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




                                    Zoho Desk Resources

                                    • Desk Community Learning Series


                                    • Digest


                                    • Functions


                                    • Meetups


                                    • Kbase


                                    • Resources


                                    • Glossary


                                    • Desk Marketplace


                                    • MVP Corner


                                    • Word of the Day



                                        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 Campaigns 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

                                                                                                  • HOW TO VIEW INDIVIDUAL COST OF NEWLY PURCHASED GOODS AFTER ALLOCATING LANDED COSTS

                                                                                                    Hello, I have been able to allocate landed costs to the purchase cost of the new products. however, what i need to see now is the actual cost price (original cost plus landed cost), of only my newly purchased products to enable me set a selling price
                                                                                                  • Client Script: $Client.refresh({ triggerOnLoad: true }); not triggering onLoad Client Scripts

                                                                                                    Hey friends! I'm trying to store a temporary var, refresh the page for the user, then check that temporary var and do some actions. Theoretically using the title's code: $Client.refresh({ triggerOnLoad: true }); should refresh the page and trigger on
                                                                                                  • Calculate months and years between 2 dates on subform

                                                                                                    I am looking for a function syntax for an employment candidate to calculate the number of years and months (decimal format. eg 1.2 years) they are employed. I have their start date entered, but if the end date is blank, that tells me they are still employed
                                                                                                  • Combine related grouping values into categories in CRM analytical components

                                                                                                    Hello everyone, Analyzing large datasets can be challenging when dealing with numerous individual data points. It's often difficult to extract meaningful insights when information is scattered and ungrouped. To address this, we're adding options to create
                                                                                                  • How Kiosk Studio can simplify sales for bank employees | Kiosk Studio Session #4

                                                                                                    Hello everyone, Banks can boost revenue by cross-selling to their current customers. For example, they can sell credit cards, personal loans, and more to existing account holders. To do this, bank employees move all around the CRM, open and close records,
                                                                                                  • Tip #19 - Create checkbox tracker in your spreadsheet

                                                                                                    Hello Sheet users! We are here with yet another tip to help you get the most out of Zoho Sheet. Spreadsheets can be used to handle a variety of tasks, but ever tried using checkboxes to track the progress of your action items dynamically? Here's a sample
                                                                                                  • Integrate Oracle with ZOHO CRM

                                                                                                                         Please let me know if its possible to Integrate Oracle with ZOHO CRM. If yes then help me in doing it. 
                                                                                                  • UUIDs

                                                                                                    Has anyone coded a Universal Unique Identifier (UUID) generator in Deluge?
                                                                                                  • Introducing signer groups: Streamline signature collection and make it even faster

                                                                                                    Hello everyone, We're excited to introduce signer groups, a feature designed to make your signing process quicker, more efficient, and collaborative. With signer groups, you can send an envelope to a group of people, and any member of the group can open
                                                                                                  • Calendar - Recurring Event - End of Month and Last Weekday of Month

                                                                                                    How do I set a calendar event to recur on the last day of every month? How do I set a calendar event to recur on the last weekday of the month?
                                                                                                  • Duplicate Zoho Invoices and Sales Receipts

                                                                                                    We have been running into an issue where upon saving an invoice or a sales receipt, we get a duplicate: same information saved twice but with a different invoice id/number and sales receipt id/number. I have logged a ticket but so far no response. It
                                                                                                  • Introducing revamped Zoho Creator Developer Console—a powerful platform for developing and distributing apps

                                                                                                    Hello everyone! We're thrilled to announce the launch of the revamped Zoho Creator Developer Console—a dedicated platform designed specifically for Creator developers and Partners to build, test, and distribute apps to your clients. Developer Console
                                                                                                  • Phone App of CRM doesn't find contacts

                                                                                                    I open the crm to and do a contact search but nothing comes up. If I do a full zia search it will find an old note that is attached to a contact and I can open the contact. BUT I still can't enter notes of calls, set appointments, etc. It requests I go
                                                                                                  • [Product Update] Deprecation of 'Inbound Transport Details' module in Zoho Analytics - Amazon Seller Central integration

                                                                                                    Dear Customers, Please be informed that the Amazon Seller Central will be deprecating the 'Inbound Transport Details' module APIs effective December 20, 2024. As a result, this module will no longer be supported in the Amazon Seller Central - Zoho Analytics
                                                                                                  • Is there any support for Drivers license and other forms of ID scanning capabilities?

