Extension pointers - JS SDK Series #1: Learn how to invoke a REST API function from a widget using the execute method

Extension pointers - JS SDK Series #1: Learn how to invoke a REST API function from a widget using the execute method

Software development kits (SDK) are sets of tools that are useful when building applications on a platform. They wrap up APIs in the form of libraries, and include sample code, utilities, and documentation that guides you in building your applications. 

In our earlier posts we discussed building embeddable widgets for Zoho CRM. These widgets help to seamlessly integrate Zoho CRM with other applications and provide contextual information along with the application's data. Zoho CRM provides the JS SDK bundled with the necessary APIs and utilities to build these widgets using JavaScript. It serves as a mode of interaction between the JavaScript code and Zoho CRM. Through this JS SDK series of extension pointers, we aim to help you gain a deeper understanding of JS SDKs, and how to build efficient extensions.

The JS SDK bundle of Zoho CRM APIs is significant in helping you develop powerful widgets using JavaScript.

The Zoho CRM JS SDK, includes most of the APIs that help you operate with Zoho CRM data. It also includes event listeners that are useful for registering your application's events. The JS SDK also provides support to manage your widget's UI, handle configurations and connections with third party applications, and more. We're going to look at the different options available in the JS SDK, one at a time, throughout this series.

In this post, let's take a look at the ZOHO.CRM.FUNCTIONS.execute() function, its benefits,and how it can be incorporated while building extensions. It's designed to help you invoke and execute a custom function from a widget. Only a standalone REST API function can be invoked from your widget. A few major pointers regarding this API are:

➤ The ZOHO.CRM.FUNCTIONS.execute() function lets you invoke only the REST API function from a widget
➤ It requires that you input the API name of the function along with the constructed set of request data

Syntax

ZOHO.CRM.FUNCTIONS.execute(func_name, req_data)

Here, 'func_name' is the API name of the REST API function. 'req_data' is the constructed argument set that needs to be passed to the function.

Example

var func_name = "sample_function";
var req_data ={
"arguments": JSON.stringify({
"Company" : "Zoho",
"Email" : "saxxxx@xxxxx@.com",
})
};
ZOHO.CRM.FUNCTIONS.execute(func_name, req_data)
.then(function(data){
console.log("REST API function invoked from widget."+data);
})

Here, 'sample_function' is the API name of the REST API function. The arguments, namely 'Company' and 'Email',are constructed and passed as the 'req_data' parameter to the ZOHO.CRM.FUNCTIONS.execute() function.

Now let's see how the execute function can be incorporated while creating widgets to build an extension.
Note: Widgets are embeddable GUI components that help extend Zoho CRM's functionality. To get detailed information on widgets and how they work,please refer here.

To demonstrate the use of ZOHO.CRM.FUNCTIONS.execute(), let's assume a scenario in Zoho CRM involving raised product issues or concerns are registered as Cases by an organization. In general, cases originate through different modes, for example through phone, web, or email. Let's build a widget with a customized UI that allows a user to key in certain values pertaining to the 'Cases' module. This widget will fetch the necessary values and pass them to a REST API function that will create a record in the Cases module. This could help the support user on a phone call with the client to quickly build a case by filling out only the specific details.

Code snippet:
sdkwidget.js

Util={};
//assigning api name of REST API function to 'func_name' parameter of the execute function
var func_name="jssdkextension__executesdkfunction";
Util.check=function()
{
console.log("inside function");
//fetching the values provided in the UI
var subject = document.getElementById("subject").value;
var phoneno = document.getElementById("phnumber").value;
var email = document.getElementById("email").value;
var x = document.getElementById("cases").selectedIndex;
var x1 = document.getElementById("cases").options;
var cases=x1[x].text;
var y = document.getElementById("status").selectedIndex;
var y1 = document.getElementById("status").options;
var status=y1[y].text;
//constructing the 'req_data' parameter with the values fed by the user through the UI
var req_data ={
"arguments": JSON.stringify({
"sub" : subject,  
"phone" : phoneno,
"cases" : cases,
"status" : status,
"email" : email
})
};
//Invoking the execute function to execute the REST API function
ZOHO.CRM.FUNCTIONS.execute(func_name, req_data).then(function(data){
var resp=JSON.stringify(data);
})
}


executesdkfunction Rest API function

//retrieving the parameters of the request
params = crmAPIRequest.get("params");
//retrieving the set of values from 'arguments' passed as 'req_data' in the javascript code
args = params.get("arguments");
data = Map();
sub = args.get("sub");
phone = args.get("phone");
caseorigin = args.get("cases");
status = args.get("status");
email = args.get("email");
data.putAll({"Subject":sub,"Phone":phone,"Case_Origin":caseorigin,"Status":status,"Email":email});
//creating a new record in the Cases module
resp = zoho.crm.createRecord("Cases",data);
}
return args;

The highlighted text in the code snippet above is used to fetch the values provided by the user through the variable 'arguments' that is passed as the 'req_data' parameter to the REST API function.

