Kaizen #171: FAQs on COQL API

Kaizen #171: FAQs on COQL API

Hello all!!
Welcome back to another post in the Kaizen series!

In this post, we will address some of the most frequently asked questions about Zoho CRM's COQL API from the Zoho CRM Developer Community Forum.




COQL API

Query API lets you query for records based on queries using the CRM Object Query Language(COQL). COQL is based on the SQL query syntax, and supports the SELECT query to fetch records. Using this API, you can query for data across different modules that are linked using lookup fields. 

1. Why did I get a SYNTAX error for the following query?


{
    "select_query":"select External from Contacts where id is not null"
}


Answer: 
The error occurs because the query uses an SQL reserved keyword, "External", as a column name without enclosing it in quotes. When using SQL reserved keywords like "External", you must enclose them in single or double quotes.

The above-query can be written as:

{
    "select_query":"select 'External' from Contacts where id is not null"
}



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

2. Why does the following query throw an error?


{
    "select_query":"select id from Contacts where id is not null and Account_Name is not null and Vendor_Name is not null"
}


Answer: 
When the query involves more than two criteria, ensure that you enclose your criteria properly by grouping them in pairs, such as ((A and B) and C).

The above-query can be written as:

{
    "select_query": "select id from Contacts where ((id is not null and Account_Name is not null) and Vendor_Name is not null)"
}


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

3. How to escape single quotes within single quotes and double quotes within double quotes?

Answer: 
For single quote:

If you want to retrieve a value that contains a single quote, for example, 1' 2 in the Designation field (a single-line field), you need to escape the single quote in the value by adding another single quote.

Example:
1'' 2

Sample Input and Response:



For double quotes:

If you want to retrieve a value which contains double quotes, for example, 1' ' 2 in the Designation field (any single-line field), then you have to escape each double quotes with backslash (\) in the value.



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

4. Why does the following query throw an error?


{
    "select_query":"select What_Id->Leads.Last_Name from Tasks where id is not null"
}


Answer: 
Special characters such as "-",  ">"  "*", and "!" in a query must be enclosed within quotes, either in single or double quotes. 
Your query can be written as:


{
    "select_query":"select 'What_Id->Leads.Last_Name' from Tasks where id is not null"
}



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

5. How can I retrieve records from a subform module using COQL?

Answer: 
To retrieve subform data within a module, specify the respective subform module's API name in your query instead of querying the parent module. For more details, refer to Kaizen #124 on managing Subforms using Zoho CRM APIs.

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

6. How to retrieve Multi Select lookup field data using COQL?

Answer: 
To query Multi-Select Lookup fields (MxN fields), you need to retrieve the data through the corresponding linking module instead of querying them directly from the parent module. For more details, refer to Kaizen #125 on manipulating Multi-Select Lookup fields using Zoho CRM APIs.

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

7. Can I query more than 50,000 records?

Answer: 
Up to V6, you can retrieve up to 10,000 records without changing the criteria by using the LIMIT and OFFSET in your query. When retrieving the initial 10,000 records, make an API call with Created_Time, Modified_Time, or ID in the ORDER BY clause. To fetch more than 10,000 records, apply a condition based on the fields used in the initial ORDER BY clause in the query.
Refer to the Pagination section for more details. 
From V7 onwards, we support retrieving up to 1,00,000 records without changing the criteria by using LIMIT and OFFSET in your query. To fetch more than 1,00,000 records, please refer to the Pagination section for more details.

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

8. Is territory field supported in COQL?

Answer: 
Yes,  you can use the territory field in the COQL from V7. Refer to the Territories section in COQL document for sample.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

9. Is CVID support provided in COQL?

Answer: 
Yes, from V7, you can use the CVID in your query. Refer to the CVID section in the COQL document for details.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10. What are the supported aggregate functions, and why do they not work with values like Avg or avg?

Answer:
The aggregate functions are case-sensitive and only work when specified in all capital letters.  Using values like Avg or avg will result in an error.
The supported aggregate functions are MIN, MAX, AVG, SUM, and COUNT

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

11. Are other SQL-related functions like CONCAT or DATE() supported in COQL?

Answer:
No, COQL in Zoho CRM API Version 7 currently supports only aggregate functions and does not include other SQL-related functions like CONCAT or DATE().
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12. Is it possible to select more than 50 fields in the SELECT column?

