for authentication. You can see how to register Zoho products and retrieve your client credentials here.

                                                

The connector details for our example are as follows:
  • Add the necessary connector APIs for your functionality. Please refer to the Zoho Assist API guide for details.


The Zoho Assist REST APIs we added for our example are as follows:

Connector API Name
Method type
URL
Create Session
POST

Note: You can refer to this post to see the detailed steps involved in creating a connector, adding the connector APIs, and associating them with the extension.

Creating a button in the Cases module and associating it with a widget to initiate a remote session
  • Create a button called "Initiate a remote session" using the Links & Buttons feature available in the Components section of the Zoho Developer console, then associate a widget to perform the desired action.
  • For our use case, since we're going to log all the newly created sessions in a custom module, let's create a custom module, Session Details, with new custom fields like Session ID, Case Name and Case status during session initiation. Here the field Case Name is a lookup type, so that a relationship can be established between the Cases and the Session Details module in the form of a related list.
Initiate a remote session.js - code snippet

Util={};
var EntityId;
var EntityName;
var temp;
var emailid;
var message;
//Subscribe to the EmbeddedApp onPageLoad event before initializing the widget 
ZOHO.embeddedApp.on("PageLoad",function(data)
{
EntityId=data.EntityId[0];
console.log(EntityId);
entityname=data.Entity;  
//Fetching the current record details and retrieving the necessary field information
ZOHO.CRM.API.getRecord({Entity:entityname,RecordID:EntityId})
.then(function(data){
dataa=data.data[0];
email=dataa.Email;
customeremail=encodeURIComponent(email);
casestatus=dataa.Status;

var x = {
"customeremailid":customeremail,
}
/*Invoking the connector API to create a remote session with the customer in Zoho Assist by passing the constructed data set*/
ZOHO.CRM.CONNECTOR.invokeAPI("xxx.zohoassist.createsession",x)
.then(function(dataa){
response=dataa.response;
parseresponse=JSON.parse(response);
representation=parseresponse.representation;
//Fetching the necessary details from the created session response 
sessionid=representation.session_id;
customerurl = representation.customer_url;
technicianurl = representation.technician_url;

document.getElementById("customeremail").value=email;
document.getElementById("myAnchor").href = technicianurl;
//Constructing and passing the fetched data to be inserted in the new custom module called Session Details
var recordData = {
"Name": "Remote Session - " + sessionid,
"testsupport__Session_ID": sessionid,
"testsupport__Case_Number":EntityId,
"testsupport__Case_status_during_the_session_initiation":casestatus,
}

//Invoking the insert record API to insert a new record of the created session details
ZOHO.CRM.API.insertRecord({Entity:"xxx__Session_Details",APIData:recordData,Trigger:[]}).then(function(data){
console.log(data);
});

ZOHO.embeddedApp.init();

})
})
})

  • The above code snippet fetches the record details for the current case, from which the customer email ID and case status are retrieved. 
  • The retrieved customer email ID is passed as a parameter to the Create session API, which creates and initiates a remote session with the customer. 
  • The relevant details such as session ID and technician URL are retrieved from the session API response.
  • The retrieved details along with certain case-specific details are constructed and passed to the insert record API to be inserted as a new record in the custom module Session Details.
  • Now that the functionality is defined, the extension is published and installed in the Zoho CRM account using the private installation URL.


Sample output
  • After installing the extension, authorize the Zoho Assist connector.
  • Go to the Cases module and choose a case. Click on the Initiate a remote session button available on the record's view page. 

  • The widget is displayed with the customer email ID that the technician is going to initiate a remote session with.

  • Click on the hyperlink text "here". It will proceed to the remote session in Zoho Assist.
  • Now you can see that a new record has been inserted into the Session Details module.

  • Similarly, the record also reflects as a related list in the specific case record's view page as well.


Using this method, you can integrate Zoho CRM and Zoho Assist via an extension and perform functionalities as per your business requirements. We hope you find this information useful. Keep following this space for more advice!

SEE ALSO



    Access your files securely from anywhere







                        Zoho Developer Community





                                              Use cases

                                              Make the most of Zoho Desk with the use cases.

