Extension pointers #6: Working with widgets to power up extension capabilities (Part-3)
Widgets are useful for exchanging data between the third-party applications and Zoho CRM, as well as for displaying the data on a customized basis within Zoho CRM. They let you create customized UI interfaces that allow the data to be showcased through your own perspective. Embedding the widget in Zoho CRM helps to seamlessly synchronise the third-party application data into native CRM components and thereby perform certain functions using that data.
In our previous posts (Part-1 and Part-2), we covered the detailed steps involved in installing ZET CLI, creating a widget, associating it with a connected app, embedding it inside Zoho CRM, and hosting it. In this post, let's see a full-fledged example that demonstrates how widgets help you build powerful extensions.
We'll look at how you can use widgets to easily upload a document present on your desktop to a folder in Dropbox from within Zoho CRM. You can utilize the key benefit of widgets to personalize the UI according to your needs and implement this process. Design a UI interface using a widget that can be easily embedded into Zoho CRM, and let that UI enable you to choose a file from Desktop and upload it to Dropbox.
The steps involved to achieve the above mentioned functionality using widgets are as follows:
1. Create a connector to establish a connection between Zoho CRM and Dropbox in your extension
2. Create a widget that performs the file upload functionality (ZET CLI should have been installed—refer to Part-1)
3. Associate the widget with a Connected app and host it
4. Embed the widget inside Zoho CRM
5. Test your widget's functionality
Create a connector for Zoho CRM and the Dropbox integration
1. Go to the Extension's detail page in the Zoho Developer console.
2. Create a connector called "Dropbox Connector". Please refer to the post on connectors to view the detailed steps to create, publish, and associate a connector with an extension.
In our example, the connector details are as follows:
DropBox Token URLs required for creating a Connector
Request Token URL | |
Access Token URL |
3. Create an API with necessary parameters to upload files from Zoho CRM to Dropbox.
In our example:
File upload Connector API details
Method Type | POST |
URL | |
Headers |
After creating the connector and adding the API, publish and associate it with the extension.
Build a widget to upload a file from Zoho CRM to Dropbox
Using ZET CLI, create a new project called "DropboxProject".
Add the necessary files:
- HTML, CSS file—UI that will enable you to choose a file from your desktop
- JS file—Includes the business logic to upload the chosen file and invoke the DropBox connector using API helpers provided by Zoho CRM's JS SDK
It's important to add the ZohoEmbeddedAppSDK.min.js file (available here) to use the JS SDK's that are needed for your project. Please refer to JS SDK to get information on the different Zoho CRM APIs supported by the SDK. These APIs are significant in helping the Javascript code interact with Zoho CRM.
dropbox.js code snippet
var entity; var id var entityName; var record; Util={}; // PageLoad listener that returns the entity details of the active page ZOHO.embeddedApp.on("PageLoad", function(data) { id = data.EntityId[0]; entity = data.Entity; // Get the record details of the entity using the value returned by PageLoad listener ZOHO.CRM.API.getRecord({ Entity: entity, RecordID: id }).then(function(data) { // Fetch the required details from the response obtained through getRecord API var dataa = data.data[0]; record=dataa.Full_Name; }) }) // The File Upload function fetches the file and uploads it to Dropbox Util.uploadFile = function(){ var file = $("#fileupload"); //Fetch the file details var file = document.getElementById("fileupload").files[0]; var fileType; if (file.type === "application/pdf"){ fileType = file.type; } else if((file.type === "image/jpeg") || (file.type === "image/png")){ fileType = file.type; } else if(file.type === "text/plain"){ fileType = "application/msword"; } else if(file.type === ""){ fileType = "application/text"; } var name = file.name; name = encodeURIComponent(name); //Construct the params required by the Dropbox upload API using the fetched details var data = { "VARIABLES":{ "module" : "Zoho CRM/"+entity, "record" : record, "file_name": name }, "CONTENT_TYPE":"multipart", "FORWARD_TYPE":"data-binary", "FILE":{ "fileParam":"content", "file":file } } //Invoke DropBox Connector using invokeAPI ZOHO.CRM.CONNECTOR.invokeAPI("testextension97.dropboxconnector.uploadfileapi", data) } |
The code snippet mentioned above invokes the "Dropbox Connector" to perform the file upload functionality. There are a few Zoho CRM APIs that are used in the above dropbox.js code snippet to perform the specified functionality. Let's have a look at it.
