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
Centralize Knowledge. Transform Learning.
All-in-one knowledge management and training platform for your employees and customers.
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 #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.Kaizen #226: Using ZRC in Client Script
Hello everyone! Welcome to another week of Kaizen. In today's post, lets see what is ZRC (Zoho Request Client) and how we can use ZRC methods in Client Script to get inputs from a Salesperson and update the Lead status with a single button click. In thisKaizen #222 - Client Script Support for Notes Related List
Hello everyone! Welcome to another week of Kaizen. The final Kaizen post of the year 2025 is here! With the new Client Script support for the Notes Related List, you can validate, enrich, and manage notes across modules. In this post, we’ll explore howKaizen #217 - Actions APIs : Tasks
Welcome to another week of Kaizen! In last week's post we discussed Email Notifications APIs which act as the link between your Workflow automations and you. We have discussed how Zylker Cloud Services uses Email Notifications API in their custom dashboard.Kaizen #216 - Actions APIs : Email Notifications
Welcome to another week of Kaizen! For the last three weeks, we have been discussing Zylker's workflows. We successfully updated a dormant workflow, built a new one from the ground up and more. But our work is not finished—these automated processes are
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
Books <-> CRM synchronisation with custom Fields
Hello, We are synchronising Books Customers with CRM Accounts. In CRM Accounts I set up last year a "segments" multiselect field shown below In Books, I set up a custom multi-select field with the same value as in the CRM And set up the synchronisation inside Books. Want to synchronise the Books Segments with the CRM Segments, but the later doesn't exist, and another non-existing is there ?! First, I don't understand where the field Segmentation is coming from. Second, I set CRM Segmentation to syncTrouble with using Apostrophe in Name of Customers and Vendors
We have had an ongoing issue with how the system recognizes an apostrophe in the name of customers and vendors. The search will not return any results for a name that includes the mark; ie one of our vendors names is "L'Heritage" and when entering theRecording overpayment?
So a customer just overpaid me and how do I record this? I can't enter an amount that is higher than the invoice amount. Eg. Invoice is $195 and he sent $200. He's a reccuring customer so is there a way to record so that he has a $5 advance for future invoice?Introducing the New Zoho Assist Quick Support Plugin
We are thrilled to announce the new Zoho Assist Quick Support Plugin, the upgraded and enhanced version of the Zoho Assist Customer Plugin. This new plugin allows organizations and IT administrators to deploy it directly onto their customers’ devices,Automate your signing workflows with Zoho Sign + n8n
Hello! We're excited to announce that Zoho Sign is now available as a community node on n8n, a popular open-source workflow automation platform used by tens of thousands of teams worldwide. n8n lets you connect apps, APIs, and services through a visualAsk the Experts 27: Onboarding and managing support reps
Hello everyone, We are back with our Ask the Experts (ATE) series for 2026. This year, we bring experts to help you address customer support challenges using Zoho Desk. For our first ATE, we are getting into the human side of customer support. "EveryRetainer invoice in Zoho Finance modlue
Hello, Is there a way of creating retainer invoices in the Zoho Finance module? If not can I request this is considered for future updates please.Spotlight #27: Embed visual collaboration Spaces in your presentations using the Vani add-on
Hello everyone! This month’s spotlight feature is the Vani add-on for Zoho Show. Every time you pause your presentation to open another tab or pull up supporting material, you lose a bit of momentum. At Zoho Show, we design features that keep everythingCRM
Is anyone else experiencing this issue? Our company is not moving out of using Gmail's web app. It just has more features and is a better email program than Zoho Mail. Gmail has an extension (Zoho CRM for Gmail) that we're using but we've found some seriousGood news! Calendar in Zoho CRM gets a face lift