                                                                                                    When scanning a drivers license barcode for data input to a Form, the scanning tool receives all the raw data but there doesnt seem to be a function to limit or remove the unnecessary fragmrnts, like a prefix. Is there any support or info in the help
                                                                                                  • Exciting Update: Multi WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) Support Now Available in SalesIQ!

                                                                                                    We’re pleased to share an important update that will enhance the way you manage your WhatsApp Business accounts (WABAs) within SalesIQ. With the launch of Multi WABA support, you can now connect and manage multiple brands more effectively, each under
                                                                                                  • Gravity Forms plugin not passing some fields

                                                                                                    I use the gravity form zoho plugin to push data from my lead form into my lead page in Zoho CRM. Everything was working file for about 6 months. Suddenly on Oct 1st, some of the fields are no longer getting passed to Zoho. The fields with the problem
                                                                                                  • Can't delete bank transactions (i changed from 14 days trail to free just now)

                                                                                                    Hi, I manually added one bank transaction When i try to delete it, it say below: What should I do?
                                                                                                  • Feature Request: Search in the PC client. Some thoughts about the search.

                                                                                                    Hi all. I'm really excited to start using Zoho Notebook, but I'm missing some of the search capabilities on my desktop. There are also some thoughts on improving search in general. Search is very important to me, without it it is difficult for me to use
                                                                                                  • Leave Policy for Brazil

                                                                                                    Hi, Brazil asked us to configure Zoho People to apply the following policy: · To block starting vacations 2 business days before holidays or weekends; Employees cannot start their vacations 2 days before holidays or weekends. Example: If December 25th
                                                                                                  • Adding date field to each individual Items when creating Invoices?

                                                                                                    When adding items into an invoice I need to be able to have a date for each item. Example below: Date Item Description Qty Rate Discount(%) Tax Amount 31/07/13 Brown Sugar Performance 1.00 3,000.00 0.00 10% $3300 Is this possible or will it be in the
                                                                                                  • Auto-Create OneDrive Folder Structure Upon Lead Creation

                                                                                                    Hello, New to Zoho and looking for help on a critical process automation I'm looking to implement. My company currently utilizes OneDrive for file management and the folder structure is Proposals -> Client Name -> Address (where I need to initially create
                                                                                                  • Profile Page View Customization

                                                                                                    I need to change the fields, sections from the profile view of an emplyoyee.
                                                                                                  • What do the Image Sizes mean in Zoho CRM Email Templates?

                                                                                                    Below you can see the image options in email templates: Banner, Fit, Small, Medium, Original, Custom. Can someone from Zoho please share with me: What each is/means? How each will look on desktop AND mobile? How to edit "custom"?  If I choose "Custom"
                                                                                                  • Translate any published presentation to the language of your choice

                                                                                                    As part of our constant effort to enrich your presentation experience, Zoho Show has rolled out a new feature for translating published presentations. Consider the following scenario: Zylker IT services, a multinational corporation, has announced product
                                                                                                  • Blueprint: multi-select lookup field not available in the criteria option

                                                                                                    I read this old forum post which stated that multi-select lookup fields are now selectable as an option in a Blueprint transition configuration: https://help.zoho.com/portal/en/community/topic/blueprint-multi-select-lookup-field-not-available-within-blueprint-transition
                                                                                                  • Apply Credit Note Automatically

                                                                                                    We need the ability to apply open Credit Notes toward invoices generated by recurring invoice as the first, priority payment. This should be an option that we can enable/disable in the recurring profile and/or the Credit Note. Other invoicing systems can do this. I'm not sure why Zoho Invoice doesn't have it. Here's an example for a Recurring Invoice... If a customer has open Credit Notes, and a saved credit card set for auto-pay, once an invoice goes out, the credit balance gets automatically applied
                                                                                                  • Workflow for "Expenses" module?

