Kaizen #169 - Serialization and Schema Management in Queries
Hello everyone!
Welcome back to another post in the Kaizen series!
In Kaizen #166, we discussed handling Variables in Queries and associating the query in Kiosk.
This week, we will discuss Serialization and Schema management in Queries.
Business Scenario
Let's consider the same use case of Delivery Hub discussed in Kaizen #166.
Here, a tele-commerce platform uses 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.
For this case, we wrote a query with the Source as REST API. When a PIN code was entered, the query dynamically retrieved the list of post offices in that area and displayed it on the Contact's detail page.
Let's take it a step further and see how we can serialize the response.
When you query by entering a PIN code, the response contains all post offices in that area including the ones that are non-operational.
To display only relevant data and leverage the capabilities of the Queries feature, you can serialize the response to display only those post offices that are operational(with the value "DeliveryStatus":"Delivery") along with the names of those post offices.
We will also see how Schema varies based on serialization.
Serialization
Serialization refers to the process of transforming complex data structures into a format that is more meaningful and relevant to your business needs. In Zoho CRM Queries, serialization affects how responses are formatted and what data is included.
Serialization offers the following:
- Response Customization: By serialization, you can manipulate the output of a query to focus on relevant fields. For example, if a query retrieves multiple post offices, serialization can filter these results to display only those marked as 'deliverable'.
- Schema Adjustment: When you serialize the response, the schema changes. This allows you to have only relevant data in the serialized output like the required fields, especially while querying a module with multiple relationships.
- User Experience: Serialization avoids unnecessary information clutter, giving the users only what they need, thereby improving their overall experience.
Example
Consider the example of Delivery Hub. For PIN 110042, the response contains a list of six post offices in that area.
{ Name: 'Badli (North West Delhi)' , Description: null , BranchType: 'Sub Post Office' , DeliveryStatus: 'Non-Delivery' , Circle: 'Delhi' , District: 'North West Delhi' , Division: 'Delhi North' , Region: 'Delhi' , Block: 'Delhi' , State: 'Delhi' , Country: 'India' , Pincode: '110042' } 1 : { Name: 'Delhi Engg. College' , Description: null , BranchType: 'Sub Post Office' , DeliveryStatus: 'Non-Delivery' , Circle: 'Delhi' , District: 'North West Delhi' , Division: 'Delhi North' , Region: 'Delhi' , Block: 'Delhi' , State: 'Delhi' , Country: 'India' , Pincode: '110042' } { Name: 'Pehlad Pur' , Description: null , BranchType: 'Branch Post Office' , DeliveryStatus: 'Delivery' , Circle: 'Delhi' , District: 'North West Delhi' , Division: 'Delhi North' , Region: 'Delhi' , Block: 'Delhi' , State: 'Delhi' , Country: 'India' , Pincode: '110042' } 3 : { Name: 'Samai Pur' , Description: null , BranchType: 'Sub Post Office' , DeliveryStatus: 'Delivery' , Circle: 'Delhi' , District: 'North West Delhi' , Division: 'Delhi North' , Region: 'Delhi' , Block: 'Delhi' , State: 'Delhi' , Country: 'India' , Pincode: '110042' } 4 : { Name: 'Shahbad Daulatpur' , Description: null , BranchType: 'Branch Post Office' , DeliveryStatus: 'Delivery' , Circle: 'Delhi' , District: 'North West Delhi' , Division: 'Delhi North' , Region: 'Delhi' , Block: 'Delhi' , State: 'Delhi' , Country: 'India' , Pincode: '110042' } 5 : { Name: 'Siraspur' , Description: null , BranchType: 'Branch Post Office' , DeliveryStatus: 'Delivery' , Circle: 'Delhi' , District: 'North West Delhi' , Division: 'Delhi North' , Region: 'Delhi' , Block: 'Delhi' , State: 'Delhi' , Country: 'India' , Pincode: '110042' } |
Now, we will use serialization to display only those post offices that deliver with the value DeliveryStatus = 'Delivery' .
You can serialize the response using JavaScript. Here is the code.
const postOffices = result[0]?.PostOffice; // Ensure `postOffices` is iterable const postOfficesArray = Array.isArray(postOffices) ? postOffices : (postOffices ? Object.values(postOffices) : []); const filteredResults = []; // Filter and manually extract `Name` and `DeliveryStatus` for (const office of postOfficesArray) { if (office.DeliveryStatus === "Delivery") { filteredResults.push({ Name: office.Name, DeliveryStatus: office.DeliveryStatus }); } } return filteredResults; |
Let's see how serialization brings a difference in the output.
