Kaizen #137 - Lead Conversion using Zoho CRM APIs
Leads represent potential sales opportunities sourced from various channels like trade shows, seminars, and marketing campaigns. When a Lead shows promise, you can convert them into Accounts, Contacts, and Deals.
Imagine you have a Lead named Pat Boyle with her email address as pat.boyle@zylker.com. You want to convert her into a Contact, but what if a Contact with the same email already exists? Converting the lead would create a duplicate record, making it harder to track your interactions with the lead.
The Lead Conversion Options API acts as your safety net before Lead Conversion. This API assists in identifying matching records from the Accounts, and Contacts module, ensuring data integrity and preventing duplication during the conversion process.
Step 1 : Identify matching records using Lead Conversion Options API
Consider the following lead generated through a marketing campaign for a software company.
Name : Pat Boyle
Company : Zylker Biotech
Phone : 9844444444
Email : pat.boyle@zylker.com
As the sales team progresses with Pat Boyle and decides to convert her into an Account or a Contact, they must be cautious about potential duplicates in their CRM. For instance, if there is already an Account named Zylker Biotech or a Contact named Pat Boyle, converting the lead to create a new Contact could create duplicate records. The Lead Conversion Options API response provides details of potential matches, including existing Accounts or Contacts, along with matching field details.
Matching Criteria:
The matching process relies on unique fields in the Contacts and Accounts modules. In cases where there are no unique fields in these modules, or when there are no matches found based on the unique fields, the matching is performed based on the Email field in the Contacts module, the Account_Name field in the Accounts module with the Company field of the fields module, or the Lead name with the Contact name.
Here is the order of preference for finding the matching records:
In the presence of unique fields in Contacts and/or Accounts module:
- Contacts module : Unique Field 1 > Unique Field 2 > Email
- Accounts module : Unique Field 1 > Unique Field 2 > Account name
In the absence of unique fields:
- Lead Email checked against the Email fields in the Contacts module.
- Lead Company checked against the account names (Account_Name) in the Accounts module.
- The lead's name checked against the Contacts' names in the Contacts module.
In our scenario, let us assume that the Phone in Contacts module is a unique field.
Request method : GET
Sample Response :
{ "__conversion_options": { "module_preference": { "api_name": "Contacts", "id": "4876876000000002179" }, "Contacts": [ { "Full_Name": "Boyle", "Email": "pat.boyle@zylker.com", "Phone": null, "Locked__s": false, "Account_Name": null, "$editable": true, "id": "4876876000007437017", "$approval_state": "approved", "Data_Processing_Basis": "null" }, { "Full_Name": "Pat Boyle", "Email": null, "Phone": "9844444444", "Locked__s": false, "Account_Name": { "name": "Zylker Biotech", "Locked__s": false, "id": "4876876000007421010" }, "$editable": true, "id": "4876876000007421001", "$approval_state": "approved", "Data_Processing_Basis": "null" } ], "preference_field_matched_value": { "Contacts": [ { "field": { "api_name": "Phone", "id": "4876876000000002503" }, "matched_lead_value": "9844444444" }, { "field": { "api_name": "Email", "id": "4876876000000002497" }, "matched_lead_value": "pat.boyle@zylker.com" } ], "Accounts": [ { "field": { "api_name": "Account_Name", "id": "4876876000000002425" }, "matched_lead_value": "Zylker Biotech" }, { "field": { "api_name": "Phone", "id": "4876876000000002427" }, "matched_lead_value": "9844444444" } ] }, "Accounts": [ { "Layout": { "name": "Standard", "id": "4876876000000091029" }, "Phone": null, "Account_Type": null, "Locked__s": false, "Website": null, "Account_Name": "Zylker Biotech", "$editable": true, "id": "4876876000007421010", "$approval_state": "approved" } ], "modules_with_multiple_layouts": [ // { "api_name": "Accounts", "id": "4876876000000002177" } ] } } |
The preference_field_matched_value object in the response contains the details such as the field and the value of the Contact and Account that matches with the lead. The Contacts and Accounts JSON objects contain the details of the matching records. As per the response, there are two Contacts and one Account with similar details to our Lead.
- A Contact (Pat Boyle) has the same Phone 9844444444 (matching field) as the Lead
- A Contact (Boyle) with the same Email pat.boyle@zylker.com (matching field) as the Lead
- An Account with the same Account_Name Zylker Biotech as the Company of the Lead.
