Kaizen #175 - Leverage Settings Widget for Zoho CRM Extensions
Howdy, innovators!
Welcome back to a fresh week of Kaizen.
This week, we will delve into configuring a Settings widget in Zoho CRM for the effective functioning of extensions. It centralizes around key configurations that will be carried out to various integrations in an extension. A user-friendly settings widget enhances the usability and flexibility of your extensions.
Why use a Settings Widget?
A Settings Widget plays a crucial role in making extensions user-friendly and adaptable to specific business needs. Following are a few key advantages of using the settings widget:
- Seamless Setup Post-Installation: Users can configure critical parameters right after installing the extension.
- Dynamic Customization: Users can revisit and modify configurations at any time, ensuring that the extension adapts to changing needs without re-installation or development
- Improved User Experience: Allows the end-users to control how the extension interacts with their workflows and data.
- Enhanced Control: Provides an overview and centralized control, making maintenance, troubleshooting, and updates simpler and faster.
Business Scenario: Notification Settings for Lead Import Extension
Let’s take a real-world use case to understand the value of this settings widget.
Imagine an organization named Zylker, using Zoho CRM along with a lead import extension. This extension pulls in leads from multiple sources like web forms, social media, or third-party marketing tools.
Requirement
Whenever a new lead enters a Zoho CRM organization through this extension, the sales team wants to receive an instant notification on a specific Zoho Cliq channel for that organization. This ensures they never miss a lead.
Solution
By adding a Settings Widget to the extension, users can:
> Select a Preferred Zoho Cliq Channel: From the settings page, users can choose the channel where notifications should be sent.
> Modify the Channel Anytime: Based on team restructuring or communication preferences, users can revisit the settings and update the channel as needed.
With this setup, the settings widget becomes the control center, ensuring the efficient functioning of both the extension and the sales process.
Building a Settings Extension Widget
Let us create a sample settings widget for the above business scenario.
Create a Private Extension Widget
1. Log into Zoho CRM, navigate to Setup > Marketplace > Extension Builder, and create a new extension by selecting Zoho CRM as the service.
2. The private extension that you have created will be listed in the Extensions page. Choose your extension and click the edit icon.
You will then be redirected to the Zoho Developer Console.
Dependency Configuration
Now, let us configure a couple of dependencies required for this use case in the developer console.
Connectors
To notify a Zoho Cliq channel, Connectors authorize the end user's Zoho Cliq account with the extension and grant access to the necessary data. Follow these steps to create a connector with the required APIs for the widget.
3. In the console, navigate to Utilities > Connectors on the left-side menu.
4. Click Create Connector and provide the required details using the guidance available on the Server-based Application help page.
5. Use the generated Redirect URL to register your application in Zoho's API Console. After registration, enter the Client ID and Client Secret in the developer console.
6. Create Connector APIs for the following:
- GET List of all Channels to fetch all the available channels from your Zoho Cliq Account.
The Authorization header is automatically added to all the Connector APIs. - POST Message in Channel to notify the incoming leads in the channel.
You can include dynamic place holders in the URL, header, or request body using this format ${place_holder}.
7. Once the APIs are configured, publish and associate the connector with the extension.
Refer to the Connectors help document to learn more.
Variable
Variables are required to store the admin's preferred channel details and retrieve them when a lead enters Zoho CRM through the extension. Upon installing the extension, this variable is automatically created in your Zoho CRM org.
8. Go to Build > Custom Properties and create a variable.
Set the variable's permission to Hidden to prevent the CRM users from accessing/modifying the variable data from the Zoho CRM Variables page. This ensures that variables can only be configured through the extension.
For more information, refer to the Custom Variables help document.
Tip
In your Zoho CRM, go to Setup > Security Control > Profiles and restrict permissions for your extension to prevent unauthorized access to the settings page.
In your Zoho CRM, go to Setup > Security Control > Profiles and restrict permissions for your extension to prevent unauthorized access to the settings page.
