Kaizen 112 - Signals in Zoho CRM

Kaizen 112 - Signals in Zoho CRM

Hello everyone!
Welcome back to another week in the Kaizen series!
This week, we will discuss Signals in Zoho CRM.

What are Signals in Zoho CRM?

One of the most important aspects of any business is staying on top of customers' needs and understanding how they use the product, their pain points, what they look for, etc.
Now, customers have multiple channels by which they communicate with your company. From visiting your website to filling up surveys, from raising support tickets to posting on X and Facebook, customers get in touch with several people from various departments in your organization. So, it is difficult for a relationship manager to stay on top of all these channels.

This is where Signals in Zoho CRM come into play.
Signals allow you to get real-time notifications of various customer touchpoints across multiple channels. What's more? you can get all the information in your Zoho CRM account!

For example, if you have sent out a survey, you can raise a signal in CRM when users respond. If someone created a ticket in Zoho Desk, you can view it in CRM.

Default Signals

Zoho CRM has native integrations with many other Zoho products. A few of these such as Zoho PhoneBridge, Zoho Survey, Zoho Campaigns, Zoho SalesIQ, Zoho Desk, Zoho Webinar, and Zoho Backstage have default signals configured for each of these services.

You can simply enable or disable them from the Manage Signals page under Setup > Channels > Signals.
When you have turned on these signals, when an event occurs in one of these services, you will receive a notification in your CRM account. To know how each notification looks upon receiving, refer to View Signals.

Custom Signals

When you use a third-party application, and want to raise a signal in Zoho CRM when an event occurs in the third-party app, you must create a custom signal.
For steps to create a Signal, refer to Creating a custom signal.

You can disable this signal anytime from the Manage Signals page under Setup > Channels > Signals > Manage Signals.

How can you Raise/Trigger Signals?

There are three ways you can raise a signal:
  1. Through an API
  2. Using Zoho Flow
  3. Through a function
Let us see when to use each of these methods.

1. Raising a signal through an API

You must choose this method when:
  • The third-party allows you to make a POST request with the details of the event and supports the OAuth2.0 authentication.
  • The third-party allows you to customize the way it sends the data in the callback. Refer to this page for more details.

2. Raising a signal through Zoho Flow

Zoho Flow is an integration platform that allows you to automate workflows and connect various applications, including Zoho CRM. Using Zoho Flow to raise a signal in CRM can be beneficial in certain scenarios, particularly when you want to automate processes, trigger event-specific actions, or integrate CRM data with other applications.
Refer to this page for details.

3. Raising a signal through a function

You should use a function to raise a signal when:

  • The third-party application (in which the event occurs) allows you to only register a webhook URL in their service.
  • The third-party application does not send the data back to the webhook URL in the format that the Signals API accepts.
We will discuss this method in this post.

Sample use case for raising a signal through a function

Let us consider the example where you create a survey in Typeform and users respond to it. When they do, you want to raise a signal in Zoho CRM. Let's see how this works.
  1. Create a survey in Typeform. This form has a form ID. You will also get an API key.
  2. Create a function in Zoho CRM of the type Signals that has the logic for the following:
    a. Triggering the API to get the details of the form you sent out through Typeform.
    b. Parsing the data you got from Typeform API and constructing the pay load to trigger the signal.
    c. Raising the signal using the built-in raisesignal integration task. This eliminates the need for a connection.
  3. Enable REST API for this function to get the webhook URL.
  4. Register this webhook URL in Typeform. This means that you want Typeform to trigger this function whenever a survey is answered.
  5. Create a custom signal in Zoho CRM.
  6. Choose "Function" for the Trigger Function via drop-down.
  7. Choose the function that has the logic to raise the signal and whose webhook URL is registered with Typeform.
So, whenever a survey is answered, the user in CRM gets a notification of the same. You can choose to view the signal either in the default view or add a widget of your choice. You can configure this while creating a signal.

