Tips and Tricks #21: How to schedule tasks in Zoho Subscriptions using Custom Schedulers

Tips and Tricks #21: How to schedule tasks in Zoho Subscriptions using Custom Schedulers

Custom Schedulers is one of our newest features, which helps you save time by scheduling frequently performed tasks. In this week's post, we'll be taking a look at how you can set up custom schedulers to address niche use-cases for your subscription business.
Missed our previous post? Give it a read to learn how you can prevent contact duplication with existing leads from Zoho CRM.



1. Schedule crucial sales reports to stay informed about your business' health

Reports like Lost Opportunities, Churned Subscriptions and Under Risk provide actionable insights about your sales. They can help your sales team proactively follow up with customers on crucial events like errors while signing up, subscription payments that are overdue and subscriptions that have been cancelled. 

Accessing this information on time can be vital--that's where custom schedulers come in handy. With custom schedulers, you can schedule a summary of these reports to be sent directly to your email, which will allow you to make informed decisions about your business' sales.

Apart from the reports mentioned above, the custom scheduler that you're about to create will also include the number of trial subscriptions that are about to expire in the next seven days.

The script for this custom scheduler has already been written and works thanks to Zoho Subscriptions' powerful APIs. All you have to do is configure the scheduler with the script, which we've made available on Github. Here's how to set it up:
  • Go to Settings > Automation > Custom Schedulers.
  • Click + New Custom Scheduler.

  • Set the Frequency as Daily (or Weekly, based on your needs) and the Start Date as your current date.
  • Copy the script for the custom function from Github and paste it in the Deluge script editor.
  • Make sure to edit the script with your Auth Token as well as any other changes that you'd like. 
  • Click Save.
Now, the scheduler will automatically send a summary of these reports along with a link to the full report to your email address.



2. Schedule a subscription to get cancelled on a particular date

Zoho Subscriptions lets you cancel your customers' subscriptions immediately or at the end of the current cycle. However, there may be cases where you or your customers want a subscription to be cancelled on a particular date in the future. This custom function will let you handle such cases.

How It Works

To achieve this, we'll be using custom schedulers. First, you'd have to create a custom field that can store a custom cancellation date in your subscriptions. Next, a custom scheduler, which runs daily, will go through subscriptions that have custom cancellation dates. If the scheduler finds a custom cancellation date that matches the current date, it will cancel the subscription.

End result? You'll be able to cancel a subscription simply by updating it with a cancellation date and let the custom scheduler do the rest.

Setting It Up

There may be a lot of steps involved with this one, but the setup is fairly simple and shouldn't take you more than 5-10 minutes.

To start things off, create a custom field that can store a date in your subscriptions.
  • Go to Settings > Preferences > Invoice.
  • Navigate to the Custom Field tab and click + New Custom Field.

  • Enter the Label Name as "Custom Cancellation Date".
  • Select the Data Type as Date.
  • Ensure that you leave the Default Value field empty.
  • Click Save.
When you want to cancel a subscription at a future date, update the custom field. Here's how: 
  • Go to the Subscriptions module from the left sidebar and select the subscription that you want to cancel.
  • Click the More dropdown and select the Update Custom Fields option.

  • Set the subscription's cancellation date in the custom field that you created earlier. 
  • Click Save
You can also customize the columns in the default subscription list view to make it easier to view cancellation dates. In the Subscriptions module, click the Column Customization icon and mark the custom field for cancellation dates. Click Save to show the cancellation date in the default subscription list view.



Our custom scheduler will also need a Custom View, which will help it sort through subscriptions with cancellation dates. To create the custom view: 
  • Go to the Subscriptions module and click the View Filters dropdown. 
  • Click + New Custom View

  • Enter a Name for the custom view. 
  • Add a criterion with the Field as your cancellation date's custom field, the Comparator as is and the Value as This Month.

  • Click Save.

Now, it's time to wrap things up and finally create our custom scheduler. 
  • Go to Settings > Automation > Custom Schedulers.
  • Click + New Custom Scheduler.