Note: You can obtain the API name of the function from the sandbox URL or production URL obtained while using the option 'Invoke as REST API' in the script editor function.



Sample Output of Widget Screen



A new record is inserted in the Cases module according to the inputs provided.



Hope you found this information useful! For more about JS SDKs, keep following this space.

SEE ALSO:



<<Previous                                                                                                                                                    Next>>


    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

                                                            • Kaizen #222 - Client Script Support for Notes Related List

                                                              Hello everyone! Welcome to another week of Kaizen. The final Kaizen post of the year 2025 is here! With the new Client Script support for the Notes Related List, you can validate, enrich, and manage notes across modules. In this post, we’ll explore how
                                                            • Kaizen #217 - Actions APIs : Tasks

                                                              Welcome to another week of Kaizen! In last week's post we discussed Email Notifications APIs which act as the link between your Workflow automations and you. We have discussed how Zylker Cloud Services uses Email Notifications API in their custom dashboard.
                                                            • Kaizen #216 - Actions APIs : Email Notifications

                                                              Welcome to another week of Kaizen! For the last three weeks, we have been discussing Zylker's workflows. We successfully updated a dormant workflow, built a new one from the ground up and more. But our work is not finished—these automated processes are
                                                            • Kaizen #152 - Client Script Support for the new Canvas Record Forms

                                                              Hello everyone! Have you ever wanted to trigger actions on click of a canvas button, icon, or text mandatory forms in Create/Edit and Clone Pages? Have you ever wanted to control how elements behave on the new Canvas Record Forms? This can be achieved
                                                            • Kaizen #142: How to Navigate to Another Page in Zoho CRM using Client Script

                                                              Hello everyone! Welcome back to another exciting Kaizen post. In this post, let us see how you can you navigate to different Pages using Client Script. In this Kaizen post, Need to Navigate to different Pages Client Script ZDKs related to navigation A.


                                                            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

                                                                                                              • BARCODE PICKLIST

                                                                                                                Hello! Does anyone know how the Picklist module works? I tried scanning the barcode using the UPC and EAN codes I added to the item, but it doesn’t work. Which barcode format does this module use for scanning?
                                                                                                              • Zoho Inventory - Allow Update of Marketplace Generated Sales Orders via API

                                                                                                                Hi Inventory Team, I was recently asked by a client to create an automation which updated a Zoho Inventory Sales Order if a Shopify Order was updated. I have created the script but I found that the request is blocked as the Sales Order was generated by
                                                                                                              • How do I create an update to the Cost Price from landed costs?

                                                                                                                Hi fellow Zoho Inventory battlers, I am new to Zoho inventory and was completely baffled to find that the cost price of products does not update when a new purchase order is received. The cost price is just made up numbers I start with when the product
                                                                                                              • Manage control over Microsoft Office 365 integrations with profile-based sync permissions

                                                                                                                Greetings all, Previously, all users in Zoho CRM had access to enable Microsoft integrations (Calendar, Contacts, and Tasks) in their accounts, regardless of their profile type. Users with administrator profiles can now manage profile-based permissions
                                                                                                              • Zoho OAuth Connector Deprecation and Its Impact on Zoho Desk

                                                                                                                Hello everyone, Zoho believes in continuously refining its integrations to uphold the highest standards of security, reliability, and compliance. As part of this ongoing improvement, the Zoho OAuth default connector will be deprecated for all Zoho services
                                                                                                              • VoC in Zoho CRM is now data savvy: Explore response drilldown, summary components and participation in CRM criteria

                                                                                                                VoC has all the goods when it comes to customer intelligence—which is why we're constantly enhancing it. We recently added the following: A customer drilldown component that shows you the list of prospects and customers behind a chart's attribute Expanded
                                                                                                              • How do I bulk archive my projects in ZOHO projects

                                                                                                                Hi, I want to archive 50 Projects in one go. Can you please help me out , How can I do this? Thanks kapil
                                                                                                              • Error 0x800CCC0F Outlook

                                                                                                                Hello, i cannot send or receive email in outlook. can you please help. 'Sending' reported error (0x800CCC0F) : 'The connection to the server was interrupted. If this problem continues, contact your server administrator or Internet service provider (ISP).'
                                                                                                              • Passing the CRM

                                                                                                                Hi, I am hoping someone can help. I have a zoho form that has a CRM lookup field. I was hoping to send this to my publicly to clients via a text message and the form then attaches the signed form back to the custom module. This work absolutely fine when
                                                                                                              • Can I add Conditional merge tags on my Templates?

