Extension Pointers - JS SDK Series #5: Working with connectors via widgets using ZOHO.CRM.CONNECTOR

Extension Pointers - JS SDK Series #5: Working with connectors via widgets using ZOHO.CRM.CONNECTOR

Working with third-party applications enables seamless data synchronization through integration. A connector is one of the features available in Zoho CRM that's used to establish an integration. You can create connectors and add the necessary APIs required for your business needs in your extension. Authorizing the connector and invoking the necessary APIs are the two important steps that are needed to achieve your business functionality. We detailed the steps involved in creating a connector, adding APIs, and using Deluge tasks to invoke APIs in our earlier post.

In this post, let's see how you can authorize a connector and invoke the APIs from a widget, thereby performing your business functionality with a customized UI. The ZOHO.CRM.CONNECTOR JS SDK supports methods to authorize a connector and invoke an API.
  • Authorize - This method is used to prompt the connector authorization window of the integrated application.
  • Invoke API - This method is used to invoke an API associated with the connector to perform the required functionality through a widget.
Syntax

Authorize:

ZOHO.CRM.CONNECTOR.authorize(nameSpace)

Here, namespace refers to the namespace of the connector you want to authorize.

There are a few instances in which the authorize method can be used. For your reference, we list a couple of them below.
  • An extension's widget feature may involve certain third-party integrations via a connector. There may be situations where the user could skip authorizing the connector while installing the extension. During such events, developers can conveniently set up a verification mechanism to confirm that the authorization is being properly carried out by the user. This can be done by prompting the user for authorization, when required, from within the scope of the extension itself using the authorize SDK method in the widget.
  • Say that a user has revoked an extension's authorization of a third-party application as the extension is currently not in use. Later, when the user tries to use the extension, they can go ahead without worrying about authorization, because once the authorize SDK is used at the appropriate place, the user will be prompted for authorization while accessing the widget and they can go ahead and utilize the extension features.
Invoke API:

ZOHO.CRM.CONNECTOR.invokeAPI(nameSpace, data)

Here, namespace refers to the namespace of the connector API to be invoked, and data refers to the data object to be constructed and passed to the connector API.

Data Object

Name
Type
Description
Variables
Object
The dynamic data is represented by placeholders in the connector API.
Content_Type
Object
ContentType - multipart for multipart request.
Parts
Array
For a multipart request, provide the parts configuration details here.
File
Object
To include a file in your multipart request.

Let's see an example of how the authorize and invokeAPI JS SDK methods can be used to establish an integration between Zoho CRM and Google Calendar from a widget.

Consider a simple scenario where a Zoho CRM user wants to create an event for a lead via a button on the lead's detail view page and the event has to be automatically created in the user's default Google Calendar for seamless synchronization.

  1. A connector called "GoogleEventscalendar" is created and an API called "CreateNewEvent" is added to the connector to insert a new event. Please refer to this post to learn the detailed steps involved in creating a connector and adding an API.
  2. The APIs request body is constructed with parameters for end date, start date, and summary of the event. The data for the parameters hold placeholders that represent the dynamic data that will be passed via javascript. To learn more about GoogleCalendar Events API, please refer here.



Events.js

Util={};
var EntityId;
var EntityName;
var recordInfo;
var emailid;

//Subscribe to the EmbeddedApp onPageLoad event before initializing the widget 
ZOHO.embeddedApp.on("PageLoad",function(data)
{

/*Prompts the authorization window of the "GoogleEventsCalendar" connector to establish integration between Zoho CRM and GoogleCalendar*/
ZOHO.CRM.CONNECTOR.authorize("jssdkextension.googleeventscalendar").then(function(data1){
})  
})

/*To create an event by retrieving the input values of start date, end date, and summary and passing it as a constructed data set to the 'InvokeAPI' method*/

Util.create=function()
{

//Fetching the record details and retrieving the mail ID of the lead
ZOHO.CRM.API.getRecord({Entity:EntityName,RecordID:EntityId})
.then(function(data){
recordInfo=data;
emailid=recordInfo.data[0].Email;

//Retrieving the input values
var title=document.getElementById("summary").value;
var startdate = document.getElementById("startdate").value;
var enddate = document.getElementById("enddate").value;

//Constructing the data set
var x = {
"Start":startdate,
"End":enddate,
"Title":title,
"Email":emailid
}

//Invoking the 'CreateNewEvent' API by passing the constructed data set
ZOHO.CRM.CONNECTOR.invokeAPI("jssdkextension.googleeventscalendar.creatnewevent",x)
.then(function(responsedata){
})
})
}

3. In the above code snippet, the authorization window is prompted on the page load of the widget. 

Note: The ZOHO.CRM.CONNECTOR.authorize SDK works only in the production environment and cannot be tested in sandbox environment.