  • Set the Frequency as Daily and the Start Date as your current date.
  • Copy the script for the custom function from Github and paste it in the Deluge script editor.
  • Edit the script to suit your needs and also make sure to copy and paste the previously created script's customview_id parameter. 

(You can find the customview_id parameter by going to your custom view and copying it from your browser's URL bar.) 
  • Click Save.
You're all set! Now, the scheduler will automatically cancel subscriptions whenever it finds a subscription that has a cancellation date in the custom field that you created.

Note: Zoho Subscriptions will not charge your customer for their pro-rated usage. So, if you want to charge your customer for their usage until the cancellation date, you can do it by adding an additional charge to their subscription before it gets cancelled.

We hope you try this out and let us know how it goes in the comments below. We're always open to suggestions, so let us know if you have a specific business scenario that you'd like to see us tackle in our weekly tips and tricks. Until next time!

Cheers,
Varun Steven
The Zoho Subscriptions Team

    Access your files securely from anywhere

        All-in-one knowledge management and training platform for your employees and customers.






                              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

                                                                                                                • Can't change form's original name in URL

                                                                                                                  Hi all, I have been duplicating + editing forms for jobs regarding the same department to maintain formatting + styling. The issue I've not run into is because I've duplicated it from an existing form, the URL doesn't seem to want to update with the new
                                                                                                                • Can you create relationships BETWEEN contacts within the same module

                                                                                                                  I am setting up my CRM, and I want to have a way to connect contacts within the same module.  Is there a way to do this?  If not - how do I decide how to split up contacts to make connections?  What are best practices for this? We have clients who need
                                                                                                                • Zoho Projects - Cloning a task does not trigger task workflow when created

                                                                                                                  Hello! I have a Project where my team uses a set of tasks from a tasklist as templates, so we could simply clone it and drag it to another list in kanban view to avoid creating a new one from scratch. The process works well, but after cloning it the new
                                                                                                                • Establishing Relationships among contacts/leads with Reciprocal

                                                                                                                  Is there any way to create a relationship between contacts and leads and be able to go into just one of the files and have it reciprocate the entry in the other file? For example, if I have two people say John and Jane Smith who are husband and wife.
                                                                                                                • Function and workflow to create customer payment and send receipt

                                                                                                                   I am attempting to set up a workflow/custom function for the automatic creation of a customer payment and sending the email receipt, but am receiving the error "Improper Statement Error might be due to missing ';' at end of the line or incomplete expression" I've been over everything several times and cannot see where the error is (code is copied into the attached document).  I haven't used custom functions before with Deluge, so it's very likely something very simple, or I've completely mucked
                                                                                                                • Disable Sign Up option in Zoho Creator Portal and show only Sign In page

                                                                                                                  Is it possible to disable the Sign Up option in a Zoho Creator portal? The requirement is to show only the Sign In page and completely remove or hide the Sign Up page, so users cannot create accounts directly from the portal login page. Is there any setting
                                                                                                                • Restrict Payment Methods

                                                                                                                  Allow us to restrict certain payment methods specific for each customer.
                                                                                                                • How to install Widget in inventory module

                                                                                                                  Hi, I am trying to install a app into Sales Order Module related list, however there is no button allow me to do that. May I ask how to install widget to inventory module related list?
                                                                                                                • Introducing Formula Fields for performing dynamic calculations

                                                                                                                  Greetings, With the Formula Field, you can generate numerical calculations using provided functions and available fields, enabling you to derive dynamic data. You can utilize mathematical formulas to populate results based on the provided inputs. This
                                                                                                                • Can I view the KB in the same way as a customer logged in as my Agent?

                                                                                                                  Sorry if this seems a mad question.  I have some Articles that I want to be seen by my Agents and the status of these is set to Agents only.  We also have some that are set to Public. When I sign in with my private email address (as a customer) I can
                                                                                                                • What’s New in Zoho Inventory — Latest Features, Integrations & Updates | December 2025

                                                                                                                  Zoho Inventory has evolved significantly over the past months, bringing you smarter, faster, and more connected tools to streamline your operations. Whether you’re managing multichannel sales, complex fulfillment workflows, or fast-moving stock, our newest
                                                                                                                • Push Notification for New Bookings in Zoho Bookings App

                                                                                                                  when a someone schedules an appointment through the booking page, is there any option to receive a push notification in the mobile app?
                                                                                                                • Which user's capacity is used for Shared Mailbox storage?

