Accessing Subform using Zoho CRM APIs

Accessing Subform using Zoho CRM APIs

Hello everyone!

Welcome back to another post in our Kaizen series
In this post, we will discuss how to manipulate the Subform data using Zoho CRM APIs.

Subforms

A Subform is a data section embedded in the primary form to collect details related to the parent record. It helps in maintaining multiple records under a single parent record. 

Using subform, you can create a parent-child relationship between modules, where the parent module represents the primary data and the child module contains the related data. 

Data Model Representation
The above diagram shows the data model representation when you create a subform in a module.
Consider adding a subform field named Project Details in the Leads module (parent module). Zoho CRM will automatically create a separate module for the subform field with the specified subform field name - Project Details. Each record within the subform module can have multiple fields, in addition to the system-defined Parent_Id lookup field, establishing a connection between the parent (Leads module) and child (subform module) modules. Through this linking process, one can easily identify which subform record corresponds to which specific lead record.

Use Case

Consider Zylker Consulting organization using Zoho CRM to maintain their leads and their projects. Zylker uses the Project Details subform in the Leads module to collect project-specific information collected from their Leads.
The Project Details subform includes fields such as Project Title,Type, Budget, and Status, in addition to the Parent_Id lookup field.
Now, the Zylker's sales team needs to retrieve all the details of the projects from the Leads module for further project analysis, expected budgets, and status. Let's see how to manipulate these data in CRM using Zoho CRM APIs.

The APIs used in this post

API
Methods
Subforms API
GET, POST, UPDATE
Records API
POST, UPDATE, DELETE
Search API
GET
COQL API
POST
Bulk Read API
POST, GET

How to retrieve subform records using the Zoho CRM APIs?

To retrieve subform records from the subform module, specify the subform module's API name to access their records or fields.

Step - 1
To know the API names of the subform fields in a module, make a GET - Fields Metadata API call. Among all the Leads' fields, subform field can be identified by the json key data_type with the value subform. Corresponding subform module can be found from the json associated_module. Below is the API call & response for such a subform field.

Request URL :
{api-domain}/crm/v6/settings/fields/{subform_field_id}?module=Leads

Request Method: GET

Sample Response:


Step - 2
Using the api_name of the subform module, make a GET Fields metadata API call to get the list of fields (along with their api_name) in the subform. One of the fields of the subform module will be Parent_Id with the data_type as lookup, pointing to the parent module (here it is Leads).

Request URL 
Request Method: GET
Sample Response:
Now you know how to get the API name of the subform and its corresponding fields.

Step - 3
Sample Request and Response to retrieve subform records
The below request will retrieve all the subform records in the Leads module. The linking of subform record to the Lead's module will be available in the Parent_Id field, which is highlighted. The id key inside the Parent_Id json object is the id of the Leads records.
 


How to add data to the subforms?

To add records to the subform, you need the API name of the subform and its corresponding field API names.
Request URL:
Request Method:  POST
Sample Input
{
    "data": [
        {
            "Last_Name": "Patricia",
            "Company": "Info Technology",
            "Email" : "patricia@mail.com",
            "Project_Details": //API name of the subform
     [ 
                {
                    "Project_Name": "Mobile App Development for Productivity",
                    "Project_Type": "Mobile App Development",
                    "Expected_Budget": 50000,
                    "Status": "Negotiation in Process"
                }, //API names of the subform fields
                {
                    "Project_Name": "Big Data Infrastructure Implementation",
                    "Project_Type": "Infrastructure Upgrade",
                    "Expected_Budget": 30000,
                    "Status": "Proposal Submitted"
                },
                {
                    "Project_Name": "Big Data Infrastructure Implementation",
                    "Project_Type": "Infrastructure Upgrade",
                    "Expected_Budget": 30000,
                    "Status": "Proposal Submitted"
                }
            ] 
        }
    ]
}

The above highlighted syntax is used for adding data to the subform records. 

