Kaizen 116 - Client Types in Zoho API Console
Hello everyone!
Welcome back to another post in the Kaizen series!
This week, we will discuss different client types available in Zoho API Console, and when to use each.
When you register an app in Zoho API Console, you typically choose a client type based on how your application interacts with Zoho services.
Let us discuss the available client types and how authorization is handled for each.
Available client types
- Server-based
- Client-based
- Self client
- Non-browser-based
- Mobile-based
1. Server-based
If you have a web-based application that runs on a dedicated HTTP server and interacts with Zoho services by calling Zoho APIs via that server, you must register your app with this client type.
This client type is for applications that redirect the users to another URL on a web browser to authorize themselves, where they give consent to your application to use their data.
In other words, you must use this client type when you have a front-end web UI and require user intervention before your app can access user data via the dedicated server.
Consider that you are developing a web-based custom application. Users authorize that app via browser to allow their Zoho CRM data to be accessed and used by that application.
During the registration process in Zoho API Console, you would choose the "Web-based" client type.
OAuth 2.0 would be used for user authentication, allowing your app to securely access and interact with Zoho CRM data on behalf of the users.
Here is a gist of what happens:
- Users visit your website where you have the Login with Zoho button.
- 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.
- 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.
- When users give their consent, Zoho redirects them back to your app.This will be the "Redirect URL" you give while registering your app.
- The redirect URL will have the authorization code(grant token) as one of the parameters, along with the location(user's domain).
- 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.
- 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.
- Your app must also have the logic to regenerate access tokens from refresh tokens when the access token expires.
Note that your app must take care of storing user's details like email, organization ID, and tokens.
The following image shows the protocol flow.
You can use any of our server-side SDKs to simplify this process.
When you use our SDK, all you have to do is, generate the grant token and initialize the SDK with the client details and this token. The SDK takes care of access token generation, refreshing it, and token storage.
Refer to these older Kaizen posts on Integrating a third-party app using Java SDK and Java SDK for Self Client.
For more details, you can refer to the Accounts guide and CRM help doc.
2. Client-based applications
This client type is for applications that do not have a server and run exclusively on a web browser.
This is also called the Implicit flow as your app makes API calls to Zoho only when users are using your app.
This type of application loads data dynamically on the webpage, and accesses Zoho CRM data by making API calls via Javascript.
Consider the same example where there is a Login with Zoho button on your webpage.
Here is a gist of what happens when a user clicks it.
- Your app redirects the user to Zoho Accounts.
- Your app makes the authorization request with the client ID, redirect uri, scope, and response type as token.
- The user is shown the data that your webpage would use.
- 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.
- 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.
- Your app must then make API calls to Zoho with this access token to fetch data.
- When the access token expires, your app must take care of regeneration and storage.
As the API calls are made from your domain to a different domain(zohoapis.com), for security reasons, the browser will throw the CORS error. So, your domain will be registered while registering your app, and Zoho will know to allow the API calls made from that domain.
As the tokens are available on the browser itself, we recommend handling them with care.
When you use our client-side JS SDK, it automatically generates a new access token upon expiry.
3. Self Client Applications
When your application does not have a redirect URL or a UI, but performs only a backend job, and does not need user intervention, then you must choose this client type.
A self client is often used when the application and Zoho services are operated by the same entity, and you want to enable secure communication between them. For example, you have an internal reporting tool and integrate it with Zoho Analytics. In this case, both the tool and Zoho Analytics are operated by the same entity.
Similarly, consider that you have a legacy product management system and want to perform data sync between Zoho CRM and the system, then you must use the self client.
Here is a gist of what happens.
- You register your app as self client in Zoho API Console.
- You will get the client details such as ID and secret.
- You provide the scopes required for your app to access CRM data.
- You will receive the grant token.
- Your app must then make API calls to Zoho Accounts to generate access and refresh tokens.
- Your app can then use this access token to make API calls to Zoho CRM and use data.
You can refer to our older Kaizen post on this topic for more details.
Note that self client apps can also use any of our server-side SDKs. As already said, the SDK takes care of access and refresh token generation, refreshing the access token, and token storage.
4. Non-browser applications
This client type is for devices that do not have a user agent such a web browser. A TV, for instance.
Let us consider an example involving a smart TV application that integrates with Zoho ShowTime. In this scenario, the smart TV application acts as a non-browser client.
Here is how authentication is handled:
- You must register your smart TV app in Zoho API Console with the type "Non-browser application".
- Users install a dedicated Zoho ShowTime application on their smart TVs.
- When users launch the Zoho ShowTime application on their smart TV, they are prompted to authenticate with their Zoho ShowTime account.