                                               
                                                

                                              eBooks

                                              Download free eBooks and access a range of topics to get deeper insight on successfully using Zoho Desk.

                                               
                                                

                                              Videos

                                              Watch comprehensive videos on features and other important topics that will help you master Zoho Desk.

                                               
                                                

                                              Webinar

                                              Sign up for our webinars and learn the Zoho Desk basics, from customization to automation and more

                                               
                                                
                                              • Desk Community Learning Series


                                              • Meetups


                                              • Ask the Experts


                                              • Kbase


                                              • Resources


                                              • Glossary


                                              • Desk Marketplace


                                              • MVP Corner




                                                        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

                                                                                                        • Importing Subform Data is Removed in Zoho Creator 6

                                                                                                          Previously It was possible to import Data to the Subform in Creator 5 This basic and mandatory Feature was completely removed from Creator 6 with no Timeline to add support for it How are we supposed to add our data if we want to use Creator? Manually?
                                                                                                        • Knowledgeable Image Quality is very poor, any recommendations how to improve this?

                                                                                                          Hi All, We are looking at migrating our current knowledge base to Zoho so it can be kept in one location. Our current KB utilises a lot of images to try and make it easier for users and less wordy. Unfortunately, when I upload an image within an article,
                                                                                                        • How do I edit the Calendar Invite notifications for Interviews in Recruit?

                                                                                                          I'm setting up the Zoho Recruit Interview Calendar system but there's some notifications I don't have any control over. I've turned off all Workflows and Automations related to the Calendar Scheduling and it seems that it's the notification that is sent
                                                                                                        • Important! ZipRecruiter Sponsored Posting Plan Changes in Zoho Recruit

                                                                                                          Greetings, We’re reaching out to inform you about an important upcoming change to the ZipRecruiter Sponsored job board integration within Zoho Recruit. What’s Changing? Starting June 1, 2025, Zoho Recruit will be updated with ZipRecruiter's latest pricing
                                                                                                        • Writing SQL Queries - After Comma Auto Suggesting Column

                                                                                                          When writing SQL Queries, does anyone else get super annoyed that after you type a comma and try to return to a new line it is automatically suggest a new column, so hitting return just inputs this suggested column instead of going to a new line? Anyone
                                                                                                        • WhatsApp pricing changes: Pay per message starting July 1, 2025

                                                                                                          Starting July 1, 2025, WhatsApp is shifting from conversation-based pricing to per-message billing. That means every business-initiated message you send will count. Not just the first one in a 24-hour window. Pricing updates on the WhatsApp Business Platform
                                                                                                        • Set File Upload fields as mandatory

                                                                                                          Currently the CRM for some reason lacks the ability to set a file upload field as mandatory So we have an issue We have a requirement that before a Deal stage is set as Deal is Won the member needs to upload a file Now for some weird reason in Zoho I
                                                                                                        • Custom View and Custom Fields

                                                                                                          Hi We have custom fields that we need in the Sales\Customer module and we would like to have the fields available to view in the Bills module so that we can add them to a custom view, is that possible? That way we can look at the Bills screen to see what
                                                                                                        • Issue with Missing Scope for Creating Service Report via Zoho FSM API

                                                                                                          Hello @Latha Velu , I am currently working on creating a connection to create a Service Report in Zoho FSM using the API. However, while configuring the required scopes, I noticed that the scope ZohoFSM.modules.ServiceReports.CREATE which
                                                                                                        • Missing Fields in Lead Conversion Mapping

                                                                                                          I’ve been using Zoho CRM since 2013 to manage leads and convert them into contacts and jobs. When I convert a lead to a customer, I create a new contact and a job. Previously, this process automatically transferred key information from the lead to the
                                                                                                        • Can I write a check in Zoho Books with no associated bill?

