Kaizen #113 - Raising Signals in Zoho CRM through Zoho Flow

Kaizen #113 - Raising Signals in Zoho CRM through Zoho Flow

Hello everyone!
Welcome back to another post in the Kaizen series!

Last week, we discussed raising signals in Zoho CRM through functions. This week, we will discuss raising signals in Zoho CRM using Zoho Flow.

What is 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.

Raising Signals using Zoho Flow

Consider the use case of Typeform. Typeform is an application that allows you to create forms and share them.

Let's consider you have a form in Typeform, where you get the details such as the Last Name, Company, Email. You also have a question if the user wants a demo of the product, and if yes, a convenient date for the same.

The aim is to create a lead in Zoho CRM when a form is submitted from the details obtained on the form in Typeform. You want to check if the user wants a demo. If yes, you want to raise a signal in Zoho CRM and create a task.

For data transfer to happen between Typeform, Zoho CRM and Zoho Flow, you must create connections with Zoho CRM and Zoho Flow, Typeform and Zoho Flow, respectively, and authorize them.

Here is a gist of the process.
  1. Create a flow and choose the app that triggers the flow. In our case, it is Typeform that triggers the flow when a form is submitted.
  2. Next, you must choose the Typeform trigger. In our case, it is form submission.
  3. Now, create a connection between Zoho Flow and Typeform. This requires you to sign in to Typeform and provide your consent.
  4. Configure the trigger and choose the right form from the list of forms displayed.
  5. In Zoho Flow's Builder, you can see an action block for Typeform.
  6. Next, you want to create a lead in Zoho CRM from the details submitted on the form.
  7. For this, choose the app as Zoho CRM and create a connection between Zoho CRM and Zoho Flow, and authorize it.
  8. After authorization, choose the "Create or Update Lead" action block, and map the necessary fields.
  9. Add the Decision action block to check if the user wants a demo.
  10. If yes, add the Raise Signal action block.
  11. Test and debug your flow and then enable it.

Let us discuss these steps in detail.

1. Creating a flow

  1. Log in to Zoho Flow.
  2. Give a name, description, and choose the folder for the flow.
  3. Click Create.

2. Choosing the trigger for the flow

  1. Since it is an app(Typeform) that triggers the flow, choose App and click Configure.

  2. From the list of applications displayed, search for Typeform.

  3. Choose the Typeform trigger. In our case, it is Entry Submitted. Click Next.

3. Creating a connection between Zoho Flow and Typeform

  1. Create a connection between Zoho Flow and Typeform for Zoho Flow to access Typeform's data. Click Connect.

  2. Specify a connection name and choose what this connection should execute—All triggers and actions or specific triggers and actions.
  3. Click Authorize.

  4. You will be redirected to Typeform. Log in to Typeform and provide your consent for Zoho Flow to use Typeform's data.
  5. Now, choose the form that you want Zoho Flow to use and click Done.

  6. Zoho Flow's Builder opens and you can see an action block for Typeform already in place.

4. Creating a lead in Zoho CRM

  1. After connecting Typeform and Zoho Flow, you want to create a lead in Zoho CRM. Choose the Create or Update Lead action block.
  2. For this, you must first connect Zoho Flow and Zoho CRM.
  3. Specify a connection name and choose what the connection should execute—All triggers and actions or specific triggers and actions.

  4. Click Authorize.
  5. You will be redirected to Zoho CRM's login page. Provide your credentials and your consent for Zoho Flow to use Zoho CRM.
  6. After successful authorization, the Create Lead form opens.
  7. The variable name will already be populated.
  8. Map the Owner ID in CRM, here.
  9. You can see that Last Name, Company, and Email are mandatory fields in the Leads module. These details are to be collected from the form and mapped with the fields in CRM.
  10. On the right pane, you can see the form. Click the drop-down arrow. You can see the fields on the form.
  11. Place the cursor on the Company field and click the field on the form that holds this data. It is the field "Give us your last name, please." field here. You can see that the field is populated by the $ key.
  12. Similarly, map the other fields.

  13. Click Done.

5. Checking if a demo is needed

  1. You want to check if the user needs a demo, and raise the signal in CRM only when they need it.
  2. On the left pane, click Logic.

  3. Drag and drop the Decision block in the Builder.
  4. Choose the criteria to make the decision. In our case, the criterion is "Would you like a demo?", the operator is "contains" or "equals", and the value is "Yes".

