Extension Pointers #8: Handling real-time data updates between Zoho CRM and third-party applications using webhooks
A webhook is a web callback triggered by a specific event to provide real-time data updates between applications.
How does a webhook work?
Webhooks help enhance the connection between two applications. When an event occurs in a web application that implements a webhook, the webhook notices the event, serializes and collects the data, and posts the data to the URL configured in the form of a HTTP request.
You can implement either an inbound webhook or an outbound webhook. If an event triggered in your Zoho CRM account causes an action in a third-party application, it is called as an outbound webhook (going from your application to a third-party application) and the opposite is called an inbound webhook (incoming to your application from the third-party application).
How functions play a role in implementing webhooks
If Zoho CRM should be notified when a particular event occurs at the third-party end, you can create webhooks to post a callback on the occurrence of that event. In order to implement this, you need to define a function in your extension that can be triggered from the third-party application. Unlike standard functions, REST API functions can be triggered from anywhere (either from an extension or a third-party application) and thus help with timely interaction.
Webhook URLs and how to obtain them
You need to create a webhook and subscribe to events for real-time updates between applications. In order to create a webhook, a webhook URL is required. By subscribing your own webhook URL, you can customize, extend and integrate it with other third-party applications, facilitating instant web notifications.
The REST API functions/Standalone deluge functions can be written and exposed as REST APIs. The API names of these functions can be used as the webhook URL while creating your webhook.
In this post, we'll look at the basic steps on how to create an inbound webhook, where a third-party application event triggers a post-data action to your Zoho CRM account.
Note: The term "event" here refers only to the events supported by the third-party application, which you can subscribe during the creation of a webhook.
The steps to achieve this functionality while building your extension are:
➤ Establish a connection with your selected third-party application.
➤ Define a REST API function, to handle the response from the third party application.
➤ Subscribe the webhook URL of the REST API function with the third-party application.
Establishing connection with the third-party application
1. Before proceeding with implementation, it is important to check whether the third-party application supports webhooks. Establish a connection between Zoho CRM and the third-party application using the authentication methods supported by the application. You can learn more about the authentication methods for developing third-party integrations here.
2. If the method of user authentication supported by the third-party application is
- OAuth- use connectors to establish the connection
- API key forms- use custom variables to establish the connection
3. Define the third-party application's API to create a webhook with the required parameters specified by the third-party application.
Note: The subscription URL is termed in different ways by each application and is an important parameter to be noted while creating webhooks. In order to send the response to Zoho CRM, the third-party applications require a URL to perform HTTP POST request from their end. The following section defines the steps required to obtain this URL.
Defining a REST API function and obtaining a webhook URL
After establishing the connection, the next step is to define a REST API function that can be invoked by the third-party application whenever a subscribed event occurs in the third-party application.
2. Choose Functions under Automate from the left panel of the Zoho Developer console under Build, then click New Function.
3. Enter the name of the function. Choose Yes for the Invoke as REST API option to create the function as a REST API function.
4. The crmAPIRequest argument of the function is categorized as Map type by default. The entire request object is mapped automatically to the crmAPIRequest argument and holds the response from the third-party when the trigger event occurs.
5. The input for the function can be acquired from the following types:
| Component | Format | Value fetched using component of crmAPIRequest |
| body | request_body = crmAPIRequest.get("body"); | Content that is passed as a stream to the request |
| params | parameters = crmAPIRequest.get("params"); | Key-value pair or as JSON object to the request |
| file_content | filecontent = crmAPIRequest.get("file_content"); | File content passed to the request |
| user_info | user_info = crmAPIRequest.get("user_info"); | Information about the user |
| method | method = crmAPIRequest.get("method"); | HTTP method name in the request |
| auth_type | authtype = crmAPIRequest.get("auth_type"); | The name of the Authentication method(API key) |
| headers | headers = crmAPIRequest.get("headers"); | Additional information of the request available in the header |
6. The default return type of a Rest API function version 2.0 is a string. You can choose to return the response as a string or use the response object crmAPIResponse to define the following specifications of the response:
Specification key | Default value |
status_code | 200 |
Content-Type | application/json;charset=utf-8 |
headers | {"Content-Disposition", "attachment;filename=response.json"} |
body | empty |
7. When you have finished defining the REST API code, click Invoke as the REST API button.
8. The URLs to invoke the function will be displayed and are termed as webhook URLs, which will be used for subscribing the function with the third-party.
