Kaizen #120 - A Guide to API Calls in Zoho CRM Sandboxes
Hello everyone!
Welcome back to another post in our Kaizen series. This week, we will discuss in detail about the sandbox environment in Zoho CRM, and how to make API calls to the sandbox orgs.
Environments in Zoho CRM
Zoho CRM empowers your business with robust developer tools. But what if you want to experiment without affecting your live data? Or if you want to try out a widget or a workflow before pushing them live to your customers? We have got you covered with our environment options.
Zoho CRM offers three environments:
Production - The production environment is your live CRM account, which you use for business operations.
Developer - This environment acts as a playground for developers to build and test custom integrations and apps. Changes made here cannot be directly applied to the production account.
Sandbox - This is a secure testing ground where you can experiment without disrupting your live production environment. Tinker with settings, workflows, and features without disrupting your live data. Test, identify issues, and perfect your changes before deploying them to your production environment.
Creating a Sandbox:
CRM admins can create multiple sandboxes in one account for independent testing of different configurations. The number of sandboxes allowed depends on your CRM edition. You can create a sandbox from Setup > Data Administration > Sandbox. For more details on the available configurations and settings, refer here. Note that the sandbox environment is exclusive to the enterprise and above editions.
Once your sandbox accounts are set up, you can view them at CRM Setup > Data Administration > Sandbox. Access the sandbox organization you want, and you can go about working in the sandbox in the same way you would work in the production setup. You can make the necessary changes, utilize sandbox data for validation, and, once satisfied, deploy them to the production environment.
Making API calls in the Sandbox environment
- Register your application : Before you get started with authorization and make any calls using the Zoho CRM APIs, you need to register your application with Zoho CRM. Follow the steps explained in this document to register your application.
- Generate grant token : To use the Zoho CRM APIs, you must authenticate the application to make API calls on their behalf with an access token. The access token, in return, must be obtained from a grant token (authorization code). Choose the desired organization under the sandbox environment from the list displayed when generating the grant token. For more details on how to generate a grant token, please refer to this document.
- Generate Access Token and Refresh Token : OAuth2.0 requests are usually authenticated with an access token, which is passed as bearer token. Use your domain-specific Zoho Accounts URL https://accounts.zoho.{domain} to generate the tokens.
- Identifying token environment (optional) : With the access token in hand, you might wonder: Which environment does this token belong to? This can be determined using the Organization API using https://www.zohoapis.{domain} regardless of the token's environment. The type key in the API response contains information regarding the environment linked to the access token - production, developer, or sandbox. Please note that this functionality is supported only from Zoho CRM API version 6 onwards.
- Making API calls : Now that you know the token's environment, use the sandbox-specific URL https://sandbox.zohoapis.{domain} for API calls to the sandbox environment. Please note that attempting calls using tokens generated for other environments will result in a DOMAIN_TOKEN_MISMATCH error.
Points to remember :
- Generate the grant token for the corresponding sandbox organization to avoid the DOMAIN_TOKEN_MISMATCH error.
- The accounts URL for generating tokens remains the same for both sandbox and production environments - https://accounts.zoho.{domain} .
- The Get Organization API response includes a type key, which contains information regarding the environment your access token is authorized for (production, developer, or sandbox).
Multiple Sandbox Accounts and API Calls
Each sandbox environment within your Zoho CRM account acts as a separate organization. To ensure your API calls land precisely where intended, follow these guidelines:
- Separate Grant Tokens for Each Organization : You should generate separate grant token for each organization, whether within a sandbox environment or the production environment.
- API Call URL for All Sandboxes: The API call URL remains consistent for all sandboxes: https://sandbox.zohoapis.{domain}. However, to target a specific sandbox organization, you must generate the grant token specifically for that organization.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How many sandboxes can I have in my Zoho CRM account?
A. The number of sandboxes you can have depends on your Zoho CRM edition. Please refer to this document to know the specific limits.