  5. Click Done.

6. Using the Raise Signal action block

  1. When the user wants a demo, you want to raise a signal in CRM and create a task.
  2. In the Builder, on the left, under Apps, search for Zoho CRM.
  3. Click the drop-down and choose the Raise Signal block.

  4. The Raise Signal form opens.

  5. Choose the module you want to associate the signal to and the record ID.
  6. Specify the Subject of the Signal.
  7. You can also construct the message you want to see when the signal is raised. For this, under the Message field, map your message with the right field on your form in Typeform. The right pane shows the list of fields available for you to map from the form's response.
  8. Click Done.

  9. This is what the complete flow would look like.

7. Testing the Flow

  1. Click the Play button in the builder at the top-right corner.
  2. Submit a test form in Typeform. This triggers the flow.
  3. In Zoho Flow, you can see the data for the form you submitted. Click Test.
  4. You can now see the action blocks being executed for Typeform and the subsequent action blocks.
  5. Each block has input and output tabs. Click them to see the execution.

8. Viewing the Signal in Zoho CRM

  1. Log in to Zoho CRM.
  2. Click the bell icon at the top-right corner.
  3. You can see the signal. Click the notification and you can view the body of the signal.

  4. You can also see that a lead with the name Smith will be created.

  5. This lead will also have an associated task.

Now, turn on your flow and get instant notifications whenever users submit the form.

The advantage of using Zoho Flow is that it takes care of the logic of raising the signal through the Raise Signal action block, and does not require you to write the function in CRM. This also does not require much coding knowledge.

Once you set up the flow, it automates the entire process of lead generation, raising a signal and other actions.
Zoho Flow supports multiple apps and therefore, integrating between Zoho CRM and other apps through Zoho Flow is much easier.

We hope you liked this post. Let us know your questions in the comments.
You can also email us at support@zohocrm.com.
Cheers!


    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

                                                                                            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

                                                                                                            • Templates

                                                                                                              Trying to sort out / get rid of unwanted invoice templates, the error msgs are not at all helpful. Surely it's easy to amend the error msg by including a list of the names of the customers / vendors that use it, denying deletion or making it inactive
                                                                                                            • Contacts limit in basic vs standard - what counts? Are customers contacts?

                                                                                                              I’ve been using books for a number years for my small business. I only ever work with 20 clients at any given time. I do purchase services from a number of vendors to run my business, so there are some comtacts there too. I used to use the basic package,
                                                                                                            • Finding missing records

                                                                                                              I have a challenge and I am not really sure where to start with it. I can't find any similar threads on here, can anyone help: I have two forms, FormA and FormB. Both forms have records that contain a field called Job_Number. What I am trying to achieve
                                                                                                            • Read webpage - MSXML2.ServerXMLHTTP

                                                                                                              I have the following VBA script, put together from various sources (mainly zoho forum/help/support, so it once worked, I guess): private Sub GetListOfSheets() Dim url As String Dim xmlhttp As Object Dim parameters As String Dim html As String range("B1").value
                                                                                                            • Addin Support in Zoho Sheet

                                                                                                              Is there any addin support available in zoho sheet as like google marketplace to enhance productivity by connecting with other apps, providing AI data analysis, streamlining business processes, and more?
                                                                                                            • Prevent Unapproved Quotes from Exporting to Zoho CRM Finance Module

                                                                                                              Is it possible to prevent unapproved quotes in Zoho Books from being exported from Zoho Finance module inside Zoho CRM?
                                                                                                            • ZOHO BOOKS - RECEIVING MORE ITEMS THAN ORDERED

                                                                                                              Hello, When trying to enter a vendor's bill that contains items with bigger quantity than ordered in the PO (it happens quite often) - The system would not let us save the bill and show this error: "Quantity recorded cannot be more than quantity ordered." 
                                                                                                            • Updates for Zoho Campaigns: Merge tag, footer, and autoresponder migration

                                                                                                              Hello everyone, We'd like to inform you of some upcoming changes with regard to Zoho Campaigns. We understand that change can be difficult, but we're dedicated to ensuring a smooth transition while keeping you all informed and engaged throughout the process.
                                                                                                            • Process between CRM and Campaigns to ensure double opt-in contacts?

                                                                                                              I would like to ask for a few clarifications to ensure we fully comply with best practices and legal requirements: According to the documentation (Zoho Campaigns CRM sync – Default option), the best and recommended way to sync contacts is by using the
                                                                                                            • What's New in Zoho Inventory | August – October 2025

                                                                                                              Hello customers, The last quarter has been incredibly productive! We've released a powerful slate of new features and enhancements in Zoho Inventory designed to give you better control, greater efficiency, and expanded functionality across your inventory
                                                                                                            • Search not working!

