Kaizen #15 - Java SDK for Self Client
Hello everyone!
Welcome to yet another post in the Kaizen series.
This week, we are going to discuss the Java SDK for a self client .
What is a Software Development Kit (SDK)?
A software development kit contains all the tools (compiler, debugger, code samples, and so on) that are needed to create applications in one package. SDKs are language-specific and thus used to build client applications in a specific programming language.
Java Software Development Kit
Java SDK allows you to create a client Java applications that can be integrated with Zoho CRM effortlessly. It serves as a wrapper for the REST APIs , thus making it easier to use the services of Zoho CRM.
Here is a sample of how SDK acts as a middleware between Zoho CRM and Client Java Application.
What can you do with the Java Software Development Kit?
- You can use Java SDK to exchange data between Zoho CRM and the client Java application.
- The authentication process becomes hassle-free with Java SDK. Since it is handled in the SDK code by default, you need not worry about generating the grant token, access/refresh tokens every time you sync data between Zoho CRM and your self client.
Environment Setup
Java SDK requires Java version 7 or above to be set up in your development environment.
Including the Java SDK in your project
You can include the Java SDK in your project using:
a. Maven distribution
b. Gradle
c. Downloadable JARs
a. Maven distribution - It is a build automation tool used primarily for Java projects. Include the following code to your pom.XML file.
<repositories> <repository> <id>java-sdk</id> <url> https://maven.zohodl.com </url> </repository> </repositories> <dependencies> <dependency> <groupId>com.zoho.crm</groupId> <artifactId>java-sdk</artifactId> <version>2.0.2</version> </dependency> </dependencies> |
b. Gradle - It is also a build tool, similar to Maven. The major difference is that, instead of XML files, Gradle uses Groovy (a domain-specific programming language) to declare the Java project configuration. You need to add the following code to your build.gradle file.
repositories{ maven { url " https://maven.zohodl.com " } } dependencies{ implementation 'com.zoho.crm:java-sdk:2.0.2' } |
c. Downloadable JARs (by Zoho) - Java Archive is a platform-independent file format that aggregates many files into one. The JAR file consists of the SDK. You have to download individual dependency JARs and add them to your reference libraries in your Java application: Download JAR (SDK)
Click here to download the dependency JARs.
The list of dependency JARs are:
- hamcrest-all-1.3 : Hamcrest consists of a single jar file that contains base classes and a library of useful matcher implementations.
- httpclient-4.4.1 : The Apache HttpClient library allows you to handle HTTP requests.
- httpcore-4.4.4 : HttpCore is a set of low-level HTTP transport components that you can use to build custom client and server-side HTTP services.
- httpmime-4.5.3 : The Apache HttpMime library consists of MIME code entities.
- json-20170516 : The files in this package implement JSON encoders/decoders in Java. It also includes the capability to convert between JSON and XML, HTTP headers, Cookies, and CDL.
- servlet-api-2.5 : Servlet API consists of classes to support HTTP servlet.
- commons-logging-1.1.3 : The commons-logging JAR provides an API for logging in server-based applications that you can use around a variety of different logging implementations.
- mysql-connector-java-5.1.44-bin.jar : You need to include this JAR if you are using a MySQL database. MySQL Connector JAR provides connectivity for java client applications with MySQL Connector (a driver that implements the Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) API)
How to start using the Java SDK?
In this section, we will discuss how to start using the Java SDK for your application (authenticated via self-client) which uses Zoho CRM.
- Prerequisite: Register your application
- Knowlege Base: Adding persistence classes
- Initialization
1. Prerequisite: Register your application
All the Zoho CRM APIs are authenticated by the OAuth2.0 standards . It is mandatory to authenticate the self client with Zoho.
Step 1: Goto https://api-console.zoho.com
Step 2: Click ADD CLIENT
Step 3: Choose Self Client and click CREATE NOW
Step 4: Choose the Client Type as Self Client , and click CREATE .
Step 5: Once you successfully register your self-client, you will receive a Client ID and Client Secret .
2. Knowledge Base: Adding persistence classes
This section consists of two parts:
a. Initializing your client application
b. Adding persistence classes
a. Initializing your client application
To authenticate the client application, you need to add the following key-value configuration pairs to the initialization code of your java client.
