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

        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

                                                              • Kaizen #198: Using Client Script for Custom Validation in Blueprint

                                                                Nearing 200th Kaizen Post – 1 More to the Big Two-Oh-Oh! Do you have any questions, suggestions, or topics you would like us to cover in future posts? Your insights and suggestions help us shape future content and make this series better for everyone.
                                                              • Kaizen #226: Using ZRC in Client Script

                                                                Hello everyone! Welcome to another week of Kaizen. In today's post, lets see what is ZRC (Zoho Request Client) and how we can use ZRC methods in Client Script to get inputs from a Salesperson and update the Lead status with a single button click. In this
                                                              • Kaizen #222 - Client Script Support for Notes Related List

                                                                Hello everyone! Welcome to another week of Kaizen. The final Kaizen post of the year 2025 is here! With the new Client Script support for the Notes Related List, you can validate, enrich, and manage notes across modules. In this post, we’ll explore how
                                                              • Kaizen #217 - Actions APIs : Tasks

                                                                Welcome to another week of Kaizen! In last week's post we discussed Email Notifications APIs which act as the link between your Workflow automations and you. We have discussed how Zylker Cloud Services uses Email Notifications API in their custom dashboard.
                                                              • Kaizen #216 - Actions APIs : Email Notifications

                                                                Welcome to another week of Kaizen! For the last three weeks, we have been discussing Zylker's workflows. We successfully updated a dormant workflow, built a new one from the ground up and more. But our work is not finished—these automated processes are


                                                              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

                                                                                                                • Connectivity issues with Google Calendar and third-party integrations

                                                                                                                  Description: We are currently experiencing a critical failure with Zoho CRM third-party connections. This issue is heavily affecting our primary workflow. Symptoms: Sync Failure: Existing Zoho CRM to Google Calendar connections have been failing for approximately
                                                                                                                • Dynamic image in form works in the app but not on the customer portal.

                                                                                                                  img = frm_Fichas[ID == input.Nombre].Foto; imgno = Nophoto[ID2 = 1].Image; if(len(img) > 1) { img = img.replaceAll("/sharedBy/appLinkName/",zoho.appuri); img = img.replaceAll("viewLinkName","Fichas_de_personal_public"); img = img.replaceAll("fieldName","Foto");
                                                                                                                • 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
                                                                                                                • How can I export all Deluge code across the application?

                                                                                                                  I’m working on a application with multiple forms, reports, and HTML views, where Deluge scripts are used across workflows, field actions, and custom functions. Is there a way to export all Deluge scripts into a single file for easier search?
                                                                                                                • First Name in Mail

                                                                                                                  While sending a mail/message to the user, I want only the first name to be displayed—for example: “Hi John” instead of the full name using "Hi ${Name_Field}"
                                                                                                                • Can you import projects into Zoho Projects yet?

                                                                                                                  I see some very old posts asking about importing project records into Zoho Projects. But I can't find anything up to date about the topic. Has this functionality been added? Importing tasks is helpful. But we do have a project where importing projects
                                                                                                                • Updating Sales orders on hold

                                                                                                                  Surely updating irrelevant fields such as shipping date should be allowed when sales orders are awaiting back orders? Maybe the PO is going to be late arriving so we have to change the shipment date of the Sales order ! Not even allowed through the api - {"code":36014,"message":"Sales orders that have been shipped or on hold cannot be updated."}
                                                                                                                • Zoho Social API for generating draft posts from a third-party app ?

                                                                                                                  Hello everyone, I hope you are all well. I have a question regarding Zoho Social. I am developing an application that generates social media posts, and I would like to be able to incorporate a feature that allows saving these posts as drafts in Zoho Social.
                                                                                                                • Deleting unwanted ticket replies

                                                                                                                  Hello, In a Zoho Desk Ticket thread, sometimes one of the recipients has auto-reply activated. This creates a new message in the Ticket thread that not only pollutes the thread, but most importantly cannot be replied properly because usually auto-reply e-mails don't do "reply all", so the other recipients are not included. I want to delete such a message in the Ticket thread. I searched the help of Zoho Desk, but only found a way to mark as Spam (https://help.zoho.com/portal/kb/articles/marking-support-tickets-as-spam)
                                                                                                                • Issue updating Multi-Select Picklist via API (saves as string instead of checking boxes)