- 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.
- Meanwhile, your app must poll the accounts server using the grant token to check if the token has been received.
- When the user enters the user code, Zoho Accounts sends the access token to your app.
- Your app can then use the access token to make API calls to Zoho. Your app must take care of token storage and renewals.
Here is the protocol flow. For more details, refer to this doc.
5. Mobile-based applications
You must use this client type when you have developed an app exclusively for mobile devices. The protocol flow is similar to server-based application where a browser session is required for the users to authenticate.
Similar to server-side apps, mobile apps also need to handle redirection, token generation and storage.
If you use any of our Mobile SDKs, the SDK itself handles token generation and storage.
We hope you found this post useful. Let us know your thoughts in the Comment section or write to us at support@zohocrm.com.
Cheers!
Access your files securely from anywhere
Zoho Developer Community
New to Zoho LandingPage?
Zoho LandingPage Resources
New to Zoho Survey?
New to Zoho CRM Plus?
Deliver unforgettable customer experiences
New to Zoho CRM Plus?
Deliver unforgettable customer experiences
New to Zoho Marketing Plus?
Everything you need to run your marketing
New to Zoho Marketing Plus?
Everything you need to run your marketing
New to Bigin?
Topic Participants
Shylaja S
Piyush Dwivedi
Ishwarya SG
Sticky Posts
Client Script | Update - Introducing Commands in Client Script!
Have you ever wished you could trigger Client Script from contexts other than just the supported pages and events? Have you ever wanted to leverage the advantage of Client Script at your finger tip? Discover the power of Client Script - Commands! CommandsKaizen #165 : How to call Zoho CRM APIs using Client Script
Welcome back to another exciting Client Script post! In this post, we will discuss one of the most frequently asked questions: How do you call Zoho CRM APIs from Client Scripts? In this kaizen post, 1. Ways to make calls to Zoho CRM APIs using ClientKaizen#162 : Add Tags and Open Pre-filled Email Drafts via Client Scripts
Hello everyone! Welcome to another informative Kaizen post. In this post, let us see how to accomplish the following using Client Script. 1. How to auto-tag a record based on field update? 2. How to Open a pre-filled email draft This post will provideExtension Pointers - JS SDK series #4: Managing data from a widget using ZOHO.CRM.HTTP
Handling and managing the data between two applications is a major factor for an efficient business. There are a variety of ways to handle data between Zoho CRM and other third-party applications. You can use deluge CRM tasks, create connectors, use APIKaizen #152 - Client Script Support for the new Canvas Record Forms
Hello everyone! Have you ever wanted to trigger actions on click of a canvas button, icon, or text mandatory forms in Create/Edit and Clone Pages? Have you ever wanted to control how elements behave on the new Canvas Record Forms? This can be achieved
New to Zoho TeamInbox?
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
Design. Discuss. Deliver.
Zoho Show Resources
Get Started. Write Away!
Writer is a powerful online word processor, designed for collaborative work.
Zoho CRM コンテンツ
-
オンラインヘルプ
-
Webセミナー
-
機能活用動画
-
よくある質問
-
Ebook
-
-
Zoho Campaigns
- Zoho サービスのWebセミナー
その他のサービス コンテンツ
Nederlandse Hulpbronnen
ご検討中の方
Recent Topics
Issue with Date Placeholder Formatting in Ticket ID Customization
Hello Support Team, I'm experiencing an issue with the date placeholder formatting in Zoho Desk's Ticket ID customization. Specifically, when using the `{{DD}}` placeholder for the day in the prefix or suffix, the output displays the day as a single digitTime Field
Good Day, I have a question, when I save a draft and reload it. Why does the time field format keeps goes from hh:mm to hh:mm:ss? Is there a way I can force it to load to hh:mm only? I have tried example = totime(input.TimeField, "hh:mm") in the -createdFeature Req - See imap emails in Timeline tab of a deal
In many other CRMs such as pipedrive and hubspot, when you are looking at the timeline of a deal you can also see snippets of emails that have been sent or received and then click to view the full message. This gives users a fast way to catch up on EVERYTHINGHOW TO: Searching a thread (email body/text) with a custom function, allowing filtering and specific actions
We are still trialing out Zoho at this time, but have found a major expected feature to be missing - the ability to search within the text of an email for automation/workflows. NOTE: You need to create a connection for zohodesk under settings -> DeveloperPartnership Proposal for Supporting Number Porting Services in Singapore
Dear Zoho Representative’s, I hope this message finds you well. My name is Honelito Gilos, and I represent Borderless Hub Pte Ltd (Singapore). We are a Telco here in Singapore specialising in providing seamless number porting services, and I’m reachingTip #2: Prefill forms automatically with existing Zoho CRM data
How to automatically prefill a form with existing Zoho CRM data? Prefilled forms can be useful when you want your prospects to view and confirm their data, and in a wide range of other situations. In Zoho Forms, we prefill the fields with the values from Zoho CRM using the Zoho CRM field. What is a Zoho CRM field? A Zoho CRM field acts as a two-way communication channel, by sending data to Zoho CRM from forms and fetching information from CRM into Forms. The field will look up data from your CRMTransform Your Customer Support with AI-Powered Chatbots in Zoho SalesIQ
Ever wondered how some companies seem to have superhuman customer support? Let's uncover their secret! In the digital age, customer expectations are skyrocketing. Did you know that according to McKinsey, 75% of consumers expect a response within fiveQuickbooks conversion and Internet sales
Hello, we are considering converting from Quickbooks enterprise to Zoho Books and using MonotorZ for our mrp needs. Today we import Internet sales under a single customer with multiple ship to addresses. We want to maintain the detail in CRM for marketingHow to add two columns in Zoho forms
I would like to have two columns in Zoho forms. How can i enable two columns?When creating Sales Order / Estimate via API, the line item Tax Code does not get pulled in.