Sample Response:

Kaizen #33 - Subforms API explains in detail how to Fetch, Update, and Delete the subform data with sample requests, inputs, and responses.

Retrieve Subform Data via Search API and COQL API

There may be situations where you need to fetch records based upon certain conditions.  

Criteria :
The sales team wants to retrieve the subform records whose budget is greater than or equal to $40000. In this case, we will use Zoho CRM's Search API and COQL API. Let's see how to achieve this. 

Search API

To retrieve the records that match your search criteria, retrieve subform data using its corresponding module API name.  Note that using Search API, you can fetch data quickly from a single module.

Request URL:

Request Method: GET
Sample Response :
The above response shows all records that meet the specified criteria.

How to retrieve subform records from a particular parent record?

To retrieve subforms records in a particular lead record that meet the above criteria, follow the below sample request.

Sample Request URL:

Sample Response:



Retrieving Subforms Data via COQL API

We know that the subform is maintained in a separate module. So, retrieve subform data by querying the subform module's API name and it's parent module via the Parent_Id lookup field. 

Request URL:
Request Method : POST

Sample Input:
{
 "select_query" : "select Expected_Budget from Project_Details where ((Expected_Budget >=40000) and (Parent_Id = 5725767000002105043))"
}

Sample Response:
Using a Parent_Id (lookup field pointing to Leads module) in the COQL criteria automatically adds a left join to the child module (Project_Details). With that join, criteria can be applied to the fields of the parent module also. Below example illustrates that we want to fetch the Expected_Budget field of the Project_Details module where the Expected_Budget is greater than or equal to 40000 for the corresponding Leads with Annual Revenue greater than 1000000. 

{
 "select_query" : "select Expected_Budget from Project_Details where ((Expected_Budget >=40000) and (Parent_Id.Annual_Revenue > 100000 ))"
}

From the SQL perspective, above COQL can be interpreted as

select pd.Expected_Budget from Project_Details as pd left join Leads as l on pd.Parent_Id=l.id where pd.Expected_Budget>=40000 and l.Annual_Revenue > 1000000

For more information on COQL API, refer to the Kaizen posts  COQL Part -1 and COQL Part - 2

Bulk Read API

Bulk Read API allows you to fetch a large set of data i.e., you can fetch a maximum of 200,000 records in a single API call. 
To export subform records in the Leads module in CSV file format, use the subform's API name.

Request URL:
Request Method: POST

Sample input to export subform records:
{
    "callback": {
        "method": "post"
    },
    "query": {
        "module": {
            "api_name": "Project_Details" //API name of the Subform module
        },
        "file_type": "csv"
    }
}


Export subform records that meet the specified criteria

To export subform records based on the given criteria above (similar to the criteria for Search and COQL APIs).

Sample Input:
{
        . . .
     "query": {
        "module": {
            "api_name": "Project_Details"
        },
        "fields": [
            "Project_Name",
            "Project_Type",
            "Expected_Budget",
            "Status"
        ],
        "criteria": {
            "field": {
                "api_name": "Expected_Budget"
            },
            "comparator": "greater_equal",
            "value": "40000" //Retrieving subform records with an expected budget greater than or equal to $40,000
        }
    }
}


Export subform records that meet the specified criteria for the particular parent record

To export the subform records of a particular parent record in the Leads module. Check the below sample request.

Sample Input:

{
       . . .
        "query": {
        "module": {
            "api_name": "Project_Details"
        },
        "fields": [
            "Project_Name",
            "Project_Type",
            "Expected_Budget",
            "Status"
        ],
        "criteria": {
            "group": [
                {
                    "field": {
                        "api_name": "Expected_Budget"
                    },
                    "comparator": "greater_than",
                    "value": "39999"
                },
                {
                    "field": {
                        "api_name": "Parent_Id"
                    },
                    "comparator": "equal",
                    "value": "5725767000002105043"
                }
            ],
            "group_operator": "AND"
        }
    }
}