                                                                                                                  Hi everyone, I'm hoping someone can point out what I'm doing wrong here. I'm stuck trying to update a custom multi-select field via the Desk API and it's driving me a bit crazy. I have a multi-select picklist called "Buy years" with options like 2023,
                                                                                                                • Page variable not receiving URL parameter in Creator 6 HTML snippet Deluge — Canada DC

                                                                                                                  I have a Creator 6 app on Canada DC. I'm trying to pass a URL parameter to an HTML snippet page via Deluge but the variable always returns empty. Setup: Page: MYC_Meeting_Tool Page variable declared: submission_id, type Text Page Script tab contains:
                                                                                                                • Zoho Campaigns API endpoint for contact details

                                                                                                                  there is some REST API support for Zoho Campaigns, however, I am not able to find an endpoint for "get contact details".  in particular, I'd like to access contact's subscription status and also their topic. ideally there is all profile available including
                                                                                                                • Migrating Documentation from Notion to Zoho Help Centre

                                                                                                                  Hi there, We have a large chunk of documentation that currently sits on Notion. However, we are eager to move this into our Zoho Help Centre/Knowledge Base. What is the most efficient way of achieving this?
                                                                                                                • Can't add attachment on email template

                                                                                                                  The attachment does show up. This is my template. Hi ${Cases.Assigned Programmers}, Please be reminded about the following task that has been assigned to you. Subject : ${Cases.Subject} Description : ${Cases.Description} Ticket # : ${Cases.Request Id}
                                                                                                                • Custom CSS for Zoho CRM Team Bookings embeded widget

                                                                                                                  Hello, we are adding Zoho CRM Team Bookings (crm.zoho.com) in our public website. We know that we can change Theme Color, Font Color and Background Color: Zoho CRM Booking Styling But is it possible to change other CSS attributes e.g. Font Family, like
                                                                                                                • Standard practice rerun updated deluge function over existing recordes

                                                                                                                  Hi folks, we have a function which is triggered via webhook from a third-party solution which then calls another api with a contact-id and gets a json payload back and then parses that data to custom fields in our CRM to the record id. As requirements
                                                                                                                • Specifying time increments on a Date/Time field

                                                                                                                  Hi all, Im using a Date/Time field in my CRM module. At the moment the increments are 30 minutes. How can I change these to be 15 minutes? Thanks
                                                                                                                • Sort by Project Name?

                                                                                                                  How the heck do you sort by project name in the task list views??? Seems like this should be a no-brainer?
                                                                                                                • Maximum limit of bank accounts

                                                                                                                  I'm currently setting up Zoho Books in order to migrate at the start of our next financial year (April) and while adding bank accounts I've tried to add a second account from the same bank and receive an error about the maximum limit of bank accounts.
                                                                                                                • Account and Email and Password

                                                                                                                  I'm signing up as a Partner so I can move my website clients across to a separate email server from their current cPanel one.. So I have a Zoho account and then I moved one of my emails across to that account to test the import process... So the question
                                                                                                                • Zoho Sprints iOS and Android app update: Global view. Screen capture control, file encryption, tags enhancement(iOS)

                                                                                                                  Hello everyone! We are excited to introduce new features in the latest version(v2.1) of the Zoho Sprints iOS app update. Let’s take a quick look at what’s new. 1. Global view Global view brings all your project items into one centralised space. You can
                                                                                                                • Creating Restaurant Inventory Management on Zoho

                                                                                                                  Hi,  We run a small cloud kitchen and are interested to use Zoho for Inventory and Composite Item tracking for our food served and supplied procured to make food items.  Our model is basically like subway where the customer can choose breads, veggies,
                                                                                                                • Price Managment

                                                                                                                  I have been in discussions with Zoho for some time and not getting what I need. Maybe someone can help explain the logic behind this for me as I fail to understand. When creating an item, you input a sales rate and purchase rate. These rates are just
                                                                                                                • How do I create an update to the Cost Price from landed costs?