Building a Connected App
9. In the console, go to Utilities > Connected Apps on the left-side menu.
10. Follow the steps provided in this kaizen to create a new Zoho CRM widget for this use case.
Code Logic for the Settings Panel
- Create a drop-down field called Select Cliq Channel to the settings panel. This dropdown should dynamically list the channels from your Zoho Cliq account by invoking the GET Cliq Channels API. Follow the given Invoke Connector method to execute Connector APIs.
// Initialize Zoho Embed SDK ZOHO.embeddedApp.on("PageLoad", function () { fetchCliqChannels(); }); ZOHO.embeddedApp.init(); // Fetch Cliq channels async function fetchCliqChannels() { const channelDropdown = document.getElementById("cliqChannel"); try { console.log("Fetching channels from Zoho Cliq..."); const req_data = { "parameters": {} }; const response = await ZOHO.CRM.CONNECTOR.invokeAPI("leadgeneration.zohocliq.listofallchannels", req_data); console.log("Response from Zoho Cliq:", response); const parsedResponse = JSON.parse(response.response); const channels = parsedResponse.channels; if (channels && Array.isArray(channels)) { channelDropdown.innerHTML = channels.map(channel => `<option value="${channel.unique_name}">${channel.name}</option>`).join(''); } else { throw new Error("Invalid response structure"); } } catch (error) { console.error("Error fetching channels:", error); if (error.code === '403') { console.error("Authorization Exception: Please check your API permissions and authentication."); } channelDropdown.innerHTML = '<option value="">Failed to load channels</option>'; } } |
- Add a Save Configuration button that stores the selected channel name and channel ID in the variable created earlier. To save the selected data into the variable, use the invokeAPI() function, with the namespace as crm.set.
// Save configuration async function saveConfiguration(event) { event.preventDefault(); const channelDropdown = document.getElementById("cliqChannel"); const selectedChannelUniqueName = channelDropdown.value; const selectedChannelName = channelDropdown.options[channelDropdown.selectedIndex].text; if (!selectedChannelUniqueName) { alert("Please select a channel."); return; } const settings = { unique_name: selectedChannelUniqueName, name: selectedChannelName }; const data = { "apiname": "leadgeneration__Cliq_Channel", "value": JSON.stringify(settings) }; try { const response = await ZOHO.CRM.CONNECTOR.invokeAPI("crm.set", data); console.log("Updated settings:", response); document.getElementById("setupStatus").innerText = "Configuration saved successfully!"; } catch (error) { console.error("Error saving configuration:", error); document.getElementById("setupStatus").innerText = "Failed to save configuration."; } } |
- When a lead enters Zoho CRM through the extension, it should trigger a function that:Retrieves the saved channel details:
> Retrieves the saved channel details: Uses the Get Organization Variable JS SDK to call the Zoho CRM GET Variable API to fetch the saved channel details.
> Notifies the channel: Sends a message to the retrieved channel using the Post Message API.
Info
-> A complete working code sample for the use case is attached at the end of this post for your reference.
-> The test function for triggering notifications is also included in the attachment. You can use the same snippet in your extension to initiate the notification process.
-> Ensure to replace the unique names of your Connector APIs and Variable.
11. Fill in the details of the application as shown in this image and upload the widget ZIP file packed using the Zoho CLI command.
12. Click Save.
Configure the Settings Widget
13. Navigate to Build > Settings Widget in the left menu.
14. Provide a Name and the Resource Path of your widget.
15. Click Save.
The Settings Widget for Extension is available upon request. Contact support@zohocrmplatform.com to enable it for your account.
Packaging, Publishing and Deploying
16. Go to Package > Publish on the left-side menu and publish the extension.
17. The review process for listing an extension in the Marketplace will take from three weeks to one month.
For the demo, we will proceed with deploying the extension using the private plugin deployment link.
18. Now, replace the URL of your Zoho CRM page with the deployment link from the Developer Console and approve the extension installation.