                                                                                                              I have items in my notebook tagged but when I search for a tag nothing comes up! Any fix for this?
                                                                                                            • Let's Talk Recruit: Meet Zia, your all-in-one AI assistant (Part-2)

                                                                                                              Welcome back to Let’s Talk Recruit series. In Part 1, we introduced Zia and how AI is reshaping the way recruiters work. This time, we’re taking a closer look at how far Zia has come and how each update continues to simplify your everyday tasks. When
                                                                                                            • Zoho Developer - Feature Request Platform

                                                                                                              Zoho Developer is one of the most underatted platform in zoho ecosystem, however, it may just be what zoho needs to welcome more people to use Zoho Services. The more developers you have creating zoho creator applications and zoho extensions the more
                                                                                                            • Last/Previous month in relative date filter

                                                                                                              In the relative date filter, what is the difference between "Last 2 months" and "Previous 2 months"? So, if we are on 25-July, then is my understanding correct of the following: Last 2 months :=:      25-May~24 July Previous 2 months :=:     01-May~30-June Thanks.
                                                                                                            • Tags get removed from notes on mobile

                                                                                                              I don't know why this keeps happening even after all these app updates but if you log out and log back into the app or you reinstall it, all the tags you assigned to your notes get taken off, but if you go on the desktop version the tags are still there.
                                                                                                            • Show Zoom Link in Recipient's Calendar

                                                                                                              We set up meetings within a record, selecting the "Make this an online meeting".  We use Zoom. Most of the recipients go to their calendar (usually Gmail or Outlook, corporate) to join the Zoom meeting, but there is no Zoom link in the calendar. Can this
                                                                                                            • How to fetch custom fields for time entries in Zoho Project API v3

                                                                                                              In the previous Zoho Projects REST API, we were able to retrieve custom field details for time entries, including picklist options, using the endpoint: GET /restapi/portal/[PORTAL_ID]/timesheetcustomfields In the new Zoho Projects API v3, we tried using
                                                                                                            • VAT rates - exempt and out of scope

                                                                                                              Good Evening, UK based company here. I am a bit confused in respect of setting up VAT rates for exempt goods and services; at present I am simply leaving the VAT rate blank in the transactions in order to prevent any VAT appearing in the VAT return. When
                                                                                                            • Zoho is blocking emails I subscribe to from one sender

                                                                                                              About 4 months ago I stopped receiving newsletters that I subscribe to from @thedispatch.com. They tell me that zoho's server is blocking them. I've added them to my contacts list, but they're not even reaching my inbox. I don't know how to troubleshoot
                                                                                                            • Introducing Lead Capture: Empower exhibitors to capture leads effortlessly

                                                                                                              Events provide a great opportunity for exhibitors to generate awareness and engage with potential customers. Efficiently distributing attendee information to exhibitors through a seamless and secure way is of paramount importance. Introducing Lead Capture
                                                                                                            • Work Order Creation Issue

                                                                                                              Dear Team, I would like to inquire about the daily limit for Work Order creation in Zoho FSM. Yesterday (02/05/2025) at around 6:30 PM GST, I attempted to create a Work Order, but I have been unable to do so since then. Please find the attached image
                                                                                                            • Accessing shared mailboxes through Trident (Windows)

                                                                                                              Hi, I have a created a couple of shared mailboxes. The mailboxes are showing up on the browser based Zoho workplace, but I cannot seem to figure out how to access my shared inboxes through Trident (Windows). Am I missing something or is this feature not
                                                                                                            • URGENT: ChatGPT Extension Failing With “gpt-3 Access Error” (Priority Support)

                                                                                                              Appreciate support reviewing this urgently. I am a Priority Support member and need immediate clarification on a recurring issue involving the ChatGPT extensions inside Zoho Desk. Both extensions — including the version created and published by Zoho —
                                                                                                            • Server error when trying to Data > Sort > Custom Sort

                                                                                                              Been using Data > Sort > Custom Sort for a while, now it has suddenly stopped working. When selecting the same data range and trying to execute, I get "Sorry! There was a problem saving your last edit. Please try again."
                                                                                                            • Zoho Desk iOS update: Custom buttons, follow/ unfollow option on tickets

