Kaizen #166 - Handling Query Variables in Zoho CRM

Kaizen #166 - Handling Query Variables in Zoho CRM


Hello, Code Enthusiasts! 

Welcome to another week of Kaizen!

This week, we'll dive into handling variables in Zoho CRM Queries and see how they can be deployed in Kiosk to dynamically retrieve data. This technique is especially useful for integrating data from third-party applications or CRM itself into your custom interface, such as Canvas and Kiosk. 

Variables

Variables are placeholders in Queries that are replaced with real values at runtime. Instead of hard coding data, you can use variables to make your Queries flexible and reusable.

Syntax: {{Variable_Name}}

Query variables in Zoho CRM function differently from conventional Zoho CRM variables. While CRM variables act as containers for dynamic values that can be stored and reused anywhere within the organization, query variables are designed to receive their values at runtime.

Query variables enhance flexibility and are specifically used in:
  • COQL: To dynamically filter and retrieve data.
  • REST API: For runtime data fetching based on specific parameters.
  • Query Criteria: To define conditions dynamically for fetching records.

How to Use a Variable?

To use variables, ensure the fields providing the variable values are available in the context where the Query is executed.

Let’s say you want to evaluate a marketing campaign's performance. For this, you need to fetch all leads with a specific lead source. Since each campaign is associated with a different lead source, you can define the lead source as a variable. When viewing a campaign's details, the lead source will be passed dynamically to the Query.

Business Scenario : Nearby Delivery Hubs

Imagine a telecommerce platform using Zoho CRM to manage sales and deliveries. When a customer provides their PIN code, the salesperson must confirm with the customer for a nearby post office for package pick-ups and drop-offs in Kiosk.

With Zoho CRM Queries, you can achieve this by dynamically fetching the nearby post offices list based on the customer's PIN code and displaying it on the Contact record’s detail page. Here's how to set it up using the Kiosk feature.

Setting Up the Query in Kiosk

1. Access Kiosk Studio

  • Log in to Zoho CRM.
  • Go to Setup > Customization > Kiosk Studio and click Create Kiosk.

2. Configure the Current Module

  • Choose the module where the Kiosk will be deployed.
    For this example, select Contacts to use the PIN code from the Contact record.

  • Configuring this Current Module is mandatory to use variables from the current record. 

3. Add a Screen

  • Click the + icon on the flowchart and select Screen.
  • Name the screen and click Add.

4. Add a Query

  • Under Display Elements, choose Get Data Via Queries.
  • Click New Query and then Add Query to create a new one.

5. Set Up the Data Source

  • Any custom source has to be enrolled either in the Trusted Domains or in the Connections. For demo, 
  • In the Add Query pop-up, click Source and create a new source.
    For this demo, we’ll add India Post to fetch post offices based on PIN codes.
  • Add default Headers and Parameters to the source if any. This will be added by default whenever the source is used in a query. 

6. Define the Query

  • In the Information section, provide the query’s Name and API Name to refer to the query wherever needed.
  • Use the endpoint URL with a variable, e.g., https://api.example.com/post_offices/{{Mailing_Zip}}.
  • You can add headers and parameters specific to the query, but let us skip that for the demo. 
  • Add a JavaScript serializer to process the Query response. For our case, we will serialize the response with return result[0].PostOffice;
  • You can test your serializer with the help of Preview. Once finished, provide a test value to the variable for generating Schema for the Query Response.
    The test value you provide is temporary and not permanent. The value of a variable will be declared using merge fields when you associate the query with a component. Check Step 7 to know how it is used in our demo. 

    You can also manipulate the response by changing data types of keys in the raw response. To keep the demo simple, let's go with the raw response. 

7. Link the Query to Kiosk

  • Use Dynamic Parameters to map the variable to the Mailing Zip field from the Contact record. Enter # to merge the fields. 
  • In Choose Fields, select which data to display in the Kiosk.
  • You can further manipulate the query response in the Record Preferences section.
    Select your preference to view the response as a Single Record or Multiple Records.
    • For Single Record, choose the data that has to be displayed from the query response and click Save.
    • For Multiple Records, fill in the following details as shown in this image. 
    • The Selection Limit helps you with the maximum number of records that have to be chosen in the kiosk after publishing. 
    • Identifier field functions as the primary field to identify each record. 
    • In the fields section, choose the data that has to be displayed from the query response.

  • Customize the Kiosk button and click Done to save your configuration.
  • 8. Test and Publish

    Test the Kiosk using a sample Record ID from the Contacts module. If successful, the list of nearby post offices will display in an iframe as it would appear on the Contact detail page.


    Once satisfied, publish the Kiosk to make it live. 
    Let us check the Kiosk from the Contacts detail page. 