ZOHO.embeddedApp.on("PageLoad",function(data)) - An event listener that is triggered whenever an entity Page (Details Page) is loaded.
ZOHO.CRM.API.getRecord(config) - API that gets all details of a record when provided with the entity and record ID information.
ZOHO.CRM.CONNECTOR.invokeAPI(nameSpace, data) - API to invoke the connector API based on the namespace and data provided.
- In our example, PageLoad listener is used to fetch the entity and ID of the record in active page.
- By passing the retrieved entity and ID to the getRecordAPI, the complete record information is gathered.
- Finally, the information (module, record, name, content type, etc) to be passed as data parameter to DropBox Upload API is extracted and passed to Connector.invokeAPI CRM API in order to invoke the connector. Along with this, the namespace is also passed as a parameter. (In our example, "testextension97.dropboxconnector.uploadfileapi" is the namespace for "Dropbox Connector.")
- invokeAPI will invoke the Dropbox Connector and performs the File Upload functionality.
On adding the necessary files, validate and run the widget project to check if it is running fine locally.
The localhost output on testing the widget using ZET CLI:
Finally, pack the project to obtain the packed and zipped file.
Associate the widget with a connected app and host it
Now that the widget is created, the next step is to associate the widget with a connected app and host it.
1. Go to the Extension's detail page in the Zoho Developer console.
2. Click on Connected Apps from the left panel under Utilities.
3. Choose Internal Hosting. Zoho's servers are used to host an application internally.
4. Upload the "DropboxProject" zipped file from the dist folder of your project and click Save.
Embed the widget inside Zoho CRM
After successfully associating the widget with the connected app, the next step is to embed it inside Zoho CRM in the location you want to use it. Let's embed the widget into a custom button in our example.
1. Choose Components from the left panel of the Zoho Developer console under Build. Click Create New Button.
2. Choose Invoke a Widget as the action you'd like the "Upload File" button to perform. Add the location of the widget's HTML file along with the base sandbox URL and click Save.
Test the functionality of your widget locally in an isolated sandbox environment. It's important to keep the localhost server running while testing the sandbox. Run localhost by using the command "zet run" in the ZET CLI.
i. In the sandbox environment, choose the Contacts module and select a contact
ii. Click the Upload File custom button
iii. The Upload file widget will open
iv. Choose a file and click the Upload button
The file will be uploaded to Dropbox according to the path specified in the File Upload APIs Header.
As you see, using widgets, we could easily create a customized UI interface and exchange data across applications. You can customize and enhance your widget's functionality according to your requirements. For more information, keep following this space.
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
Rene21 De Ridder
Praveen Sankar
Developer
Sticky Posts
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 areKaizen #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 achievedKaizen #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.Kaizen #210 - Answering your Questions | Event Management System using ZDK CLI
Hello Everyone, Welcome back to yet another post in the Kaizen Series! As you already may know, for the Kaizen #200 milestone, we asked for your feedback and many of you suggested topics for us to discuss. We have been writing on these topics over the
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
Converted Leads Not Showing in Lead Reports
Converted leads are not showing in the Lead reports. How can I make converted leads visible in the report,Text widgets in dashboards
Having a text widget in a dashboard would help immensely. It would allow adding links to related documents, relevant CRM views, etc. It would allow adding explanations of the data displayed in the other widgets, about how to interpret them or about filtering.[Webinar] Zoho Writer for content creators and publishing houses
Managing multiple drafts, edits, and client reviews doesn't have to slow you down. Join our upcoming webinar to see how Zoho Writer helps content creators and publishing houses create, edit, and publish seamlessly—all in one place. You'll learn how to:Adding Reports to Portals
Is there a way to add Reports to portals so only the user can see report templates relevant to them?How to assign one Manual to multiple Spaces?
Hello, I have two spaces, one called tech knowledge and the other one called HR knowledge. I have a manual that is called HR tech. I want to assign this manual to HR knowledge and tech knowledge. How should I do that?Introducing VeriFactu Support in Zoho Books
Hello users, Spain has introduced the VeriFactu system under Real Decreto 1007/2023 to ensure integrity, traceability, and anti-fraud compliance in e-invoicing. Starting January 1, 2026, all B2B invoices must be reported to Agencia Estatal de AdministraciónHow can I assign courses to Spaces?