Dear Customers, We are delighted to unveil the revamped calendar UI in Zoho CRM. With a complete visual overhaul aligned with CRM for Everyone, the calendar now offers a more intuitive and flexible scheduling experience. What’s new? Distinguish activitiesGlobal Search / Command Palette in Live App
Zoho Creator applications can contain many forms, reports, pages, and dashboards. While navigation inside the app is smooth, users still need to move through multiple menus or screens to find specific records or open particular modules. Currently, inNew 2026 Application Themes
Love the new themes - shame you can't get a little more granular with the colours, ie 3 different colours so one for the dropdown menu background. Also, I did have our logo above the application name but it appears you can't change logo placement positionSmarter appointment allocation with round-robin distribution
Greetings from the Zoho Bookings team! We’re excited to introduce the Appointment Distribution feature, a new way to decide how appointments are assigned among users. By default, appointments are distributed evenly across all event types, but this enhancementA2P 10DLC Opt-in Rejection Issue with Zoho Creator Public Form
Hi everyone, I’m working on an A2P 10DLC SMS campaign and running into repeated rejections due to opt-in issues. I’m using Zoho Creator for the registration flow. The form is public (no login required). Users enter their phone number and there is an uncheckedAnalytics & Reporting Improvements + Export Bug
Hello, I would like to raise several important product suggestions and issues regarding Zoho Expense: 1. Filter in Admin View → Analytics → Expense Details → Receipt Is it possible to add a filter that allows us to prioritize or sort reports that haveMake Quick Edits to Images Before Attaching
Hello everyone, We have enhanced how attachments are handled in tickets to help agents preview and share files more efficiently in Zoho Desk. Agents can preview image attachments before adding them to tickets and edit them using attachment annotator.3/18 オンライン勉強会のお知らせ Zoho ワークアウト （無料）
ユーザーの皆さま、こんにちは。コミュニティチームの中野です。 3月開催のZoho ワークアウトの開催が決定しましたのでご案内します。 今回はZoomにて、オンライン開催します。 ▶︎参加登録はこちら（無料） https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/BoNTN7zYR8OvOPGShqBY0A ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Zoho ワークアウトとは？ Zoho ユーザー同士で交流しながら、サービスに関する疑問や不明点の解消を目指すイベントです。Extend color coding to custom picklist fields
Objectively, Projects has the best UI of any Zoho app — clean, intuitive, and never feels bloated. Big props to whoever owns the design. Feature request: color coding for custom picklist field values in field customization. You've already done it in twoNew in Office Integrator: In-sheet text translation
Hi users, We're pleased to introduce translation capability in the spreadsheet editor in Zoho Office Integrator. This allows you to translate the text in your spreadsheet's cells into 70+ languages from within your web app. Office Integrator's spreadsheetStreamline email communication with Out of Office configuration
Managing user communication effectively is the key to ensuring timely responses and consistent messaging. However, when users are unavailable, the absence of an Out of Office response can lead to delays and missed expectations. Managing these settingsChanging settings for auto logoff
I've noticed that when I haven't used Cliq for a while, I have to re-enter my password. That is really clumsy, especially if you have a complicated password. Because it won't be filled in automatically. Is there a way to change that behaviour? We areA few Issues when using "Pay Bill via Check"
We have quite a bit of issues with how paying for Bills via Check works. Would love some feedback from the Zoho team in case we are doing something incorrectly. 1. When we go from a vendor and select "Pay Bill via Check" option, we see ALL the outstandingPrevent tracking users from specific countries
Currently, I’m receiving many bot visits from the United States and Malaysia. I would like these visits not to be recorded in SalesIQ. I already enabled the option to exclude traffic from cloud service providers, but I’m still receiving bot visits. Ideally,My client requires me to have custom pdf file names to except payment for invoices, how can I customize this before emailing.
Hello! I love the program so far but there are a few things that are standing in the way. I hope you guys can code them in so I can keep the program for years to come. My client requires I customize the pdf file names I send in for billing. Can you pleaseEdit Project Number?