Unlike the sandbox URL provided with a predefined ZAPI key, the production URL requires the value of the user's ZAPI key.
Why ZAPI key?
For authentication purposes, the REST API functions use API keys as the method of authentication. It requires the value of the ZAPI key in order to authenticate a user.
Code snippet to obtain ZAPI Key
m = {"nameSpace":"<portal_name.extension_namespace>"}; apikeyresp = zoho.crm.invokeConnector("crm.zapikey",m); zapikey = apikeyresp.get("response"); |
9. The ZAPI key value can be passed in the Production URL, which will serve as a webhook URL to subscribe a webhook and invoke this function.
Creating and subscribing a webhook
➤ REST API functions can be triggered from a third-party application only when it is subscribed with that application while creating an inbound webhook.
➤ The webhook URL mentioned in the previous section will serve as the subscription URL while creating the webhook.
By following these steps, you can implement webhooks for third-party integrations using REST API functions. In our upcoming post, we'll look at a working example depicting this process.
We hope you found this guide helpful in creating and using custom webhooks to link your Zoho CRM account to third-party applications.For tips and guides like this, keep following this community forum.
SEE ALSO
Access your files securely from anywhere
New to Zoho Recruit?
Zoho Developer Community
New to Zoho LandingPage?
Zoho LandingPage Resources
New to Zoho Survey?
New to Zoho CRM Plus?
Deliver unforgettable customer experiences
New to Zoho CRM Plus?
Deliver unforgettable customer experiences
New to Zoho Marketing Plus?
Everything you need to run your marketing
New to Zoho Marketing Plus?
Everything you need to run your marketing
New to Bigin?
Topic Participants
Nanditha Somasundaram Somasundaram
Sticky Posts
Kaizen #197: Frequently Asked Questions on GraphQL APIs
🎊 Nearing 200th Kaizen Post – We want to hear from you! Do you have any questions, suggestions, or topics you would like us to cover in future posts? Your insights and suggestions help us shape future content and make this series better for everyone.Kaizen #198: Using Client Script for Custom Validation in Blueprint
Nearing 200th Kaizen Post – 1 More to the Big Two-Oh-Oh! Do you have any questions, suggestions, or topics you would like us to cover in future posts? Your insights and suggestions help us shape future content and make this series better for everyone.Celebrating 200 posts of Kaizen! Share your ideas for the milestone post
Hello Developers, We launched the Kaizen series in 2019 to share helpful content to support your Zoho CRM development journey. Staying true to its spirit—Kaizen Series: Continuous Improvement for Developer Experience—we've shared everything from FAQsKaizen #193: Creating different fields in Zoho CRM through API
🎊 Nearing 200th Kaizen Post – We want to hear from you! Do you have any questions, suggestions, or topics you would like us to cover in future posts? Your insights and suggestions help us shape future content and make this series better for everyone.Client Script | Update - Introducing Commands in Client Script!
Have you ever wished you could trigger Client Script from contexts other than just the supported pages and events? Have you ever wanted to leverage the advantage of Client Script at your finger tip? Discover the power of Client Script - Commands! Commands
New to Zoho TeamInbox?
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
Design. Discuss. Deliver.
Zoho Show Resources
Get Started. Write Away!
Writer is a powerful online word processor, designed for collaborative work.
Zoho CRM コンテンツ
-
オンラインヘルプ
-
Webセミナー
-
機能活用動画
-
よくある質問
-
Ebook
-
-
Zoho Campaigns
- Zoho サービスのWebセミナー
その他のサービス コンテンツ
Nederlandse Hulpbronnen
ご検討中の方
Recent Topics
in zoho creator Sales Returns form has sub form Line Items return quantity when i upate the or enter any values in the sub form that want to reflect in the Sales Order form item deail sub form field Q
in zoho creator Sales Returns form has sub form Line Items return quantity when i upate the or enter any values in the sub form that want to reflect in the Sales Order form item deail sub form field Quantity Returned\ pls check the recording fetch_salesorderSendmail function / custom action?
