Tips and Tricks #20: How to prevent contact duplication with existing leads from Zoho CRM

Tips and Tricks #20: How to prevent contact duplication with existing leads from Zoho CRM

In this week's tip, we'll be taking a look at how you can prevent contact duplication when existing leads from Zoho CRM subscribe to one of your plans in Zoho Subscriptions.


This post is part of a series of tips and tricks that we post every week. If you missed last week's post about the 3 C's of data in Zoho Subscriptions, go ahead and check it out. 

Business Scenario

Managing and qualifying leads is an important part of any business' sales routine. The Zoho Subscriptions-Zoho CRM integration offers a tight sync between both applications and helps your sales teams take control of their targets. With the integration enabled, customers that subscribe to your plans in Zoho Subscriptions will be created as accounts or contacts in Zoho CRM, based on your sync preferences. 

However, there may be cases where leads that you're trying to qualify in Zoho CRM subscribe to one of your plans in Zoho Subscriptions without your sales teams knowing about it. This can lead to your sales teams wasting time on already converted leads, which could also get you on the wrong side of customers because of sales calls even after they've subscribed to your service. This week's tip will help you avoid this. 

Setting It Up

Like most of our previous tips and tricks, this one can be implemented by using a custom function. After a new customer signs up to your service from the hosted payment pages, the custom function will check whether they're already stored as a lead in Zoho CRM and if they are, the lead in Zoho CRM will be converted to a contact instead of creating a new contact in Zoho CRM. This custom function is not limited to hosted payment pages alone and will be triggered as soon a new subscription is created in Zoho Subscriptions (for example, it also works if one of your staff creates a new subscription using Zoho Subscription's web or mobile apps). Here's how to set it up: 
  • Go to Zoho Subscriptions > Settings > Automation > Custom Function.
  • Click + New Custom Function in the top right.
  • Enter a name for the custom function and select the module as Subscriptions.

  • Select the predefined event as New Subscription.
  • Copy the script for this custom function, which can be found on GitHub, and paste it in the Deluge script editor. 
  • Click Save.
A few points to note
  • This custom function will not be triggered if a customer alone is created from Zoho Subscriptions and will only be triggered when a new subscription is created.
  • The leads in Zoho CRM will be converted into an Account or Contact based on your sync settings
  • The Deluge script for the custom function requires an Auth Token, which can be generated here.
Now, you're good to go and will no longer be faced with contact duplication because of leads from Zoho CRM.

Try it out and let us know how it goes, we'd love to hear your feedback in the comments below. We'll be back next week with a new post, so stay tuned!

Cheers,
Varun Steven
The Zoho Subscriptions Team

    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

                                                          • Tip #4 : Refer and Earn Workflow system for your Subscription Business

                                                            Hello everyone, We've been coming up with a tip every week to address specific business scenarios which can be implemented for your business. In continuation to the previous post, this week we will be seeing about how you can implement the Refer and Earn Workflow system to acquire more customers. Why are Referrals important? Customer Acquisition is crucial for any business to sustain itself in a constantly evolving market. It involves persuading new consumers to purchase your products. Customers
                                                          • Tip #2 - Cancellation of Offline Subscriptions based on the Expected Payment Date

                                                            Hello everyone, As you all know, we are coming up with a custom function workflow every week to address specific business scenarios. In continuation of this previous blog, this week we will be seeing about Cancellation of Offline Subscriptions based on the Expected Payment Date. Business Scenario: In general, for any business, the customers make payments via online as well as offline. In case of subscription where the automatic collection of charge is enabled (aka online subscription), the customer's
                                                          • Tip #3 : Send SMS Reminders for your Subscription Business

                                                            Hello everyone, As you all know, we are coming up with a tip every week to address specific business scenarios. In continuation to the previous blog, this week we will be seeing how you can use SMS reminders for your Subscription Business. Using SMS messages for your Subscription Business: While managing your subscription business, more often than not, you need to keep your customers informed about upcoming renewals, payment reminders and cancellations. By keeping them informed in advance, you can
                                                          • Tips And Tricks - Announcement