Answer:
Yes, from Zoho CRM API Version 7, the limit has been increased from 50 to 500 fields in the SELECT column.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

13. Can Multi-Module Lookup inner fields be queried?

Answer:

Yes, you can query fields from the associated module in a Multi-Module Lookup (e.g., Appointments module). 

Use the following format:

select 'What_Id->{associated_module_API_name}.{field_API_name_from_associated_module}'

Example:

{
  "select_query": "select 'What_Id->Leads.Last_Name','What_Id->Accounts.Account_Type' from Events where id is not null"
}



Note:
From Zoho CRM API Version 7, you can also query the "Appointment_For" field.

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

14. Is Display Name available for all types of lookup fields?

Answer:
From V7, the display name is available for Lookup and User Lookup fields when you specify them in the SELECT column, but it is not available for Consent Lookup and Multi-Module Lookup (MML) fields.
Please note, for the Users module, only the "last_name" is shown as the display field for the Users module is last_name.

Example:

{
    "select_query": "select Account_Name, Owner, Data_Processing_Basis_Details from Contacts where Data_Processing_Basis_Details is not null"
}


Response:

{
    "data": [
        {
            "Owner": { //user lookup field
                "name": "Boyle",
                "id": "5725767000000411001"
            },
            "Account_Name": { //lookup field
                "name": "Zoho",
                "id": "5725767000003464060"
            },
            "Data_Processing_Basis_Details": { //consent lookup field
                "id": "5725767000005083039"
            },
            "id": "5725767000005091053"
        }
    ],
    "info": {
        "count": 1,
        "more_records": false
    }
}


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

15. Is it possible to get a Full Name based on User Preference?

Answer:
The Full Name field is supported in the Leads, Contacts, and Users modules.

Leads and Contacts modules:
  • Below V7: You must query the first_name and last_name fields separately and concatenate them to form the Full Name.
  • From V7: You can directly query the full_name field in the SELECT column, and it will return data based on the User Preference.
Users module:
In all versions, the full_name field is not directly supported. You need to query the first_name and last_name fields separately and concatenate them to construct the Full Name.

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

16. Is it possible to use Profile Image and Rollup Summary fields in criteria?

Answer:
From V7, you can use Profile Image and Rollup Summary fields in criteria.

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

17. Which fields are restricted in all clauses?

Answer:
The following fields are restricted from being included in all columns:
  • Multi-select lookup fields: These cannot be queried directly from the parent module. Instead, query them from their respective linking modules.
  • Line items: Pricing_Details and Product_Details
    • Pricing_Details: This field cannot be queried as it is not a subform but a separate section.
    • Product_Details: This is a subform. You cannot query data from the parent module. Instead, query it directly from the respective subform module.
  • Participants in the Events module.
  • File/Image upload fields
  • Availability Information fields in the Services module
    • Choose Date(s)
    • Choose Day(s)
Check the following image for reference.



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

18. Which fields are restricted only in criteria?

Answer:
The following fields have restrictions when used in criteria:
  • Multiline fields: Cannot be used in criteria.
  • Encrypted numeric fields: Support limited comparators (is null, is not null, =, != ).
  • Encrypted non-numeric fields: Support only is null and is not null comparators.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

19. Which fields are restricted only in the Group By clause?

Answer:
Encrypted fields are restricted from being used in the Group By clause.

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

20. Which fields are restricted only in the ORDER BY clause?

Answer:
Encrypted fields are restricted from being used in the ORDER BY clause.

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

21. Is External ID supported in COQL?

Answer:
Yes, External ID has been supported from Zoho CRM API's Version 4. Please note that operators such as "is null" and "is not null" are not supported in the criteria when using External ID.

Supported operators are "=", "!=", "in" and "not in".

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

22. How to resolve a 408 error (Request Timeout)?

Answer:
If your query takes more than a second to parse, a request timeout error will occur.

To avoid this, ensure the query is not overly complex and that all parentheses are properly balanced. Simplifying the query or fixing any mismatched parentheses can help resolve the issue.