I've setup a function hoping to email various business departments the details of a record once all work in that record is complete so gone about setting up a custom action in such way that each record line on the report has a button to click. Question is how do I actually include data from that record in the email that is sent when the button is clicked? I had thought that since this were being sent per record the email would include the data which had been enteredAPI to post drafts for social media
I we want to post draft posts to our zoho social account and then approve and schedule them within Zoho social. is this possible with for example: https://apis.zoho.com/social/v2/post TIA JonHow to change view of HTML report based on device but always print in A4
Hello everyone, I am aware that HTML report view can be configured to adjust according to the screen size like Laptop, Tablet and mobile using media queries. But my concern is no matter on which device the reports is opened when printed should alwaysAdding image in HTML report page
Hi, I want to know two things: 1. Can anyone advise how to add an image in HTML report. The tagged used is <img> but what path do I mention for the image to be added in the HTML report. 2. Also, I want to know if I am creating an application for the marketAge Calculation
I've attempted to calculate the age of someone based on their birthday input by using the formula field. It works but I don't want all those decimals on there. I then tried to use "set variable" after birthday input but I get a field type mismatch, long vs. floating. Any ideas would be wonderful.Integración Books para cumplir la ley Crea y Crece y Ley Antifraude (VeriFactu)
Hola: En principio, en julio de 2025, entra en vigor la ley Crea y Crece y Ley Antifraude (VeriFactu). ¿Sabéis si Zoho va a cumplir con la ley para cumplir con la facturación electrónica conectada a Hacienda? GraciasIs there an API to "File a Ticket" in Desk
Hi, Is there an API to "File a Ticket" in Desk to zoho projects?Unarchive tickets
How can I manually unarchive tickets?Canvas View in Zoho Recruit
Is it possible or would it be possible to have the new 'Canvas View' in Zoho Recruit?What impactful sales coaching techniques have you used to boost your team's performance?
I'm curious about the real-world impact of sales coaching on team performance. What specific techniques or strategies have you found most effective in driving consistent improvement and growth in your sales team? Any success stories or lessons learnedAdding Taxes to paid consultations in Zoho Bookings
I created a 'paid' consultation under Zoho Booking and integrated it with payment gateways for online/instant payment before a booking is done. How can I add 'taxes' to the price of consultation? I can add taxes to other Zoho apps (liks Books, Checkout,Zoho Finance Suite - Customer Custom Tabs - Dynamic Link
Hi Finance Suite team, When creating a Custom Tab for a Client Portal, there is no option to add dynamic parameters. This would be very helpful for adding Zoho Analytics dashboards which can be dynamically filtered through the URL to only show informationOptimize your Knowledge Base for enhanced accessibility by adding alt tags for images
Let's learn why alt tags are crucial for your articles. You can add alternative tags (alt tags) and alternative text (alt text) to the images you share on your community forums or when embedding them in articles. Alt tags refer to the HTML attribute,Feature Request - Insert URL Links in Folders
I would love to see the ability to create simple URL links with titles in WorkDrive. or perhaps a WorkDrive extension to allow it. Example use case: A team is working on a project and there is project folder in WordDrive. The team uses LucidChart to createFormula 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 'ProgressFSM trying again
have not linked FSM yet to the rest of out Zoho suit. It certainly looks like the apointment and service part is more manageable for our staff. The question is that our engineers multi task examples 1. deliver products to customers not fitted 2. ServicePossible to bold or indent text in the description field?
As part of one item, I often have a detailed description that would be much easier to read if there was the ability to have a bulleted list or bold text and the like. Is this possible? My last invoicing software allowed markup in the field so, for example, an asterisk meant a bullet. I haven't been able to find any documentation related to this. Any information would be appreciated. Thank you.How can I setup Zoho MCP with Chat GPT
I can set up custom connections with Chat GPT but I cat an error when I try to set it up. The error is: "This MCP server can't be used by ChatGPT to search information because it doesn't implement our specification: search action not found" Thoughts?Formatting of Balance Sheet and Profit & Loss Reports
The default format of the Balance Sheet and P&L Reports are based on the Account Types and then the individual accounts within the Chart of Accounts. These are then ordered alphabetically under these sub-headings and one is unable to re-order these orUK MTD reports concerning turnover and cerash accounting
Hi I am a sole trader, and I have just started with Zoho Books in order to comply with the new HMRC requirements. I use 'cash basis' - which I understand to mean that income is when the cash comes in (not the invoice date) and expenses are when they areRetainer Invoice.