Hi all: We just signed up for a trial of zoho one, which includes ZoHo Projects. We've noticed there was a 'dummy project' preloaded in projects to help familiarize yourself with the software. We've created a couple of our own projects now but noticed since the dummy project was preloaded, our projects start with number 2 then 3, sequentially. Since it seems we will be keeping zoho past the trial, If we delete the dummy project, how do we get our own projects renumbered, beginning with 1? We'd likeDownload pricebook products & details - not just pricebook creation date & name
We're looking to download a copy of a pricebook and its associated products & book prices (as we have several offices in different countries selling the same products), however, when using the export feature under Data administration it only gives me554 5.1.1 – Mail sending blocked for the domain(s): [gmail.com]
Here's your corrected text: Hello, I hope you are doing well. I was unable to send a message and received the following error: "554 5.1.1 – Mail sending blocked for the domain(s): [gmail.com]" I tried to send and deliver an email but got this error. IOutgoing Mail Blocked – Suspicious Login Activity (Need Clarification and Solution)
Hello, I’m currently facing an issue where my Zoho Mail account has been blocked due to “suspicious login activity,” and outgoing emails are restricted. Here are the details shown: Block type: Outgoing mail blocked Reason: Suspicious login activity AAssign Meeting in records
It would be nice to be able to "call and assing" meetings from a record, for example from a Deal. Right now - calendar is synced with CRM - meetings show in calendar - you can go in each meeting and assign it to a record It would be nice to be able toAllow Global Admin to access/edit all forms without changing owners
Hi there, Please consider adding a feature where the Global Admin of the account an automatically access/edit any form in the Company Account. I'm the Global Admin on our Zoho One plan, and we have multiple users that use/create forms. But for me to accessERROR: "Please enter a valid Phone"
WHAT IS THE PHONE FORMAT? There is nothing ANYWHERE to define the format. At least the error should either show the correct format or provide a link to the help file I enter a valid phone number in as many formats as I can think of and none of them allow me to save the number to CRM Nothing works! No matter what format I enter I keep getting a red error "Please enter a valid Phone" The international format for MY mobile is +61414652366 (or +61 414 652 366) Local format is 0414652366 I call all overIntroducing Zoho Sprints 3.0
Zoho Sprints is consistently evolving in steady increments. The introduction of the latest version, with its enterprise level solutions, brings to you advanced capabilities that propel your agile efforts in the right direction. Here's a quick glimpseTransaction Rules & Customer Payments
So I have a situation as follows. We have many clients who are all invoiced on the 1st of each month on a recurring invoice for 1 of 10 plans. This means that almost all payment dates are the same (some people pay late) and that a lot of the amounts areCustomize Sign-out Button
Are there some url parameters I can use to make a form button sign-out the user from the app? The sign-out link on the top right is small. Here's and example of the url for the top right sign-out: https://creator.zoho.com/logoutpage.jsp?sharedBy=niskypto&appID=212085000006568003&appLinkName=MYAPP&signOutUrl=niskypto/MYAPP/view-login/SOMEPAGE Note: In my account, the sign-out is set to redirect users to my website. Can I also override this with some url parameters? John M. WhitneyPlease can the open tasks be shown in each customer account at the top.
Hi there This has happened before, where the open tasks are no longer visible at the top of the page for each customer in the CRM. They have gone missing previously and were reinstated when I asked so I think it's just after an update that this featureTip #65 - Exploring Technician Console: Short Keys - 'Insider Insights'
Hello Zoho Assist Community! Have you ever been in the middle of a remote support session, trying to pass a key combination onto the remote machine, only to find it's reflecting on the technician's computer. The Short Keys feature in Zoho Assist is hereReading from and writing to Zoho Projects Custom Module with Deluge
Does anyone know if there is a way to read from and write to the Custom Modules that Zoho now supports. I would love to be able to loop through a set of data and create the entities I need to for this new custom module I'm looking to put together.Disappointment with Zoho Payments
Dear Gowdhaman, I am writing to inform you that I am removing Zoho Payments from my website. I cannot continue to disappoint my customers due to the lack of UPI support, as has been the case with my experience so far. Please note that the 0.5% transactionEvolução do modelo de ambientes: Dev, Homologação e Produção com pacotes versionados
Hoje o Zoho CRM já oferece Sandbox, o que é um avanço importante para organizações que trabalham com customizações mais complexas. No entanto, na prática, o modelo atual ainda apresenta limitações significativas quando múltiplas equipes ou consultoriasPermissões granulares por usuário além do modelo baseado exclusivamente em perfis
Atualmente, o modelo de segurança do Zoho CRM é fortemente baseado em perfis. Embora funcional, esse modelo apresenta limitações quando equipes possuem variações individuais de acesso dentro do mesmo grupo operacional. Em cenários reais, é comum que usuáriosNext Page