Output when fetching all post offices
Serialized output displaying only the name and status of the post offices that deliver
As you can see, serialization makes the output less bloated and a lot more meaningful and relevant.
Schema Management
For every query, the schema is auto-generated. It outlines the structure of the retrieved data and helps identify the path of each field, its CRM field type, and the label.
You can modify the auto-generated schema to suit your requirements better. You can update field labels and types, which helps in presenting data in a more user-friendly way.
For example, if a query returns a field labeled "Deal Stage," you can rename it to "Current Status" for clarity when displaying results on dashboards or reports.
Let's look at the schema when fetching all post offices for a PIN code vs the schema of the serialized response.
Schema before serialization
Schema after serialization
You can see that serializing helps you achieve crisper results.
It shows the CRM field type of every field in the response and its label. You can further customize the schema by changing the field labels to suit your needs.
In the following image, the field label for DeliveryStatus is changed to Status in the serializer which is reflected in the schema.
We hope you found this post useful. Watch this space for more posts on interesting topics.
We love to hear from you! Write to us at support@zohocrm.com.
See you all next week!
Cheers!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
See Also
- Kaizen #166 - Handling Variables in Queries
- Kaizen #167 - Config and Init for PHP SDK for self client and server-based client
- Kaizen #168 - Incremental Authorization
- Kaizen Directory
Access your files securely from anywhere
Centralize Knowledge. Transform Learning.
All-in-one knowledge management and training platform for your employees and customers.
New to Zoho Recruit?
Zoho Developer Community
New to Zoho LandingPage?
Zoho LandingPage Resources
New to Zoho Survey?
New to Zoho CRM Plus?
Deliver unforgettable customer experiences
New to Zoho CRM Plus?
Deliver unforgettable customer experiences
New to Zoho Marketing Plus?
Everything you need to run your marketing
New to Zoho Marketing Plus?
Everything you need to run your marketing
New to Bigin?
Topic Participants
Shylaja S
Sticky Posts
Kaizen #198: Using Client Script for Custom Validation in Blueprint
Nearing 200th Kaizen Post – 1 More to the Big Two-Oh-Oh! Do you have any questions, suggestions, or topics you would like us to cover in future posts? Your insights and suggestions help us shape future content and make this series better for everyone.Kaizen #226: Using ZRC in Client Script
Hello everyone! Welcome to another week of Kaizen. In today's post, lets see what is ZRC (Zoho Request Client) and how we can use ZRC methods in Client Script to get inputs from a Salesperson and update the Lead status with a single button click. In thisKaizen #222 - Client Script Support for Notes Related List
Hello everyone! Welcome to another week of Kaizen. The final Kaizen post of the year 2025 is here! With the new Client Script support for the Notes Related List, you can validate, enrich, and manage notes across modules. In this post, we’ll explore howKaizen #217 - Actions APIs : Tasks
Welcome to another week of Kaizen! In last week's post we discussed Email Notifications APIs which act as the link between your Workflow automations and you. We have discussed how Zylker Cloud Services uses Email Notifications API in their custom dashboard.Kaizen #216 - Actions APIs : Email Notifications
Welcome to another week of Kaizen! For the last three weeks, we have been discussing Zylker's workflows. We successfully updated a dormant workflow, built a new one from the ground up and more. But our work is not finished—these automated processes are
New to Zoho TeamInbox?
Zoho TeamInbox Resources
Zoho CRM Plus Resources
Zoho Books Resources
Zoho Subscriptions Resources
Zoho Projects Resources
Zoho Sprints Resources
Qntrl Resources
Zoho Creator Resources
Zoho CRM Resources
Design. Discuss. Deliver.
Zoho Show Resources
Get Started. Write Away!
Writer is a powerful online word processor, designed for collaborative work.