Why ZOHO not have facilities to deduct partially advance payment from an invoice.Collaborate Feature doesn't work
Hello Team. It seems that the collaborate section is broken? I can post something but it all appears in "Discussions". In there is no way how I would mark something as Draft, Approval, post or any of the other filter categories? Also if I draft a postIMAP Server not responding.
Trying to connect a phone via IMAP and getting "imap.zoho.com not responding." Is the server down, for maintenance or otherwise? I've tried this on two different devices and got the same error on both.Vendor Signatures Needed for Purchase Orders
Hello everyone, We have a unique requirement that necessitates that Vendors & Suppliers formally acknowledge our Purchase Orders upon receipt. I was hoping that there would be an option to do so in Zoho Books, but that does not appear to be the case.Share saved filters between others
Hi, I am in charge to setup all zoho system in our company. I am preparing saved filters for everybody, but the only one can see its me. How can others see it? Thanksreport showing assignment type
Hi, We've created a number of workflows to allow us to auto assign tickets to agents based on keywords and other criteria. I'm struggling to create a report that would show me what is the percentage of tickets that are assigned automatically via workflowsGST Slabs Redefined: Stay Compliant Using Zoho Books!
Hello Everyone! The Government of India is rolling out new GST rates, a major reform aimed at simplifying the current tax structure starting 22 September 2025. GST will move from four slabs (5%, 12%, 18%, 28%) to two main slabs (5% and 18%), plus a specialPlacing a condition before converting the LEAD
Hi, I need some assistance with Lead conversion. I need to place certain conditions before allowing the user to convert the lead. For example: up until the certain status's doesn't equal "green" don't allow to convert lead. I tried creating this usingKanban view on Zoho CRM mobile app!
What is Kanban? The name doesn't sound English, right? Yes, Kanban is a Japanese word which means 'Card you can see'. As per the meaning, Kanban in CRM is a type of list view in which the records will be displayed in cards and categorized under the givenPresenting ABM for Zoho CRM: Expand and retain your customers with precision
Picture this scenario: You're a growing SaaS company ready to launch a powerful business suite, and are looking to gain traction and momentum. But as a business with a tight budget, you know acquiring new customers is slow, expensive, and often deliversNo practical examples of how survey data is analyzed
There are no examples of analysis with analytics of zoho survey data. Only survey meta data is analyzed, such as number of completes, not actual analysis of responses, such as the % in each gender, cross-tabulations of survey responses. One strange characteristic of Zoho analytics is that does not seem aware of how Zoho Survey codes 'multiple response' questions. These are questions where more than one option can be selected from a list. Zoho Survey stores this data as text, separated by commas withinZoho Creator as LMS and Membership Solution
My client is interested in using Zoho One apps to deploy their membership academy offer. Zoho Creator was an option that came up in my research: Here are the components of the program/offer: 1. Membership portal - individual login credentials for eachAdding Chargebee as a Data Connector
Is it possible to get Chargebee added as a Zoho Analytics data connector?Zoho CRM - Custom Views for Portal Users
I'm looking for an option to customise custom views for portal users in CRM. It would be great if "portal user" was a permission on custom views.Webform & spam
Hi, We set up 2 webform on our website, fowarding the content to Zoho CRM. Since it has been opened up, we are getting lot of spam message (for now about 20 a day). To lower the amount of false new leads we added the captcha field and new enquieries are send to the Approval Leads list. However we still get some spam. Is there any "anti spam" mechanism built in Zoho CRM, or how is the best way to avoid these kind of spam ? ThanksElevate 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 WorkflowDropbox to Workdrive
Namaste, Trust you all are doing well. Wanted to check how this can be done with Zoho flow. I typically receive dropbox links from my clients. Is there a way where I can provide the link to Zoho flow and it downloads the files from dropbox link to a workDeals by Stages Funnel not showing in correct order
Using the Stage-Probability Mapping for the Deals module we have created a steps our deals will pass through, RFQ, Closed/Lost, Declined/No-Go, Pricing, Submitted, Negotiations, Won. However when I view the Deal By Stages Funnel it does not show in theAdding a developer for editing the client application with a single user license
Hi, I want to know that I as a developer I developed one application and handed over to the customer who is using the application on a single user license. Now after6 months customer came back to me and needs some changes in the application. Can a customerNext Page