Kaizen #187 - Building a Timer and Worklog Widget (Part 1)
Howdy Tech Wizards!
Welcome back to a fresh week of Kaizen!
This time, we are diving into a two-part series where you will learn how to build a Timer and Worklog Widget for Zoho CRM. This widget helps track active work time and log multitasking sessions using Zoho CRM APIs, Client Script, Functions, and Workflows.
Why It Matters?
Zoho CRM effectively captures stage/status transitions, like tracking when a case moves from Open to In Progress or On Hold. However, in dynamic work environments, employees juggle multiple work items and engage in impromptu tasks or conversations.
Let’s take the On Hold status as an example.
While it can be used to indicate pauses in progress, it does not always align with real-world workflows. Consider these scenarios:
Not all interruptions justify a status change
Moving the case to On Hold for every minor detour (to clarify something with a colleague or respond to another emergency work item) would be impractical and could lead to under reporting actual work hours. Over time, this untracked effort adds up, creating a gap in visibility.
Frequent status changes may dilute their meaning
In many teams, On Hold signifies a legitimate blocker like waiting on customer input or an external dependency. Using it frequently to reflect quick shifts in attention could compromise that clarity.
A timer widget solves this by:
- Capturing hands-on work items.
- Logging context switches (unrelated tasks) with descriptive entries.
- Feeding structured entries into a custom module for reporting and subform sync.
Business Scenario: IT Service Desk & Ticket Resolution
A tech support team uses the Cases module to resolve customer issues. Some tickets are straightforward; others require follow-ups, escalations, or cross-team coordination. While CRM timestamps (like stage transitions or picklist tracking) track when changes happen, they do not reflect how long someone actively worked on a case.
This Timer Widget can be the ultimate solution to track down the active time spent on each case through out the day.
What are we Building?
By the end of this two-part guide, you will know how to:
- Build a timer widget to track time per task or any CRM record.
- Log work sessions into a custom module every time the timer is started/stopped.
- Automatically populate a subform in the corresponding record module using workflows and Deluge functions.
- Leverage the Reports module to analyze work patterns, SLA adherence, and productivity trends.
In Part I, we will focus on:
-> Building and configuring the Timer Widget.
-> Capturing each timed session as a record in a custom module.
Prerequisites
1. Create a Custom Module
Create a custom module named Timer Entries to log work details and generate reports from the Reports module. A new record will be added to this module each time a timer is started.
Set up the following custom fields in the Timer Entries module:
Custom Fields | Data Type |
Start Time | DateTime |
End Time | DateTime |
Total Duration (in mins.) | Formula DateBetween(${Timer Entries.Start Time},${Timer Entries.End Time},'Minutes') |
Related to Case | Lookup to Cases module |
Work Description | Multi Line |
2. Add a custom picklist option
Add a custom picklist option called In Progress to the Status picklist field in the Cases module for precisely identifying the status of the cases.
Follow this Add/Remove Picklist Values help section for more details.
3. Setup Custom Views for Contextual Filtering
To streamline the widget experience and ensure users only see relevant records to associate while tracking time, set up two smart custom views—one in the Cases module and another in the Timer Entries module.
Active Cases View (Cases Module)
Create a custom view in the Cases module to list only the active tickets the logged-in user is working on. Use the following criteria tips:
- Use the Status field to filter records with values like In Progress, On Hold, or Escalated.
- Use the Case Owner field to show records that are assigned only to the currently logged-in user.
This view powers the drop-down inside the widget where users select the case they want to start the timer for.
Active Timers View (Timer Entries Module)
Set up a second custom view in the Timer Entries module to track entries where the timer has been started but not yet stopped. These represent active timers. Use the following logic for criteria:
- The End Time field is empty (i.e., timer still running).
- Timer Entry owner field matches the logged-in user.
This view is used internally by the widget to detect if a timer is already running and update the same entry once the timer is stopped.
Follow the Managing List View help page and use the specifications shown in the following image.