Q. Do sandbox API calls affect my production data?
A. No, API calls made from the sandbox environment are isolated from your production data.
Q. Do I need different account URLs for generating tokens in sandbox and production?
Q. Can I use the same access token for API calls in both the sandbox and production environments?
A. No, each organization in each environment requires its own access token.
Q. Is there a specific URL for making API calls from the sandbox environment?
A. Yes, use https://sandbox.zohoapis.{domain} for sandbox calls.
Q. How do I find if the token is generated for the sandbox or any other environment?
A. In order to find whether a token is generated for a sandbox or other environment, kindly use the Organization API which will return the type for which the token is generated. Please note that this support is available from V6 only.
Q. What does the "DOMAIN_TOKEN_MISMATCH" error indicate during API calls in the sandbox environment?
A. This error occurs when using tokens from a different environment or domain in your API calls. For example, you will get this error if you attempt to use an access token generated for the production environment in the sandbox environment
Q. Do I need to register my application differently for the sandbox environment?
A. No, you use the same application registration process for both sandbox and Production environments. However, you need to generate separate grant tokens for each environment.
Q. Do I need to use different client IDs and client secrets for the sandbox environment compared to production?
A. No, you can use the same client ID and client secret for both environments. However, you'll need to generate separate access tokens for each org.
We hope that you found this post useful. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section or reach out to us at support@zohocrm.com.
Stay tuned for more insights in our upcoming Kaizen posts!
Happy Coding!
Access your files securely from anywhere
New to Zoho Recruit?
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
Anu Abraham
David
Sticky Posts
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 areKaizen #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 achievedKaizen #142: How to Navigate to Another Page in Zoho CRM using Client Script
Hello everyone! Welcome back to another exciting Kaizen post. In this post, let us see how you can you navigate to different Pages using Client Script. In this Kaizen post, Need to Navigate to different Pages Client Script ZDKs related to navigation A.Kaizen #210 - Answering your Questions | Event Management System using ZDK CLI
Hello Everyone, Welcome back to yet another post in the Kaizen Series! As you already may know, for the Kaizen #200 milestone, we asked for your feedback and many of you suggested topics for us to discuss. We have been writing on these topics over the
New to Zoho TeamInbox?
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
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
Kanban view on Zoho CRM mobile app!
What is Kanban? The name doesn't sound English, right? Yes, Kanban is a Japanese word which means 'Card you can see'. As per the meaning, Kanban in CRM is a type of list view in which the records will be displayed in cards and categorized under the givenAllow Regular Users to Directly Transfer Ownership of Files & Folders
Hi Zoho WorkDrive Team, Hope you are doing well. We would like to request an important enhancement related to file and folder ownership management in Zoho WorkDrive. At the moment, a regular user cannot directly transfer ownership of their files or foldersTriggering rules on lead conversion
There is no field on the Rule list for rule conversion to trigger an alert on liead conversion to a potential. I assigned a rule to file on any creation or update of a lead. The lead was changed a lead to a potential but no rule was fired. Rajesh BhadraCustomised Funnel
We are running the standard plan for our ZOHO CRM. I have been asked if there is a way to combine data from the Calls module, Deals module and Contact Module into 1 funnel, similar to the view you can get when viewing Deals By Stages, you can see theTrigger Zapier on Deluge Insert Into Function?
Hello, To get around the limitation of not being able to trigger a Zapier Zap on Record Update(this would be extremely useful to be able to do btw), I have created a Deluge script to copy the data from Form A to a Trigger Form B using the Insert Into expression from a Custom Action button on a Report from Form A. This action does not trigger the Zapier Zap whereas manually adding a record or duplicating an existing record does trigger the Zap. Is Insert Into not the same as a manual Add in the contextCan you inject JS in an HML+CSS+Deluge Page?
I have an HTML + CSS + Deluge page and need just a little vanilla JS functionality. However, it seems like Zoho Creator does not allow that. I'm required to create a JS widget. Is this correct? If so: 1. Won't this quickly consume my API limit if thereDisplay Client Name in Zoho Creator Client Portal Dashboard
Hello Zoho Creator Team, We hope you are doing well. Zoho Creator recently introduced the option to set a client’s display name in the Client Portal settings, which is very helpful for providing a personalized portal experience. However, there is currentlyZoho unified inbox
The new changes have definitely improved things for switching between accounts. But zoho still desperately needs a unified inbox. It sucks to have to enter filters and folders for each and every inbox. This seems like such a simple thing, i wonder why Zoho hasn't done it?Marketer’s Space - Multi-Channel Campaigns for the Biggest Shopping Week with Zoho Marketing Automation
Hello marketers, Welcome back to another post in Marketers Space! The biggest shopping week of the year is almost here, and it’s your moment to shine without the stress. With Black Friday and Cyber Monday just around the corner, being present across email,Is there a problem with sharing workdrive files with links since last night?