                                                                                                                  We use shared mailboxes at our company, and their size is increasing daily. Which user(s)'s total mailbox limit is being used up by this space?
                                                                                                                • Zoho Books (and other Finance Suite Apps) - Clickable Item Name on Invoices and Reports

                                                                                                                  Hi Zoho Books team, It would be really helpful if the Item Name on Reports were clicable to take me to the item. The same on Invoices, often I am looking at an invoice and I want to look at the deails of a product. A link here would be helpful to jump
                                                                                                                • Incorrect Functioning of Time Logs API (Version 3)

                                                                                                                  We need to fetch the list of time logs for each task for our company internal usage. We are trying to achieve it by using the next endpoint: https://projects.zoho.com/api-docs#bulk-time-logs#get-all-project-time-logs Firstly, in the documentation the
                                                                                                                • Evernote (ENEX) import limitations

                                                                                                                  I have been with Evernote since 2010, but the latest price increase is ridiculous. I am currently testing Zoho Notebook as a replacement. I am impressed so far - if it were not for critical need to import legacy Evernote notes, I would 100% migrate to
                                                                                                                • Print a document from Zoho Writer via Zoho Creator

                                                                                                                  If i use the code below i can get writer to create a new document or email it to me but i want to be able to print it directly from the browser and not have to send it via email and then print. Below is the code im using. Attached options form zoho writer
                                                                                                                • Can I create a CODE 128 custom field for my items in Zoho Inventory and then use it for generating Sales Orders?

                                                                                                                  Can anyone helps me, I don't want to use the SKU code for scanning my products.  ​Because all my products have a CODE-128 label attached.
                                                                                                                • Prevent duplicate with custom fields?

                                                                                                                  I was wondering something about custom field/custom modules in Zoho Desk. For some reason you can make a custom field mandatory but not unique? For example, if I create a custom module to manage equipment and renewal and make a field serial number no
                                                                                                                • Multiple Vendor SKUs

                                                                                                                  One of the big concerns we have with ZOHO Inventory is lack of Vendor Skus like many other inventory software packages offer. Being able to have multiple vendor skus for the same product would be HUGE! It would populate the appropriate vendor Sku for
                                                                                                                • Create Invoice automated with Package

                                                                                                                  Does anyone knows how to create an invoice from a SO when we have created the package? We do these manually. and validate that the product packed is the product invoiced (if the order is partially packed) Regards, JS
                                                                                                                • Unable to integrate Zoho Projects and Zoho Workdrive

                                                                                                                  I'm a Zoho One subscriber. When I go to Zoho Projects > Settings > Marketplace > Zoho Apps I do not see an option for Zoho Workdrive but I do see one for Zoho Docs that does nothing. How do I get the option to integrate Zoho WorkDrive and Zoho Proje
                                                                                                                • Disable payment thank-you emails

                                                                                                                  Hello, can someone please tell me how to disable sending of the "Payment Thank-You" emails? 
                                                                                                                • Internal Fillable Contract with Zoho Writer (Before Sending to Client)

                                                                                                                  Hi everyone, I’m trying to automate the following process in Zoho CRM and would appreciate some guidance. Process: When a Deal moves to a specific stage, CRM triggers an automation. CRM sends a contract template to an internal team member so they can
                                                                                                                • How to backdate record payment for the invoice

                                                                                                                  I would like to record a payment which happened 2 days ago, but I am not able to select any date later than today. I backdated the invoice, too, but it doesn't change anything
                                                                                                                • Help with deluge script