Building the Timer Widget
Step -1: Review Basics
Refer to our earlier Kaizen on CLI Installation, Creating a Widget Project, and Internal hosting of the same.
Step 2 - Develop the Widget
After initializing your widget project using CLI, implement the timer logic:
Fetching Active Cases
On page load, the populateRecordsDropdown function initiates a Get Records API call to the Cases module, using the Active Cases custom view ID. This fetches all active case records assigned to the logged-in user.
These records are then listed in a dropdown, allowing users to quickly select the relevant case they are about to work on.
async function populateRecordsDropdown() { const recordsDropdown = document.getElementById("moduleRecords"); recordsDropdown.innerHTML = ""; try { const recordsResponse = await ZOHO.CRM.API.getAllRecords({ Entity: casesModule, cvid: casesCVID, per_page: 10 }); if (recordsResponse.data && recordsResponse.data.length > 0) { recordsResponse.data.forEach(record => { const option = document.createElement("option"); option.value = record.id; option.textContent = record.Subject || "Unnamed Record"; recordsDropdown.appendChild(option); }); } else { const placeholderOption = document.createElement("option"); placeholderOption.value = ""; placeholderOption.textContent = "No records found"; placeholderOption.disabled = true; placeholderOption.selected = true; recordsDropdown.appendChild(placeholderOption); } } catch (error) { console.error("Error fetching records:", error); } } |
Starting the Timer and Creating an Entry
Once the user starts the timer, The createRecord function triggers a Create Record API call to log the session in the Timer Entries custom module. The record captures the start time and the related case and description (if provided).
Even if no details are entered or case is selected, a timer entry is still created with the start time. This ensures that spontaneous work sessions are tracked and not lost.
async function createRecord(startTime) { try { const workDescription = document.getElementById("workDescription").value; const selectedRecordId = document.getElementById("moduleRecords").value; const selectedRecordText = document.getElementById("moduleRecords").options[ document.getElementById("moduleRecords").selectedIndex ].text; const data = { Start_Time: startTime, Owner: currentUserId, Work_Description: workDescription, Related_to_Case: selectedRecordId, Name: selectedRecordText }; const response = await ZOHO.CRM.API.insertRecord({ Entity: timerModule, APIData: data }); console.log("Start time recorded successfully"); } catch (error) { console.error("Error creating record:", error); } } |
Stopping the Timer and Updating the Entry
When the timer is stopped, the widget uses the Active Timer Entry custom view to locate the most recent Timer Entry record created by the logged-in user that does not have an end time.
The updateRecord is then triggered to update that active entry using the Update Record API call. It updates the End time of the session and the related case, descriptions, if it was not already provided when the timer was started.
async function updateRecord(endTime) { try { const workDescription = document.getElementById("workDescription").value; const selectedRecordId = document.getElementById("moduleRecords").value; const response = await ZOHO.CRM.API.getAllRecords({ Entity: timerModule, cvid: timerEntriesCVID, per_page: 1 }); const latestRecord = response.data[0]; if (latestRecord) { const recordId = latestRecord.id; const data = { id: recordId, End_Time: endTime, Work_Description: workDescription, Related_to_Case: selectedRecordId }; await ZOHO.CRM.API.updateRecord({ Entity: timerModule, APIData: data, RecordID: recordId }); console.log("End time updated successfully"); } } catch (error) { console.error("Error updating record:", error); } } |
Step 3 - Validate and Pack the Widget
- Follow the steps given in the Widget help page to validate and package the widget.
- Go to Zoho CRM > Setup > Developer Hub > Widgets and click Create New Widget.
- Fill in the required details as shown in this image and ensure to select Button as the widget type.
Step 4 - Associate it with Flyout
- Go to Setup > Developer Space > Client Script. Click New Script.
- Enter a name and description for the script. Choose Command type in Category.
