Available client types

1. Server-based
   
2. Client-based
   
3. Self client
   
4. Non-browser-based
   
5. Mobile-based

1. Server-based

1. Users visit your website where you have the Login with Zoho button.
   
2. When a user clicks it, that user will be redirected to accounts.zoho.com with the details of your app such as client ID, scope, redirect uri, access type as the URL parameters.
   
3. Your app must make an API call to Zoho Accounts with the client ID, scope, redirect uri, and access type. Users are shown the data that your application wants to use.
   
4. When users give their consent, Zoho redirects them back to your app.This will be the "Redirect URL" you give while registering your app.
   
5. The redirect URL will have the authorization code(grant token) as one of the parameters, along with the location(user's domain).
   
6. Your app must then make API calls from your web server to Zoho Accounts to generate access and refresh tokens with the generated grant token.
   
7. You must store these tokens in your DB to access that user's data in Zoho CRM. While making API calls, you must send this access token in the header.
   
8. Your app must also have the logic to regenerate access tokens from refresh tokens when the access token expires.
   

2. Client-based applications

1. Your app redirects the user to Zoho Accounts.
   
2. Your app makes the authorization request with the client ID, redirect uri, scope, and response type as token.
   
3. The user is shown the data that your webpage would use.
   
4. When the user gives consent, Zoho Accounts sends the access token to the redirect uri as a parameter, along with the expiry time and the location of user's data in Zoho's accounts server.
   
5. You can include the "email" in your scope parameter in the access token request to get user's information. The response will have a parameter called id_token that will be in the header.payload.signature format. You need to decrypt the payload section of the parameter using the base-64 decryption algorithm to get user information.
   
6. Your app must then make API calls to Zoho with this access token to fetch data.
   
7. When the access token expires, your app must take care of regeneration and storage.
   

3. Self Client Applications

1. You register your app as self client in Zoho API Console.
   
2. You will get the client details such as ID and secret.
   
3. You provide the scopes required for your app to access CRM data.
   
4. You will receive the grant token.
   
5. Your app must then make API calls to Zoho Accounts to generate access and refresh tokens.
   
6. Your app can then use this access token to make API calls to Zoho CRM and use data.
   

4. Non-browser applications

1. You must register your smart TV app in Zoho API Console with the type "Non-browser application".
   
2. Users install a dedicated Zoho ShowTime application on their smart TVs.
   
3. When users launch the Zoho ShowTime application on their smart TV, they are prompted to authenticate with their Zoho ShowTime account.
   
4. When they successfully authenticate, Zoho Accounts sends the grant token to your app, along with the user-code, device-code and verification URL,The user must go to this verification URL on a browser and enter the user-code to grant permission to the app.
   
5. Meanwhile, your app must poll the accounts server using the grant token to check if the token has been received.
   
6. When the user enters the user code, Zoho Accounts sends the access token to your app.
   
7. Your app can then use the access token to make API calls to Zoho. Your app must take care of token storage and renewals.
   

5. Mobile-based applications