How can I make courses show up here in this space?:When will Zoho Learn be able to support SCORM files on the mobile app?
When I click the SCORM content, I just get a message saying it's not possible yet. Yet implies that it will be coming soon. All I'm asking for is a realistic timeline so I know whether or not to invest my time in using it. If it will be soon, then I willAnnouncing new features in Trident for Windows (v.1.35.6.0)
Hello Community! Trident for Windows just got better with an update that makes working with your emails even more efficient. Let’s dive into what’s new! Work with PST files more efficiently. You can now do more than just view mounted PST files. You canMarketing Tip #9: Track your traffic sources
Not all marketing channels work equally well. Knowing whether your visitors come from Google, Instagram, or email helps you focus on what actually drives sales. Try this today: Check your Zoho Commerce reports or connect Zoho PageSense to see your topGoogle Analytics import data inaccurate (as of October 11, 2025)
We have Zoho Analytics connected to GA4 to import daily event data. This has been running without issue for a couple of years. However, a month ago we started noticing discrepancies. All data until October 10 lines up perfectly - October 11 onward isZoho Recruit Slow and Freezing on all screens
We have had an issue with Zoho Recruit for weeks being extremely slow and at times freezing. We have 100 mega internet, and I went into each computer and updated the virtual memory so there is more available. Also restarted all computers daily. Still having the issues. Almost unable to work.Prevent accidental duplicate entry of Customer Ordersome
Zoho Support has confirmed that Zoho currently does not have any method (using Deluge, flow or any other method) to alert a user when a sales order has been entered twice using the same customer reference number (i.e. a duplicate). Most ERP platformsZoho Books | Product updates | November 2025
Hello users, We’ve rolled out new features and enhancements in Zoho Books. From translating email notification templates to the new transaction locking restrictions, explore the updates designed to enhance your bookkeeping experience. Making Tax DigitalInsert Image into Notebook page
Prior to today, I could add images to my notebook pages. Today when I tried to do this I got an error message that said something like, "There's been a problem on our end. Try again later." So, I've tried all the ways I know how, but I can't insert an【開催報告】名古屋 ユーザー交流会 Vol.2 2025/11/21 Zoho Analytics / Inventory で実現する在庫の"未来予測"
ユーザーの皆さま、こんにちは。コミュニティチームの中野です。 11/21(金)に名古屋 ユーザー交流会 を開催しました。 本投稿では、当日実施したセッションの様子及び投影資料をお届けします。 会場にて参加できなかった皆さまも、ぜひご参照ください。 （Zoho 社員セッションの登壇資料については、11/28(金)開催の東京回の開催報告で共有いたします） 今年2回目の開催となる名古屋 ユーザー交流会では、株式会社エンツナクリエイト 野末さんによる Zoho Analytics / InventoryIs there a way to automatically add Secondary Contacts (CCs) when creating a new ticket for specific customers?
Some of our customers want multiple contacts to receive all notifications from our support team. Is there a way to automatically add secondary contacts to a ticket when our support team opens a new ticket and associates it with an account? This wouldImproved RingCentral Integration
We’d like to request an enhancement to the current RingCentral integration with Zoho. RingCentral now automatically generates call transcripts and AI-based call summaries (AI Notes) for each call, which are extremely helpful for support and sales teams.Edit Pinned Comments in Zoho Desk
It's great that private comments can now be pinned to the top of the ticket but what would be extremely helpful would be to allow for the pinned comment to be edited vs. having to find the comment in the ticket to edit it.Updating Secondary Contact (CCs)
We use Zoho Forms to capture the user request and integrated with Zoho Desk to raise tickets. Active Microsoft login is captured in our Zoho forms and registered as Primary contact in Zoho desk ticket. We also an have an option to raise ticket on behalfblank page after login
blank page after logging into my email account Thanks youWriterTh
After every space Writer goes to capital letters mode in my Android tablet. The cap mode stays till the second letter is typed in the word then it comes to normal mode.Zoho writer unable to merge documents to PDF with basic fonts in Hebrew or fonts from my computer
I created several forms that will be merged into PDF files through Zoho Writer and I am unable to receive the PDF in the basic fonts of the Hebrew language or in the fonts I have on my computer. The writer exports to PDF an exchange font that looks veryI have already created some Bots, Commands, and Widgets in Cliq, but I am still not seeing the “Create Extension” option in my account. Could you please help me enable or access this option?