Key Description
Key | Description |
client_id, client_secret, and redirect_uri mandatory | You can get these values after registering your client. |
currentUserEmail mandatory | The Email ID of the current user. |
persistence_handler_class mandatory | The implementation of ZohoOAuthPersistenceInterface |
logFilePath optional | The absolute/relative file path of the file that stores the logs. |
domainSuffix optional | The domain from which the API calls are made. It can be .com (for US), .eu (for Europe), .cn (for China). If you specify this value, you need not specify apiBaseUrl and iamURL. |
accessType optional | The type of environment from which the API calls are made. Possible values are "Production", "Development", or "Sandbox" |
access_type optional | Must be set as as "offline". Online OAuth client is not supported by the Java SDK as of now |
apiBaseUrl optional | The URL that is used to make API calls. You need not specify this value if you give domainSuffix. The possible values are: https://www.zohoapis.com (default) |
iamURL optional | The accounts URL. You need not specify this value if you specify domainSuffix. The possible values are: |
mysql_password and mysql_username mandatory when you use MySQL persistence | The MySQL username and password, respectively. |
Key Value Configuration
HashMap <String, String> zcrmConfigurations = new HashMap <String, String >(); zcrmConfigurations.put("minLogLevel", "ALL"); zcrmConfigurations.put("currentUserEmail","{user_email_id}"); zcrmConfigurations.put("client_id","1000. xxxxxxxxx"); zcrmConfigurations.put("client_secret","xxxxxxxxxxxx"); zcrmConfigurations.put("redirect_uri",""); zcrmConfigurations.put("persistence_handler_class","com.zoho.oauth.clientapp.ZohoOAuthDBPersistence ");//for database. "com.zoho.oauth.clientapp.ZohoOAuthFilePersistence" for file, user can implement his own persistence and provide the path here zcrmConfigurations.put("oauth_tokens_file_path","/path/to/oauthtokens.properties");//optional path can be absolute(Ex:/User/Document/testapplication/src/oauthtokens.properties) or relative (Ex: /testapplication/src/oauthtokens.properties) zcrmConfigurations.put("domainSuffix","com");//optional. Default is com. "cn", "eu", and "in" supported zcrmConfigurations.put("accessType","Production");//Production->www(default), Development->developer, Sandbox->sandbox(optional) zcrmConfigurations.put("access_type","offline");//optional zcrmConfigurations.put("apiBaseUrl"," https://www.zohoapis.com ");//optional zcrmConfigurations.put("iamURL"," https://accounts.zoho.com ");//optional zcrmConfigurations.put("logFilePath","/path/to/file.log");//path can be absolute(Ex:/User/Document/testapplication/src/file.log) or relative (Ex: /testapplication/src/file.log) zcrmConfigurations.put("mysql_password","pass@123");//optional zcrmConfigurations.put("mysql_username",username");//optional ZCRMRestClient.initialize(zcrmConfigurations);//for initializing |
2. Adding persistence class
Your application should retain tokens (grant, access, and refresh tokens) to automate the process of data-sync between your java application and Zoho CRM.
You can persist tokens in your application by using any one of the below mentioned persistence methods:
a. By using an implementation of the inbuilt ZohoPersistenceHandler interface .
- ZohoOAuthFilePersistence (To store tokens in a File )
- ZohoOAuthDBPersistence (To store tokens in a Database )
b. By using your own implementation
Let us now look into each of the above mentioned methods.
a. By using an implementation of the inbuilt ZohoPersistenceHandler interface
Our Java SDK provides two default implementations of the ZohoPersistenceHandler interface within the client library. They are:
i. ZohoOAuthFilePersistence
ii. ZohoOAuthDBPersistence
i. ZohoOAuthFilePersistence - This type of persistence uses a file to read and write OAuth tokens. The file persists the token of a single user. So, it is best used for the 'self-client' type of authentication since it involves only one user.
Values to be given in configuration map
persistence_handler_class =com.zoho.oauth.clientapp.ZohoOAuthFilePersistence
oauth_tokens_file_path =absolute or relative path of the "oauthtokens.properties" file in the workspace.
ii. ZohoOAuthDBPersistence - This type of persistence uses MySQL persistence. You can use this type of persistence if you have more than one user using the application.
Some of the prerequisites for using this type of persistence are:
- MySQL should be running in the same machine serving at the default port 3306.
- The database name should be "zohooauth".
There must be a table "oauthtokens" with the columns "useridentifier" (varchar(255)), "accesstoken" (varchar(255)), "refreshtoken" (varchar(255)) and "expirytime" (bigint).
Values to be given in configuration map
persistence_handler_class =com.zoho.oauth.clientapp.ZohoOAuthDBPersistence
mysql_username =root
mysql_password ={your MySQL password}
b. By using your own implementation
You can also use your own implementation. The ZohoPersistenceHandler interface must have the following methods:
- getOAuthTokens() — invoked to fetch the saved tokens. This method should return ZohoOAuthTokens object for the library to process it.