Try it Out!
Once installed:
> A pop-up will appear, prompting you to authorize Zoho Cliq for the required configurations.
If you do not already have a Zoho Cliq account, you can sign up directly from the pop-up and proceed with the authorization.
> After authorization, you will be redirected to the Settings widget page, where you can select and save your preferred Cliq channel.
> If you need to update the settings later, you can find them on the Installed Extensions page under the respective extension.
Note
The demo videos above use a testing function to notify the channel. You can deploy it anywhere in your extension to trigger a notification whenever a lead enters a Zoho CRM organization through the extension.
Find the function in the attachments at the end of this post.
Similar Scenarios
- Sales Territory Management: An extension that auto-assigns incoming leads to sales reps can use a settings widget to allow managers to define territories and sales rep mappings dynamically.
- Custom Field Mapping: For extensions that sync data between Zoho CRM and external systems, a settings widget can let users map CRM fields to external system fields.
- Automated Email Preferences: In email automation extensions, the settings widget can allow users to specify email templates, recipients, or trigger conditions for follow-ups and campaigns.
Adding a Settings Widget to your Zoho CRM Extensions not only enhances user experience but also boosts the flexibility and efficiency of your extension. Whether it is notifying sales teams or customizing field mappings, a well-designed settings page is a game-changer for your extensions.
Explore the Widget section in our Kaizen collection to try out various widget types and discover their unique use cases.
If you have any queries or a topic to be discussed reach out to us at support@zohocrm.com or drop your comment below.
Until next time, keep innovating!
Cheers!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Related Reading
- Zoho CRM Widget - An Overview, Installation and Creation, Mobile Compatibility, Telephony Widget Extension, and other Kaizens.
- Widget SDKs - An Overview, Invoke Connector and Get Organization Variable.
- Zoho Developer Console - An Overview, Creating Extensions, Building Connected Apps, and A Quick Start Guide.
- Zoho Extensions - Custom Variables and Connectors
- Zoho Cliq - GET List of Channels and POST Message in Channel.
- Zoho Marketplace - An Overview
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Previous Kaizen: Kaizen #174 - Client Script Commands | Kaizen Collection: Directory
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.
Access your files securely from anywhere
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
Kiruthiga G
Sticky Posts
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 areKaizen #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 achievedKaizen #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 theKaizen #197: Frequently Asked Questions on GraphQL APIs
🎊 Nearing 200th Kaizen Post – We want to hear from you! 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.
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
Why is Zoho Meeting quality so poor?
I've just moved from Office 365 to Zoho Workplace and have been generally really positive about the new platform -- nicely integrated, nice GUI, good and easy-to-understand control and customisation, and at a reasonable price. However, what is going onMail is sent twice!