4. Once the authorization has been completed, the user can go ahead and create an event for the lead by providing the necessary input and clicking the Create Event button.



In a similar way, you can use the authorize method depending on your business requirements and invoke the APIs accordingly. We hope you found this information useful. Keep following this space for more inputs.

SEE ALSO




    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

                                                                                                              • Zoho Projects Android app: Integration with Microsoft Intune

                                                                                                                Hello everyone! We’re excited to announce that Zoho Projects now integrates with Microsoft Intune, enabling enhanced security and enterprise app management. We have now added support for Microsoft Intune Mobile Application Management (MAM) policies through
                                                                                                              • Cant't update custom field when custom field is external lookup in Zoho Books

                                                                                                                Hello I use that : po = zoho.books.updateRecord("purchaseorders",XXXX,purchaseorder_id,updateCustomFieldseMap,"el_books_connection"); c_f_Map2 = Map(); c_f_Map2.put("label","EL ORDER ID"); c_f_Map2.put("value",el_order_id); c_f_List.add(c_f_Map2); updateCustomFieldseMap
                                                                                                              • Wrapping up 2025 on a high note: CRM Release Highlights of the year

                                                                                                                Dear Customers, 2025 was an eventful year for us at Zoho CRM. We’ve had releases of all sizes and impact, and we are excited to look back, break it down, and rediscover them with you! Before we rewind—we’d like to take a minute and sincerely thank you
                                                                                                              • About Zoneminder (CCTV) and Zoho People

                                                                                                                Hi team I would like to implement a CCTV service for our branches, with the aim of passively detecting both the entry and exit of personnel enrolled in Zoho Peeple, but my question is: It is possible to integrate Zoho People with Zoneminder, I understand
                                                                                                              • Introducing the Zoho Projects Learning Space

                                                                                                                Every product has its learning curve, and sometimes having a guided path makes the learning experience smoother. With that goal, we introduce a dedicated learning space for Zoho Projects, a platform where you can explore lessons, learn at your own pace,
                                                                                                              • Create CRM Deal from Books Quote and Auto Update Deal Stage

                                                                                                                I want to set up an automation where, whenever a Quote is created in Zoho Books, a Deal is automatically created in Zoho CRM with the Quote amount, customer details, and some custom fields from Zoho Books. Additionally, when the Sales Order is converted
                                                                                                              • How to show branch instead of org name on invoice template?

                                                                                                                Not sure why invoices are showing the org name not the branch name? I can insert the branch name using the ${ORGANIZATION.BRANCHNAME} placeholder, but then it isn't bold text anymore. Any other ideas?
                                                                                                              • Admin asked me for Backend Details when I wanted to verify my ZeptoMail Account

                                                                                                                Please provide the backend details where you will be adding the SMTP/API information of ZeptoMail Who knows what this means?
                                                                                                              • Unable to remove the “Automatically Assigned” territory from existing records

                                                                                                                Hello Zoho Community Team, We are currently using Territory Management in Zoho CRM and have encountered an issue with automatically assigned territories on Account records. Once any account is created the territory is assigned automatically, the Automatically
                                                                                                              • Kaizen #223 - File Manager in CRM Widget Using ZRC Methods

                                                                                                                Hello, CRM Wizards! Here is what we are improving this week with Kaizen. we will explore the new ZRC (Zoho Request Client) introduced in Widget SDK v1.5, and learn how to use it to build a Related List Widget that integrates with Zoho WorkDrive. It helps
                                                                                                              • Set connection link name from variable in invokeurl

                                                                                                                Hi, guys. How to set in parameter "connection" a variable, instead of a string. connectionLinkName = manager.get('connectionLinkName').toString(); response = invokeurl [ url :"https://www.googleapis.com/calendar/v3/freeBusy" type :POST parameters:requestParams.toString()
                                                                                                              • Possible to connect Zoho CRM's Sandbox with Zoho Creator's Sandbox?