                                                            Hello everyone, Every business is unique and each of them follows a specific workflow. While managing your customers' subscriptions with Zoho, you might have some needs unique to your business. Custom Functions helps you address such needs. This is a start to a series of posts, where we will be coming up with a custom function workflow every week that addresses specific business scenarios. Watch this space for further updates! Also, if you have any specific business scenario which needs to be addressed,
                                                          • Tip #6 : Accessing external URLs from Zoho Subscriptions

                                                            Hello everyone, We have been sharing a tip every week to address specific business scenarios which you can implement for your subscription business. Last week, we shared a tip about implementing the Approval Workflow system. This week, let's look at how you can access external URLs with the help of Custom Link. Business Scenario: Every business functions differently and has its unique requirements. At times, businesses might want to access other websites or applications by appending specific information


                                                          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

                                                                                                          • Python - code studio

                                                                                                            Hi, I see the code studio is "coming soon". We have some files that will require some more complex transformation, is this feature far off? It appears to have been released in Zoho Analytics already
                                                                                                          • Good news! Calendar in Zoho CRM gets a face lift

                                                                                                            Dear Customers, We are delighted to unveil the revamped calendar UI in Zoho CRM. With a complete visual overhaul aligned with CRM for Everyone, the calendar now offers a more intuitive and flexible scheduling experience. What’s new? Distinguish activities
                                                                                                          • Replacing email ID,

                                                                                                            In zoho sheets If I am sending it as an email attachments can I replace sender email ID from notifications to my email ID.
                                                                                                          • Move orders scan ISBN

                                                                                                            Hi We have ISBN setup to be searched in items zoho but move orders dissent recognize the ISBN is there q missing configuration? regards, JS
                                                                                                          • ViewID and Zoho Desk API

                                                                                                            I'm looking at the documentation for Listing contacts and it looks like you can filter by ViewID. I assume this is views created in a department or all departments. Is this correct? And if so, how do I find the ViewID for that view? EDIT: I see the view
                                                                                                          • Ability to Link Reported Issues from Zoho Desk to Specific Tasks or Subtasks in Zoho Projects

                                                                                                            Hi Zoho Desk Team, Hope you're doing well. When reporting a bug from Zoho Desk to Zoho Projects, we’ve noticed that it’s currently not possible to select an existing task or subtask to associate the issue with. However, when working directly inside Zoho
                                                                                                          • Automatically Update Ticket Status in Zoho Desk Based on Actions in Zoho Projects

                                                                                                            Hi Zoho Desk Team, Hope you’re doing well. We’re using the Zoho Desk–Zoho Projects integration to manage tasks related to customer tickets, and it works well for linking and tracking progress. However, there are a few important automation capabilities
                                                                                                          • Print Tickets

                                                                                                            We have field engineers who visit customers. We would like the option to print a job sheet with full details of the job and account/contact details.
                                                                                                          • Zoho Desk integration with Power BI

                                                                                                            Hi, I want to be able to create a Power BI report which has live updates of ticket data from zoho desk, is this possile at all? Thanks Jack
                                                                                                          • Ability to Attach Images When Reporting Issues to Zoho Projects from Zoho Desk

                                                                                                            Hi Zoho Desk Team, Hope you’re doing well. We’re using the Zoho Desk–Zoho Projects integration to report bugs directly from support tickets into the Zoho Projects issue tracker. This integration is extremely useful and helps us maintain smooth coordination
                                                                                                          • Ability to Choose Task List and Add Subtasks When Creating Tasks from Zoho Desk

                                                                                                            Hi Zoho Desk Team, Hope you’re doing well. We’re using the Zoho Desk–Zoho Projects integration to seamlessly connect customer tickets with project tasks. While the integration works great overall, we noticed two important limitations that affect our workflow
                                                                                                          • Sync Task Status from Zoho Projects to Zoho Desk

                                                                                                            Hi Zoho Desk Team, Hope you’re doing well. We’re actively using the Zoho Desk–Zoho Projects integration, which helps our support and project teams stay aligned. However, we noticed that when we change a task’s status in Zoho Projects, the change is not
                                                                                                          • Default/Private Departments in Zoho Desk