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

23. Is it necessary to query the records based only on the User Time Zone?

Answer: 
No, users can query records based on any time zone. However, the response will always be returned in the time zone of the user who made the query.

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

24. Which fields are restricted when using aggregate functions, for example, SUM(field_API_name)?

Answer: 
Encrypted fields are restricted and cannot be used in the aggregate functions like SUM, AVG, MIX, or MAX.

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

25. Where can we use Alias?

Answer:
Alias can be used in the SELECT clause and in the ORDER BY clause. You can assign an alias in the SELECT clause, and the assigned alias can be referenced in the ORDER BY clause. But you cannot assign an alias directly in the ORDER BY clause. 

Note: Alias cannot be used in the other clauses, such as WHERE and GROUP BY.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Info
More enhancements in the COQL API are now live in Zoho CRM API Version 7. Check out the V7 Changelog for detailed information on these updates.

We trust that this post meets your needs and is helpful.
Let us know your thoughts in the comment section or reach out to us at support@zohocrm.com

    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





                                                          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

                                                                                                          • SOME FEATURES ARE NOT IN THE ZOHO SHEET IN COMPARISION TO ZOHO SHEET

                                                                                                            TO ZOHO sir/maam with due to respect i want to say that i am using ZOHO tool which is spreadsheet i want to say that some features are not there in zoho sheet as comparison to MS EXCEL like advance filter and other Features which should be there in ZOHO
                                                                                                          • AI in Zoho Workplace: A Sneak Peek into What’s Coming!

                                                                                                            Hello everyone, We’re super excited to share something we’ve been working on and we want you to be part of it! You may have seen our announcement blog post introducing a major evolution in how AI works within Zoho Workplace. Want to be among the first
                                                                                                          • Display Client Name in Zoho Creator Client Portal Dashboard

                                                                                                            Hello Zoho Creator Team, We hope you are doing well. Zoho Creator recently introduced the option to set a client’s display name in the Client Portal settings, which is very helpful for providing a personalized portal experience. However, there is currently
                                                                                                          • Meet Canvas' Grid component: Your easiest way to build responsive record templates

                                                                                                            Visual design can be exciting—until you're knee-deep in the details. Whether it's aligning text boxes to prevent overlaps, fixing negative space, or simply making sure the right data stands out, just ironing out inconsistencies takes a lot of moving parts.
                                                                                                          • Best way to share/download presentation files in Zoho without losing formatting?

                                                                                                            Hello Zoho Community, I often work with PPT/PDF files in Zoho Docs and share them with colleagues. While PDFs usually give a direct download option, I’ve noticed that PPT/PPTX files sometimes only open in the viewer without a clear download link. Is there
                                                                                                          • Workflow Failure - Notifications

                                                                                                            Good afternoon, I have just experienced an error whereby a Workflow failed, for a reason currently unknown. The problem is that one of my users had to flag this manually (thankfully he's very thorough) and this otherwise would have flown under the radar.
                                                                                                          • Introducing Bin Locations In Zoho Inventory

                                                                                                            Hello users, We are excited to let you know that your wait for the Bin Locations feature has now come to an end! Yes, you heard us right! We are here to introduce the much-awaited Bin Locations now in Zoho Inventory. But before we dive into the feature
                                                                                                          • Error "Invalid client task found corresponding properties" only when triggered from workflow ?

                                                                                                            Hi All, I am facing an error message I never encountered previously: Error in executing On Add - On Load script Error in executing thisapp.get_all_projects_api_call function. Line:(2) Error in executing thisapp.getAccessTokenFromRefreshToken function.
                                                                                                          • How to interpret Campaign report statistics - definitions/explanation

                                                                                                            I am trying to make sure I understand the Campaign report correctly Do you have a list of definitions for: Delivered - it has reached the recipient's inbox Campaign reach - is this the number that have opened the campaign email? Unique Opens Clicks/Open
                                                                                                          • Subforms in Stateless Forms

                                                                                                            Stateless Forms are very useful, but we can't build complex data entry pages without Subforms. Can this be implemented? This would make Stateless Forms truly powerful.
                                                                                                          • Feature request - pin or flag note

                                                                                                            Hi, It would be great if you could either pin or flag one or more notes so that they remain visible when there are a bunch of notes and some get hidden in the list. Sometimes you are looking for a particular name that gets lost in a bunch of less important
                                                                                                          • Schedule a Call by Date and Time when a specific lead status is selected