                                                                                                                We are making some big changes on our CRM so we are testing it out in CRM's Sandbox. We also have a Zoho Creator app that we need to test. Is it possible to connect Zoho CRM's Sandbox to Zoho Creator's Sandbox so that I can perform those tests?
                                                                                                              • I Need Help Verifying Ownership of My Zoho Help Desk on Google Search Console

                                                                                                                I added my Zoho desk portal to Google Search Console, but since i do not have access to the html code of my theme, i could not verify ownership of my portal on Google search console. I want you to help me place the html code given to me from Google search
                                                                                                              • Timeline Tracker

                                                                                                                Hi Team, I am currently using Zoho Creator – Blueprint Workflows, and I would like to know if there is a way to track a timeline of the approval process within a Blueprint. Specifically, I am looking for details such as: Who submitted the record Who clicked
                                                                                                              • Primary / Other Billing Contacts

                                                                                                                If you add an additional contact to a Zoho Billing Customer record, and then mark this new contact as the primary contact, will both the new primary and old primary still receive notifications? Can you stop notifications from going to the additional contacts
                                                                                                              • Missing Import Options

                                                                                                                Hello, do I miss something or is there no space import option inside of this application? In ClickUp, you can import from every common application. We don't want to go through every page and export them one by one. That wastes time. We want to centralize
                                                                                                              • 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
                                                                                                              • Is it possible to enforce a single default task for all users in a Zoho Projects ?

                                                                                                                In Zoho Projects, the Tasks module provides multiple views, including List, Gantt, and Kanban. Additionally, users can create and switch to their own custom views. During project review meetings, this flexibility creates confusion because different users
                                                                                                              • [Free Webinar] Zoho Creator webinars - Learning Table and Creator Tech Connect Series in 2026

                                                                                                                Hello everyone, Wishing you all a wonderful new year! May 2026 and the years ahead bring more opportunities, growth, and learning your way 🙂 We’re excited to kick off the 2026 edition of the Learning Table Series and Creator Tech Connect Series ! Learning
                                                                                                              • Reply and react to comments

                                                                                                                Hi everyone! We're excited to bring to you a couple of new features that'll make your sprint process simpler. A cloud application brings with it an array of social media features that can be efficiently used in your organizational setup. As an agile scrum
                                                                                                              • Restrict Users access to login into CRM?

                                                                                                                I’m wanting my employees to be able to utilize the Zoho CRM Lookup field within Zoho Forms. For them to use lookup field in Zoho Forms it is my understanding that they need to be licensed for Forms and the CRM. However, I don’t want them to be able to
                                                                                                              • Module Customisation - Lookup function not available

                                                                                                                Good evening, Within my business, I can have multiple customers, who have multiple mobile assets. When I set these assets up, I enter information such as vehicle registration, Vehicle identification number (VIN), Unit number, YOM, in addition to others.
                                                                                                              • zoho click, and nord VPN

                                                                                                                Unfortunately, we've been having problems with Zoho Click, where essentially the line cuts off after about a minute's worth of conversation every time we are on VPN. Is there a way we can change this within the settings so it does not cut the line off
                                                                                                              • Zoho Calender

                                                                                                                a) does the clanender in zoho project allow you to see the name of the event in the celnder view, it currently says either "Task (1) or "Milestoen (1)" b) Alternatively does the calender in Zoho project integrate with zoho calender?
                                                                                                              • Matching ZOHO Payments in Banking

                                                                                                                Our company has recently integrated ZOHO Payments into our system. This seemed really convenient at first because our customers could pay their account balance by clicking on a link imbedded in the emailed invoice. Unfortunately, we can't figure out how
                                                                                                              • Team Gamification

                                                                                                                Would love to motivate, engage and encourage our team with our social media posts. Would like to include Gamification features of Social Media in Zoho Social or Marketing Automation. And also bring in Social Advocacy tools/tracking/management to these,
                                                                                                              • Power up your Kiosk Studio with Real-Time Data Capture, Client Scripts & More!