Been using Zoho for a while now. Installed Zoho for someone else and some weird things are happening. Mails are being sent twice. He is using Thunderbird as an email client. I already read about email being duplicated in the sent folder. But in my caseCan't login IMAP suddenly
Since this evening I'm getting the error: You are yet to enable IMAP for your account. Please contact your administrator... IMAP always been enabled in my account and was workign fine for the past 7 years. Already tried turning IMAP off and on again.Sending of username did not succeed: Mail server pop.zoho.com responded: User already specified
I am having issues receiving emails from Zoho in Thunderbird. I am getting the above error. The first error tells me Authentication failed, and prompts me to enter in my password. Then I get the above error. I can receive emails when I log in online toBug tracking
Hi, does anyone know how to track errors during picking or packing? This way I can keep track and see how to improve and prevent errors in this area.Exact match in name when searching workdrive
Hello, I am wondering how to search workdrive files/folders with an exact match in the name. For example, when I search across folder with the url param search[name]=someName, I get multiple results such as "someName", "someNameAndMore", or "someNameNot Receiving Incoming Mail
I can send emails from my account but I do not receive any. I originally set up forwarding and it worked for a while and then stopped. I turned off forwarding and now do not receive any emails. Could you please check what is causing this issue? Thank youFlow - Fetch info from drop down in another module
I am running into a road block which I thought would be a simple task. My goal - The account is assigned to a "route" which can be selected from a drop down menu and adds a tag to the account accordingly (easy enough). Now when I create a task for thisMigration of corporate mail environment from Yandex 360 to Zoho mail
I have to migrate a corporate mail environment with an existing domain from Yandex 360 to Zoho mail. It is vital to migrate all users with all the data. I have read the article on this topic using MacMister Email Backup Software just now and have someI'm unable to send mail pthrough Zoho SMTP programmatically
This has been working for years, but today it's been offline all day long. I see nothing anywhere on your site about this. I'm not the only one experiencing this. Downdetector has a spike of reports todayCan no longer send email via Django site
This was working fine as of 11/7/25. Now I am unable to send user verification emails from a Django site on a AWS lightsail sever. When a user attempts to register the following error occurs. I have also attempted to send a test email via the shell andunable to send email but able to receive email
my email address is info@securityforceservices.caCustom Field for Subscription
Hi, I can't find a way to add a custom field (to contain a license key generated from our software) against a subscription? Is the only place to add this information in the Invoice module (as custom field for invoice)? When a customer views his subscription via the customer portal, there appears no way to display a license key for them? The invoice is not the natural place to store a license key for a particular subscription, so where else can this be stored and displayed?Login to server failing
When trying to retrieve my mail, I am getting this error message -- Login to server pop.zoho.com with username (my email address) failed. It gives me the option to retry, enter password, or cancel. Then I get this message -- Sending of username did notConfiguration failed: 200 response not received for POST request.
Hello, I am trying to set up a webhook to connect with an Salesforce but I receive the following error from Zoho: Configuration failed: 200 response not received for POST request I have tried testing it on webhook.site as well and receive the same errorZoho Migration Assistant not working
Hello, I am trying to use you Migration assistant to migrate emails from Rediff to Zoho. I am stuck in the first step. After downloading the migration tool, I copied the link to verify user credentials, however, after pasting the link in the browser,Paid Support Plans with Automated Billing
We (like many others, I'm sure) are designing or have paid support plans. Our design involves a given number of support hours in each plan. Here are my questions: 1) Are there any plans to add time-based plans in the Zoho Desk Support Plans feature? TheScheduled Reports - Do not send empty report
Hello, We are intensively using reports in the CRM, especially for sales managers. When data is empty, they still receive an email. Can you add an option to avoid sending the report when data is empty?Mark As Read Sync?
So I set up Zohomail to use my personal gmail account in it as well. I was wondering, when I mark the gmail email as read in Zohomail, can it automatically mark it as read in my gmail account as well?Contacts Missing — PeopleSync/Zoho Mail
English: In our company we use ManageEngine Mobile Device Manager (MDM), Free edition, to manage corporate mobile devices. Our usage policy does not allow personal Google accounts on these devices; therefore, Google account sync is blocked through MDM.Best way to integrate Zoho with mobile app for managing customer requests with real-time notifications?
Hello, I'm building a solution for a travel company where customers submit requests through a website, and the sales team manages these requests through a mobile app. The Requirement: Customers fill a form on the website (name, email, number of children,Kaizen #57 - Mass Update API in Zoho CRM
Hello everyone! Welcome back to yet another post in the Kaizen series. This week, we will discuss the Mass Update API in Zoho CRM. In this post, we will cover the following: 1. Introduction 2. Mass Update Records API 3. Schedule Update and Get StatusGetting Attachments in Zoho Desk via API
Is there a way to get attachments into Zoho Desk via an API? We have a process by which a zoho survey gets sent to the user as a link in a notification. The survey has several upload fields where they can upload pdf documents. I've createdMultiple currencies - doesn’t seem to work for site visitors / customers
I am trying to understand how the multiple currency feature works from the perspective of the website visitor who is shopping on my Zoho Commerce site. My site’s base currency is US Dollars (USD) but my store is for customers in Costa Rica and I wouldPincode based Product Restriction
we have different types of products. 1) Very bulky items like plywood. 2) Too delicate items like glass These type of products we want to sell to local customers. Other products we want to supply all over India. There should be an option to restrict productsCan multiple agents be assigned to one ticket on purpose?