Step 2 : Perform Lead Conversion using Convert Lead API
You can convert a Lead into a Contact, Account, and a Deal using this API. From the Lead conversion options API, we have the matching Contacts and Accounts for the specific deal. Based on the Lead Conversion Options API's response, you can choose to create a new record in the Contacts or Accounts module, or move the Lead record to existing matching records in these modules during Lead Conversion.
During Lead conversion, the Lead's field values are mapped to the corresponding Accounts, Contacts, and Deals records. By default, Zoho CRM automatically maps standard Lead fields to their corresponding fields in Accounts, Contacts, and Deals. The lead mapping tool allows for customization, enabling you to map any additional fields specific to your sales process.
Request method: POST
Input JSON keys:
Input JSON key | Description |
overwrite Boolean, optional | Represents whether to overwrite the account name in the contact if the account name and company in the lead mismatch. Ignored when the Lead has no value for the Company field. true: Overwrites the Contact's Account name with the Lead's company name. false: Leaves the existing Account name unchanged, potentially causing inconsistencies. Default value : false |
notify_lead_owner Boolean, optional | Specifies whether the lead owner should be notified about the lead conversion via email. Default value : false |
notify_new_entity_owner Boolean, optional | Specifies whether the owner of the newly created Contact or Account receives an email notification Default value : false |
move_attachments_to JSON object, optional | Specify the module (Contacts, Deals, or Accounts) where you want to move the Lead's attachments after conversion. Default value : Contacts |
Accounts JSON object, optional | Specify the account with which the lead being converted should be merged. Pass the valid account ID. |
Contacts JSON object, optional | Specify the contact with which the lead being converted should be merged. Pass the valid contact ID. |
assign_to JSON object, optional | The user to which the converted record should be assigned. Pass the valid user ID. |
Deals JSON object, optional | Create a new Deal associated with the converted Lead. Requires details like Deal_Name, Closing_Date, Pipeline, and Stage. You can also assign a Contact_Role by providing the unique contact role ID. |
carry_over_tags JSON object, optional | Carries over tags of the lead to contact, account, and deal. |
Case I : Convert Lead to merge with existing records:
In this case, you can merge the lead record with existing records in the Accounts and/or Contacts module to avoid duplication. You can also create a Deal record providing the necessary details like Deal_Name, Closing_Date, Pipeline, and Stage.
Sample Input:
{ "data": [ { "overwrite": true, "notify_lead_owner": true, "notify_new_entity_owner": true, "Accounts": { "id": "4876876000007421010" }, "Contacts": { "id": "4876876000007421001" }, "Deals": { "Deal_Name": "Zylker Deal", "Closing_Date": "2024-10-20", "Stage": "Negotiation/Review", "Amount": 20000000, "Pipeline": "Standard (Standard)" } } ] } |
Sample Response:
{ "data": [ { "code": "SUCCESS", "details": { "Contacts": { "name": "Pat Boyle", "id": "4876876000007421001" }, "Deals": { "name": "Zylker Deal", "id": "4876876000007459060" }, "Accounts": { "name": "Zylker Biotech", "id": "4876876000007421010" } }, "message": "The record has been converted successfully", "status": "success" } ] } |
Points to Note:
- If the record data doesn't match perfectly with the Lead data, an INVALID_DATA error will be thrown. For example,If you try to merge the Lead with a Contact or Account not found in the Lead Conversion Options API response, you will encounter this error if the data doesn't match.
- During lead conversion, you can transfer the lead to a contact, an account, or both. If you transfer to a contact that is already linked to an account, the lead will automatically be converted and associated with that account as well.
- To successfully merge a Lead record with an existing Contact and Account record, the Contact should be associated with the specified Account. If not, you will get an INVALID_DATA error.
- If the Lead record's Company field is empty, and no account is specified in the JSON input, an account will not be automatically created. However, even if you omit the account in the input JSON, a new account will be created if there is Company name associated with the Lead.
- Unless specified, a deal record will not be created.
Case II : Convert Lead and create new records:
If the Accounts and Contacts records are not specified during the Lead conversion, new Contact and Account records will be created from the converted Lead, mapping the field values according to the field mapping.