                                                                                                                Hi I was wondering if I can use Conditional Mail Merge tags inside my Email templates/Quotes etc within the CRM? In spanish and in our business we use gender and academic degree salutations , ie: Dr., Dra., Sr., Srta., so the beginning of an email / letter
                                                                                                              • Zoho vault instal on windows

                                                                                                                I am trying to use Zoho Vault Desktop for Windows, but I am unable to complete the sign-in process. Problem description After logging in to my Zoho account and clicking Accept on the authorization page, nothing happens. The application does not proceed
                                                                                                              • Zoho Browser??

                                                                                                                hai guys, this sounds awkward but can v get a ZOHO BROWSER same as zoho writer, etc. where i can browse websites @ home and continue browsing the same websites @ my office, as v have the option in Firefox, once i save and close the browser and again when i open it i will be getting the same sites. If u people r not clear with my explanation, plz let me know. Thanks, Sandeep  
                                                                                                              • Let’s Talk Recruit: LinkedIn Cheatsheet

                                                                                                                Welcome to the first edition of Let’s Talk Recruit for 2026. We are kicking off the year by revisiting one of the most asked about topics in Zoho Recruit. How our LinkedIn integrations actually work and how recruiters can get the most value from them.
                                                                                                              • Zoho Forms API

                                                                                                                Is there any way to get all form entry list using API? Looking forward to hear from you
                                                                                                              • Creating a Chart from a Report

                                                                                                                In Zoho Analytics, is it possible to create a chart from a Pivot View report? We are looking to use Zoho Analytics to replace Excel for Sales reports and would like to be able to show both the table and the chart together.
                                                                                                              • Ability to Set Client Name During Portal Invitation

                                                                                                                Hi Zoho Team, We would like to suggest an important enhancement to the Zoho Creator Client Portal functionality. Zoho Creator recently introduced the option to set a client’s display name in the Client Portal settings, which is very helpful for creating
                                                                                                              • Move email between inboxes?

                                                                                                                Is it possible to move emails from one team inbox to another? We would like to be able to have a single "catch-all" inbox for incoming requests, and then move the email to the appropriate department inbox. I was hoping we would be able to accomplish this
                                                                                                              • PDF Attachment Option for Service Reports

                                                                                                                Hello Team, I would like to check with you all if there is an option to attach PDF documents to the service reports. When I try to attach a file, the system only allows the following formats: JPEG, JPG, and PNG. Could you please confirm whether PDF attachments
                                                                                                              • 【Zoho CRM】データ一覧画面でのメモのバッジ機能リリースのお知らせ

                                                                                                                ユーザーの皆さま、こんにちは。コミュニティチームの藤澤です。2026年度もゾーホーユーザーコミュニティをどうぞよろしくお願いいたします! 今回は「Zoho CRM アップデート情報」の中から、新機能のデータ一覧画面でのメモのバッジ機能をご紹介します。 目次 概要 メモのバッジ機能について メモの作成について メモに関する様々な処理について 最近追加したメモについて メモのバッジの非表示について クライアントスクリプトの対応 概要  メモのバッジ機能について 既存の活動バッジに加えて、すべてのタブのデータ一覧表示画面に、各データごとに利用できる「メモのバッジ」(キャプチャ内の赤枠部分)が新たに導入されました。
                                                                                                              • is it possible to add more than one Whatsapp Phone Number to be integrated to Zoho CRM?

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

                                                                                                                Every other app is available to me in Zoho one except fsm
                                                                                                              • Posibility to add Emoticons on the Email Subject of Templates

                                                                                                                Hi I´ve tried to add Emoticons on the Subject line of Email templates, the emoticon image does show up before saving the template or if I add the Emoticon while sending an Individual email and placing it manually on the subject line. Emoticons also show
                                                                                                              • Task Deletion Restriction & Strict Stage Control

                                                                                                                Hello Zoho Community, We have the following two issues currently pending and under testing, for which we require a workable and reliable solution: 1. Task Deletion Restriction We are testing ways to ensure that staff users are not able to delete tasks
                                                                                                              • Unable to mass update a picklist field