                                                                                                            1) How does one configure a department to be private? 2) Also, how does one change the default department? 1) On the list of my company's Zoho Departments, I see that we have a default department, but I am unable to choose which department should be default. 2) From the Zoho documentation I see that in order to create a private department, one should uncheck "Display in customer portal" on the Add Department screen. However, is there a way to change this setting after the department has been created?
                                                                                                          • Retainer invoice in Zoho Finance modlue

                                                                                                            Hello, Is there a way of creating retainer invoices in the Zoho Finance module? If not can I request this is considered for future updates please.
                                                                                                          • Limited layout rules in a module

                                                                                                            There is a limit of 10 layout rules per module. Is there a way to get that functionality through different customization or workflow + custom function (easily accessible), etc. Having just 10 is limiting especially if module contains a lot of data. Are
                                                                                                          • Can we do Image swatches for color variants?

                                                                                                            We want to do something like the attached screenshot on our new zoho store. We need image swatches instead of normal text selection. We want to user to select an image as color option. Is this doable? I don't see any option on zoho backend. Please h
                                                                                                          • How Zoho Desk contributes to the art of savings

                                                                                                            Remember the first time your grandmother gave you cash for a birthday or New Year's gift, Christmas gift, or any special day? You probably tucked that money safely into a piggy bank, waiting for the day you could buy something precious or something you
                                                                                                          • Zoho CRM IP Addresses to Whitelist

                                                                                                            We were told to whitelist IP addresses from Zoho CRM.  (CRM, not Zoho Mail.) What is the current list of IP Addresses to whitelist for outbound mail? Is there a website where these IP addresses are published and updated?  Everything I could find is over
                                                                                                          • Color of Text Box Changes

                                                                                                            Sometimes I find the color of text boxes changed to a different color. This seems to happen when I reopen the same slide deck later. In the image that I am attaching, you see that the colors of the whole "virus," the "irology" part of "virology," and
                                                                                                          • The difference between Zoho Marketing Automation and Zoho Campaigns

                                                                                                            Greetings Marketers! This post aims to differentiate between Zoho Marketing Automation and Zoho Campaigns. By the time you get to the end of the post, you will be able to choose a product that objectively suits you. What is Zoho Marketing Automation?
                                                                                                          • When moments in customer support get "spooky"

                                                                                                            It’s Halloween again! Halloween is celebrated with spooky symbols and meanings based on history and traditions, with each region adding its own special touch. While we were kids, we would dress up in costumes along with friends, attend parties, and enjoy
                                                                                                          • How to use Rollup Summary in a Formula Field?

                                                                                                            I created a Rollup Summary (Decimal) field in my module, and it shows values correctly. When I try to reference it in a Formula Field (e.g. ${Deals.Partners_Requested} - ${Deals.Partners_Paid}), I get the error that the field can’t be found. Is it possible
                                                                                                          • Zoho Mail Android app update - View emails shared via Permalink on the app.

                                                                                                            Hello everyone! In the latest version(v2.8.2) of the Zoho Mail Android app update, we have brought in support to access the emails shared via permalink within the app. Earlier, when you click the permalink of an email, you'll be redirected to a mobile
                                                                                                          • Let us view and export the full price books data from CRM

                                                                                                            I quote out of CRM, some of my clients have specialised pricing for specific products - therefore we use Price Books to manage these special prices. I can only see the breakdown of the products listed in the price book and the specialised pricing for
                                                                                                          • Weekly Tips: Manage External Images in Zoho Mail

                                                                                                            When you receive emails every day, whether from clients, newsletters, or services, many of them contain external images that automatically load when you open the message. While this can make emails look more engaging, it can also impact your privacy and
                                                                                                          • Empowered Custom Views: Cross-Module Criteria Now Supported in Zoho CRM

                                                                                                            Hello everyone, We’re excited to introduce cross-module criteria support in custom views! Custom views provide personalized perspectives on your data and that you can save for future use. You can share these views with all users or specific individuals
                                                                                                          • How to display Motivator components in Zoho CRM home page ?