As per title, we can't access folders/files through share links since last night. I created ticket but we need quick solution and didn't hear back from the support yet. The files are still accessible by the main account but all zoho files that we areEnable Screen Recording in Zoho WorkDrive Mobile Apps (Android & iOS)
Hi Zoho WorkDrive Team, How are you? We are enthusiastic Zoho One users and rely heavily on Zoho WorkDrive for internal collaboration and content sharing. The screen-recording feature in the WorkDrive web app (similar to Loom) is extremely useful- however,Production Management Tool (MRP / BOM)
Hi Guys, is there any recommended App available that works with zoho and covers the needed applications for a production? What we need is a system that covers the BOM (bill of materials), MRP (material ressources planning), MRP II (manufacturing ressourcesFunction #53: Transaction Level Profitability for Invoices
Hello everyone, and welcome back to our series! We have previously provided custom functions for calculating the profitability of a quote and a sales order. There may be instances where the invoice may differ from its corresponding quote or sales order.Bug in Zoho Cliq Signup Flow – "%s" Placeholder Visible Instead of Product Name
Hi Zoho Team, I would like to report a UI bug in the Zoho Cliq signup/enable flow. During the step where Cliq asks to enable the product for the company, the following text appears: Great! Your company is already available in Zoho, so you just have toZoho Invoice Customer Login Portal
Are there any plans for a customer portal to Zoho Invoice, ala Freshbooks? I would like customers that I invoice to be able to login to review invoices and invoice history. I have not switched from Freshbooks for this very reason.Exporting tickets
I went to Setup -> Organization -> Import/Export in order to export tickets but found 2 issues: 1. The email body never gets exported. 2. There are some large numbers (like 5.57E+16) under certain columns of the exported CSV file. I could not find any export options. Please can you help with this?Editing the Ticket Properties column
This is going to sound like a dumb question, but I cannot figure out how to configure/edit the sections (and their fields) in this column: For example, we have a custom "Resolution" field, which parked itself in the "Ticket Information" section of thisCopy field information to clipboard
I need to be able to transfer some field information in to the clipboard, so that I can then paste it in to our helpdesk system. Is there a way I could add a button to a detail report that does this?Issuing reconciling a bank statement
HELP! I'm trying to reconcile a bank statement. The prior month reconciled perfectly. Beginning balance is correct yet I'm off by the same amount each time. Both myself and my office manager, separately and together, have tried to complete this reconciliationUnknown table or alias 'A1'
I would like to create a subquery but i am getting the following error: Unknown table or alias 'A1' used in select query. This is the sql statement: SELECT A1.active_paying_customers, A1.active_trial_customers, A1.new_paying_signup, date(A1.date_active_customers),Detect and ignore bots in visitors
The SalesIQ visitor numbers are basically useless to us because there is no bot detection. We get the same bots coming in from the same countries looking at the same pages every day. It can't be that difficult to tell the difference between an actualAdd Real-Time Microphone Audio-Level Indicator During Screen Recording
Hi Zoho WorkDrive Team, Hope you are doing well. We would like to request an important enhancement to the Zoho WorkDrive screen-recording experience. Current Limitation: During a recording session, there is no visual indication that the microphone isZero Personalization of the File Sharing Experience
By now (2025) this is the maximum level of personalization available for a Zoho sharing link. We gently asked Zoho if we could modify at least the background, and they replied that it cannot be customized. We're truly disappointed – and surprised everyExternal Share > Edit: Cannot Create Zoho Files
Hi Zoho, When we create an external share link with Edit permission, our external users are unable to create a Zoho file (Zoho Writer, Zoho Sheet and Zoho Show). They can only upload files. They can edit the Zoho files if we create them internally andTwo factor authentication for helpdesk users
The company i work for wants use the helpdesk site in Zoho desk, as a place for their distribution partners to ask question and look for information about our product. The things there is suppose to go up there is somewhat confidential between my companyKiosk can't merge picklist or multiselect
There is no ability to load a multiselect or picklikst field into a kiosk with the values that have been previously selected. So, I essentially have 3 unacceptable options: 1.)Load the value into a text string and include instructions like this: "PicklistAGE field from DATE OF BIRTH Field.