    Example Scenarios

    • Loan Approval: You can display a customer's CIBIL score using their Social Security Number (SSN) directly within a Canvas. The SSN serves as a runtime variable, allowing you to approve loans without manual data entry and shifting tabs.
    • Customer Support: In a Records Detail View kiosk, display all high priority tickets linked to an account. The current account's ID acts as a runtime variable, ensuring that support agents have immediate access to relevant queries and resolve issues faster.
    • Insurance Verification: In a Records Detail View kiosk, the customer's ID proof number can be used to verify their details on official government sites. The ID proof number dynamically functions as a variable, streamlining the insurance verification process.
    We hope you found this post informative and beneficial.

    If you have any queries or a topic to be discussed, reach out to us at support@zohocrm.com or drop your comments below. 

    Cheers!

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

      Access your files securely from anywhere







                              Zoho Developer Community




                                                    • Desk Community Learning Series


                                                    • Digest


                                                    • Functions


                                                    • Meetups


                                                    • Kbase


                                                    • Resources


                                                    • Glossary


                                                    • Desk Marketplace


                                                    • MVP Corner


                                                    • Word of the Day


                                                    • Ask the Experts



                                                              • Sticky Posts

                                                              • 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
                                                              • Kaizen #152 - Client Script Support for the new Canvas Record Forms

                                                                Hello everyone! Have you ever wanted to trigger actions on click of a canvas button, icon, or text mandatory forms in Create/Edit and Clone Pages? Have you ever wanted to control how elements behave on the new Canvas Record Forms? This can be achieved
                                                              • Kaizen #142: How to Navigate to Another Page in Zoho CRM using Client Script

                                                                Hello everyone! Welcome back to another exciting Kaizen post. In this post, let us see how you can you navigate to different Pages using Client Script. In this Kaizen post, Need to Navigate to different Pages Client Script ZDKs related to navigation A.
                                                              • Kaizen #210 - Answering your Questions | Event Management System using ZDK CLI

                                                                Hello Everyone, Welcome back to yet another post in the Kaizen Series! As you already may know, for the Kaizen #200 milestone, we asked for your feedback and many of you suggested topics for us to discuss. We have been writing on these topics over the


                                                              Manage your brands on social media



                                                                    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

                                                                                        • 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

                                                                                                                • Pushover Notification Module

                                                                                                                  Hello, it would be good if there would be a "Pushover" (https://pushover.net/) module besides the standard SMS module. Pushover is now very well known, especially in IT, and is becoming more and more popular. The biggest advantage are the customizable
                                                                                                                • Forward - no Ticket Number

                                                                                                                  Hello, when I send an email to Zoho Desk via Reply or Reply All, the ticket number is in the subject line. But if I use forward then not. Is there an option to change this? We often forward e-mails and a reply to this will of course create a new ticket
                                                                                                                • Checkout: Adding Images

                                                                                                                  Hello everyone, I’m trying to add a small GoGreen logo in the shipping section of the checkout to promote our sustainable shipping. While I can insert text without any issues, it seems that adding images is not supported in this area. Is there currently
                                                                                                                • Sortie de Zoho TABLE ??

                                                                                                                  Bonjour, Depuis bientôt 2 ans l'application zoho table est sortie en dehors de l'UE ? Depuis un an elle est annoncée en Europe Mais en vrai, c'est pour quand exactement ??
                                                                                                                • [solved] #original_sender trick not working for us

                                                                                                                  Hello community ! We really like DESK.. it's working like a charm for us but I have a request. Some users are sending emails personnaly to me (instead of using the support adress).. and I saw there was a possibilty to use : #original_sender {mail@mail.com}
                                                                                                                • SalesIQ Chat Notifications

                                                                                                                  I am the admin of our salesIQ implementation. About two weeks ago, I started hearing/seeing notification for ALL chats messages from monitored agents/chat participants. I don't need to see these, we have a manager who deals with this. I can't stop the
                                                                                                                • Correlated subqueries not supported in Zoho Analytics. This creates huge limitations

                                                                                                                  Running into a major limitation in Zoho Analytics: correlated subqueries simply don’t work, even in completely standard SQL patterns inside a JOIN. Example: LEFT JOIN "Bills" b ON d."Id" = b."Deal ID" AND EXISTS ( SELECT 1 FROM "Bill
                                                                                                                • Unknown table or alias 'A1'

                                                                                                                  I would like to create a subquery but i am getting the following error: Unknown table or alias 'A1' used in select query. This is the sql statement:  SELECT A1.active_paying_customers, A1.active_trial_customers, A1.new_paying_signup, date(A1.date_active_customers), 
                                                                                                                • Batch Emails in CRM Plus without using a template?