- Create a Flyout and render a widget within it using its details like the API name of the widget, title, size, and animation type. You can get the Widget API name from the widget's detail page.
let allowedUserEmails = []; allowedUserEmails.push('user1_email_address'); allowedUserEmails.push('user2_email_address'); allowedUserEmails.push('user3_email_address'); let currentUserEmail = $Crm.user.email; if (allowedUserEmails.indexOf(currentUserEmail) == -1) { ZDK.Client.showMessage('Command access resticted', { type: 'error' }); return false; } ZDK.Client.createFlyout('myFlyout', {header: 'Timer', animation_type: 4, height: '600px', width: '500px', top: '10px', left: '10px', bottom: '10px', right: '10px' }); ZDK.Client.getFlyout('myFlyout').open({ api_name: 'Timer', type: 'widget' }); return true; |
Refer to Creating a Client Script help page for more details.
Try It Out!
A complete working code sample of this widget is attached to this post.
Now, let us see how this Timer widget works:
1. Start the Timer
Open the widget and select an active case from the dropdown. As soon as you start the timer, a new record will be automatically created in the Timer Entries module to capture the session.
2. Stop the Timer
When the task is complete, provide a description of the work you have done and stop the timer. The same Timer Entry record (created when the timer was started) will be updated automatically with the end time and your work description.
This forms the foundation for accurate time tracking at the record level.
In Part 2, we will show how to:
-> Use a workflow and Deluge function to transfer these entries into the Work Log subform inside the relevant Cases record.
-> Use CRM Reports to slice and dice work time for better SLA and productivity insights.
In the meantime, would you like us to address any of your pain-points or have a topic to discuss? Let us know in the comments or reach out to us via support@zohocrm.com.
Until next time, Happy Coding!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Related Reading
- Custom Fields - Working with Custom Fields and Working with Picklist Field
- Widget - An Overview, CLI Installation, Working with Widgets, JS SDKs, Mobile Compatibility of Widgets and Kaizens
- Core APIs - GET Records, POST Records and UPDATE Records
- Client Script - An Overview, Creating a Client Script, Best Practices and Troubleshooting
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Previous Kaizen: Client Script Support for Subforms | Kaizen Collection: Directory
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 #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 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.
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
To print Multiple delivery notes in batches
In Zoho Books, we can print a Delivery Note from an Invoice using the Print Delivery Note option, but it is non-editable and always prints all line items from the invoice. Our requirement is to deliver invoiced items in batches and print delivery notesOpen sub form from a button as a popup form
Is there a way within a form to use similar code as below to show a button in the form when clicked opens the subform for data to be added to the record being viewed in the form OpenUrl("#Form:<Customer_Delivery_Address>?<Delivery_Address>=" + input.ID,"popupUPLOAD A CREATED PDF AUTOMATICALLY
Using the html header pdf+print button, I have managed to find a way to have a user create a pdf using entered form data. Using the schedule button, I can have a "file uploaded" pdf mailed to someone as an attachment. The missing piece is to be able to add the pdf, created in that html page to a file upload field automatically? Right now one has to save it to computer and then upload it in a FILE UPLOAD FIELD. Any help would appreciated !Save HTML Snippet Page as PDF with Dynamic Data in Zoho Creator (Working Solution)
Hi Zoho Creator Community 👋, I faced a common challenge while working with HTML Snippet Pages — I needed to generate a PDF with dynamic data and save it back into the record automatically. Here’s the working solution that might help others. Use CaseFix the speed
It takes ages to load on every step even though my dataset is quite small.Consolidated Department-wise Payroll Cost Summary Report
Hello Zoho Payroll Team and Community, I am writing to discuss a reporting requirement regarding department-level expense tracking within Zoho Payroll. As we scale and manage salary distribution for employees across multiple departments, such as Accounts,Write-Off multiple invoices and tax calculation
Good evening, I have many invoices which are long overdue and I do not expect them to be paid. I believe I should write them off. I did some tests and I have some questions: - I cannot find a way to write off several invoices together. How can I do that,What's new in Zoho Sheet: Simplify data entry and collaboration
Hello, Zoho Sheet community! Last year, our team was focused on research and development so we could deliver updates that enhance your spreadsheet experience. This year, we’re excited to deliver those enhancements—but we'll be rolling them out incrementallyCRM gets location smart with the all new Map View: visualize records, locate records within any radius, and more
Hello all, We've introduced a new way to work with location data in Zoho CRM: the Map View. Instead of scrolling through endless lists, your records now appear as pins on a map. Built on top of the all-new address field and powered by Mappls (MapMyIndia),Easier onboarding for new users with stage descriptions
Greetings, I hope all of you are doing well. We're happy to announce a recent enhancement we've made to Bigin. You can now add descriptions to the stages in your pipeline. Previously, when creating a pipeline, you could only add stages. With this update,Ability to Edit Ticket Subject when Splitting a Ticket
Often someone will make an additional or new request within an existing ticket that requires we split the ticket. The annoying part is that the new ticket maintains the subject of the original ticket after the split so when the new ticket email notificationHow to remove chat icon from knowledge base?