I'm creating Sales Orders via API from CRM but it does not pull in the "Tax Code" I've read within the forums that this should be done automatically but it's not happening. Not sure if it's a bug or by design? Anybody else know? Should we be adding theChart showing schedule
I want to be able to create a chart for everyday to check and which of which driver is available on the timeframe. Here's my table Name City Day Start Time End Time Driver1 Medicine Hat Monday 11:45 AM 4:45 PM Driver 2 Medicine Hat Tuesday 11:00 AM 7:00Error in executing On user input script
I'm having problems with this this script : ; Tipo_list=List(); Tipo_rec = Tabla_factores[Periodo == input.Periodo_anos.toLong()]; Tipo_list.addAll(Tipo_rec.Clase_credito.getall()); for each Clase_credito in Tipo_list { Tipo_credito:ui.add(Clase_credito) } Error in executing On User Input script of Periodo en años. Error. Error in executing Fetch Record task. Unable to fetch Tabla_factores and update variable Tipo_rec. Error in evaluating the criteria : Error. Error evaluating NUMERIC expressionsync data from outside of zoho plateform
hii team , i am creating a platform using zoho platform, i want to sync the data from out side of the platform like people-soft, but i am not able to sync the data , if it is possible , then suggest me how can i do it , i want to sync data from otherHow to add a Data Updated As Of: dynamically in text?
I need to add a "Data Updated As Of" in the dashboard to show when was the last date the data was updated. I tried to create a widget but it does not look really good, see below. Is there a way I can do this through the text widget and update it automaticallyAutomate search in customer list and easilly initiate email
Hello and happy new year ! I have a customer list with name, telephone, emails and some criterias like location, type of customer, etc. I want to search that form to extract part of it, for example all customers that have a location of "Québec city" and"Select All" item in the context menu
In the Client on Android, there is a “Select all” item in the note’s context menu. There is no such item in the PC client. Can it be added in future versions of the client?Syncing Leave Calendar With Shared Google Calendar Does Not Remove Canceled Leaves
Our organization has each employee sync their Leaves calendar with a shared Google calendar, but am I right that if an employee cancels a Leave in Zoho that it will not be removed automatically from the shared Google calendar through the same sync mCreator Simplified #11: Create a custom button to download files
Hey there! This time, let's see how to create custom buttons to download the files uploaded in the file upload field. Sample use-case A training app has a module that provides the materials for all the available courses. Students can click on the correspondingBatch Tracking Enhancements In Zoho Inventory
Hello users, We’re excited to announce that we’ve taken batch tracking to a whole new level in Zoho Inventory! We’ve made it more accessible and easier to use than ever. Here’s a quick look at the improvements: 1) A New Way To Create or Modify BatchesZoho Desk Mobile App Year-End Roundup - 2024
Hello Everyone, Greetings! As you gear up for the festive season, we are excited to share a quick journey into all that is released in 2024! Availability of each feature in iOS and Android released in 2024 are as follows: For more information on the aboveTask Completion vs Estimated Time
I need to represent the Estimated Date vs Actual Completion Date for multiple Tasks. How Can I Do this in Zoho Analytics.Upload Field - cannot be checked in rules configuration.