                                                                                                                  Hi guys. Is it possible to send the same email to multiple people at the same time within CRM Plus without using an email template? At the moment we create a custom view in Contacts to display the people that we need. We then click the boxes on the left, and click 'Send Mail', but always need to select a template. Sometimes its better to write a quick one off message, without needing to set up a template first. Thanks.
                                                                                                                • bank charge

                                                                                                                  a charge to my account was made that I did not authorize, of $16.46, for something that looks like "computer maintenance or something to that matter". please refund.
                                                                                                                • [Free Webinar] Product Updates: Quick Catch-Up Session - Part II - Creator Tech Connect

                                                                                                                  Hello Everyone! We welcome you all to the upcoming free webinar on the Creator Tech Connect Series. The Creator Tech Connect series is a free monthly webinar featuring deep-dive technical sessions designed for developers, administrators, and app builders.
                                                                                                                • Introducing Liquid Glass UI on the Zoho Mail iOS app

                                                                                                                  Hello everyone! We're excited to announce that the Zoho Mail app is now fully optimised for iOS 26's Liquid Glass design on both iPhone and iPad! The updated interface features transparent layers, smooth animations, and refined visual elements that enhance
                                                                                                                • Plan change from Zoho One to Zoho Workplace

                                                                                                                  Hello Zoho, Following the recent pricing update for Zoho One, we are interested in transitioning to Zoho Workplace products. Please inform us about the necessary steps for this process so we can proceed promptly. Kind regards,
                                                                                                                • Partner with HDFC And Sbi Bank.

                                                                                                                  Hdfc and sbi both are very popular bank if zoho books become partner with this banks then many of the zoho books users will benefit premium features of partnered banks.
                                                                                                                • Links in Instagram

                                                                                                                  Hi there, I have been using Later for a while now but keen to come back to Zoho Social as Later doesn't offer tagging of pages on Facebook but they offer something Zoho doesn't. You can add a link to your bio which opens up your profile feed where images
                                                                                                                • Spotlight #7 - Automatic Transitions in Blueprint

                                                                                                                  Previously, records could not be moved from one state to another without user intervention. With automatic transitions, move records from one state to another automatically, when it elapses its pre-defined time. This Spotlight discusses how automatic
                                                                                                                • Sub Folders

                                                                                                                  It would be great if there could be sub-folders in reports. We have a ton of individual reports and folders that would be easier to navigate this way 
                                                                                                                • Zoho CRM Community Digest - November 2025 | Part 2

                                                                                                                  Hello Everyone! Second half of November brought several exciting updates, especially around Zia, making AI assistance smarter, faster, and more context-aware. We also feature engaging community snippets highlighting members who went the extra mile to
                                                                                                                • Zoho CRM - Writing Assistant Tone

                                                                                                                  Hi Zoho CRM Team, Text in my emails often gets underlined in yellow because I tend to use a more informal tone with my client's, like using "I'm" instead of "I am". Is there some way for me to tell the system that this is my preferred writing tone, so
                                                                                                                • Hide Contact Number for Field Users & Agents

                                                                                                                  Is it possible to hide the contact number in both the Service Appointment and Work Order modules for field users and agents? The agents are using the Zoho FSM mobile app, and we want to restrict them from viewing the contact number.
                                                                                                                • Zoho Flow Credits

                                                                                                                  Hi , I would like to ask the reason why every time I added plus credit but few days later I will return back to default? (as below I add credit to 3000 but today It change back to 1000) Most important is, when the credit fully used, not any reminder to
                                                                                                                • Form Submission Emails

                                                                                                                  Is there a current delay with submission emails being sent? We've had 10-20 forms completed today but only a handful of emails.
                                                                                                                • What is the simplest way to import PST to Yahoo Mail?

                                                                                                                  The simplest way to import PST file into Yahoo Mail is to use a third-party tool that supports direct PST-to-Yahoo migration. Software like Aryson PST Converter lets you upload emails, contacts, attachments, and folders from a PST file straight into your
                                                                                                                • Subform edits don't appear in parent record timeline?

                                                                                                                  Is it possible to have subform edits (like add row/delete row) appear in the Timeline for parent records? A user can edit a record, only edit the subform, and it doesn't appear in the timeline. Is there a workaround or way that we can show when a user
                                                                                                                • 【Zoho CRM for Everyone】設定画面のアップデート

                                                                                                                  ユーザーの皆さま、こんにちは。コミュニティチームの藤澤です。 今回は「Zoho CRM アップデート情報」の中から、Zoho CRM for Everyone の設定画面のアップデート情報をご紹介します。 目次 設定ホーム画面の追加 設定画面での検索結果の表示形式の変更 設定画面でのよく使用する機能の表示 設定メニューの展開/折りたたみ状態の保持 1. 設定ホーム画面の追加 ホーム画面の設定項目は、直感的に分類できるように"カテゴリごと"で分けられています。 このような一元化された表示により、各ツールが1つの画面に集約され、必要な機能をより簡単に見つけられるようになりました。
                                                                                                                • What's New - November 2025 | Zoho Backstage