Here is the function code that uses the raisesignal integration task and raises the signal.

namespace = "typeform_typeform";
sub = "Sample Poll Results";
email = "email_id_here";
signalMap = Map();
signalMap.put("signal_namespace",namespace);
signalMap.put("email",email);
signalMap.put("subject",sub);
mess = crmAPIRequest.get("body");
formId = mess.get("form_response").get("form_id");
token = mess.get("form_response").get("token");
apiUrl = "https://api.typeform.com/forms/" + formId + "/responses?included_response_ids=" + token;
authMap = Map();
authMap.put("Authorization","Bearer tfpxx9PQ");
response = invokeurl
[
url :apiUrl
type :GET
headers:authMap
];
selectedOption = response.get("items").get(0).get("answers").get(0).get("choice").get("label");
signalMap.put("message","Selected Option :: " + selectedOption);
result = zoho.crm.invokeConnector("raisesignal",signalMap);
info result;

Logic
  1. Construct a map that takes the signal's namespace, email ID of the user you want to notify(raise the signal), and the subject of the signal.
  2. Make an API call to Typeform to get the details of the survey.
  3. Use the crmAPIRequest object to get the details from the response body of the Typeform survey. This includes the fields "choice", "answers", "label" from the form.
  4. Provide authorization details. This should be the API key from the third party.
  5. Construct a map with the survey fields and pass it to the raisesignal integration task. This triggers the signal.
Here is the custom signal that is created for Typeform.



Here is a gif of the signal.



To view function's execution,
  1. Go to Setup > Developer Space > Functions > "Your Function".
  2. Click the three-dot icon and select Logs.

  3. Click one of the executions. You will get the details.


We hope you found this post useful. Let us know your feedback. Get in touch with us at support@zohocrm.com.
Cheers!

    Access your files securely from anywhere


            Zoho Developer Community




                                      Zoho Desk Resources

                                      • Desk Community Learning Series


                                      • Digest


                                      • Functions


                                      • Meetups


                                      • Kbase


                                      • Resources


                                      • Glossary


                                      • Desk Marketplace


                                      • MVP Corner


                                      • Word of the Day



                                          Zoho Marketing Automation


                                                  Manage your brands on social media



                                                        Zoho TeamInbox Resources

                                                          Zoho DataPrep 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

                                                                                                  • Any way to Associate a Recurring Invoice with Deal/Potential in Zoho CRM

                                                                                                    When we create an Invoice in Zoho Books, we have the option to associate that invoice with a Potential/Deal that is tied to that same customer. Can we do the same thing with Recurring Invoices? When creating a Recurring Invoice, I want to be able to Associate
                                                                                                  • Tracking leads through the sales process

                                                                                                    Our leads are being generated via paid google ads and are arriving to us with UTM data showing lead sources, campaign mediums and campaign names. I want to track the progress of those leads as they migrate through our sales funnel while maintaining a
                                                                                                  • Elevating Email Security on Zoho Desk: DKIM Now Mandatory

                                                                                                    Hello Zoho Desk Users! It has been a wonderful journey with you on Zoho Desk. As we welcome 2025, we are strengthening our efforts to ensure a secure and seamless experience for you. To enhance email security, DKIM configuration will be mandatory for
                                                                                                  • Introducing 'Queries' In Zoho CRM

                                                                                                    Hello everyone! We are here with an exciting feature - Queries in Zoho CRM! A little context before we dive right into the feature specifics :) In today’s fast-paced business environment, immediate access to relevant data is essential for informed decision-making.
                                                                                                  • How to send mail with js SDK

                                                                                                    Hell o I'm using https://live.zwidgets.com/js-sdk/1.2/ZohoEmbededAppSDK.min.js, for my widget in CRM (built with sigma) Is it possible to send email from js file, I try ti use that ZOHO.CRM.API.sendMail({ "Entity": "Accounts", "RecordID": sharedVariableEntityId,
                                                                                                  • Zoho say my domain seems to be already associated with another account

                                                                                                    I created a website on zoho and associated my domain (bompescado.com) on it. You can see the A record and CNAME are working to it. Now I need to associate the same domain as webmail, but when I try it return with: " This domain name seems to be already associated with another account. If you own this domain, please contact us for assistance." Im following the advice and conctacting you to say I've not been associated this domain on zoho before.  What do I need? Well, I need you manually remove it
                                                                                                  • Subform Auto-populate based on Main Form Drop Down

                                                                                                    Zoho CRM. I have a drop down named ''number of items'' which ranges from 1-100. Below that I have a subform with 18 fields. Here is an example of what I need for this section: Number of items: 10 Subform (all 18 fields) show up 10 times Number of items:
                                                                                                  • Zoho Sheets working offline