                                                                                                                Hello Everyone, We’re thrilled to announce a powerful set of enhancements to Kiosk Studio in Zoho CRM. These new updates give you more flexibility, faster record handling, and real-time data capture, making your Kiosk flows smarter and more efficient
                                                                                                              • New Enhancements to Zoho CRM and Zoho Creator Integration

                                                                                                                Hello Everyone, We’ve rolled out enhancements to the Zoho Creator and Zoho CRM integration to align with recent updates made to the Zoho Creator platform. With enhancements to both the UI and functionality, This update also tightens access control by
                                                                                                              • Work Type - Limitation

                                                                                                                Hello, I'm setting up work types and have noticed, a limitation on the parts area to 10 lines. Can this be increased to 20 or greater? In addition to this, when I attempt to add the work type to a work order, the correct labour hours doesn't flow through.
                                                                                                              • Emails sent through Bigin are not posting in IMAP Sent folder

                                                                                                                I have set up my email to work from within Bigin using IMAP.  I am using IMAP so I can sync my email across multiple devices - phone / laptop / desktop / iPad / etc.  I want all my emails to populate my email client (outlook & iphone email) whether or
                                                                                                              • Turning the page for Zoho SalesIQ: 2025 to 2026

                                                                                                                As we wrap up 2025, we would like to take a moment to reflect on what we set out to achieve this year, what we’ve delivered, and where we’re headed next. What we focused on in 2025 This year was all about strengthening the core of engagement and AI, making
                                                                                                              • Stage-probability mapping feature in custom module

                                                                                                                Hi, I'm building a custom module for manage projects. I would like to implement the stage-probability feature that Potentials has. Is this possible?
                                                                                                              • Temporary Outage in Zoho Cliq Affecting US Users – July 23, 2025

                                                                                                                We experienced a service disruption in Zoho Cliq that impacted core functionality for users in the US region. The issue occurred between Jul 23, 2025, 06:54:00 PM IST and 07:13:13 PM IST, lasting approximately 19 minutes. To restore service stability,
                                                                                                              • Why Sharing Rules do Not support relative date comparison???

                                                                                                                I am creating a Sharing Rule and simply want to share where "Last Day of Coverage" (Date field) is Greater than TODAY (Starting Tomorrow). However, sharing rules don't have the option to compare a date field to a relative date (like today), only to Static
                                                                                                              • Zoho Cliq not working on airplanes

                                                                                                                Hi, My team and I have been having this constant issue of cliq not working when connected to an airplane's wifi. Is there a reason for this? We have tried on different Airlines and it doesn't work on any of them. We need assistance here since we are constantly
                                                                                                              • Problem with Workdrive folders

                                                                                                                I'm having a problem a problem accessing files in a Zoho work drive folder when using the Zoho writer app. The problem folder appears grayed out in the Zoho work drive window in both the online and writer application. However I can open the folder in
                                                                                                              • Multi-currency and Products

                                                                                                                One of the main reasons I have gone down the Zoho route is because I need multi-currency support.  However, I find that products can only be priced in the home currency, We sell to the US and UK.  However, we maintain different price lists for each. 
                                                                                                              • Create an Eye-Catching Announcement Widget for Your Help Center

                                                                                                                Hello Everyone! In this week’s edition, let’s explore how to keep your customers updated with exciting news in the Help Center. See how ZylkerMobile wowed their customers by bringing updates right to their portal. ZylkerMobile, the renowned brand for
                                                                                                              • Send Whatsapp with API including custom placeholders

                                                                                                                Is is possible to initiate a session on whatsapp IM channel with a template that includes params (placeholders) that are passed on the API call? This is very usefull to send a Utility message for a transactional notification including an order number
                                                                                                              • Customer Management: #6 Common Mistakes in Customer Handling

                                                                                                                Managing customers doesn't usually fall apart overnight. More often, slight gaps in the process slowly become bigger problems. Incidents like missed follow-ups, billing confusion, and unhappy customers will lead to revenue loss. Many businesses don't
                                                                                                              • Next Page