Is it possible to assign one ticket to two or more agents at a time? I would like the option to have multiple people working on one ticket so that the same ticket is viewable for those agents on their list of pending tickets. Is something like this currentlyRecruit paid support?
Hi all, Could anyone who has paid support package advise if it provides value for money with regards to support response times? Exploring the idea as unfortunately when we have faced issues with Recruit it has been a 7+ day timescale from reporting toRelated Lists filter
I have Contacts showing in our Accounts module. I customized the Contacts module with an Employment Status field, with the following picklist options: "Primary Contact", "Secondary Contact", "Active Staff(not a main contact)", and "No longer employed".Stock count by bin location
Is there a configuration to make a stock count by bin or area and not by product. these is useful to manage count by area RegardsStandalone custom function not generating logs
Why dont't standalone custom functions generate logs when the're called from another function? I have some functions (workflow, buttons and blueprint) that have common parts, so I put that part in a standalone function which is called from the others.Automated log-out/session end
I'm concerned about security of our data. Is it possible to set an automatic time-out for user sessions on Zoho CRM, after a certain period of inactivity or when the session reaches a certain duration (12 hours perhaps)?Add "Reset MFA" Option for Zoho Creator Client Portal Users
Hello Zoho Creator Team, We hope you are doing well. We would like to request an important enhancement related to Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for client portal users in Zoho Creator. Currently, Creator allows us to enforce MFA for portal users,Support Bots and Automations in External Channels
Hello Zoho Cliq Team, How are you? We actively use Zoho Cliq for collaboration, including with our external developers. For this purpose, external channels are a key tool since they work seamlessly within the same interface as all of our other channelsUrgent Security Feature Request – Add MFA to Zoho Projects Client Portal Hello Zoho Projects Team,
Hello Zoho Projects Team, We hope you are doing well. We would like to submit an urgent security enhancement request regarding the Zoho Projects Client Portal. At this time, as far as we are aware, there is no Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) availableCreator HTML page refresh
Hi, I have added around 5 different html snippets in single creator page. I understand, I can refresh the entire page from page script using Navigational URLs https://help.zoho.com/portal/en/kb/creator/developer-guide/others/url-patterns/articles/navigational-urlsZoho Desk - Custom Module Related List Columns on Tickets
I have a custom module in Zoho Desk called Asana Tasks, each task has a lookup to a Ticket. On the Ticket I want to see the columns of the Asana Tasks in the related list . Is there a way to do this? Right now it just has the name of the record and IGoogle Analytics import data inaccurate (as of October 11, 2025)
We have Zoho Analytics connected to GA4 to import daily event data. This has been running without issue for a couple of years. However, a month ago we started noticing discrepancies. All data until October 10 lines up perfectly - October 11 onward isWhat is your opinion of the new UI?
Hi Everyone, I would like to see what everyone thinks of the new Zoho One Dashboard. I don't get it, but perhaps I'm missing something. What are your thoughts?What are the OAuth scopes needed to access the Zoho MCP server?
I think I'm authenticating with the MCP server endpoint successfully using a bearer token but I can't successfully initialize an MCP session. I'm using the official MCP Python sdk (https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/python-sdk). I get as far as hereSupport Uploading YouTube Videos Longer Than 60 Minutes
Hi Zoho Social Team, How are you? We would like to request support for uploading YouTube videos longer than 60 minutes directly through Zoho Social. Your support team informed us that Zoho Social currently cannot upload videos over 60 minutes due to “APINext Page