                                                                                                                  A new month, a new set of updates. With a mix of new features and thoughtful improvements, you get smoother workflows and better control across registrations, exhibitors, and communications. Let's take a look at what's new and enhanced in Zoho Backstage
                                                                                                                • Zoho Checkout - Duplicate Customer record created for each payment received

                                                                                                                  Hi All. We are using Zoho Checkout to capture online payments for a club membership form (in Zoho Forms). We've noticed that each new payment seems to create a new customer record, regardless of whether the customer already exists in the Zoho Finance
                                                                                                                • Templates for Zoho Desk - Knowledge Base

                                                                                                                  We are looking at migrating our Knowledge base into Zoho Desk. Is there a way of creating templates for article in Knowledge base. We want to be able to set templates for certain types of content. Is this possible
                                                                                                                • Import KB template OR Export template for zoho desk?

                                                                                                                  Greetings. Can you tell me if there is a way to get an EXPORT of my KB articles? OR is there a template you supply for importing KB articles into my zoho desk? I am looking for a method of understanding what fields can be imported, and what their possible
                                                                                                                • What KPIs Do You Use to Measure Your Support Team’s Performance in Zoho Desk?

                                                                                                                  Hi everyone, We hope you’re all doing well. We are trying to improve how we measure the performance and effectiveness of our support department, and we would really appreciate learning from the community. We assume there are several common and widely-used
                                                                                                                • Backorder quantity change

                                                                                                                  New Purchase Order × Almost there, but... Quantity of items in this purchase order is greater than the quantity that can be backordered from that sales order. Why can't I change the quantity of a backorder purchase? It looks like a normal order form and I would like to use it as one because I increased the amount and added some items. 
                                                                                                                • How to Associate multiple contacts with deal in Sales Inbox

                                                                                                                  Hello, I have many deals that have multiple potential customers associated with a single deal, for example an engineer and a manager. The manager is the Deal's primary contact in CRM and the Engineer is added to the deal in the "Contact Roles" Associated
                                                                                                                • WorkDrive and CRM not in sync

                                                                                                                  1/ There is a CRM file upload field with WorkDrive file set as the source: 2/ Then the file is renamed in WorkDrive (outside CRM): 3/ The File in CRM is not synced after the change in WorkDrive; the file name (reference) in CRM record is not updated (here
                                                                                                                • "code": "500","description": "Account not exists", mail api

                                                                                                                  I have been through all the steps and have a functioning Oath access_token etc etc... I then GET https://mail.zoho.com/api/organization And get my zoid then GET http://mail.zoho.com/api/organization/<hidden>/accounts and get the account details, which
                                                                                                                • RTL Support for Webforms in Zoho CRM

                                                                                                                  Dear Zoho CRM Support Team, We are writing to request an enhancement to the webform builder functionality within Zoho CRM. Currently, to create a webform in a right-to-left (RTL) language, the entire CRM instance must be set to RTL, which can be inconvenient
                                                                                                                • Imported contacts succesful but contacts do not show up in Contacts

                                                                                                                  I imported +300 contacts. I can see them in import history. When clicking on a contact in import history I see all the imported contact details for any given contact. So import seems to be successful.   However the imported contacts do not show up in the contacts tab. Not in All contacts, and not in a filtered view where they absolutely should show up. The search function also does not find any imported contact.   Help?
                                                                                                                • Rich Text For Notes in Zoho CRM

                                                                                                                  Hello everyone, As you know, notes are essential for recording information and ensuring smooth communication across your records. With our latest update, you can now use Rich Text formatting to organize and structure your notes more efficiently. By using
                                                                                                                • Saving sent email campaign as PDF

                                                                                                                  I'm looking to add all campaigns sent to an archive folder in sharepoint. Is there anyway to accomplish this in Zoho Flow ? I'm falling at the first hurdle ... can I automatically save a sent campaign as a PDF to a folder location ?
                                                                                                                • Zoho Voice lance BYOC (Bring Your Own Carrier) : intégrez votre opérateur

                                                                                                                  Pour accompagner sa croissance, une entreprise a besoin d’une infrastructure téléphonique flexible et évolutive. Les solutions de téléphonie s’adaptent aux exigences du centre de contact, tout en intégrant aisément les opérateurs locaux de votre choix.
                                                                                                                • Zoho Social API for generating draft posts from a third-party app ?

                                                                                                                  Hello everyone, I hope you are all well. I have a question regarding Zoho Social. I am developing an application that generates social media posts, and I would like to be able to incorporate a feature that allows saving these posts as drafts in Zoho Social.
                                                                                                                • Next Page