                                                                                                          This currently does not seem possible, and I have a client that desperately needs this function if I am able to convert them with Quickbooks. Thank you in advance for your reply. 
                                                                                                        • Automation#35 : Auto-Add Comments under the Owner's Name in Tickets via Macros

                                                                                                          Hello Everyone, This week's custom function provides simple steps to configure a Macro for adding comments to tickets with the name of the Comment owner. When managing tickets, you can use the Comment feature to communicate internally with your team and
                                                                                                        • CRM notes

                                                                                                          I want to be able to add notes to a task that do not necessarily get rolled up into an account or contact.   For example, I tasks to work on a Court Order for John Doe divorce account.  There might be lots of updates (in the form of notes) that employees
                                                                                                        • Multiple Selection/Select All for Approvals

                                                                                                          I have a suggestion from users regarding Approvals. In our environment, our Regional Managers can receive multiple requests for Approval or Rejection. They find it tedious to approve (or reject) each individual record. They would like to have a way to
                                                                                                        • Subfrom Changes are NOT included in Audit Logs and Timeline

                                                                                                          In the Timeline the subform changes are not tracked We have an important custom module for Recording Pricing Information It has a subfrom, now if Changes are made to the subform fields they are not shown in the timeline, ONLY the aggregated fields This
                                                                                                        • Tracking Emails sent through Outlook

                                                                                                          All of our sales team have their Outlook 365 accounts setup with IMAP integration. We're trying to track their email activity that occurs outside the CRM. I can see the email exchanges between the sales people and the clients in the contact module. But
                                                                                                        • How to get values from both tables in Join in COQL query in Zoho API

                                                                                                          In this below query I can get value either from Deal Table or from Contact table. If I wanted data from both the table it is not working. Can you please help me with this. Thanks in advance. {     "select_query": "select ,A.Deal_Name,B.First_Name,B.Last_Name,
                                                                                                        • Changing Link Color

                                                                                                          When I create a link from a block of text, the text color changes to a color i do not want. After scrolling through the CSS and HTML files I cannot find the setting for the link color. Changing the link color word by word seems inefficient and must be a setting somewhere? Greg Aanes 2109 Queen Street Bellingha WA USA
                                                                                                        • Introducing Zoho CRM for Everyone: A reimagined UI, next-gen Ask Zia, timeline view, and more

                                                                                                          Hello Everyone, Your customers may not directly observe your processes or tools, but they can perceive the gaps, missed hand-offs, and frustration that negatively impact their experience. While it is possible to achieve a great customer experience by
                                                                                                        • Experience effortless record management in CRM For Everyone with the all-new Grid View!

                                                                                                          Hello Everyone, Hope you are well! As part of our ongoing series of feature announcements for Zoho CRM For Everyone, we’re excited to bring you another type of module view : Grid View. In addition to Kanban view, List view, Canvas view, Chart view and
                                                                                                        • Desk - CRM Integration: SPAM Contacts (Auto Delete)

                                                                                                          SPAM contacts is a useful feature, but when the CRM sync is used, it is very frustrating. When a contact is marked as SPAM on Desk, I wish to do the same on CRM. When a SPAM contact is deleted, I would like it deleted from CRM. The feature looks half-baked.
                                                                                                        • Content Management System

                                                                                                          Is there any plan to develop a CMS application that allows us to manage all of the ZOHO services such as Writer, Sheet, and Planner? Besides that, it would be nice to manage the files and logs of WebNMS using SOA. Otherwise i'll try to make it. Thanks, Takash F
                                                                                                        • [Product Update] Locations module migration in Zoho Books integration with Zoho Analytics

                                                                                                          Dear Customers, As Zoho Books are starting to support an advance version of the Branches/Warehouses module called the Locations module, users who choose to migrate to the Locations module in Zoho Books will also be migrated in Zoho Analytics-Zoho Books
                                                                                                        • How do I pause or halt a running campaign?

                                                                                                          Hi, I set up an A/B campaign - and after testing, scheduled the campaign, I noticed an error in the subject line and had to pause or halt the campaign 'mid-flight' - could not find this, and the only option was to delete the entire campaign to halt the send (it was an emergency). Is there a campaign Pause or Stop function/button? I could not find it - am I missing something? (Thank you for your help  - I searched the resources and could not find an answer)
                                                                                                        • Data Integration Platform

                                                                                                          Hi, Is anyone aware about a data integration platform like Dell Boomi that can work with Zoho Support? Any help will be higghly appreciated. Thanks Kunal
                                                                                                        • Always display images from this sender – Is this feature available?