                                                                                                            Hi Wanting to create a workflow where a call can be scheduled by date & time when a specific lead status is selected. Can only currently set the date by Due Date - Trigger Date - Plus 'x' day(s) Thanks
                                                                                                          • Zoho CRM's Copy Customization functionality now works across DCs, for customized accounts, and more

                                                                                                            Availability This feature is available in Standard, Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions. These changes have been rolled out to all users in all DCs. For more information, please refer to these help documents: Overview | Instructions Hello
                                                                                                          • How can I bold text on Zoho Forms submit buttons?

                                                                                                            In the old theme builder, I could bold the text on a form's submit button. With the new theme builder, I can only change the text of the header or fields in the form, and not the button itself.
                                                                                                          • 5名限定 課題解決型ワークショップイベント Zoho ワークアウト開催のお知らせ (10/31)

                                                                                                            ユーザーの皆さま、こんにちは。Zoho ユーザーコミュニティチームの中野です。 10月開催のZoho ワークアウトについてお知らせします。 今回はZoomにて、オンライン開催します。 参加登録はこちら(無料):https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/BGYTysOnSqa9LA9eY2IKww ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Zoho ワークアウトとは? Zoho ユーザー同士で交流しながら、サービスに関する疑問や不明点の解消を目的とした
                                                                                                          • Hiding Pre-defined Views

                                                                                                            You can enhance Zoho with custom views - but you cannot hide the pre-defined views. Most users focus on 4 or 5 views. Right now for EVERY user EVERY time they want to move to one of their 4 or 5 views - they have to scroll down past a long list of pre-defined views - we don't use ANY of the pre-defined views. Adding the feature to allow a predefined view to be hidden completely or only visible to certain users would be a big improvement in usability for Zoho CRM. This feature is already available
                                                                                                          • Rich-text fields in Zoho CRM

                                                                                                            Hello everyone, We're thrilled to announce an important enhancement that will significantly enhance the readability and formatting capabilities of your information: rich text options for multi-line fields. With this update, you can now enjoy a more versatile
                                                                                                          • [Integration Edition] Deluge Learning Series – Third-Party Integrations with Deluge | October 2025

                                                                                                            We’re excited to continue this three-month edition of the Deluge Learning Series: Session 1 – Integrating Zoho Apps with Deluge Using Built-In Integration Tasks Session 2 – Integrating Zoho Apps with Deluge Using invokeURL and invokeAPI Session 3 – Third-Party
                                                                                                          • Feature Request: Tag, Search, and Report on Individual Private Comments

                                                                                                            Zoho Desk Team, First, I want to say that we are extensive users of Zoho Desk and it is a core part of our support operations. We rely heavily on the private comments feature for internal communication, knowledge sharing, and maintaining a clear history
                                                                                                          • Zoho CRM Community Digest - August 2025 | Part 2

                                                                                                            Hello Everyone! Here's a quick round-up of handy tips, clever workarounds, and product updates from late August. Product Updates: Meeting Enhancements in Zoho CRM! Track whether a meeting is online, in-office, or at the client’s location using the new
                                                                                                          • Assistance Needed: Ticket Status Not Updating and Sorting by Last Customer Reply in Zoho Desk

                                                                                                            Hello, I’m facing two issues in Zoho Desk that I’d like your guidance on: Ticket Status Not Updating: When a customer replies to a ticket, the status does not change to Reopened. Instead, it remains in Waiting on Customer, even after the customer’s response
                                                                                                          • Round robin

                                                                                                            Hi, I'm trying to set up a round robin to automatically distribute tickets between agents in my team but only those tickets that are not otherwise distributed by other workflows or direct assignments. Is that possible and if so which criteria should I
                                                                                                          • Time Entry Notifications

                                                                                                            Hi All - I have support staff who place notes of their work in the time entry section of Zoho Desk. Is there a specific workflow or setting I need to enable to have the ticket holder updated via email when an entry is saved?
                                                                                                          • Change text in help desk

                                                                                                            Hi, Please let me know how can i change the this text, see screenshot.
                                                                                                          • Customer happiness customisation

                                                                                                            Hi, I was wondering if it's possible to somehow customise to whom and when customer happiness request is sent? Can you enable it only for selected tickets for example based on workflow or any other criteria (customer name, tag or anything else)? Also
                                                                                                          • Sign in process is beyond stupid. I'd rather plug my phone into USB and copy files than sign in to this POS.