As the API is an asynchronous API, the response will not be available instantly; the bulk read job is scheduled, and the status can be checked. Once the job is completed, it'll be notified in the callback URL. The records are available in a downloadable CSV file or ICS file (for events). You can export subform records in a module using the subform module API name. See Kaizen #12 Bulk Read API to know how to view the status of the scheduled job and download the file, along with more sample requests and responses.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q.  Is the API name of the subform case-sensitive? Also, how can I view the API name of a subform field in the web UI?
Yes, the API name of a subform is case-sensitive. To know the API name of a subform module (e.g. Project Details) Please go to Setup -> Developer Hub -> APIs -> CRM API -> API names -> Click on the parent module where the subform was created (e.g. Leads) and scroll down there you can view the subform field's API name.

Q. I changed the order of subform records and made a GET - Records API call. The system listed the records in the same order as displayed in the UI, rather than the order of their creation. Is this the system design? 
When you make a GET - Records API call for a module, it lists the subform records ordered in the UI. Note that you can re-order the subform records. So, when you retrieve those records via the API, they will be listed in the same order as they are arranged in the UI.

Q. Can we change a subform field's API name via API?
You can change the API name of the subform field only through the UI. Go to Setup -> Developer Hub -> APIs -> CRM API -> API names -> Click on the parent module where the subform was created (e.g. Leads) and go to the Field Label section. There you can view the subform field name and edit the API by clicking on the Edit option.

We trust that this post meets your needs and is helpful. 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!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Previous Kaizen Post : Kaizen #123 Data Synchronization from a third party application
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Cheers!

Additional Reading:

Kaizen Posts:





    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



                                          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

                                                                                                  • Custom Status for Purchase Orders

                                                                                                    Currently Zoho books has functionality to create custom statuses for Sales Orders. Can this be extended to include custom status for purchase orders as well? It was a great decision to add this functionality to sales orders. Our use case is for tracking
                                                                                                  • My workflows not working

                                                                                                    Hi I have created my first workflow I want it so when a customer responds to a ticket that the status is changed to "reopened" We want this so its clear there is a ticket to deal with again. We only have 2 agents responding to tickets and do not have
                                                                                                  • Waiting Room

                                                                                                    Is there any plans to implement a Virtual Waiting Room for Attendees on Meetings and or Webinars?
                                                                                                  • Error AS101 when adding new email alias

                                                                                                    Hi, I am trying to add apple@(mydomain).com The error AS101 is shown while I try to add the alias.
                                                                                                  • Global Sets for Multi-Select pick lists

                                                                                                    When is this feature coming to Zoho CRM? It would be very useful now we have got used to having it for the normal pick lists.
                                                                                                  • What's New - January 2025 | Zoho Backstage

                                                                                                    Hi there! As we step into a brand-new year, we’re thrilled to bring you some exciting updates to make event management more enjoyable and efficient. Here’s what we rolled out in January to kick off 2025: Backstage 2.0 now enforced for all users We've
                                                                                                  • How do you do ticket add ons in Backstage?

                                                                                                    Hi Everyone, If you wanted to have general admin tickets and allow for add ons, like camping, or car or Carbon offset. What would you do? Peace Robin
                                                                                                  • Re-create auth token

                                                                                                    I need to re-create a self-client auth token, with the same scopes (and additional ones) as the current token. Is there a way to view the scopes assigned to the current token to ensure that no scopes are missing when creating the new one?
                                                                                                  • Writing on sketch cards is bugged when zoomed in

                                                                                                    When zoomed in, it writes a noticeable distance above or to the side of where you're actually trying to write. The further you're zoomed in, the more noticeable it is. Zooming is also entirely absent on the desktop version.
                                                                                                  • Doesn't let me test my newsletter.