                                                                                                                  Hi Community, this is my first Deluge script. I've pieced it together from reading various articles I want to use it in a workflow to 1 Convert a lead to a contact 2. Create a record in a custom module Below is what I have got so far but it does not fire
                                                                                                                • Marketer's Space: Why email authentication matters in Zoho Campaigns

                                                                                                                  Welcome back to another post in Marketer's Space! If you've recently started using Zoho Campaigns, you've probably come across terms like SPF and DKIM. You may have also noticed emails that show "via zcsend.net" in Gmail when testing or sending campaigns.
                                                                                                                • Feature Request: "Send Invitation" Toggle for Events

                                                                                                                  I am writing to request a critical "Quality of Life" update for the Activities module. Currently, adding people to the Participants field in an Event triggers an automatic email invitation/acceptance tracking with no way to opt-out. For general events
                                                                                                                • Edit email address that appears on invoice

                                                                                                                  Hi How do I change the email address that appears on invoices, it is showing the email address that i used to sign up to zoho with but I want to change it to another email address that we use for accounts. also is there a way to edit the position of a
                                                                                                                • Anyone worked out how to export or screengrab a full heatmap?

                                                                                                                  I'd love to be able to include a copy of a heatmap in a report but can't work out how to grab the whole thing as there doesn't appear to be an export function? Thanks in advance.
                                                                                                                • Introducing Zoho Sprints 3.0

                                                                                                                  Zoho Sprints is consistently evolving in steady increments. The introduction of the latest version, with its enterprise level solutions, brings to you advanced capabilities that propel your agile efforts in the right direction. Here's a quick glimpse
                                                                                                                • Google Fonts Integration in Pagesense Popup Editor

                                                                                                                  Hello Zoho Pagesense Team, We hope you're doing well. We’d like to submit a feature request to enhance Zoho Pagesense’s popup editor with Google Fonts support. Current Limitation: Currently, Pagesense offers a limited set of default fonts. Google Fonts
                                                                                                                • Clone entire dashboards

                                                                                                                  If users want to customize a dashboard that is used by other team members, they can't clone it in order to customize the copy. Instead they have to create the same dashboard again manually from scratch. Suggestion: Let users copy the entire dashboard
                                                                                                                • Clone Entire Zoho Boooks Organization, including all transactions for testing & training

                                                                                                                  Can Zoho Books support help with direct cloning of entire Zoho Books & Inventory Organization? including all transactions, just like a copy & paste or disk cloning. Is this possible?
                                                                                                                • Restrict portal signup until registration form and payment are completed

                                                                                                                  Hi everyone, I am working on a Zoho Creator portal for a project. In our business flow, users must first fill out a registration form and pay a registration fee before they are allowed to access the portal. However, when I share the portal link, users
                                                                                                                • Zoho Creator In-App Notification

                                                                                                                  Hi Team, I have implemented an in-app notification using code, as it required some customization. I followed the example in the link below: https://www.zoho.com/deluge/help/pushnotify-using-deluge.html#Example I have a couple of questions regarding this
                                                                                                                • System Components menu not available for Tablet to select language

                                                                                                                  I have attached a screenshot of my desktop, mobile, and tablet menu builder options. I am using 2 languages in my application. Language Selection is an option under the System Components part of the menu, but only for my desktop and phone(mobile). My
                                                                                                                • Tip #64- Exploring Technician Console: Screenshot- 'Insider Insights'

                                                                                                                  Hello Zoho Assist Community! Have you ever needed to capture exactly what's happening on a remote machine, whether to document an issue, guide a customer, or keep a record of your session? That's where the Screenshot feature in Zoho Assist comes in! With
                                                                                                                • Integration of CRM and Recruit

                                                                                                                  hi team, Is it possible to sync deals <> job openings from only 1 pipeline? My configuration of CRM has pipeline for each business unit, so I will have all data in the CRM system. body leasing and recruitment is one BU (hence 1 pipeline) - can I sync
                                                                                                                • Relating Invoices to Projects

                                                                                                                  Hi Zoho team, If I have already created previously an invoice in Books, so I want to know how can I associate it with a relevant project? Thank you
                                                                                                                • Next Page