I have set up a knowledge base to hold FAQs and documentation. It is currently standalone, and not integrated into our website. On every page there is a chat button in the bottom left corner that says "We're offline, please leave a message." How can I[ZohoDesk] Improve Status View with a new editeble kanban view
A kanban view with more information about the ticket and the contact who created the ticket would be valueble. I would like to edit the fields with the ones i like to see at one glance. Like in CRM where you can edit the canvas view, i would like to editAutomated Dismissal of Specific Notifications and Centralized Control of Toast Notification Settings
Dear Zoho Team, I hope this message finds you well. We would like to request two enhancements related to notification handling within Zoho Desk: Automatic Dismissal of Specific Notifications: Currently, when certain actions are taken in the ticket listKnowledgebase SEO
We have a custom-domain mapped help center that is not restricted via login. I have some questions: a) will a robots.txt file still allow us to control indexing? b) do we have the ability to edit the sitemap? c) do category URLs get indexed by searchCreate case via email
Good Afternoon, I have just registered and am taking a look around the system. Is it possible to create a case via email. I.e. an employee/client/supplier emails a certain address and that auto generates the case which then prompts a member of staffShow field in spreadsheet view depending on other field value
Hello. Not sure if this is possible but let's say i have spreadsheet view in Creator with four different fields Field A, B, C and D Then i have a field named Response which for one record could contain only one of the pre-definde choices below A, B, CImproved Contact Sync flow in Google Integration with Zoho CRM
Hello Everyone, Your contact sync in Google integration just got revamped! We have redesigned the sync process to give users more control over what data flows into Google and ensure that this data flows effortlessly between Zoho CRM and Google. With thisIntroducing Assemblies and Kits in Zoho Inventory
Hello customers, We’re excited to share a major revamp to Zoho Inventory that brings both clarity and flexibility to your inventory management experience! Presenting Assemblies and Kits We’re thrilled to introduce Assemblies and Kits, which replaces theIntergrating multi location Square account with Zoho Books
Hi, I have one Square account but has multiple locations. I would like to integrate that account and show aggregated sales in zoho books. How can I do that? thanks.Zoho Learn Zapier Integration
Hello all, Is there any plan to integrate Zoho Learn with Zapier? It seems almost all Zoho products are in Zapier, with the exception of Learn and Marketing Automation.Notice: SalesIQ integration paused on Zoho Sites
I have this notice on my Zoho Sites in the SalesIQ integration setup. Can someone assist? "This integration has been temporarily paused for users. Reconnecting SalesIQ after disconnection will not be possible until we provide further updates." thankDifferences between Zoho Books and Zoho Billing
Without a long drawn out process to compare these. If you were looking at these Books and Billing, what made you opt for one and not the other. ThanksNew Feature : Copying tickets with all the contents such as conversations/history/attachments etc
Sometimes our customers and distributors do create tickets (or send emails) which contain more than one incident in them and then also some of the further conversations which are either created by incorrect new tickets or replies to old tickets are being created as combined tickets. In such cases we require to "COPY" the contents of the tickets into separate tickets and merge them into their corresponding original tickets. The "CLONE" feature doesn't copy the contents (especially the conversationsComo se agregan los empleados
Necesito saber si para agregar empleados los mismos necesitan tener licenciasDeluge Error Code 1002 - "Resource does not exist."