Points to Note :
- If there already exists a record in the Accounts or Contacts module with the same value for a unique field as the lead being converted, a DUPLICATE_DATA error will be thrown, with details about the existing record found in the Accounts or Contacts module.
- Unless specified, a deal record will not be created.
Sample Input:
{ "data": [ { "overwrite": true, "notify_lead_owner": true, "notify_new_entity_owner": true } ] } |
Sample Response:
{ "data": [ { "code": "SUCCESS", "details": { "Contacts": { "name": "Pat Boyle", "id": "4876876000007482059" }, "Deals": null, "Accounts": { "name": "Zylker Biotech", "id": "4876876000007482056" } }, "message": "The record has been converted successfully", "status": "success" } ] } |
Important Points :
- If the Contacts module is removed from organize modules, lead conversion is not allowed. In such cases, the Lead Conversion Options API will return a 204 response.
- If the Accounts module is removed from organize modules, the Lead Conversion Options API will not consider Accounts for matching. Only Contacts-related matching options will be listed.
- If the Company field is removed from the Leads module, Account-related matching will be skipped, and only contact-related options will be listed.
- You cannot convert Leads that are locked or have not been approved yet.
- Associating Leads with locked Contacts or Accounts is not possible.
- If the Lead you are trying to convert has already been converted, the ID_ALREADY_CONVERTED error will be thrown.
- To convert leads in bulk, use the Mass Convert Lead API, using which you can convert up to 50 leads in a single API call. The Mass Convert Lead API schedules a conversion job for the specified leads. You can then retrieve the details of the conversion job using the Mass Convert Lead Status API.
We hope that you found this post on Lead Conversion useful. If you have any queries or need further assistance, please feel free to comment below or email us at support@zohocrm.com. We are here to help!
Recommended Reads:
- Get Lead conversion options API
- Convert Lead API
- Mass convert Lead API
- Get status of mass Lead Conversion
- Convert Leads
- FAQs on Lead Management
- Lead Conversion - Field Mapping
- Tips on Lead Conversion Mapping
Previous Post : Zoho CRM Widgets using ReactJS | Kaizen Collection : Home
Join us for our upcoming Zoho CRM Developer Series: Zoho CRM APIs, where you can explore more about Zoho CRM APIs. Register Now!
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
Vigneshwaran K
Sticky Posts
Kaizen #197: Frequently Asked Questions on GraphQL APIs
🎊 Nearing 200th Kaizen Post – We want to hear from you! Do you have any questions, suggestions, or topics you would like us to cover in future posts? Your insights and suggestions help us shape future content and make this series better for everyone.Kaizen #198: Using Client Script for Custom Validation in Blueprint
Nearing 200th Kaizen Post – 1 More to the Big Two-Oh-Oh! Do you have any questions, suggestions, or topics you would like us to cover in future posts? Your insights and suggestions help us shape future content and make this series better for everyone.Celebrating 200 posts of Kaizen! Share your ideas for the milestone post
Hello Developers, We launched the Kaizen series in 2019 to share helpful content to support your Zoho CRM development journey. Staying true to its spirit—Kaizen Series: Continuous Improvement for Developer Experience—we've shared everything from FAQsKaizen #193: Creating different fields in Zoho CRM through API
🎊 Nearing 200th Kaizen Post – We want to hear from you! Do you have any questions, suggestions, or topics you would like us to cover in future posts? Your insights and suggestions help us shape future content and make this series better for everyone.Client Script | Update - Introducing Commands in Client Script!
Have you ever wished you could trigger Client Script from contexts other than just the supported pages and events? Have you ever wanted to leverage the advantage of Client Script at your finger tip? Discover the power of Client Script - Commands! Commands
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
How to change the text in WhatsApp Zobot integrated to Zoho Booking?
I have integrated Zoho Bookings into Zoho SalesIQ, I want to change the text in WhatsApp when creating a booking in Zobot how to change those text?Updating Subform Record from other Form
Just wanted to ask how to properly approach this. I have 2 forms and would like to trigger an auto update on the subform once record submitted. block below only updates 1 row for each recordRow in input.AV_System { AssetRecord = Site_Asset_Services[SOR_NoZoho Books - Hide Convert to Sales Order if it can't be used.