- saveOAuthData(ZohoOAuthTokens tokens) — invoked to store the tokens.
- deleteOAuthTokens() — invoked to delete the tokens.
C. Initialization
Intializing your application involves the following steps:
Step 1: Generating the grant token
Step 2: Generating the access and refresh tokens using the grant token
Step 3: Generating the access token using the refresh token
Step 1: Generating the Grant Token
(i). Go to https://api-console.zoho.com/
(ii). Choose Self-Client
(iii). Enter the comma separated ZohoCRM scopes along with aaaserver.profile.READ . Choose the time duration (the grant token will be valid only till the time chosen here) and enter the description . Now, click GENERATE.
(iii). Copy the grant token displayed
Step 2: Generating the Access and Refresh Tokens
After obtaining the grant token, put the following code snippet in a java file and execute it from your main class to get access and refresh tokens.
ZCRMRestClient.initialize(configurations_map); ZohoOAuthClient cli = ZohoOAuthClient.getInstance(); String grantToken = “paste_the_self_authorized_grant_token_here”; ZohoOAuthTokens tokens = cli.generateAccessToken(grantToken); String accessToken = tokens.getAccessToken(); String refreshToken = tokens.getRefreshToken(); System.out.println("access token = " + accessToken + " & refresh token = " + refreshToken); |
2a. On using ZohoOAuthFilePersistence method
The access and refresh tokens are generated and stored in the oauth_tokens.properties file .
2b. On using ZohoOAuthDBPersistence method
The access and refresh tokens are generated and stored in " oauthtokens " table of your MySQL
Step 3: Generating the Access token from Refresh token
Use the below code snippet to generate the access token from the refresh token.
ZohoOAuthClient client = ZohoOAuthClient.getInstance(); client.generateAccessTokenFromRefreshToken(refreshToken, userMailId); |
Sample SDK Code
When you build your application using the Java SDK, the code template will be similar to:
Refer to the attachment to get the code. For more sample codes, refer to our SDK guide .
The isTokenGenerated Method:
This method checks if the access token has already been generated or not. It returns a boolean value:
true - The access token has already been generated.
false - The access token has not been generated previously, thus, it shifts the control to the code snippet that leads to access token generation.
See you next week with another post.
Cheers!
Previous 'Kaizen' - Notification API
Next 'Kaizen' - Python SDK
Access your files securely from anywhere
Zoho FSM Video Tutorials
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
Sneha Sridharan
Umashankar
Praveen Sankar
Sticky Posts
Announcing the new SKILL.md for Zoho CRM and the updated OAS repository!
We are introducing a new zoho-crm skill to make working with Zoho CRM Developer tools (like APIs, functions, widgets, client scripts, queries etc) easier and faster, with the help of AI in your preferred AI harness like Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VSCodeKaizen #261 : Using Zoho CRM Skill to generate complex COQL queries
Hello everyone, In the previous Kaizen posts, we introduced the zoho-crm SKILL.md and discussed how it can help you when you are working with Zoho CRM APIs and Client Script. In this Kaizen, we will focus on using the Zoho CRM `SKILL.md` with GitHub CopilotKaizen #256 - Build an Arrival Readiness Web Tab in Zoho CRM
Hi everyone! Welcome back to the Kaizen series! In the post, we discuss a use case in hospitality industry: how an Arrival Readiness web tab widget can be used to let reception staff identify and resolve issues before arrival of guests. Use case In theKaizen #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
New to Zoho TeamInbox?