                                                                                                                Hello, I have the records within our Accounts module divided between two account types: Parent Accounts & Member Accounts. I am attempting to mass update accounts from one picklist value to the other (within other specific criteria in our custom fields)
                                                                                                              • Process checklist in CRM

                                                                                                                Hi We've created a new sales process that I'm mapping into the CRM - issue I have is that some of the tasks / milestones I would like to capture require very simple tick box responses but there are quite a few under a variety of sub categories so I don't
                                                                                                              • CRM project association via deluge

                                                                                                                I have created a workflow in my Zoho CRM for closing a deal. Part of this workflow leverages a deluge script to create a project for our delivery team. Creating the project works great however, after or during the project creation, I would like to associate
                                                                                                              • Holidays - Cannot Enter Two Holidays on Same Day

                                                                                                                I have a fairly common setup, where part-time employees receive 1/2 day's pay on a holiday and full-time employees receive a full day's pay. Historically, I've been able to accommodate this by entering two separate holidays, one that covers full-time
                                                                                                              • Where is the settings option in zoho writer?

                                                                                                                hi, my zoho writer on windows has menu fonts too large. where do i find the settings to change this option? my screen resolution is correct and other apps/softwares in windows have no issues. regards
                                                                                                              • File emails in Shared email folder

                                                                                                                Hi, I am unable to allow users to collaborate in Shared email folders: User 1 shares a folder let's say "SharedTopic" with full permissions Users 2 and 3 can see this folder but are unable to add emails to this folder or search in this folder. For example,
                                                                                                              • How create a draft via workflow?

                                                                                                                I wish to create a workflow rule for specific emails that creates a draft response - not an automatic email reply, but just a draft with a set response ready to be verified by an agent who can then manually select recipients. Alternatively, the workflow
                                                                                                              • This user is not allowed to add in Zoho. Please contact support-as@zohocorp.com for further details

                                                                                                                Hi Team, when I,m trying to create a email account (imagixmidia.com.br) it's showing this error >>  This user is not allowed to add in Zoho. Please contact support-as@zohocorp.com for further details plz help me  thanks
                                                                                                              • How to manage task lists in Zoho Desk?

                                                                                                                Hello, I use Zoho Desk for IT customer support. I have a list of standard operating procedures (SOPs), including SOPs for onboarding new users, offboarding users, losing a device, etc. These are lists of tasks to be performed depending on the situation.
                                                                                                              • Zoho → ShipStation Integration – Sales Order–Driven Fulfilment Workflow

                                                                                                                Hello All, I’m reaching out to explore the best way to integrate a shipping tool into our inventory which will speed our process up. We are looking to integrate ShipStation into our existing order-to-fulfilment workflow, as we’re keen to standardise on
                                                                                                              • Business Day Logic Update: More Accurate Scheduling for Your Workflows

                                                                                                                Hello everyone, We’re improving how business-day calculations work in workflows, especially when triggers happen on weekends. This update ensures that offsets like +0, +1, and +2 business days behave exactly as intended, giving you clearer and more predictable
                                                                                                              • Convert Lead Automation Trigger

                                                                                                                Currently, there is only a convert lead action available in workflow rules and blueprints. Also, there is a Convert Lead button available but it doesn't trigger any automations. Once the lead is converted to a Contact/Account the dataset that can be fetched
                                                                                                              • Default Tagging on API-generated Transactions

                                                                                                                If one assigns tags to an Item or Customer, those tags get auto-populated in each line item of an Invoice or Sales Order when one creates those documents. However, if one creates the Sales Order or Invoice via the API (either directly coding or using
                                                                                                              • User

                                                                                                                If user is already part of manage engine endpoint central , what hapens when i try to add them to another Zoho org / directory? Are these users added as external users?
                                                                                                              • Adding a new section to the related details sidebar when creating a new ticket.

                                                                                                                Hello, I was wondering if you can add a new section to the related details sidebar when creating a new ticket. I was wanting to have it to where it also shows the account information related to the contact chosen as well. This is the section I am referring
                                                                                                              • Displaying only unread tickets in ticket view

                                                                                                                Hello, I was wondering if someone might be able to help me with this one. We use filters to display our ticket list, typically using a saved filter which displays the tickets which are overdue or due today. What I'd really like is another filter that
                                                                                                              • How to compare a subform lookup field that allows multiple entries when edited

                                                                                                                I have a form with a subform with multiple fields. One of the fields is a lookup field that allows a multi select. On edit validation, I want a workflow to execute only when the entries in that subform field has changed. The old. function is not working
                                                                                                              • Next Page