                                                                                                    Hi,  I am looking for the ability to work offline in Zoho Sheets, but currently I cannot find the process to complete this.  Does someone have any ideas or steps I might have missed?  Also does Zoho Sheets have the "Format as Tables" function as is currently in MS Excel 2016??  Many thanks. 
                                                                                                  • Lost ZB Code

                                                                                                    Hi,  Please what is the ZB code for my domain? It was mistakenly deleted. Please treat as urgent.  
                                                                                                  • Unusual activity detected from this IP. Please try again after some time

                                                                                                    When i try to create new addresses on my account i am getting this error, it has been 24 hours now and i am still getting this error can anyone help
                                                                                                  • Dialing Microsoft Teams Phone Service via Zoho CRM

                                                                                                    I am using the VOIP option in Microsoft teams for my office phone system. I was hoping to have a way to dial numbers directly from Zoho CRM, but don't see anything in the Teams Integration or in the Telephony integration that will enable this. Does anyone
                                                                                                  • Date format in the Account settings are not reflected in other applications

                                                                                                    The issue where changes to the date format in the Account settings are not reflected in other applications. Not only the date format, but even after switching the language in some part remains the same. This issue has persisted for a week. Could someone
                                                                                                  • How to add the time duration for scheldule call

                                                                                                    Hi, When we are planning phone calls with leads or customers. Depending on the client, lead and the reason for the call the time planned is always different from 15 minutes to 2 hours. Currently, the system does not allow us to change or add a time duration
                                                                                                  • Contacts per department

                                                                                                    Hello, Is it possible to limit Contacts to a Department? Thanks
                                                                                                  • Project profitability

                                                                                                    It would be useful to analyze project profitability. Besides adding an hourly rate for staff or task, I would also like to add an hourly cost for that person or task, so that I can compare time spent vs time billed and easily calculate profit margin.
                                                                                                  • How to search records in integration task in creator?

                                                                                                    How to search using integration task in creator searchString = {"zcrm_account_id:4050082000001001499"}; contactData = zoho.books.getRecords("Contacts","xxxxxx",searchString); I get an error that third argument needs to be string, I tried to convert it
                                                                                                  • How can I create individual records from a subform

                                                                                                    Hi, I am collecting subform data into a Lead record and I need to create individual records for each row associated to the account when it is converted. How can I do this?
                                                                                                  • How to add a record for a different report

                                                                                                    I have one form and it has two reports I need to programmatically add records to both reports For example one report is draft and other is processed After the user performs some action on the draft report I want to create a new report in Processed and
                                                                                                  • Introducing Zia GenAI: Zoho's Native Generative AI for Zoho Desk

                                                                                                    Hello everyone, Zia GenAI is available on Early Access for Zoho Desk Enterprise subscribers. Kindly fill out this Registration Form to request early access. We are excited to announce the Beta release of Zia GenAI in Zoho Desk, now available through our
                                                                                                  • Location Lookup

                                                                                                    Hi Team, When I enter an address into the location field, there is no map address lookup happening. What setting have I missed that will get this working? Kind Regards John
                                                                                                  • Tropicalize Books

                                                                                                    Books is an incredibly powerful tool that works well in many countries. But I feel that it is a product that is not yet "tropicalized" for Brazil as we speak (this would be like adapting the local reality). We have many strong competitors who do more
                                                                                                  • Automation#20 : Auto-Add Ticket Tags based on Keywords

                                                                                                    Hello Everyone! Welcome to unveiling custom functions on our Community series. This week's post lets you add tags to your tickets automatically based on the keywords in the ticket subject and the ticket thread. Discover how this custom function helps
                                                                                                  • Zoho developer edition does not work for us

                                                                                                    Hi Is anyone else having this problem? I'm signed in with our admin/super user account. When I click on the link on this page: https://www.zoho.com/crm/developer/docs/dev-edition.html I am asked to agree to Terms and Conditions. Clicking Agree to Terms
                                                                                                  • Cloud to cloud folder migration from Sharepoint to Workdrive

                                                                                                    I am aware of OneDrive migration: https://help.zoho.com/portal/en/kb/workdrive/migrations/microsoft/articles/migrate-from-onedrive-to-zoho-workdrive#Whats_migrated would this cover a Sharepoint migration meaning I can move a whole Sharepoint (team) folder
                                                                                                  • Webhook when estimate is refused is not firing

                                                                                                    Hello, I use a workflow through make that sends estimate with zoho books (I paid books and sign). -Those estimates when accepted are firing the webhook that I create in zoho sign (photo 1) -However when refused they are not firing the webhook that I created
                                                                                                  • Zoho One Trial Version