Zoho CRM コンテンツ
-
オンラインヘルプ
-
Webセミナー
-
機能活用動画
-
よくある質問
-
Ebook
-
-
Zoho Campaigns
- Zoho サービスのWebセミナー
その他のサービス コンテンツ
Nederlandse Hulpbronnen
ご検討中の方
Recent Topics
How can I link Products in a Deal Subform to the Products Module
Hello, I have a pricing subform on our Deals page and use a lookup field to associate a product with each line. I want to be able to look at a product page within the Products module and see a list of the deals connected to that product. I have this workingManage Every Customer Conversation from Every Channel inside Zoho SalesIQ
Your customers message you from everywhere. But are you really able to track, manage, and follow through on every conversation, without missing anything? With interactions coming in from websites, mobile apps, and messaging platforms like WhatsApp andZoho Books | Product updates | February 2026
Hello users, We’ve rolled out new features and enhancements in Zoho Books. From Advanced Reporting Tags to the ability to mark projects as completed, explore the latest updates designed to improve your bookkeeping experience. Introducing Advanced ReportingUpdate latitude & longitude address field API
How do I update the coordinates of an address field from a widget? I can't modify the latitude and longitude of the address field. I think the problem is how I'm writing formdata variable. zoho_init.then(function (data) { var queryParams = ZOHO.CREATOR.UTIL.getQueryParams();Zoho Forms - Feature Request - Past Into Scanning/OCR Field
Hi Zoho Forms Team, You recently introduced the OCR/Scanning field which I have found great use for with one client who receives work orders as a screenshot from one customer. I want to raise a feature request here which would make that field even moreZoho Forms - Feature Request - Year Field
Hi Zoho Forms Team, You currently have the following date and time fields: Date Time Date and Time Year and Month It would be useful if you could include a "Year" field For example a recent application I completed said "What year was your house built?"inability to use different primary address on invoice per location
my company operates in two different locations with different email address. The problems then is the inability to edit the primary to suite the invoice for the second location.Zoho Books - Breaking A Working App
We've been using Zoho for many years now. Across all apps, entering phone numbers in standard formats was enabled in all apps. These formats are: xxx.yyy.zzzz xxx-yyy-zzzz (xxx) yyy-zzzz and we were able also to add extension numbers in these formats:No Need To Fix Something That Is Working
Zoho Books is a great financial tool which helps businesses to become more efficient and productive with day-to-day operations. As such, every change, upgrade, improvement needs to be carefully thought before implemented in the software and I'm sure ZohoUse Zoho Creator as a source for merge templates in Zoho Writer
Hello all! We're excited to share that we've enhanced Zoho Creator's integration with Zoho Writer to make this combination even more powerful. You can now use Zoho Creator as a data source for mail merge templates in Zoho Writer. Making more data fromAnyone in Australia using Zoho Books AND has their account with NAB?
Hi I have an account with both NAB and Suncorp. Suncorp transaction come in the next day however NAB transactions take 4-5 business days to appear. eg: A deposit made today in my Suncorp will be imported into Zoho tomorrow. A deposit made today to the NAB account will be imported maybe Saturday (Friday overnight). I have contacted both Zoho and NAB but noone seems to know why. I was just wondering if anyone else in Australia uses NAB and has this issue (or doesn't) maybe we could compare notes andDetailed Balance Sheet for tax preparer
I'm using the free edition of Zoho Books. My tax preparer is asking for "detailed" Profit & Loss and Balance Sheet reports which include all the activity and transactions within the various categories. The default reports do not include these details.On Edit Validation Blueprint
Hello, I have a notes field and a signature field. When the Approve button is clicked, the Signature field will appear and must be filled in. When the Reject button is clicked, the Notes field will appear and must be filled in. Question: Blueprint willZoho Projects - Cloning a task does not trigger task workflow when created
Hello! I have a Project where my team uses a set of tasks from a tasklist as templates, so we could simply clone it and drag it to another list in kanban view to avoid creating a new one from scratch. The process works well, but after cloning it the newHost Group Appointments Online in Zoho Bookings
Greetings from the Zoho Bookings team! We’re excited to announce a new enhancement to Group Booking that makes hosting online group events smoother and more professional than ever. You can now conduct online group events with auto-generated meeting linksCan't rename groups on Mac desktop app
I'm working on an up-to-date Mac with a freshly downloaded Notebook app. I'm trying to rename a group within a notebook. Here I have, left to right, a note, a group, and a note. I select the group. On the top left, I select Action. On the dropdown, "Rename"Workdrive Collaboration with an External User
I would like to know if I can setup a collaboration space with an external user in workdrive or do I need to add them as a user on my system? If I need to add them, can I add them on Workdrive only and give limit access to our space only?Delete button
Hi, The delete button were hide into the three dot button. Can I display outside? why Zoho make this update?FSM integration with Books
Hi, I have spent a few months working with FSM and have come across a critical gap in the functionality, which I find almost shocking....either that, or I am an idiot. The lack of bi-directional sync between Books and FSM on Sales Orders/ Work OrdersMarketing Tip #23: Help customers with how-to guides and usage tips
