Kaizen #144 - Assigning values to different field types using Zoho CRM SDKs - Part II

Kaizen #144 - Assigning values to different field types using Zoho CRM SDKs - Part II



Welcome to another week of our Kaizen series! 

In our last week's Kaizen post, we explored the various field types in Zoho CRM and their typical uses. We also discussed the utility of our SDK sample codes available in our GitHub repositories and how they can be tailored to meet your specific needs. For effective implementation, understanding how to assign values to these different field types using the SDK is crucial, which remains our primary focus in this series.

Last week, we covered this topic using our JAVA SDK. This week, we will discuss assigning values using PHP SDK. To make sure you are all caught up, please revisit Part I before proceeding further.

2. PHP SDK

For more details, please refer to the GitHub repository for our latest PHP SDK. Check out the sample codes here.

Standard Fields:

a. Import the Field Class:
  1. use com\zoho\crm\api\record\{module_api_name};
b. Assign Values to Standard Fields: The syntax for assigning values to standard fields uses the addFieldValue method of the Record object:
  1. $record->addFieldValue({module_api_name}::{field_api_name}(), value);
Replace {module_api_name} and {field_api_name} with the appropriate values for your specific use case. 

Assigning values to Standard Fields:

Field Type
JSON Type		 Assign Values Assign Null Value
text (single line)
string  		$record->addFieldValue(Leads::LastName(), "Boyle"); $record->addFieldValue(Leads::LastName(), null);
textarea (multiline)
string 		$record->addFieldValue(Leads::Description(), "Specify your description") $record->addFieldValue(Leads::Description(), null);
email
string 		$record->addFieldValue(Leads::Email(), "abc@zoho.com"); $record->addFieldValue(Leads::Email(), null);
phone
string 		$record->addFieldValue(Leads::Phone(), "91(987)654321"); $record->addFieldValue(Leads::Phone(), null);
picklist
string 		$record->addFieldValue(Leads::LeadStatus(), new Choice("Not Contacted")); --
date
string		 $record->addFieldValue(Products::Sales_Start_Date(), new DateTime(2024, 6, 13).Date); $record->addFieldValue(Products::Sales_Start_Date(), null);
integer (number)
integer		 $record->addFieldValue(Accounts::Employees(), 100); $record->addFieldValue(Accounts::Employees(), 100);
currency (double)
double 		$record->addFieldValue(Leads::AnnualRevenue(), 10.00); $record->addFieldValue(Leads::AnnualRevenue(), null);
boolean (checkbox) boolean $record->addFieldValue(Leads::EmailOptOut(), true); --
website (URL)
string		 $record->addFieldValue(Leads::Website(), "https://www.zoho.com"); $record->addFieldValue(Leads::Website(), null);

Custom Fields:

To manage custom fields using PHP SDK: a. Import the Record Class:
  1. use com\zoho\crm\api\record\Record;
  2. $record = new Record();
b. Assign Values to Custom Fields: The syntax for assigning values to standard fields uses the AddKeyValue method of the Record object:
  1. $record->addKeyValue("{field_api_name}", value);
Replace {field_api_name} with the appropriate values for your specific use case. 

Assigning values to Custom Fields:

Field Type
JSON Type
Assign Value
Assign Null Value
text (single line)
string 
$record->addKeyValue("Single_Line_Field", "Text Single Line");
$record->addKeyValue("Single_Line_Field", null);
textarea (multiline)
string
$record->addKeyValue("Multi_Line_Field", "Text Multi Line");
$record->addKeyValue("Multi_Line_Field", null);
email
string
$record->addKeyValue("Email_Field", "abc@zoho.com");
$record->addKeyValue("Email_Field", null);
phone
string
$record->addKeyValue("Phone_Field", "9900000000");
$record->addKeyValue("Phone_Field", null);
picklist
string
$record->addKeyValue("Pick_List_Field", new Choice("Option 1"));
$record->addKeyValue("Pick_List_Field", null);
multiselectpicklist
JSON array
$record->addKeyValue("Multi_Select_Field", [new Choice("Option 1"), new Choice("Option 2")]);
$record->addKeyValue("Multi_Select_Field", null);
date
string
$record->addKeyValue("Date_Field", (new \DateTime('2024-06-13')));
$record->addKeyValue("Date_Field", null);
datetime
string
$record->addKeyValue("Date_Time_Field", date_create("2024-06-20T11:10:00+05:30")->setTimezone(new \DateTimeZone(date_default_timezone_get())));
$record->addKeyValue("Date_Time_Field", null);
integer (number)
integer
$record->addKeyValue("Number_Field", 12);
$record->addKeyValue("Number_Field", null);
currency (double)
double
$record->addKeyValue("Currency_Field", 10.25);
$record->addKeyValue("Currency_Field", null);
double
double
$record->addKeyValue("Decimal_Field", 12.25);
$record->addKeyValue("Decimal_Field", null);
percent 
double
$record->addKeyValue("Percent_Field", 12.25);
$record->addKeyValue("Percent_Field", null);
bigint (long integer)
string
$record->addKeyValue("Long_Integer_Field", "12345678");
$record->addKeyValue("Long_Integer_Field", null);
boolean (checkbox)
boolean
$record->addKeyValue("Checkbox_Field", true);
--
website (URL)
string
$record->addKeyValue("URL_Field", "https://www.zoho.com");
$record->addKeyValue("URL_Field", null);
lookup
JSON Object
$account = new Record();
$account->setId("3477061000023362051");
$record->addKeyValue("Lookup_Field", $account);
$record->addKeyValue("Lookup_Field", null);
multiselectlookup
JSON array
$record1 = new Record();
$linkingRecord = new Record();
$record1->addKeyValue("id", "3477061000023362051");
$linkingRecord->addKeyValue("Multi_Select_Lookup_Field", $record1);
$record->addKeyValue("Multi_Select_Lookup_Field", [$linkingRecord]);
$linkingRecord = new Record();
$linkingRecord->addKeyValue("_delete", true);
$linkingRecord->addKeyValue("id", "3477061000023557067");
$record->addKeyValue("Multi_Select_Lookup_Field", [$linkingRecord]);
userlookup
JSON object
$user = new MinifiedUser();
$user->setId("3477061000005791024");
$record->addKeyValue("User_Field", $user);
$record->addKeyValue("User_Field", null);
multiuserlookup
JSON array
$record1= new Record();
$linkingRecord = new MinifiedUser();
$linkingRecord->setId("3477061000005791024");
$record1->addKeyValue("MultiUser", $linkingRecord);
$record->addKeyValue("MultiUser", [$record1]);
$record1 = new Record();
$record1->addKeyValue("_delete", true);
$record1->setId("3477061000023553042");
$record->addKeyValue("MultiUser", [$record1]);
subform
JSON array
$subform = new Record();
$subform->addKeyValue("Name", "SDK");
$user1 = new MinifiedUser();
$user1->setId("3477061000018959001");
$subform->addKeyValue("User_Field", $user1);
$record->addKeyValue("Subform_Field", [$subform]);
$subform = new Record();
$subform->addKeyValue("_delete", true);
$subform->setId("3477061000023557086");
$record->addKeyValue("Subform_Field", [$subform]);
imageupload
JSON array
$imageUpload = new ImageUpload();
$imageUpload->setFileIdS("138ef2d9af5");
$record->addKeyValue("Image_Upload", [$imageUpload]);
$imageUpload = new ImageUpload();
$imageUpload->setDelete(null);
$imageUpload->setId("3477061000023579023");
$record->addKeyValue("Image_Upload", [$imageUpload]);
fileupload
JSON array
$fileDetail1 = new FileDetails();
$fileDetail1->setFileIdS("54957bcbc8fa685");
$record->addKeyValue("File_Upload", [$fileDetail1]);
$fileDetail1 = new FileDetails();
$fileDetail1->setDelete(null);
$fileDetail1->setId("3477061000023551042");
$record->addKeyValue("File_Upload", [$fileDetail1]);
multi_module_lookup
JSON Object
$record1 = new Record();
$record1->setId("3477061000021552002");
$module = array();
$module["id"] = "3477061000000002179";
$module["api_name"] = "Contacts";
$record1->addKeyValue("module", $module);
$record->addKeyValue("Appointment_For", $record1);
--


We trust this post has given you a better understanding of managing field data types in Zoho CRM using our PHP SDK. Remember that this learning does not end here. We have more posts coming up where we will explore handling field data types with our remaining SDK offerings. And do not forget to check out our Github for code samples.

As we strive for continuous improvement, we would love to hear your feedback. What topics would you like to see covered in our Kaizen series? Let us know in the comments or reach out to our support team at support@zohocrm.com.

