Introducing Serverless Functions!!

Introducing Serverless Functions!!

Serverless architecture, also known as "Function-as-a-service"(Faas), provides a platform for developers to write functions to integrate the CRM and any third-party application. These codes, written in Deluge, can be triggered from any other third party services or it can be triggered directly from any web or mobile app. Most applications require a server that lets them host their applications, parsing, sharing and computing data.

However, having to set up a server just for the sake of providing a simple solution to their customers will not bode well for some. Furthermore, running a server also includes HTTP issues and scalability issues. As such, you can use Zoho CRM's serverless environment to run your application in sync with CRM without the need to put up a server.

If I had to give an example, setting a server is like setting up a restaurant and making people come over. But serverless architecture is like door-step delivery.





Here's how Serverless Architecture work

Let us assume that there is Zylker Inc. which is an online store that sells different products. They, however, are not the manufacturers, hence they need to procure the products from vendors and deliver it to the customers.

Here's how the usual process goes. The customer adds items to the cart, confirms the order, makes the payment and waits for the product to get delivered. Now speaking in the CRM's terminology, when the customer makes the payment, the sales guy gets the payment details and creates a deal record marking the deal stage as won. Then, the process involving Warehouse processing and Delivery gets started.

For the payment details and shipment details, there are different applications that handle the process. You can use the data from those applications and update the CRM through the use of webhooks.

With Middleware softwares:



And now with Serverless Functions:



Getting Started with the process:

1. Writing the Function:

Now that you're sure of what you need to do, you can write your business logic within functions. The code for the above logic would be something like this:



As you can see above, you define what the function needs to do when it is executed. As such, whenever the function is triggered from Zylker's application, the corresponding data in CRM is updated. But even so, there's a tiny problem. We do not know the format of the incoming data to CRM.

The types of input can be:

  • Parameters
  • Stream(Body)
  • File
  • Headers

Functions can parse most of the input types and process the information regardless. However, there needs to be some pre-defined lines of code that are to be given within the functions to facilitate this process. For instance, the function can get the entire Request Object and turn them into readable arguments, which can be used at your disposal. No matter what type the input is, you can use them to insert, update or make any other changes to your CRM as per your requirement. Not only can you get the entire request object, you can also set up what response the function, or in a way, the CRM, has to give out to the end user.

2. Authentication:

You need to properly authenticate your application with Zoho. There are 2 methods to do that.

  • OAuth
  • API Key

OAuth is a bit complex but the most widely used method that most applications adopt, whereas API Key is much more simple, but certain security inadequacies made it such that there are only some applications that use this method. Nevertheless, you can decide by yourself which one fits you best, based on the 3-party application.

3. Registering with Webhook

Now that you've created the function and made the function available as an API call. You need to register, or provide the URL to the other 3rd party application. This step is done so that the 3rd party application can be programmed to send a webhook based on certain conditions.

In this case, a webhook may be triggered when the shipment status is moved from "Packaged" to "Out-for-Delivery". When the webhook is triggered, the URL given within the webhook triggers the function within CRM. And based on the data received from the webhook, the shipment status of the customer within CRM can be changed accordingly.



Is it New to Zoho CRM?

I'm sure most of you are aware of "Functions", the one that lets you add additional functionality to your CRM. Those who are using “Functions” to write their own business logic to connect to third party apps, other Zoho services, web hooks, etc., have been using this serverless computing in a way.

Functions are designed to help people solve the issue of running servers, creating their business logic or integrating custom applications. Hence, it can be set to trigger based on events from within CRM or from external sources, without a server.

Learn more from our resources - Serverless Functions.



    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





                                                          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 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

                                                                                                          • JS SDK 8.0 – TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'getCacheStore') with sample code

                                                                                                            Hello Zoho Support Team, I’m integrating the Zoho CRM JavaScript SDK v8.0 and I’m getting the error below when running your official sample. I tested directly from: https://github.com/zoho/zohocrm-javascript-sdk-8.0/blob/main/samples/create_records_sample/create_records.js
                                                                                                          • Function #55: Convert multiple quotes to single SO using Custom Button

                                                                                                            Hello everyone, and welcome back to our series! In Zoho Books, after a quote is accepted by your customer, it can be converted into a sales order or an invoice. Often, a customer might have multiple quotes, and for easier billing or upon the customer's
                                                                                                          • Time based workflow without edit/action

                                                                                                            Hello I need help solving this problem if possible. We have Deals come into the CRM via Live Transfer which have the field properties: Stage = New Channel = Inbound Some of them don't get answered so we want these to automatically go into our Outbound
                                                                                                          • What's New - August 2025 | Zoho Backstage

                                                                                                            Every month, Zoho Backstage grows with you. These updates aren't just features and fixes, they're about making your workday smoother, your events more impactful, and your attendees happier. We’ve listened, learned, and shaped this release to keep things
                                                                                                          • prevent selling expired items

                                                                                                            Hello. I need to make a constraint on expired batch items not to be sold. Is it possible in Zoho Inventory? if so, then how? Thanks for further help.
                                                                                                          • Product details removed during update from other system