                                                                                                    Hi there, over the last 2 years, Zoho Expense has seen tremendous growth and we are happy with it. But, sometimes it is frustrating to see things are being implemented halfheartedly, or so it seems. For example, There is the possibility to create workflows
                                                                                                  • Record Template - Conditionally printing sections

                                                                                                    Is there a way to conditionally print a section of a Record Template? More specifically I am printing records from a Form "Invoice". That Form has 3 SubForms. I'd like to print the content of those SubForms using a Record Template but only if they have at least one line item. If they have no line items, I'd like to hide the headers for that section on the printout.
                                                                                                  • User can choose the PDF report

                                                                                                    Hi. I would like to find out if a user (Creator or customer portal) to choose from the different PDF customised reports that have been built?
                                                                                                  • Query table pull last 12 months

                                                                                                    I am tying to pull the following criteria and the date is always what causes me the issue. I want to pull people (pco_id) who have entries of "event_id" being these 2 events and whos "kind" is Regular or Guest and where the event_starts_at (date column)
                                                                                                  • PLEASE FIX Search options and consider a Global seach option

                                                                                                    A recent update has removed the ability to search for addresses and phone numbers under contacts. We cannot find where this moved to (If it is still available). Please put these options back as we cannot locate specific projects anymore. Also please consider allowing for a Global search. This would really improve the search engine. For example: If I search for "Sally Jones" then all invoices , estimates, vendors etc.. would populate.. Please let me know if you need any more information. Thank You....
                                                                                                  • Customize your calendar based on personal preferences

                                                                                                    Greetings, We're happy to introduce a few new capabilities to the Activities module's Calendar View! Now you can tailor your calendar's appearance and notification settings to suit your needs. In the past, the Calendar View lacked customization options
                                                                                                  • BUG ALERT: Client Script + Commands -> $Page contextual data is not updated

                                                                                                    When using the new Client Script Commands feature, there is an issue with the Client Script $Page contextual data not accurately being updated each time a Command is run. Assuming a Client Script Command called "Client Script Command Bug" with the following
                                                                                                  • Show iFrame of related List inside of Blueprint Transition

                                                                                                    Hey, is it possible to show an iFrame of a related list like this inside of a Blueprint transition?
                                                                                                  • Lookup Fields not Converting

                                                                                                    I manage holiday properties. I have a lookup to the Accounts (Properties) in the Leads module. The lookup is connected to the property address field. When I convert it the lookup field does not update in Deals, although the property address does. There
                                                                                                  • 2024: A Year of Transformation with Zoho Forms

                                                                                                    As we close the curtain on another exciting year, it’s time to reflect on the strides Zoho Forms has taken in 2024. From empowering businesses with advanced tools to simplifying workflows and enhancing user experiences, our updates this year were all
                                                                                                  • Stop selling out of stock Items.

                                                                                                    Hi I have been using Zohobooks for a around 8 month now. I am not involved in selling process but my staff cant stop selling product which they do not hold in stock, this is a big headache for me as physical count never matches what is shown on the books. 
                                                                                                  • Bigin API Token Request ("invalid_client")

                                                                                                    Hi people, I tried to connect to the API without success, I've read all of the documentation multiple time and tried just about everything. I tried to do it with Python Request module and with Postman, passing the information through both the URL parameter
                                                                                                  • Customer Happiness not clickable when using API

                                                                                                    Is there a way to automatically add the Customer Feedback links when generating email drafts via the API? Currently, the feedback links are only added when generating an email draft using the UI. I tried using the endpoint described in https://desk.zoho.com/DeskAPIDocument#CustomerFeedback#CustomerFeedback_Getthecustomerfeedbackplaceholderlink
                                                                                                  • Next Page