Thank you for joining us this week. Happy coding and until next time!

Recommended Reads:





    Access your files securely from anywhere








                            Zoho Developer Community



                                Bootcamp
                                Community
                                Pricing
                                Webinars
                                What's New
                                Integrations
                                Contact Support
                                Contact Sales
                                  Zoho Survey Resources
                                    Features
                                    Survey Templates
                                    Integrations
                                    Community
                                    iOS Mobile Surveys
                                    Pricing
                                    Android Mobile Surveys
                                    Insurvey Blogs
                                    Insight Blogs
                                    Tips & Tricks





                                                Latest Feature Updates

                                                  • Desk Community Learning Series


                                                  • Digest


                                                  • Functions


                                                  • Meetups


                                                  • Kbase


                                                  • Resources


                                                  • Glossary


                                                  • Desk Marketplace


                                                  • MVP Corner


                                                  • Word of the Day


                                                  • Ask the Experts




                                                      Zoho SalesIQ Resources

                                                            • 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 this

                                                            • Kaizen #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 how

                                                            • Kaizen #217 - Actions APIs : Tasks

                                                              Welcome to another week of Kaizen! In last week's post we discussed Email Notifications APIs which act as the link between your Workflow automations and you. We have discussed how Zylker Cloud Services uses Email Notifications API in their custom dashboard.

                                                            • Kaizen #216 - Actions APIs : Email Notifications

                                                              Welcome to another week of Kaizen! For the last three weeks, we have been discussing Zylker's workflows. We successfully updated a dormant workflow, built a new one from the ground up and more. But our work is not finished—these automated processes are


                                                            Manage your brands on social media
                                                            Access Zoho Social

                                                              Zoho Pagesense Resources


                                                                  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

                                                                                              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

                                                                                                              • Creator Add Records through API - Workflows not triggered ?

                                                                                                                Hi Everyone, I am trying to add records to my Creator application through a third party app that I am developing. Currently, I am testing this through Postman. The records I need to add have a lot of workflows to run to populate dropdowns, fields, use

                                                                                                              • Important Update: Changes to Google Translate Support in Zoho SalesIQ

                                                                                                                We’re updating our default chat translation options across all Zoho SalesIQ data centres to offer a more secure, in-house solution for your translation needs. What’s changing? We will be offering Zoho Translate (our in-house tool) as the default translation

                                                                                                              • Zoho CRM Community Digest - July 2025 | Part 1

                                                                                                                Hey everyone, The start of July 2025 marked a special milestone: 200 posts in our Kaizen series! For those new here, Kaizen is a go-to series for Zoho CRM developers, where we regularly share best practices, tips, and expert insights to help you build

                                                                                                              • What’s New in Zoho Expense (April – July 2025)

                                                                                                                Hello users, We're happy to bring you the latest updates and enhancements we've made to Zoho Expense over the past three months, which include introducing the Trip Expense Summary report in Analytics, extending Chatbot support to more editions, rolling

                                                                                                              • Weekly Tips: Insert frequently used phrases in a jiffy using Hotkeys

                                                                                                                You often find yourself using similar phrases in an email —like confirming appointments or providing standard information. Constantly switching between the mouse and keyboard interrupts your flow and slows you down.Instead of typing the same phrases over

                                                                                                              • Undo Command in Notebook

                                                                                                                It would be handy to have an Undo in the row of icons at the bottom of the notes.

                                                                                                              • Narrative 9: GC—Meaningful conversations that benefit your customers

                                                                                                                Behind the scenes of a successful ticketing system - BTS Series Narrative 9: GC—Meaningful conversations that benefit your customers Customers often seek immediate solutions, which is why self-service options are essential. Guided Conversations provides

                                                                                                              • FSM App Oddity

                                                                                                                We recently rolled out FSM to our technicians, and only one technician is having an issue. He's using an iPhone with iOS 18.6 installed. When he goes to service appointments using the calendar icon at the bottom of the app, he gets a list view only. Typically,

                                                                                                              • Cliq Not Working !

                                                                                                                Zoho Cliq has been experiencing connectivity issues since this morning. The app is unable to establish a connection with the server.