We wanted to create a process to verify whether the upload fields are empty or not. If empty, then it should deny during submission. We don't want to use the mandatory field setting because in a 10 pager form, some upload field located in page 1 willChat function not working properly
Ever since upgrading to plus, the chat is all messed up. it is coming up behind the web page so that I cannot see what I'm typing and cannot read replies. I can only see the bottom of the text box at the bottom of the page, and then it is blocked. I'veWrong Time on Exported Records
Hello, All records in my exported Notes .csv file have the incorrect time for Created Time. They are all 8 hours ahead. I've already verified that my time zone is correct in both Personal Settings and Company Settings. Is there any way to fix this?Sync workspace - table
I have connected two workspaces and I have imported two different query tables from one workspace to the other one, that was a succes. But now I want to import another query table from the same workspace to the other but I get an error. Why is that? (thereSubir o Preço Unitário já acrescido de um valor
To com um desafio grande, e se alguém conseguir me ajudar, seria ótimo! O que eu preciso é que o na hora de adicionar um item no subformulário dos itens cotados do módulo Orçamentos, o preço de lista do item venha acrescido de 20% automaticamente e deRing in the New Year with Guided Conversations for Smooth Offline Support
As we step into the new year, it’s time to refocus, re-energize, and gear up for fresh opportunities. But what about your customers as they begin the year with their own set of challenges or queries to resolve? With Zoho Desk’s Guided Conversations (GC),Exploring SalesIQ's Top Features of 2024: An Insider's Look 🔍
As we wrap up another year at Zoho SalesIQ, it's time to reflect on how far we've come. This year has been incredible for us in our journey to build a more powerful, flexible, and customer-centric engagement platform. We've introduced several featuresupdateTask Zoho Connect API
When I do POST request by https://connect.zoho.com/pulse/api/updateTask with parameters scopeID, taskId, title, status and with header Zoho-oauthtoken, I got next response: {'updateTask': {'reason': 'You are not authorized to do this action.', 'result':Can Creator integrate with a CRM Sandbox
zoho & Creator Noob - I would like to build a Creator App and integrate it to the CRM Sandbox. Then, when I have the bugs worked out integrate it to the production CRM account. Can Creator do this ? I built a test Creator App and integrated it to the CRM in a test zoho account fairly easily.Allow Multiple Scheduled Appointments with Zoho Support
Dear Zoho Team, I hope you're doing well. First, thank you for introducing the option to schedule support calls via the Zoho CRM booking link. This has been a fantastic enhancement, eliminating the need for back-and-forth coordination when schedulingZia Call Intelligence only up 10 License
I have been trying to install Call Intelligence for two days now, but strangely, the button is missing at this point. The documentation could be better, but most importantly, someone should inform small businesses like us that they don’t even bother enablingAccrue Leave by Hours Worked?
My locality (Michigan, US) has enacted a law that requires that 1 hour of sick leave be accrued for every 30 hours worked. I cannot see how to implement this policy in Zoho People. There does not appear to be a mechanism for accruing leave proportionalFixed assets recording
Hello there, I recorded a bill for a vendor contain (Computer) so the PC is a fixed assets, do I need to do a manual journal to include this PC under the fixed assets category (furniture & equipment)? If yes, please take me through the manual journalerror in importing customers
get this error message while importing customers, there is no column for COUNTRY CODE in sample excel fileWorkflow Based on Manual Journal
Manual journal entries are one of the few areas that cannot kick off a workflow automation in Zoho Books currently. I would propose considering adding that. My use case is that the payroll provider I use (a flavor of SurePayroll) has a Zoho Books automationDigest Décembre - Un résumé de ce qui s'est passé le mois dernier sur Community
Bonjour chers utilisateurs, Toute l'équipe Zoho france vous souhaite une année remplie de joie, de réussite et de prospérité. Alors que nous débutons cette nouvelle année avec des projets innovants, des astuces, des produits et bien d'autres choses encore,New Year Wishes to the Zoho Finance Developer Community!
Hello developers, Happy New Year! As we step into 2025, we wish you a journey filled with growth, success, and exciting opportunities ahead. We’re thrilled to announce that we have something exciting in store for you. Welcome to the Zoho Finance DeveloperButton Display Conditions
Hi Guys, Is it at all possible to have extra button conditions? Context: We have data in our deals module which has a custom button which converts the deal into contacts + set up relationships between them. At the end of the conversion we set a fieldAyuda con zoho creator x zoho Crm
Hola a todos, Estoy teniendo dificultades al sincronizar datos entre Zoho Creator y Zoho CRM. Mi objetivo es lo siguiente: Busque un registro en el módulo Contactsde Zoho CRM utilizando el correo electrónico del registro de Zoho Creator. Si se encuentraNext Page