                                                                                                            792 clicks and fields to fill in just to get into a 3rd rate app is too stupid for me.
                                                                                                          • No Zoho Support Response in Months

                                                                                                            I want to say that I love Zoho FSM, Books, and CRM, but the support is scary bad. About 2-3 months ago, I emailed Zoho FSM support with two specific issues I needed help with, and I have still not received one single response. I also submitted a support
                                                                                                          • Has anyone built a custom AI support agent inside Zoho (SalesIQ/Zobot)?

                                                                                                            Hi all, I’ve been experimenting with building my own AI support assistant and wanted to see if anyone here has tackled something similar within Zoho. Right now, I’ve set up a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) pipeline outside of Zoho using FAISS. It
                                                                                                          • Null

                                                                                                            If a result is null how do I make it so that a custom error pops up instead of the default error? Can someone write an example as if I were using the script builder?
                                                                                                          • Format a "return" message

                                                                                                            Good day, Is there a way to format the message of the "return" function in CRM deluge script?
                                                                                                          • Change Last Name to not required in Leads

                                                                                                            I would like to upload 500 target companies as leads but I don't yet have contact people for them. Can you enable the option for me to turn this requirement off to need a Second Name? Moderation update (10-Jun-23): As we explore potential solutions for
                                                                                                          • Having Trouble Opening The Candidate Portal

                                                                                                            Recently am having trouble opening the Candidate Portal. It keeps loading but cannot display any widgets. Tried Safari, Chrome and Edge. Non of them work. Please solve the problem ASAP.
                                                                                                          • Tip of the Week - Spot Risky Sales with Conditional Formatting

                                                                                                            In Zoho Analytics, small tweaks can lead to big insights. One such feature is Conditional formatting based on other columns, your key to instantly spotting where sales success is overshadowed by product returns. Our tip this week shows you how to apply
                                                                                                          • How do I duplicate / copy a campaign

                                                                                                            I am evaluation Zoho Campaigns and sent an email to one of my personal email accounts from Zoho Campaigns.  It went into my junk file in Hotmail. I want to duplicate that same (1-page) campaign and send it to another of my personal accounts to try to
                                                                                                          • For a Bill, can "Pay via Check" - Can we also "Pay via Check" when documenting refund for payment?

                                                                                                            We really like when we have a Bill in Zoho Books that we can record payment by selecting "Pay via Check" and that will cut the check for us from Zoho Books. However, when we have to write checks as a result of invoice overpayment, we can not select "Pay
                                                                                                          • Creator Change History: Ways to improve

                                                                                                            Hi Everyone, Recently been working in developing this change history(an idea from Zoho Forms) - unlike forms that you can this with a click but using Creator, we can use "old" keyword. The concept I come up with is to put the result in a table however,
                                                                                                          • Suitability of Zoho One (Single User License) for Multi-State GST Compliance & Cost Analysis

                                                                                                            Hello Zoho Team, I am an e-commerce business owner selling on platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, and Meesho, and I'm currently using their fulfillment warehouses. I have two GSTIN registrations and am planning to register for an additional 2-3 to expand
                                                                                                          • add employees and customiz

                                                                                                            I want a Zoho software to track employees record. I logged in a demo so now I tried adding employee, first thing when I click on add employee it takes me to a page where it says add user maximum 10 users, my first doubt why users I don't want employees
                                                                                                          • Inactive User Auto Response

                                                                                                            We use Zoho One, and we have a couple employees that are no longer with us, but people are still attempting to email them. I'd like an autoresponder to let them no the person is no longer here, and how they can reach us going forward. I saw a similar
                                                                                                          • Zoho People Attendance Module - Split Shifts

                                                                                                            Hello, Our business employs a number of college students who often split their workdays between work hours and class schedules, resulting in split shifts. For example: Employee 1 works 9am to 11:30am and then leaves for class, returning to work at 3pm
                                                                                                          • Next Page