                                                                                                    I am in a trial period using Zoho One in my business. I have a question about what happens to the information when the trial version expires? Does the information stay in my account? Do I have to delete the information before the trial version expires
                                                                                                  • Getting 401 Unauthorized while creating Ticket

                                                                                                    I'm getting 401 UnAuthorized  when I try to create a ticket using the Zoho Desk API. I am using using  OAuth2.0 for getting access token and generated accesstoken and used Desk.tickets.ALL as a SCOPE . Kindly help me to resolve this issue while creating
                                                                                                  • Tip #17: How to mandate partial payment for your appointments

                                                                                                    When you require partial payments during the booking process, customers can only schedule with you after paying a certain amount in advance. This deposit acts as a commitment between both parties. Apart from that, it has many more advantages. Benefits
                                                                                                  • Zoho Vault App for Windows

                                                                                                    Hello, is there a Windows app that can be used to access the passwords saved in Zoho Vault? Thank you
                                                                                                  • Zoho Payroll's Year in Review 2024

                                                                                                    As we roll into 2025, we'd like to pay tribute to all the milestones we hit in 2024! From releasing out new features that streamlined your workflows to updates that made payroll management smoother, we’ve had a prolific year—all while keeping you, our
                                                                                                  • Key Highlights of 2024: Recalling a Year of Progress and Advancements!

                                                                                                    As we step into 2025, we’re excited to share the progress and developments we’ve made to simplify and streamline your travel and expense management in the past year. Let’s take a look back at some of the key updates and enhancements that have helped us
                                                                                                  • Ticket Views: filter criteria -> dynamic date values in relation to the current date

                                                                                                    Hello all, It would be very helpful if you could build custom views in such a way that you do not have to adjust the criteria daily or at whatever interval in order to change the fixed date value as needed. For example, I would like to create a view that,
                                                                                                  • How can I understand in the search results which collection a note is in and how to immediately go to this collection?

                                                                                                    How can I understand in the search results which collection a note is in and how to immediately go to this collection? You can call the note properties window, but only the notepad is listed there. This is very inconvenient, especially when there are
                                                                                                  • Is there a way to request a password?

                                                                                                    We add customers info into the vaults and I wanted to see if we could do some sort of "file request" like how dropbox offers with files. It would be awesome if a customer could go to a link and input a "title, username, password, url" all securely and it then shows up in our team vault or something. Not sure if that is safe, but it's the best I can think of to be semi scalable and obviously better than sending emails. I am open to another idea, just thought this would be a great feature.  Thanks,
                                                                                                  • Link Images to a Excel Report

                                                                                                    When I export to a spreadsheet. How do I get it to create a link that goes to my image. Right now it shows up in Excel as: /sharedBy/appLinkName/viewLinkName/fieldName/image/1510098844838_Image_07-Nov-2017_18_54_03.jpg
                                                                                                  • Alert for Back Navigation in Zoho Creator Widgets on Mobile Apps

                                                                                                    In Zoho Creator widgets, when a user navigates back on mobile devices, the data within the widget is reset. This leads to a loss of any unsaved changes or inputs, causing frustration for users. To enhance user experience, we need to implement a confirmation
                                                                                                  • Unable to send message;Reason:553 Relaying disallowed. Invalid Domain

                                                                                                    Hello. My domain was renewed recently and since it came back online I've been having this issue. Read it here that I need to verify it again with Zoho. How can I proceed to this verification? Thanks!
                                                                                                  • Matching ZOHO Payments in Banking

                                                                                                    Our company has recently integrated ZOHO Payments into our system. This seemed really convenient at first because our customers could pay their account balance by clicking on a link imbedded in the emailed invoice. Unfortunately, we can't figure out how
                                                                                                  • Projectic Specific Calendar Dates

                                                                                                    We are trying to create a project request form. One of the first fields is a multiple choice field that requests the user to select the type of project they are requesting. We are wanting to have a calendar view that changes the allowable dates to be
                                                                                                  • Off cycle pay run 10 day

                                                                                                    How would I go about running an off cycle pay run for 10 days? (Jan 1-10)? I have been trying to be in contact with support and we keep paying phone tag. I need to change my pay period from bi-weekly to weekly. This should be much easier than they are
                                                                                                  • Next Page