                                                                                                            Hello, I created KPI's, games and so but I want to be able to see my KPI's and my tasks at the same time. Is this possible to display Motivator components in Zoho CRM home page ? Has someone any idea ? Thanks for your help.
                                                                                                          • Introducing Record Summary: smarter insights at your fingertips

                                                                                                            Hello everyone, We’re excited to introduce the Record Summary feature. This powerful addition makes use of Zia to simplify how you interact with your CRM data, providing a seamless, consolidated view of critical record information. Scrolling through the
                                                                                                          • Account in Quick View Filter

                                                                                                            I have a report that I often run against a specific Account. Every time, I have to go into the edit menu and change the Advanced Filter. I would prefer to use the Quick View Filter, but it does not allow me to use the one and only field that makes any
                                                                                                          • Insert Cookie Policy in Zoho Sites

                                                                                                            Hello, i need to insert a banner on my site because i'm in Italy so i have to respect EU laws for Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy. I see that i need to insert a code in <head> section of my site to show a banner/popup with cookie info. How i can do this? Thank you Luca
                                                                                                          • Cliq iOS can't see shared screen

                                                                                                            Hello, I had this morning a video call with a colleague. She is using Cliq Desktop MacOS and wanted to share her screen with me. I'm on iPad. I noticed, while she shared her screen, I could only see her video, but not the shared screen... Does Cliq iOS is able to display shared screen, or is it somewhere else to be found ? Regards
                                                                                                          • Unable to confirm Super Admin assignment — confirmation button not working

                                                                                                            I’m trying to change the roles within my organization. I am currently a super admin and would like to add another user as a super admin. When I attempt to confirm the action, a screen appears asking for my password to verify my identity. However, when
                                                                                                          • Delegates should be able to delete expenses

                                                                                                            I understand the data integrity of this request. It would be nice if there was a toggle switch in the Policy setting that would allow a delegate to delete expenses from their managers account. Some managers here never touch their expense reports, and
                                                                                                          • Let's Talk Recruit: Meet Zia, your all-in-one AI assistant (Part-2)

                                                                                                            Welcome back to Let’s Talk Recruit series. In Part 1, we introduced Zia and how AI is reshaping the way recruiters work. This time, we’re taking a closer look at how far Zia has come and how each update continues to simplify your everyday tasks. When
                                                                                                          • Function #9: Copy attachments of Sales Order to Purchase Order on conversion

                                                                                                            This week, we have written a custom function that automatically copies the attachments uploaded for a sales order to the corresponding purchase order after you convert it. Here's how to configure it in your Zoho Books organization. Custom Function: Hit
                                                                                                          • stock

                                                                                                            bom/bse : stock details or price =STOCK(C14;"price") not showing issue is #N/A! kindly resolve this problem
                                                                                                          • Kaizen #8 - Handling Recurrence and Participants in the Events Module via API

                                                                                                            Hello everyone! We are back this week with an exciting post—Handling recurrence and participants in the Events module through API. First things first—What is the Events module? "Events" is a part of the Activities module in Zoho CRM.  An event is an activity that happens at a given place and time. You can find Events on the user's Zoho CRM's home page, Activities home page, Calendar, and in other related records. What are the types of Events? Events are of two types—Recurring and non-recurring events.
                                                                                                          • Marketer’s Space - Get Holiday-Ready with Zoho Campaigns

                                                                                                            Hello marketers, Welcome back to another post in Marketer’s Space! Q4 is packed with opportunities to connect with your audience - from Halloween, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday, to Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year. In this post, we’ll look at how
                                                                                                          • Personalized demo

                                                                                                            can I know more about the personalized demo we are construction company and
                                                                                                          • User Filter not selecting All Items

                                                                                                            We are encountering 2 issues when using the user filter. When users are trying to search using the filter option, the OK button is grayed out. Users have to unselect or make a change before it filters properly. 2. When filtering and the OK button works,
                                                                                                          • Next Page