I am using the following script in a Custom Button on a Sales Return. Basically, the function takes the information in the sales return (plus the arguments that are entered by the user when the button is pushed) and creates a return shipping label viaAdding multiple Attendee email addresses when adding a Zoho Calendar event in Zoho Flow
I am trying to integrate Notion and Zoho Calendar via Zoho Flow. However, the Attendee email address supported by Zoho Calendar - Create event only supports one email address, so I am having difficulty implementing automation to automatically registerDeprecation of SMS-based multi-factor authentication (MFA) mode
Overview of SMS-based OTP MFA mode The SMS-based OTP MFA method involves the delivery of a one-time password to a user's mobile phone via SMS. The user receives the OTP on their mobile phone and enters it to sign into their account. SMS-based OTPs offerBooks & Desk. Client mapping
Hi, I’ve been using Zoho Books for several years and am now looking to improve my customer service. I'm experimenting with Zoho Desk and want to sync and map my client data from Zoho Books. However, it seems that mapping requires both contacts to haveGraceful Handling of Exceeded Option Limits
Hi Zoho SalesIQ team. I would like to submit a feature request to deal with a bug in salesIQ Current Behavior (Bug): When a dynamic list passed to the Single Select Option Card contains more than 20 options, the Zobot stops responding (freezes/hangs)System default SLA descriptions can't be modified
The system default SLAs have identical descriptions for all SLA levels, but their settings differ. However, I am facing an issue where I cannot modify these descriptions and save the changes. The content of the description box can be edited but the changesAdding non-Indian billing address for my Zoho subscription
Hey Need help with adding a non-Indian billing address for my Zoho subscription, trying to edit the address to my Singapore registered company. Won't let me change the country. Would appreciate the help. Regards, RishabhZoho Desk - Zoho FSM Integration issue on Mobile and iPad
Hello Team, I am trying to create a Work Order (WO) using the Zoho FSM integration (Add-on Service) that is integrated with Zoho Desk. The issue is that the integration is not working on mobile devices and iPads. While I am able to create the WO, Request,How to create one ZohoCRM organisation out of a multi-organization?
Hi, we have a multi-org including two different Zoho CRM organizations for two companies using respectively EUR and USD as default currency. I was wondering if there is any easy way to merge the two organizations into just one, so that users may accessIncrease the "Maximum Saved Entries per User" Options Limit
Hi, You can create lots of saved entries, yet the Limit when you apply one is 25, we may often expect 32 to be in draft, and therefore want to enforce that, can we increase the limit of this field from 25 to 100 (As you can just turn it off and have moreGray screen while signing documents
We are all getting a "gray" screen when trying to sign documents in Zoho sign. Anyone else having issues?Reassign Partially Saved Entries
Hi, I would like to be able to go to Partially Saved Entries and like the option to delete them I would like the option to multi-select and be able to reassign them to another user to complete (Such as when a user has left the company). Thanks DanImproved Integration Failure Information (And Notification Options)
Hi, When an attachment service for example fails, you just get "Field x - Error", I can check the field it is failing on and find nothing wrong, same file size, type, dimensions, etc. so more information as to the actual issue would be helpful. And anSet Frozen Cells in the Report Settings
Hi, It would be nice to be able to set the frozen cells in the report Settings, and have an option if this is fixed or can be changed after loading (On the next load it still goes back to the Settings). Thanks DanLink Purchase Order to Deal
Zoho Books directly syncs with contacts, vendors and products in Zoho CRM including field mapping. Is there any way to associate vendor purchase orders with deals, so that we can calculate our profit margin for each deal with connected sales invoicesNext Page