Customers don’t stop needing you after they place an order. Helping customers use your product correctly and confidently can improve satisfaction, reduce returns, and increase repeat purchases. Sharing simple how-to guides, usage tips, or care instructionsPowering Customer Support with our women
In Zoho Desk support, women make up 50% of our team. We see this as one of our strengths, reflecting the spirit of this year’s theme, "Give to Gain". Our women find their balance Women carry many responsibilities — they represent frontline support, leadFunction #25: Automatically generate purchase orders from a sales order
We kicked off the "Function Fridays" series with the goal of helping you automate your everyday accounting tasks. As we delve into today's post, I'm delighted to announce that we're here to present the 25th custom function in this series. While it isLooking for Guidance on Building a Zoho Website
I'm exploring the possibility of building a custom website with specific features using Zoho as an alternative platform. My goal is to create something similar to https://gtasandresapk.com , with the same kind of functionality and user experience. I'dAuto-publish job openings on my Zoho Recruit Careers Website
I have developed a script using the Zoho Recruit API that successfully inserts new jobOpening records to my Zoho Recruit website, but my goal is to auto-publish to the Careers Website. The jobOpening field data shows two possible candidates to make thisZOHO Reports are taking longer time to get refresh
Hi Team, Since last few days, I'm facing issues in getting updated reports. For eg: right after making an expense entry or even posting a journal, it is taking longer then expected for the updated reports. Refer below: "You are viewing the report thatInvalid scope choice: Workdrive integration in CRM
Bug: There is an invalid option in the permission choices for Workdrive integration in CRM. If the entry "WorkDrive.teamfolder.CREATE" is selected, it will return a message indicating invalid OAuth scope scope does not exist.Sales IQ chat is not working in signed android apk
I have integrated ZOHO sales IQ support chat and i have followed each step and its working fine in my development build but when i create signed APK for it. Chat does not work in it and showing awaiting for detail. I previously asked the same query butHow to add line breaks in zoho.cliq.postToUser(...) message?
In a CRM function using Deluge I'm sending this message and attempting to add some line breaks but they are ignored. Is there another way to add these breaks? My message: message: New urgent task\nDescription \nThis is a fake description.\n A new line?Project Notifcatiion Emails - Milestone
Hello: I cannot get myself, or most importantly my portal client user to recieve an email upon completion of a milestone. I have set up our 1st project. I have set up a test client user. (accepted the invitation and is listed in the system as a clientEnable Free External Collaboration on Notecards in Zoho Notebook
Hi Zoho Notebook Team, I would like to suggest a feature enhancement regarding external collaboration in Zoho Notebook. Currently, we can share notes with external users, and they are able to view the content without any issue. However, when these externalProblem with CRM Connection not Refreshing Token
I've setup a connection with Zoom in the CRM. I'm using this connection to automate some registrations, so my team doesn't have to manually create them in both the CRM and Zoom. Connection works great in my function until the token expires. It does not refresh and I have to manually revoke the connection and connect it again. I've chatted with Zoho about this and after emailing me that it couldn't be done I asked for specifics on why and they responded. "The connection is CRM is not a feature toUpdate Existing Records greyed out in Free Version
Trying to update records from an Excel sheet, and not getting the option to update. Only option is to add as new accounts. All documentation I can see says update should be an option! Accounts, Leads, Contacts, all the same.In Lesson Video
Can anyone help me with this? I'm not sure what happened. It suddenly became like that. I tried to reupload. I tried create a new lesson. Still the same. Please help!emailing estimates
Shows up in the customer mail logs as sent but nobody is receiving them, even when I send them to myself I don't get them ??? Something wrong with the mail server or my end ?Help with deluge script
Hi Community, this is my first Deluge script. I've pieced it together from reading various articles I want to use it in a workflow to 1 Convert a lead to a contact 2. Create a record in a custom module Below is what I have got so far but it does not fireHow to use OR when filtering using two fields
I want to create return a list of Account Names by filtering on Field1 = "yes" OR Field 2 = "no" I can't see how to use the OR in the filter.Mobile phone version not working well
I am working on the Zoho Site Builder. In the preview the desktop version looks okay, but in the mobile phone preview many words are cut off in the weirdest (wrong) way. How can I fix that?Zoho - Please explain difference between Thread view and Conversation view on Ticket
I have reviewed the help document here but am still not clear on the difference between the two views. As an example, I just had a back and forth on a ticket: - Customer emails support email. - I email back from Desk. - Customer responds back. - I email back from Desk. On the upper left drop down box on the ticket Zoho Desk now says this is "4 Threads" and "4 Conversations" . How is that 4 threads?? By my count it is 1 thread and 4 conversations (assuming by "conversation" Zoho means number of totalI need help to take Reports for tickets moved between departments.
Hi, I need help to take Reports for tickets moved between different departments. Pls guide ShyamExport to excel stored amounts as text instead of numbers or accounting
Good Afternoon, We have a quarterly billing report that we generate from our Requests. It exports to excel. However if we need to add a formula (something as simple as a sum of the column), it doesn't read the dollar amounts because the export storesNext Page