                                                                                                            We maintain our product details in an other system. These details are synchronized with Zoho at the end of each day, through an API. This has worked perfectly sofar. But last Monday, all product codes and some other product data have been wiped during
                                                                                                          • Client Customer

                                                                                                            I purchased a customer user license, but we cannot see the project I added in the customer account. I would like to ask for support on what we should do.
                                                                                                          • Add Ability to Use Zoho Finance Tags

                                                                                                            For Zoho Finance (Books and Inventory), the current actions do not allow us to affect the tags associated with the entities in question (customers, vendors, items, etc.). Please consider adding this functionality into the actions.
                                                                                                          • Embeded Signing doesn't work on Safari Browser

                                                                                                            We have implemented Zoho Sign in our website by using embeded signing, It works perfectly on Chrome. But it fails on Safari, We get stuck on Zoho Sign Page during redirection from Zoho Sign to our website after signing the document, Please let us know
                                                                                                          • Dataprep Webhook Limits and Cannot update column with Dataprep

                                                                                                            I have two problems : 1 - I am using Airflow to trigger my pipeline, and when I tested it, it worked fine a couple of times. However, after that, I received an error: {"code":429,"message":"Request rate limited"}. I didn’t send too many requests — maybe
                                                                                                          • New in Zoho Forms: Google reCAPTCHA v3 for smarter spam protection

                                                                                                            Hello form builders, Spam submissions are one of the biggest challenges when you share your forms online. They not only clutter your data but can also waste valuable time. To help you combat this without making life harder for genuine respondents, we’re
                                                                                                          • Project Management Bulletin: August, 2025

                                                                                                            We’ve touched a grand 19 years since we started pioneering project management solutions with Zoho Projects. What started as a simple one-page interface is now a suite of products with Zoho BugTracker, Zoho Sprints, and our new debut Zoho Projects Plus,
                                                                                                          • Zoho Sign and Zoho Workdrive Integration

                                                                                                            Hello, there. I want to know if it's possible to save a signed document from Zoho Sign in an specific folder for each signer in Zoho Workdrive.  For example: If John Doe signs the document in Zoho Sign I want to save it automatically in a folder named
                                                                                                          • How do you list multiple contacts for a lead?

                                                                                                            My sales team wants to be able to add additional contacts for leads, how do we do that? Is there a different way we should be using the lead / contact functionality? Moderation update (9th September 2025): Our developers have built an extension to achieve
                                                                                                          • Modifying Three Dot Menu Options

                                                                                                            Is there a way to modify the three dot menu options that display in a Report header? They currently display: Show As (List, Calendar, Timeline), Print, Import, Export. I'd like to remove the Show As and Print options, since they aren't applicable for
                                                                                                          • Field Not Updating in FSM Script - Service and Parts module.

                                                                                                            Dear Team, I am reaching out regarding a script I have implemented in Zoho FSM to automate the calculation of the End of Service date based on the End of Sale date in the Service and Parts module. Overview of the script: Fetches the End_of_Sale__C and
                                                                                                          • Zadarma + Zoho CRM Integration – Missed Calls Saved as Contacts Instead of Leads

                                                                                                            Hello everyone, I’m looking for input from anyone with experience using the Zadarma + Zoho CRM integration. Currently, I’m seeing that missed calls are automatically being created as Contacts instead of Leads. From a CRM perspective, this doesn’t make
                                                                                                          • Zoho Books | Product updates | September 2025

                                                                                                            Hello users, We’ve rolled out new features and enhancements in Zoho Books. From PayNow payment method to applying journal credits to invoices and bills in other locations, explore the updates designed to enhance your bookkeeping experience. Integrate
                                                                                                          • How to update Multiple Users field in Quote Module from Deal Module

                                                                                                            Scenario : Deal Module having Multiple User Field (Presales Engineer) which having more than 1 User and through Deluge Script I need to get that Users Details and need to put into Multiple User Field (Presales Engineer) of Quote Module. Note: Both Module
                                                                                                          • Auto-sync field of lookup value

                                                                                                            This feature has been requested many times in the discussion Field of Lookup Announcement and this post aims to track it separately. At the moment the value of a 'field of lookup' is a snapshot but once the parent lookup field is updated the values diverge.
                                                                                                          • Clone a Module??

                                                                                                            I am giong to repurpose the Vendors module but would like to have a separate but very similar module for another group of contacts called Buyers. I have already repurposed Contacts to Sellers. Is it possible to clone (make a duplicate) module of Vendors
                                                                                                          • How to change the text in WhatsApp Zobot integrated to Zoho Booking?

                                                                                                            I have integrated Zoho Bookings into Zoho SalesIQ, I want to change the text in WhatsApp when creating a booking in Zobot how to change those text?
                                                                                                          • Updating Subform Record from other Form

                                                                                                            Just wanted to ask how to properly approach this. I have 2 forms and would like to trigger an auto update on the subform once record submitted. block below only updates 1 row for each recordRow in input.AV_System { AssetRecord = Site_Asset_Services[SOR_No
                                                                                                          • Zoho Books - Hide Convert to Sales Order if it can't be used.