                                                                                                              Hello everyone! In the most recent Zoho Desk iOS app update, we have brought in support to access the custom buttons configured on web app(desk.zoho.com). Using custom buttons you can seamlessly execute predefined actions directly from their mobile devices,
                                                                                                            • Zoho pdf suit

                                                                                                              Pl. design products with following feature: 1. Please add all features given in Ilovepdf website to work on pdf files. It is mandatory to use pdf in court work. 2. Courts have prescribed New Times Roman, pl. add this font as well 3. Indexing, signature
                                                                                                            • Zoho Not Working

                                                                                                              Today Zoho not wokring
                                                                                                            • Dynamically autofill fields with URL parameters

                                                                                                              I have a zoho form embedded in my organization's WP website. Our users find their account with a search tool, and then can select to open this page with the embedded form. The URL of the page holds the parameter that I need, but I cannot figure out how
                                                                                                            • User Automation: User based workflow rules & webhooks

                                                                                                              User management is an undeniable part of project management and requires adequate monitoring. As teams grow and projects multiply, manual coordination for updating users & permissions becomes difficult and can give way to errors. User automation in Zoho
                                                                                                            • Integrate Projects for Desk KB article release tasks

                                                                                                              Could you please look into the possibility of integrating project tasks for Zoho Desk article release processes? We are looking for an internal integration between Zoho Projects and Zoho Desk's KB article drafting, reviewing and releasing tasks. We could
                                                                                                            • Issue in Annual Leave

                                                                                                              We created a policy to credit 21 days at the Start of the Year An employee has taken 16 days of leaves thought the year, so we expect to see 5 Leaves remaining right? But Zoho People is Showing 12 Days of Leave Balance Available If we check the Leave
                                                                                                            • Use the searchBy parameter to find user by email address

                                                                                                              I'm trying to find a user is Zoho Desk via the Api. In the documentation I see that there is the possibility to add a searchBy parameter in the request. But I can't find how the search values should be formatted. I've tried multiple things and get either
                                                                                                            • Zoho CRM Community Digest - September 2025 | Part 2

                                                                                                              Hello Everyone! Mid-September vibes: fresh tips, smart hacks, and practical Zoho CRM updates all in one place. Let’s dive in. Product Updates: The All-New Address Field! The new Address field type makes it easier to capture complete addresses in one structured
                                                                                                            • Zoho Vault API: Create new Secrets

                                                                                                              Hello, I attempt to Post Secrets to the vault, since the encrypted entries are almost impossible to decrypt, since there is no documentation on how to decrypt them. Like with the lack of documentation on how to descrypt, there are missing information regarding on how to create new secrets/post secrets. Source: https://www.zoho.com/vault/api/#create-a-new-secret When I try to send JSON Informationen as a POST-Request I only receive the error message: {     "operation": {         "result": {             "error_code": "",
                                                                                                            • CRM and Finance Tab - Add Invoice "Subject " Column

                                                                                                              When On a contact in CRM, and you click the Zoho Finace tab, how can I put in the invoice subject line? Or even a custom field for this.  We need to see what that invoice is for, without opening it.   If we have tons of invoices we need a way to quick
                                                                                                            • Collections Management: #4 Before, During & After Payment Processing

                                                                                                              "Mark, I think the payment link isn't working. Can you send it again?" Staring at a message, Mark got on his phone. This was the third time the same customer had asked him that week. A few minutes later, another message came, "Hey, the invoice total seems
                                                                                                            • Account name not populating when importing contacts

                                                                                                              When importing a csv file to add contacts the account name is blank? Every other filed gets mapped and imported correctly, i.e contact name, phone number. However not the account name which I have mapped to "company" field in my csv file
                                                                                                            • Suggestion to improve zoho writer

                                                                                                              I am using your product, I believe it is very useful, however, i was writing a note and I needed to draw an arrow in different angles to explain a point and I couldn't. it would be helpful, to add draw functions to the zoho writer. thanks
                                                                                                            • webhook basic authentication

                                                                                                              II want to use a webhook to send out a SMS. Unfortunately Twilio does not use an authToken but basic authentication. I created the webhook as POST and get this url: https://{username}:{password}@api.twilio.com/2010-04-01/Accounts/{account}/Messages?body=<BODY>&to=+155555555&from=+1555555555
                                                                                                            • Managing functions

                                                                                                              Can someone let me know if there are any plans to improve the features for managing functions in CRM? I have lots of functions and finding them is hard. The search only works on the function name and the filter only works on function type. I have created
                                                                                                            • Next Page