                                                                                                                  Hi fellow Zoho Inventory battlers, I am new to Zoho inventory and was completely baffled to find that the cost price of products does not update when a new purchase order is received. The cost price is just made up numbers I start with when the product
                                                                                                                • only 100 entry download entries in Zoho Form

                                                                                                                  Is there a way to download more than 100 entries in a form at a time? It is capped (unless I am not doing the export correctly). This is very frustrating as I want to make sure I don't miss a record when downloading data. Thanks!
                                                                                                                • Zoho FSM Premium Edition is Here

                                                                                                                  As your field service operations grow, so do the complexities — managing large distributed teams, keeping sensitive data secure, generating the right reports at the right time, and ensuring every technician dispatched is the right fit for the job. The
                                                                                                                • Seeking a WhatsApp Business App (not API) Zoho CRM integration

                                                                                                                  We have a business need to integrated WhatsApp Business App (not API) into Zoho CRM to centrally manage communications between our Sales team and Leads & Contact. Is there a reputable integration available for this scenario of ours? Core features we would
                                                                                                                • 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.
                                                                                                                • How are other Books users integrating crypto and digital assets into Books?

                                                                                                                  If my company owns some digital assets I would want those to exist in Books as assets, and also be able to change the value as needed when generating reports. My company would also be receiving payment in cryptocurrencies and may sell at the time of payment
                                                                                                                • Lets Talk Recruit: Key takeaways from our India community meetups

                                                                                                                  Welcome back to Let's Talk Recruit — the series where we bring you real stories, product insights, and community highlights from the world of recruitment. Our last post covered how Resume Harvester can take the follow-up out of hiring. This edition is
                                                                                                                • Unable to create new finance account in Zoho Books Android app due to missing account number field.

                                                                                                                  Free plan I have enabled a setting via the website requiring unique account codes to be specified for all accounts. When using the android app, go to expenses, new expense, select account, new account. Promoted to enter the Account name and description.
                                                                                                                • How to Fetch data from Sales Order and Insert into Purchase Order with Deluge

                                                                                                                  Hello, I am wanting to write a Deluge script that would take the shipping address on a Sales Order and upon conversion to a Sales Order automatically insert it into that corresponding PO. I am new to Deluge but understand that it has great capabilities.
                                                                                                                • Google Drive shared folder

                                                                                                                  My deluge script has stopped working, no longer collecting files from Google Drive - have these connections finally been deprecated ?? They seem to be active but errors occur when updating them ?
                                                                                                                • Zoho Desk: Mobile Updates | Q1 2026

                                                                                                                  Hello everyone, Greetings! As we gear up for the end of Q1, we are excited to share a quick journey into all that released in the first quarter of 2026. We have brought in a few enhancements in the mobile apps that improve overall user experience and
                                                                                                                • CRM x WorkDrive: We're rolling out the WorkDrive-powered file storage experience for existing users

                                                                                                                  Release plan: Gradual rollout to customers without file storage add-ons, in this order: 1. Standalone CRM 2. CRM Plus and Zoho One DCs: All | Editions: All Available now for: - Standalone CRM accounts in Free and Standard editions without file storage
                                                                                                                • Additional Address - Company Name

                                                                                                                  It would be very helpful to have a "Company Name" field in the Additional Address shipping section.  In a situation where you drop-ship orders to a different address or different company entirely, it may be necessary to list the company name of the receiver. I understand that the Attention field can be used for that purpose, but that's not really the intended purpose of that field.
                                                                                                                • Zoho Payroll's Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and Canada edition is available in Zoho One

                                                                                                                  Great news for Zoho One users! Zoho Payroll has expanded to five new regions: Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, and Canada. And the best part? These new editions are fully integrated with Zoho One, just like our existing editions in India, the UAE, Saudi
                                                                                                                • Does Zoho Creator support multilingual translation for user-entered data?

                                                                                                                  I understand that Zoho Creator provides localization support for UI elements such as field labels and static text. I would like to know: Does Zoho Creator support automatic translation of user-entered data (for example, form inputs or stored records)
                                                                                                                • Upload field on tasks module

                                                                                                                  Hello, Why I cannot add an upload field to a Task? Or maybe when creating the task make attachements visible, so you can add an attachement while creating the task? Looking forward to your response! Moderation Update: The Canvas detail view for the Tasks
                                                                                                                • WhatsApp phone number migration

                                                                                                                  Hi @Gowri V and @Pheranda Nongpiur, Thanks for implementing the promised enhancements to the integration between Zoho CRM and WhatsApp. The previous discussion has been locked, so I'm opening this new one. I am copying below a specific
                                                                                                                • Next Page