Zoho TeamInbox Resources
Zoho CRM Plus Resources
Zoho Books Resources
Zoho Billing 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
I cannot add user to my account
I have an account, I deleted a user from the account and I have one unused licence which lasts for 23 days, I tried adding a new user and it said This user is not allowed to add in Zoho. Please contact support-as@zohocorp.com for further details, pleaseDomain Activation Issue
I purchased a domain through Zoho, and as I understand it, you were supposed to send me a domain activation link. However, I never received it. As a result, I was unable to activate the domain, and it is now suspended. Because of this, I am not receivingGrouping by Stage *type* in widgets
Hi Can I ask for a new feature? I'd like to be able to group by stage type in a Deal widget. That is by whether the Deal is in an Open Stage, a Closed Won Stage, or a Lost stage. Currently I can group by Stage, but if we have 10 open stages and one ClosedPlease release domain bravovietnam.com from an old account
Hello Zoho Support, I am trying to set up Zoho Mail with my domain bravovietnam.com on my account office@bravovietnam.com. Every time I add the domain, I get: "This domain is already associated with this account" — pointing to a DIFFERENT, older accountCreator -Dynamic addition of Customer Portal User Licenses
Hi, We have a Creator App for B2C about to get released. We are experiencing the Portal User license challenge. Unable to predict the number of users who will download and Subscribe. When a User is about Subscribe and the portal licenses does not exists,Migrate Mailbox between Microsoft 365 tenants - Safe, Fast & Easy
Moving mailboxes between Microsoft 365 tenants is a difficult proposition when you've got a large number of user accounts, a lot of email data and a number of Microsoft 365 services to contend with. This is a common scenario when a business is undergoing👍 Zoho CRM's Notes now gets Reactions and a new look
Available in SA and JP DCs. Rolling out to other DCs in phases. Hello everyone, Notes help users capture important updates, collaborate with teammates, and maintain context for records. Now with Note Reactions, users can quickly acknowledge updates, expressWidget Height were destroyed
All widget heights in the Details Canvas view are broken. Moderation Update: This is a known issue with widget heights in Client Script popups and flyouts. A fix is in progress, and this post will be updated once it's released.Introducing Incentives for Zoho CRM: Build, automate, and track sales commissions
Dear Customers, We are here with an amazing news! We built a direct solution to help manage your commission provisioning activity in your business. From creating commission plans to issuing payouts, this application leverages your sales reps’ performanceEnhanced Zoho CRM and Office 365 calendar synchronization features!
Dear customers, We're excited to share some significant improvements to our Office 365 calendar synchronization features, aimed at providing you with more control and a more personalized experience. What’s new Choose your Office 365 calendar: During theIntroducing Zoho Key Service, a simpler way to access LLMs without API keys
Available in the Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions in the US, IN, AU, JP, and CA DCs. Hello everyone, We are excited to bring Zoho Key Service (ZKS) in Zoho CRM, a simpler way for organizations to access and use third party LLMs. You canZoho Books Support
Dear Team, Zoho Books offers a demo before you purchase zoho books. But after that when he actually purchases the product he has to rely on toll free number or help documents. But this might get frustrated in the initial period. Specially in initial period.How to add a fee based on payment method
I currently accept both ACH payments and credit card. I want to add a 3% fee to a number of my subscription plans if the customer chooses to use a credit card (and not ACH/checking). How do I do this? Is there an in-built feature, or would i have to createMirror Component in Zoho CRM: Access real-time related data without leaving your record
Hi everyone, This feature is now available for the JP, CA, SA, UAE, and AU DCs. We're excited to bring to you Zoho CRM's mirror component, which presents relevant data on a record's details page and keeps everything users need in one place without havingWhat's New in Zoho Invoice | July – September 2026
Hello everyone! We're back with the latest updates and enhancements we've rolled out in Zoho Invoice from July to September 2026. Here's what's new this quarter: Zoho Invoice is Now Available in Nigeria Introducing the Super Admin Privilege E-InvoicingConvert MBOX to PDF Free on Mac and Windows
MBOX files are widely used for storing email messages in email clients such as Thunderbird, Apple Mail, and other programs that support the MBOX format. Although this format is useful for handling emails, it can at times be inconvenient to access theNotes - Reaction Buttons
Using the native notes option within CRM is fine, it works and the RTF features are great, however, would it be possible - if there isnt already something in place, where we can add a reactions button, similar to teams/whatsapp to show that its been readZohoBooks - "Account transactions" report doesn't have any "Desciptions"
Hi, I'd like to push for this to be included in ZohoBooks: In a "account transactions" report all the numbers are right, but I'd really like to see the "Description" as part of this report, i.e. the line-item-description as I would see it in the bank statement. Essentially all you see is a list of numbers adding up to the total. It is very difficult to see if things are right without being able to see what exactly each transaction refers to. Going into each transaction one-by-one is not a workableAddress limits per customer by edition
I’m on the Standard edition and have reached a limit of 30 addresses under a single customer. Before I move to an annual Professional subscription, I need to confirm the following: What is the maximum number of addresses allowed under one contact, andExport from List view