                                                                                                    Hello, I click "Preview and Test". I select the email address to send the test (usually my own email). I send the test email, appears the message "Your test email has been sent", but nothing happens. I mean, there is nothing in my inbox. I also tried
                                                                                                  • Custom Related List anchor tag with tel protocol

                                                                                                    The following code worked great for about a year to create clickable tel and mailto links in a related list in the Deals module. Just this morning, it started displaying the HTML as text. For example: <a href='tel:8882490100'>8882490100</a> Zoho support
                                                                                                  • reset of user password

                                                                                                    User forgot her password, so she requests a password rest, but never gets the email. How do I reset her password, since that function is not an option, even for an administrator?
                                                                                                  • In what case it's better to use Developer Console? Only for marketplace?

                                                                                                    As I can see from the documentation, the limitations are challenging. No Custom API No Page Variables No Custom Connections.
                                                                                                  • commision tracker

                                                                                                    I am after a zoho developer to finish my commission tracker as I hired someone on oDesk that started but now will respond to my emails.I really need to get It finished as it is holding up my plans Thanks Budget : $500 | Duration : a.s.a.p To leave a private message, please click the link for private response in post Action section.
                                                                                                  • Generate a Zoho Sign link

                                                                                                    From time to time I get a response "I never received your you e-document for electronic signature" is there a way to generate a Zoho Sign link to share.
                                                                                                  • Error 403: Forbidden When Updating Email Signature via API

                                                                                                    Hi Zoho Desk team, First, congratulations again on the excellent Zoho API. But, I’m encountering an issue while attempting to update an email signature via the API. Whenever I make a request to update the signature, the response returns an HTTP 403 Forbidden
                                                                                                  • Queues Management ?

                                                                                                    I need to assign the new requirements equally between my support agents. How I can configure this feature in Zoho? Thanks
                                                                                                  • Client Can't View Ticket

                                                                                                    Hi, I created a ticket for my Client since he had an issue. I added him as a Contact as well. My client got a notification in his email that the ticket has been created. When he went to view the ticket on his desktop, the screen was blank. He then viewed
                                                                                                  • Automating Custom Web Link Messages to Customers via Instant Messaging in Zoho Desk

                                                                                                    Hello, I am looking for assistance with Zoho Desk's Instant Messaging feature. Is there a way to automate the sending of a custom web link to customers every day at 6:30 PM? Any guidance or suggestions on how to achieve this would be greatly appreciated.
                                                                                                  • How do you apply field validation to a date field?

                                                                                                    We are using Sign for remote e-signature of liability waivers. The signer must enter a date of birth, and if they are a minor their legal guardian must sign for them. However we have had numerous problems with signers returning an invalid date of birth
                                                                                                  • Implement Regex in Layout and Validation rules

                                                                                                    Hello all, We are excited to announce that users can now implement Regular Expressions (Regex) in our layout and validation rules. This new functionality allows for more flexible rules to be created when designing and validating forms. What is Regex?
                                                                                                  • Zoho Desk Validation Rule Using Custom Function

                                                                                                    Hi all, I tried to find the way to validate fields using custom function just like in Zoho CRM but to no avail. Is there a way to do this?
                                                                                                  • Editing landing page after signup for a webinar

                                                                                                    Hi, how can I edit the landing page after signing up for a webinar. I personalized the email "registration confirmation", which is working fine. Nevertheless after submitting the form, the participant gets redirected to a page, which looks like the standard
                                                                                                  • Kiosk GetRecords can't compare formulas

                                                                                                    (submitted as a help request by accident - should have been a topic) Scenario: I have an "email domain" formula whose value is "@xyz.com" if the e-mail address is brent@xyz.com . I have the same field in Leads and Contacts. So, theoretically, I should
                                                                                                  • Kiosk 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: "Picklist
                                                                                                  • Fillable template with dynamic tables?

                                                                                                    Is there a way to build a fillable template so that users can add rows to a table? To describe what I'm trying to accomplish the table has 3 sections; a header row, some number of rows with custom information, and a summary row with totals. I can't figure
                                                                                                  • Tip of the Week - Timeline User Filter for Dashboard

                                                                                                    Does the Date User Filter in your Dashboard leave out a few reports from filtering? This happens when the reports are not created over the same table and the (time) column over which the user filter is created.   To solve this, Zoho Reports has a Timeline User Filter. This filter applies the criteria on all reports, matching it with the best possible date column associated with a report. i.e., if your reports are based on a date column, then it will filter it for that data column.  To know more on
                                                                                                  • Zoho Forms Webhooks - Only sends on submission not on edit.