                                                                                                          In Zoho mail, I had my "Load external images" setting set to "Ask me", and that's fine. That's the setting I prefer. What's not fine though is I always need to tick "Display now" for each email I get, regardless if I've done that multiple times from several
                                                                                                        • Payroll In Canada

                                                                                                          Hi, When can we expect to have payroll in Canada with books 
                                                                                                        • Real-Time Alert or Status Indicator for WhatsApp Connection Issues in SalesIQ

                                                                                                          Hi Zoho Team, We’d like to request a feature enhancement in Zoho SalesIQ related to WhatsApp integration stability and visibility. Recently, we encountered a critical issue where our WhatsApp bot stopped responding to messages without any warning or alert
                                                                                                        • Filter Images in Work Drive

                                                                                                          Hi, what is the best way to be able to filter files by multiple descriptions, for example, the name of a person in the photo as well as, an item in the photo and other descriptions? With labels it looks like you can only select one label at once but this
                                                                                                        • Zoho Projects API 100 requests/2 min. Limit

                                                                                                          Hi Requesting clarification on the API documentation. "You can invoke or call an API for 100 times in a span of two minutes. If you invoke more than 100 times, the particular API request will be locked for the next 30 minutes. " Does this limit apply
                                                                                                        • Using the "Like" operator in Custom Formula

                                                                                                          HI there, Can someone please explain the way to use the "LIKE" operator in an IF statement to compare strings? I have tried the following but am not getting the results I'm after. if( "CurrentStatus" like 'Rejected*','Unsuccessful','Pipeline') Thanks Matt
                                                                                                        • Zoho Books | Product updates | June 2025

                                                                                                          Hello Users, We’ve rolled out new features and enhancements in Zoho Books, from the option to record advances for purchase orders to dynamic lookup fields, all designed to help you stay on top of your finances with ease. Introducing Change Comparators
                                                                                                        • MS Teams Meeting to Zoho CRM

                                                                                                          Has anyone figured out a good way to push MS Teams meeting info on a trigger of "meeting end" to Zoho CRM? We're looking for a way to take attendees of a meeting and meeting duration and push it into Zoho CRM after the meeting has ended. If I can just
                                                                                                        • Action requested: Retain your sales journey configuration in Path Finder

                                                                                                          Dear Customers, We hope you're well! As you might know, we're completely overhauling our journey management suite, CommandCenter, and are in the last leg of it. As a means of getting ready to go live, we will be announcing a series of requests and updates
                                                                                                        • Running Balance in Account Statement.

                                                                                                          Running balance should come by default in the accounting statements but in ZOHO we need to customize every time to get the running balance in accounting statement. I did not understand, when the bank account statement opened from Bank Menu can show the
                                                                                                        • What's New in Zoho Inventory | January - March 2025

                                                                                                          Hello users, We are back with exciting new enhancements in Zoho Inventory to make managing your inventory smoother than ever! Check out the latest features for the first quarter of 2025. Watch out for this space for even more updates. Email Insights for
                                                                                                        • Marketer's Space: Bookmarks by Zoho Campaigns

                                                                                                          Hello Marketers, In this week's Marketer's Space, we'll look at a simple yet powerful feature that makes a big difference in your workflow: Bookmarks. Bookmarks is a built-in feature in Zoho Campaigns that enables you to create a personalized library
                                                                                                        • Global Sets for Multi-Select pick lists

                                                                                                          When is this feature coming to Zoho CRM? It would be very useful now we have got used to having it for the normal pick lists.
                                                                                                        • Contact Segments with multiple CRM modules

                                                                                                          Hello, We have a somewhat unique setup in our system involving various components: Contacts, Accounts, Deals, and a couple of custom modules named Properties and Audit Logs. We're looking to implement a notification system via SMS and Email specifically
                                                                                                        • Cannot reorder fields in Page Layout in Expenses and Purchase Requests

                                                                                                          It is very inconvenient that the custom fields in Page Layout cannot be re-ordered. The only way is to remove the fields and re-create them; however, it is impractical. This would affect the reports and dashboards we are having. Not able to re-order the
                                                                                                        • Next Page