I'm constantly having the issue where my users are building lists in ListView for various objects and then realising they cant export the data, then they have to go and build the data set in reports to export. I would like to see the ability to export to excel/csv from ListView.Cannot apply tags to multiple items at once
It is very frustrating needing to apply tags to notes individually. Even worse that it takes multiple clicks to do it. Can there please be an update to: 1.) Allow us to apply tags to batches of notes in one go. 2.) Make it less clicks to add a tag 3.)Get all hiring updates via Zoho Cliq bot notifications
We’re introducing a new way to stay updated on recruitment activities: Cliq Bot notifications. Now you can receive Zoho Recruit notifications directly in Zoho Cliq—alongside your existing in-app alerts and emails. Whether it’s a candidate status change,Notes Acknowledgement
It would be great to have emojis that can be used for Notes. Emojis such as Thumbs Up to let someone know you agree with them or a emoji for thanks. It's a simple way to acknowledge that you read someone's note. Moderation update: Emoji reactions forIs it possible to log text messages from iphone into Zoho CRM
My team is more and more utilizing text messaging to communicate with clients. Does Zoho have a solution for logging these text messages when clicking "Send Text Message" from the Zoho app. Much like when you call, you get prompted to log a call, canProject Finances: Fully Accessible within Projects
Project finances and work items are now on the same screen and it transforms the way you run your project. Managing your project finances is now much easier and in the same screen as your work items. Access quotes, invoices, bills, sales orders, and purchasezoho stream web notifications
since im locked out of IMAP and cant use my mail app that lets my team collaborate and chat below emails, im trying out the zoho version of this... zoho streams. On the bottom of an email in the zoho mail web app, i "comment" and mention another user.UI / UX Improvements
Please consider changing the Dependency Details window from a column-based layout to a list-based layout, or allowing users to choose their preferred layout. The current column-based view uses screen space inefficiently and makes navigation difficult,Zoho CRM and Desk sandboxes for testing native integration
Hello team, We are evaluating the native integration between Zoho CRM and Zoho Desk, We have sandbox instances of both products and want to test the integration there, without any effect on our production CRM or production Desk data. While setting upFunction #24: Automatically display deal name from Zoho CRM on quotes in Zoho Books
Deals allow businesses to organize and visualize their sales pipeline. This provides a clear overview of all potential opportunities and helps in making informed decisions. Zoho CRM empowers you to create deals or potentials for your clients and monitorZoho Books | Product updates | August 2026
Hello users, July has been an exciting month for Zoho Books! This month, we're excited to introduce HTML PDF Templates, Placeholders as Pills, expanded approval workflows for Sales Returns and Journals, and significant compliance updates across the India,Auto-Sync Field of Lookup Values When Parent Record Changes
Hi Zoho Team, Currently, when you use a "Field of Lookup" in Zoho CRM, the value is captured as a snapshot at the time the lookup is set. If the parent record is later updated, the Field of Lookup value on the child record does NOT update and stays stale.[Request] Pivot filter date option : from set date to relative value ie from 01Jan to LastMonth
I don't think I can currently do this... but it's worth asking if it's possible. My use case is concerning annual leave which is calculated from the beginning of the calendar year (01Jan) then each month I want to have details of leave taken etc... InCustomer Statement Showing Incorrect Negative Balance Due to Unused Advance
Dear Zoho Support Team, We are facing an issue with the Customer Statement in Zoho Invoice related to customer advances/mobilization advances. The issue is that when a customer has made an advance payment that has not yet been fully utilized against invoices,Mois de la sensibilisation à la cybersécurité 2026 : faites de la sécurité un réflexe avec Zoho
Imaginez : vos systèmes informatiques répondent aux normes de sécurité en vigueur et votre entreprise est assurée contre les cyberattaques. Pourtant, un matin, tout bascule. Vos données sont chiffrées et un message glaçant s’affiche à l’écran : « Si vousSpecifying time increments on a Date/Time field
Hi all, Im using a Date/Time field in my CRM module. At the moment the increments are 30 minutes. How can I change these to be 15 minutes? ThanksRead, View, Access, or Open an OST File Without Outlook
Have you at any time needed to open an old OST file only to find that Microsoft Outlook is not installed on your computer? It is very annoying, particularly in the case where the file includes important emails, attachments, contacts, or calendar items.What's new in Zoho Workplace | August 2026
Hello Zoho Workplace community! Here's a roundup of all the new features and announcements that went live across Zoho Workplace applications in August. Zoho Mail Zoho Mail is now available in AWS Marketplace! AWS Marketplace users can access and subscribeRead, View or Open MBOX File without Any Email Clients
Since email messages are stored in a single file by MBOX files, they are useful for keeping email data in one location. Many email programmes, such as Thunderbird and other mail clients, support this format. However, if you have an old MBOX file and theWhat's new in Zoho Social - Q3 recap
Hello everyone, We've rolled out a bunch of exciting updates in Q3, and we're thrilled to walk you through them. Here's a quick look at everything we released in July, August, and September to help you experiment with content, automate engagement workflows,The Social Wall: September 2026
Hello everyone! This month, we’re bringing Snapchat to Zoho Social. You can now connect your Snapchat account and manage your content alongside your other social channels. Whether you want to reach a wider audience through Spotlights or share quick updatesNext Page