                                                                                                    Hi There, We have a slightly unique use case for Zoho Forms. We used Zoho Forms for the collection of Guest Lists. When a customer submits their guest list they get an email confirmation. Within this is a link for them to update their guest list before
                                                                                                  • Add Knowledge Base KB Articles to multiple categories

                                                                                                    Greetings,  Love you help center system.  One item that would be incredibly helpful to many of us would be able to add a single Knowledge Base KB article to multiple categories in our system.  It seems it could be quite easy to use a checkbox form, instead
                                                                                                  • What does "Tickets for Review" do?

                                                                                                    What is the purpose of the va nilla view " Tickets for Review?"
                                                                                                  • Report of Leads/Accounts/Deals with no open activities

                                                                                                    How can we replicate the option in filter to only show Leads/Accounts/Deals with no open activities ? The option is present in the filters (please find screenshot) but I am unable to find them in the report. Thanks
                                                                                                  • Cannot set Subform Multiline field to read-only using Client Script

                                                                                                    I am using client script to set different subform fields as read-only It works for Single Line Fields, but when I try to set a Multiline field as Read-only it doesn't work var subform = ZDK.Page.getSubform("Subform_1"); var item_Code_old = subform.getField('Item_Code_Old').setReadOnly(true);
                                                                                                  • Changing Color Theme of Guided Conversations

                                                                                                    Hello, We have recently added Guided Conversations to one of our websites, but I am wondering if there is a way to customize the color scheme so it matches the appearance of the website? Thank you in advance!
                                                                                                  • Lost the ability to sort by ticket owner

                                                                                                    Hi all, in the last week or so, we have lost the ability to sort tickets by Ticket Owner. Unlike the other columns which we can hover over and click on to sort, Ticket Owner is no longer clickable. Is it just us, or are other customers seeing this too?
                                                                                                  • Can't login to Zoho mail

                                                                                                    I'm logged into Zoho but when I try to go in zoho mail I get: Invalid request! The input passed is invalid or the URL is invoked without valid parameters. Please check your input and try again. I just set up my mx records and stuff with namecheap a few
                                                                                                  • Social Media Simplified with Zoho Social: Bridge sales and social media marketing

                                                                                                    Social media marketing has become the go-to strategy for most businesses who are trying to boost awareness of their product/service, create a brand image in the minds of their audience, increase website traffic and engagement, and generate leads. Posting
                                                                                                  • This domain is not allowed to add. Please contact support-as@zohocorp.com for further details

                                                                                                    I am trying to setup the free version of Zoho Mail. When I tried to add my domain, theselfreunion.com I got the error message that is the subject of this Topic. I've read your other community forum topics, and this is NOT a free domain. So what is the
                                                                                                  • Work Orders / Bundle Requests

                                                                                                    Zoho Inventory needs a work order / bundle request system. This record would be analogous to a purchase order in the purchasing workflow or a sales order in the sales cycle. It would be non-journaling, but it would reserve the appropriate inventory of
                                                                                                  • Create Quote does not show the "Product Description" entered as part of the Product setup.

                                                                                                    The product description created as part of the product setup page, does not show in the Create Quote module; The module allows for an additional description to be added but without access to the original stored description. By selecting the product from the "Product Name Lookup" pop-up, the "Product Description" part should be populated from the product record where the user is allowed to further modify it.
                                                                                                  • Allow Itemization for Recurring Expenses

                                                                                                    For whatever reason, one cannot itemize a Recurring Expense. This capability should be added. The use cases to support this is largely the same as what they were to allow for itemization in Expenses. Anything that would need to be itemized for a regular
                                                                                                  • Next Page