Hi Books team, I noticed that it is not possible to convert a Quote to a Sales Order when a Quote is not yet marked as accepted. My idea is to not show the Convert to Sales Order button when it is not possible to use it, or show it in a grey inactiveHow do I bulk archive my projects in ZOHO projects
Hi, I want to archive 50 Projects in one go. Can you please help me out , How can I do this? Thanks kapilCross-Data Center Collaboration and / Or allowing users to choose DC
Dear Zoho Cliq Support Team, We are writing to request a significant enhancement to Zoho Cliq that would greatly benefit our geographically dispersed development team. Current Challenge: Currently, Zoho Cliq automatically routes users to specific dataZoho Flow - Update record in Trackvia
Hello, I have a Flow that executes correctly but I only want it to execute once when a particular field on a record is updated in TrackVia. I have the trigger filters setup correctly and I want to add an "update record" action at the end of the flow toNew Mandatory One-Click Unsubscribe Link Overshadowing Custom Unsubscribe Link
I was recently informed by Zoho CRM Support that they are now mandated by the large email service providers like Google and Yahoo to provide a one-click unsubscribe option in the header (not the body) of all mass emails. I have a custom unsubscribe linkSend / Send & Close keyboard shortcuts
Hello! My team is so close to using Zoho Desk with just the keyboard. Keyboard shortcuts really help us to be more efficient -- saving a second or two over thousands of tickets adds up quickly. It seems like the keyboard shortcuts in Desk are only forIs it possible to register webhooks in Zoho CRM using API?
Hello, I am trying to register a webhook in Zoho CRM programmatically (using the API). Specifically, I want to register a webhook that is fired when new Contacts are created in the CRM. I was able to setup a webhook using the UI, by creating a rule thatCalls where the local audio is shared, have echo
When another user is sharing their screen with audio, I get echo from my own voice. We tested this with multiple users, with different audio setups, and there's no obvious way to fix it. Is this a bug you could look into, or are we missing something?Systematic SPF alignment issues with Zoho subdomains
Analysis Period: August 19 - September 1, 2025 PROBLEM SUMMARY Multiple Zoho services are causing systematic SPF authentication failures in DMARC reports from major email providers (Google, Microsoft, Zoho). While emails are successfully delivered dueUpdate application by uploading an updated DS file
Is it possible? I have been working with AI on my desktop improving my application, and I have to keep copy pasting stuff... Would it be possible to import the DS file on top of an existing application to update the app accordingly?Markdown support, code cells...
Hi Zoho I'd like to vote for a feature that markdown is supported with: Headings Code highlighting Quoteblocks ... Furthermore a inline card(like inline sketch card) for special text like Code would be great. And just to add my vote as well for "Tags"!Minimise chat when user navigates to new page
When the user is in an active chat (chatbot) and is provide with an internal link, when they click the link to go to the internal page the chat opens again. This is not a good user experience. They have been sent the link to read what is on the page.How do I fix this? Unable to send message; Reason:554 5.1.8 Email Outgoing Blocked.
How do I fix this? Unable to send message; Reason:554 5.1.8 Email Outgoing Blocked.Reports: Custom Search Function Fields
Hi Zoho, Hope you'll add this into your roadmap. Issue: For the past 2yrs our global team been complaining and was brought to our attention recently that it's a time consuming process looking/scrolling down. Use-case: This form is a service report withZoho Projects app update: Voice notes for Tasks and Bugs module
Hello everyone! In the latest version(v3.9.37) of the Zoho Projects Android app update, we have introduced voice notes for the Tasks and Bugs module. The voice notes can be added as an attachment or can be transcribed into text. Recording and attachingzurl URL shortener Not working in Zoho social
zurl URL shortener Not working in while creating a post in Zoho socialIn the Zoho CRM Module I have TRN Field I should contain 15 digit Number , If it Contain less than 15 digit Then show Alert message on save of the button , If it not contain any number not want to sh
Hi In the Zoho CRM Module I have TRN Field I should contain 15 digit Number , If it Contain less than 15 digit Then show Alert message on save of the button , If it not contain any number not want to show alert. How We can achive in Zoho CRm Using customPower of Automation::Streamline log hours to work hours upon task completion.