                                                                                                              • Injecting CSS into ZML pages

                                                                                                                Is there a way to inject CSS into ZML pages? Use case: 1. Dashboard displays 'Recent Activities' card displaying a list of newly added records 2. Each item in list links to the record onClick 3. When a user points the cursor over an item in the list,

                                                                                                              • Power of Automation :: Automated Weekly Notifications for Unapproved Timesheets

                                                                                                                Hello Everyone, A custom function is a software code that can be used to automate a process and this allows you to automate a notification, call a webhook, or perform logic immediately after a workflow rule is triggered. This feature helps to automate

                                                                                                              • Extracting Data from Sitelink APIs

                                                                                                                Hi All, I'm working to pull data on Sitelink using API calls but i can't seem to extract it. If you click expand, you will see it has a lot of data in it. I tried extracting from the map but it's not giving me anything. Is there a workaround on this or

                                                                                                              • Export a list of fields for all modules in a spreadsheet with specific field data

                                                                                                                Many of my clients are using spreadsheets to create lists of fields for all modules when starting a new implementation or when updating an existing setup. This is a useful process but also a very time consuming one. It would be good a list of fields could

                                                                                                              • [Important announcement] Zoho Writer will mandate DKIM configuration for automation users

                                                                                                                Hi all, Effective Dec. 31, 2024, configuring DKIM for From addresses will be mandatory to send emails via Zoho Writer. DKIM configuration allows recipient email servers to identify your emails as valid and not spam. Emails sent from domains without DKIM

                                                                                                              • 【Zoho Backstage】2025年7月のアップデート紹介

                                                                                                                本投稿は、本社のZoho Desk コミュニティに投稿された以下の記事を翻訳し、一部抜粋したものです。 What's New - July 2025 | Zoho Backstage 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。 本投稿では、Zoho Backstage の直近のアップデートを3点抜粋して、ご紹介します。 目次 1.参加可否の確認：RSVP 2.証明書作成ツール：Certificate Builder 3.登録の承認 ：Registration Approval 1.参加可否の確認：RSVP

                                                                                                              • Can we have Backorder Management ?

                                                                                                                Can we have Backorder Management ?

                                                                                                              • Display a field of an Account on the Ticket view

                                                                                                                Hi there, We would like to display of the Account of the user submitting a ticket on the ticket view. See for example: How can this be achieved? It doesn't really matter where it will be placed as long as it is shown there. Thanks, Snir

                                                                                                              • Insurance Agencies

                                                                                                                I am reaching out to see if anyone has any experience in the Insurance Agency world with using Zoho exclusively for the CRM and commissions side of things. Lots of strong features like drip campaigns, meeting, calendars, emails, can all be found in here.

                                                                                                              • Problem with Egyptian internet ISP

                                                                                                                Dears,  We have problem with our ADSL internet SP, That your site not working with. So, we contact them and they asking us to contact you to solve this problem.  The problem that when we are connecting to Tedata ADSL your website not working (Business Email).  BR,, Mohamed Omar 

                                                                                                              • Mail Not Showing In Inbox or Sent Box

                                                                                                                Hi, there are mails that are not displaying in both my inbox and sent box. I just tried the iPad app and it is the same but there is a blank field where a mail should be and it refers to a server error. Please fix this.

                                                                                                              • Marketing Automation List Entry Criteria is no longer an option

                                                                                                                For a couple of years now we have used the "List Entry Criteria" option to filter our Journey recipient list. All of a suddent the option no longer exists for New Lists and I can only delete the option from existing lists but can no longer edit it. Anyone

                                                                                                              • GCLID arrives not in CRM with iframe integrated ZOHO Form

                                                                                                                Hello amazing community, I enabled Adwords integration in ZOHO CRM. I have a ZOHO Form integrated in a wordpress. I tested iframe and Javascript. I enabled the "handover" GCLID in the ZOHO Form. When I add a GLID with http://www.example.com/?gclid=TeSter-123.

                                                                                                              • Bidirectional sync between Zoho Bookings and Zoho CRM - Part 1

                                                                                                                Hey, community members! The default integration between Zoho CRM and Zoho Bookings is unidirectional, which means that any appointments booked, rescheduled, or deleted in Zoho Bookings will be reflected in Zoho CRM. However, any modifications made to

                                                                                                              • Is it possible to edit placeholder text?

                                                                                                                In the master slides I want to make sure my templates have more meaning for the users and want to replace the standard placeholder text with something more instructional. Instead of "Click to edit Mast subtitle styles" I want to have "Click to enter reporting

                                                                                                              • How to allow download of a file AFTER information is collected?