HI! I have a field called date of birth in my CRM (LEADS, CONTACT etc…) How can I know the AGE today I would like to create a field AGE. I now how to create a field but I don´t which calculation (CUSTOM FUCTION) to make ¿ANY HELP?How to update/remove file in zoho creator widgets using javascript API
Hi Team, I have developed a widget which allows inserting and updating records I have file upload field with multiple file upload. Now while doing insert form record, I am using uploadFile API to upload files for that record. I am using updateRecord APIIntroducing Enhanced Storage Management
We’re excited to roll out two new enhancements in Zoho Recruit, Subscription Information and Storage Management — designed to give admins complete visibility into subscription details, feature limits, and storage consumption — all from one place insideAnnouncing new features in Trident for Windows (v.1.34.4.0)
Hello Community! Trident for Windows just got better! With this update we have features that make your daily work easier and more efficient. We've added some features that are exclusive to our app and we're sure you'll find them useful. Let’s dive intoReport Hover Setting
Would be great if we will able to show information to the user while hovering a record in a report.Vertical images displayed as horizontal
Some pictures that originally are in vertical position are displayed in horizontal after the upload. It seems that system rotates them by 90 degrees. How can I fix this issue?Zoho Desk iOS app update: Saved filters and sort options
Hello everyone! Saved filters created on the web(desk.zoho.com) for tickets are now accessible on the Zoho Desk iOS app. You can easily rename, delete, or clear filters on the go. We have also introduced Sort options on the ticket listing screen, allowingIntroducing VeriFactu Support in Zoho Books
Hello users, Spain has introduced the VeriFactu system under Real Decreto 1007/2023 to ensure integrity, traceability, and anti-fraud compliance in e-invoicing. Starting January 1, 2026, all B2B invoices must be reported to Agencia Estatal de AdministraciónBig Things Just Dropped in the SalesIQ Universe: Top Upgrades You’ll Love in Nova’25
Nova'25 has landed, and it’s packed with meaningful upgrades to help you engage smarter, work faster, and scale with ease. Whether you're into proactive messaging, smarter automation, or better admin control, there's something here for everyone. Here'sTime Entries in Analytics
I am trying to import a zoho sheet into zoho analytics. In my sheets one of the columns has "time Entries" in this "format HH:MM am/pm" example 11:00 PM. After import, i noticed that analytics converted the time to "00 Jan 1900 23:00:00".. how do i maintainAmazon invoice in Zoho Books
I have just made my first few sales on Amazon India. Amazon Seller account generates invoices for the sales made on Amazon. These invoices are sent to customers also. Now when I was only making offline sales, I used to create Invoices in Zoho Book. NowZoho Creator Upcoming Updates - November 2025
Hello everyone, Welcome to your monthly roundup of new features and enhancements! We hope you've already taken a look at Release Projection 2—it details the features coming your way for the rest of the year. And this month, we're excited to start rollingZoho Webinar + HubSpot : Simplifiez la gestion de vos données de webinaires
Les webinaires sont aujourd’hui essentiels pour interagir avec vos prospects et vos clients. Cependant, la gestion des données entre plusieurs plateformes peut vite devenir complexe. Grâce à la nouvelle intégration entre Zoho Webinar et HubSpot, vos outilsI am trying to give access to one of our educators access to 3 forms in Zoho and she is not able to view the data - Access issue
Hi Team, When I try to provide read access to one of our educators on Zoho for Pre-training , post training and Impact survey forms submit form access which also allows them to read , it does not show them dataNext Page