Hello Everyone, A Custom Function is a user-written set of code to achieve a specific requirement. Set the required conditions needed as to when to trigger using the Workflow rules (be it Tasks / Project) and associate the custom function to it. Requirement:-Zoho Bookings know-how: A hands-on workshop series
Hello! We’re conducting a hands-on workshop series to help simplify appointment scheduling for your business with Zoho Bookings. We’ll be covering various functionalities and showing how you can leverage them for your business across five different sessions.Custom report
Hello Everyone I hope everything is fine. I've tried to To change the layout of the reports, especially the summary page report, and I want to divide summary of each section in the survey but I can't For example: I have a survey containing five differentZoho Journey - ZOHO MARKETING AUTOMATION
I’ve encountered an issue while working with a journey in Zoho Marketing Automation. After creating the journey, I wanted to edit the "Match Criteria" settings. Unfortunately: The criteria section appears to be locked and not editable. I’m also unableCustom Fields in PDF outputs
I created a couple of custom fields. e.g Country of Origin and HS Tariff Code. I need these to appear on a clone of a sales order PDF template but on on the standard PDF template. When I select "appear on PDFs' it appears on both but when I don't selectHow to create a Service Agreement with Quarterly Estimate
Hello, I'm not sure if this has been asked before so please don't get mad at me for asking. We're an NDIS provider in Australia so we need to draft a Service Agreement for our client. With the recent changes in the NDIS we're now required to also includeChange Currency symbol
I would like to change the way our currency displays when printed on quotes, invoices and purchase orders. Currently, we have Australian Dollars AUD as our Home Currency. The only two symbol choices available for this currency are "AU $" or "AUD". I wouldPython - code studio
Hi, I see the code studio is "coming soon". We have some files that will require some more complex transformation, is this feature far off? It appears to have been released in Zoho Analytics alreadyZoho Social - Post Footer Templates
As a content creator I often want to include some information at the end of most posts. It would be great if there was an option to add pre-written footers, similar to the Hashtag Groups at the end of posts. For example, if there is an offer I'm runningAllow to pick color for project groups in Zoho Projects
Hi Zoho Team, It would be really helpful if users could assign colors to project groups. This would make it easier to visually distinguish groups, improve navigation, and give a clearer overview when managing multiple projects. Thanks for consideringZoho Books - Quotes to Sales Order Automation
Hi Books team, In the Quote settings there is an option to convert a Quote to an Invoice upon acceptance, but there is not feature to convert a Quote to a Sales Order (see screenshot below) For users selling products through Zoho Inventory, the workflowCan't find imported leads
Hi There I have imported leads into the CRM via a .xls document, and the import is showing up as having been successful, however - when I try and locate the leads in the CRM system, I cannot find them. 1. There are no filters applied 2. They are notCustom Button Disappearing in mobile view | Zoho CRM Canvas
I'm working in Zoho CRM Canvas to create a custom view for our sales team. One of the features I'm adding is a custom button that opens the leads address in another tab. I've had no issue with this in the desktop view, but in the mobile view the buttonThe connected workflow is a great idea just needs Projects Integrations
I just discovered the connected workflows in CRM and its a Great Idea i wish it was integrated with Zoho Projects I will explain our use case I am already trying to do something like connected workflow with zoho flow Our requirement was to Create a TaskZoho Projects MCP Feedback
I've started using the MCP connector with Zoho Projects, and the features that exist really do work quite well - I feel this is going to be a major update to the Zoho Ecosystem. In projects a major missing feature is the ability to manage, (especiallyFunction #10: Update item prices automatically based on the last transaction created
In businesses, item prices are not always fixed and can fluctuate due to various factors. If you find yourself manually adjusting the item rates every time they change, we have the ideal time-saving solution for you. In today's post, we bring you customemail template
How do I create and save an email templateEnhancements in Portal User Group creation flow
Hello everyone, Before introducing new Portal features, here are some changes to the UI of Portals page to improve the user experience. Some tabs and options have been repositioned so that users can better access the functionalities of the feature. FromArchiving Contacts
How do I archive a list of contacts, or individual contacts?How do I filter contacts by account parameters?
Need to filter a contact view according to account parameter, eg account type. Without this filter users are overwhelmed with irrelevant contacts. Workaround is to create a custom 'Contact Type' field but this unbearable duplicity as the information alreadyCan I add Conditional merge tags on my Templates?
Hi I was wondering if I can use Conditional Mail Merge tags inside my Email templates/Quotes etc within the CRM? In spanish and in our business we use gender and academic degree salutations , ie: Dr., Dra., Sr., Srta., so the beginning of an email / letterNext Page