                                                                                                                I can't find this anywhere. Can someone help with what seems to be a pretty basic web function today? - File is stored in Workdrive - Prospect goes to a URL where the file is located - System requests prospect to enter "Name" and "Email" - An email is

                                                                                                              • Add Baseline methods to API

                                                                                                                There are no API methods for creating or querying baselines,  Use case: Customer is notified of the current project start date according to plan via another product/integration. We would like to auto create a baseline (Automated via API) at the point

                                                                                                              • Fixed Assets beg balance

                                                                                                                Hello, I trust you are well I'm a new zoho books user and I find it difficult to plug in the fixed assets balance and here's what I have done: 1- I imported the fixed assets data into the fixed assets module as per the instructions 2- the import process

                                                                                                              • CRM Deluge how can link attach file with workdrive file.

                                                                                                                Hi, We have create file at workdrive and would like to link to attachment at crm module by deluge. Right now can only upload it to attachment but can not link the file from workdrive. Thank you

                                                                                                              • Feature announcement: AI-powered document generator in Zoho Sign

                                                                                                                Hi there! We recently announced manual document creation by offering an editor within Zoho Sign. Today, we are excited to announce AI-powered document generation to help you draft agreements, purchase orders, and other important business documents in

                                                                                                              • Permanently deleted files

                                                                                                                Is there a way to get back permanently deleted files from your account if they were accidentally deleted and no longer recoverable from the recycling bin? I know I am probably screwed but I just figured I would ask.

                                                                                                              • Shared Mailbox in iOS app

                                                                                                                Hi, On the desktop I am using a Shared mailbox for our company's general mailbox that somebody else should be able to view. In the iOS app however I can't find it? Old sources on the internet says this isn't possible but that can't be right? Somebody

                                                                                                              • Tip #41- Simplify Compliance and Efficiency with Zoho Assist’s Data Cleanup Feature- 'Insider Insights'

                                                                                                                Managing device data efficiently is just as important as securing remote access. With Zoho Assist’s Data Cleanup feature, admins can easily remove outdated or unnecessary device records, keeping the console organized and secure. This action is carried

                                                                                                              • Revenue Management: #6 Revenue Recognition in Professional Services Industry

                                                                                                                If you run a consulting firm, agency, or any service-based business, you have a situation where you have signed the contract, maybe even sent the invoice, and have received some initial payments. So, can you consider this as revenue? What if the project

                                                                                                              • Zoho fsm scheduled maintenance dispatch

                                                                                                                Hi, I'm reaching out regarding an issue I'm encountering with the Scheduled Maintenance feature in Zoho FSM. I’m trying to configure it so that it automatically dispatches all maintenance jobs scheduled within the next 150 days, starting from today. However,

                                                                                                              • zoho.inventory.getRecords returns no records

                                                                                                                I running a custom function (Deluge) in Zoho Flow with a connection to Zoho Inventory. To debug the problem, I created the test function below. It returns "Number of contacts fetched: 0". This confirms that there's no issue with the org ID or connection

                                                                                                              • Feature announcement - Simplifying document creation with Zoho Sign

                                                                                                                Hi there, We are pleased to announce the release of our document creation feature, enabling you to create, edit, and finalize documents like agreements, purchase orders, and contracts without relying on external tools or applications. <br> This

                                                                                                              • Integrating File Attachments in Zoho Flow Email Notifications

                                                                                                                Hi, I would like to be able to send an email once an entry is made in a form, and in this email, I would like to attach a file that has been added to the form using the ImageUpload (or FileUpload) widget. So, I started by creating a flow that will trigger

                                                                                                              • Zoho project purchases

                                                                                                                Hi Folks, I think having a purchase module in projects will help in putting together a project p and L. Project wise purchases and expenses.  Do let me know your thoughts.

                                                                                                              • How can I restore all the deleted Time entries of a Task in Zoho Projects

                                                                                                                How can I restore all the deleted Time entries of a Task in Zoho Projects? Query: In Zoho Projects, I cloned a task and deleted the time entries from the cloned task. However, this also deleted the time entries from the original task. How can I restore

                                                                                                              • Is there a way to make an account inactive in ZoHo Desk

                                                                                                                We have a few Clients "Accounts" that we no longer do business with. It would be beneficial for them to not show up in lists. However, we want to go back and view tickets, time, etc.

                                                                                                              • Next Page