                                                                                                            Hi Books team, I noticed that it is not possible to convert a Quote to a Sales Order when a Quote is not yet marked as accepted. My idea is to not show the Convert to Sales Order button when it is not possible to use it, or show it in a grey inactive
                                                                                                          • How do I bulk archive my projects in ZOHO projects

                                                                                                            Hi, I want to archive 50 Projects in one go. Can you please help me out , How can I do this? Thanks kapil
                                                                                                          • Cross-Data Center Collaboration and / Or allowing users to choose DC

                                                                                                            Dear Zoho Cliq Support Team, We are writing to request a significant enhancement to Zoho Cliq that would greatly benefit our geographically dispersed development team. Current Challenge: Currently, Zoho Cliq automatically routes users to specific data
                                                                                                          • New Mandatory One-Click Unsubscribe Link Overshadowing Custom Unsubscribe Link

                                                                                                            I was recently informed by Zoho CRM Support that they are now mandated by the large email service providers like Google and Yahoo to provide a one-click unsubscribe option in the header (not the body) of all mass emails. I have a custom unsubscribe link
                                                                                                          • Send / Send & Close keyboard shortcuts

                                                                                                            Hello! My team is so close to using Zoho Desk with just the keyboard. Keyboard shortcuts really help us to be more efficient -- saving a second or two over thousands of tickets adds up quickly. It seems like the keyboard shortcuts in Desk are only for
                                                                                                          • Is it possible to register webhooks in Zoho CRM using API?

                                                                                                            Hello, I am trying to register a webhook in Zoho CRM programmatically (using the API). Specifically, I want to register a webhook that is fired when new Contacts are created in the CRM. I was able to setup a webhook using the UI, by creating a rule that
                                                                                                          • Calls where the local audio is shared, have echo

                                                                                                            When another user is sharing their screen with audio, I get echo from my own voice. We tested this with multiple users, with different audio setups, and there's no obvious way to fix it. Is this a bug you could look into, or are we missing something?
                                                                                                          • Update application by uploading an updated DS file

                                                                                                            Is it possible? I have been working with AI on my desktop improving my application, and I have to keep copy pasting stuff... Would it be possible to import the DS file on top of an existing application to update the app accordingly?
                                                                                                          • Markdown support, code cells...

                                                                                                            Hi Zoho I'd like to vote for a feature that markdown is supported with: Headings Code highlighting Quoteblocks ... Furthermore a inline card(like inline sketch card) for special text like Code would be great. And just to add my vote as well for "Tags"!
                                                                                                          • Minimise chat when user navigates to new page

                                                                                                            When the user is in an active chat (chatbot) and is provide with an internal link, when they click the link to go to the internal page the chat opens again. This is not a good user experience. They have been sent the link to read what is on the page.
                                                                                                          • Zoho Projects app update: Voice notes for Tasks and Bugs module

                                                                                                            Hello everyone! In the latest version(v3.9.37) of the Zoho Projects Android app update, we have introduced voice notes for the Tasks and Bugs module. The voice notes can be added as an attachment or can be transcribed into text. Recording and attaching
                                                                                                          • zurl URL shortener Not working in Zoho social

                                                                                                            zurl URL shortener Not working in while creating a post in Zoho social
                                                                                                          • In the Zoho CRM Module I have TRN Field I should contain 15 digit Number , If it Contain less than 15 digit Then show Alert message on save of the button , If it not contain any number not want to sh

                                                                                                            Hi In the Zoho CRM Module I have TRN Field I should contain 15 digit Number , If it Contain less than 15 digit Then show Alert message on save of the button , If it not contain any number not want to show alert. How We can achive in Zoho CRm Using custom
                                                                                                          • Zoho Bookings know-how: A hands-on workshop series

                                                                                                            Hello! We’re conducting a hands-on workshop series to help simplify appointment scheduling for your business with Zoho Bookings. We’ll be covering various functionalities and showing how you can leverage them for your business across five different sessions.
                                                                                                          • Custom report

                                                                                                            Hello Everyone I hope everything is fine. I've tried to To change the layout of the reports, especially the summary page report, and I want to divide summary of each section in the survey but I can't For example: I have a survey containing five different
                                                                                                          • Zoho Journey - ZOHO MARKETING AUTOMATION

                                                                                                            I’ve encountered an issue while working with a journey in Zoho Marketing Automation. After creating the journey, I wanted to edit the "Match Criteria" settings. Unfortunately: The criteria section appears to be locked and not editable. I’m also unable
                                                                                                          • Custom Fields in PDF outputs

                                                                                                            I created a couple of custom fields. e.g Country of Origin and HS Tariff Code. I need these to appear on a clone of a sales order PDF template but on on the standard PDF template. When I select "appear on PDFs' it appears on both but when I don't select
                                                                                                          • Next Page