Infinite loop of account verification
Hi I can't do anything on my zoho account. I always get this message Hi Sheriffo Ceesay As a security measure, you need to link your phone number with this account and verify it to proceed further. When ever I supply the details, it displays that the number is associated with another account. I don't have any other account on zoho so this is really annoying.How we cut CRM updates from ~20 minutes down to 2, our real workflow
Updating the Zoho CRM after every call used to be one of the biggest time sucks for our team. By the time you write your notes, clean them up, fill in the fields, and log everything properly… you’ve easily lost 15–20 minutes per call. We started experimentingArattai App Features Update
1. Offline Messaging & Sync Enable users to compose messages without internet and deliver them automatically via peer-to-peer methods (Bluetooth/WiFi Direct) when nearby users are available. This would be a game-changer for rural India with unreliableHow to add Product Add-Ons, Mandatory Forms, and Auto-Save Address in Zoho Commerce
Hi all, I need help setting up several behaviors in Zoho Commerce. I can’t find the correct configuration options, so I want to confirm whether these are supported or if there is a workaround. 1. Product-Specific Add-Ons (Example: GWB Subscription) WhenZohomail
Im trying to setup email address zohoPROBLEMA
Salve, non riesco a inviare email, e mi esce una tabela errore temporaneo. come posso risolvere il problema ?Forever FREE Business Email with Zoho Mail
Forever FREE Business Email with Zoho Mail: is it available?Weekly Tips : Make collaboration effortless with Whiteboard in Zoho Mail
Working with your team often means switching between emails, notes, and other applications just to explain an idea. Maybe you are trying to sketch a layout, plan a workflow, or quickly brainstorm ideas—with text alone, things can get confusing. So howFormula field number of days between 2 dates
Hi, I want to have a formula field which calculates the following: IF EndDate < TODAY and Oproep is true (this is a checkbox field) than EndDate - StartDate, otherwise TODAY - StartDate It should calculate the number of days How can I write this for'email address already exists'
I deleted a user from my organization and want to use the same email address that user had, but the email address seems to still exist somewhere as I get 'email address already exists' when I try and create it. I have deleted the entire organization andZOHO reporting DKIM entries are not configured, when they have been configured and verified by 3rd parties
Why is ZOHO reporting to my organisation users the following: "The DKIM entries in your domain's DNS records are not configured. Please contact your administrator for configuring DKIM to ensure optimal RSVP invite delivery." When I have configured theManage Bookings directly from Zoho Mail
Greetings from the Zoho Bookings team! We’re introducing the new Zoho Bookings extension for Zoho Mail, designed to help you view appointments, copy time slots and share booking links without leaving your inbox. This integration brings scheduling rightMy notes from the past 2 months have disappeared
Hola, necesito ayuda urgente. Hoy, al iniciar sesión en mi Zoho Notebook como todos los días, me llevé una gran sorpresa al descubrir que todas mis notas de los últimos dos meses habían desaparecido. Estas notas son muy importantes para mí, ya que usoHow can I load a network into the cliq desktop app?
I have both the standard cliq log in for my org and I am part of a cliq network. In the browser I can choose which I log in to. However, in teh desktop app if I log in it will alwasy load my org's cliq. Can I switch this to the network I have createAbility to modify what displays in calendar invite?
I am a long time calendly user and want to make the switch to bookings. I understand that there is not currently a meets/hangouts integration, is one on the roadmap? Is there anyway I can modify the calendar invite to include the meet link? I can add it to the emails no problem, but I would also like it to display on their calendar. Is there some work around I can do to get it on the calendar? Also am I able to modify the calendar event title?Issue with Booking Confirmation Page Not Displaying, Leading to Customer Anxiety and Unnecessary Support Calls
I am writing to express my growing concern regarding the confirmation process in Zoho Bookings, particularly the inconsistent display of the confirmation page after a successful payment. As a mobile service provider, I rely on Zoho Bookings platform forNext Page