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
Zoho desk desktop application
does zoho desk has a destop applicaion?ZOHO Work Drive Back Up
I am looking for a ZOHO Work Drive backup solution. Something that is cloud based. There's lots of these kinds of options for Google Drive and other providers, but I have not seen anything for WorkDrive. Any suggestions?ZOHO Reports - Filter Logic?
Hi, I need a way to apply filter logics such as ((1 AND 2) OR 3). All I can see as of now is a way to enter different AND filters in the respective filter column. But how can I add an OR filter? Any advice would be highly appreciated. MarkScanned Doc - selecting Item overwrites Rate
I have a Vendor Invoice which was uploaded to Documents. I select Add To > New Bill. The OCR is actually quite good, but it is reading an Item Description instead of an Item Number. I remove the description and select the correct Item Number... and itRecruit API search
Hi all, Attempting to call the search api endpoint from Postman using the word element as mentioned in api docs Search Records - APIs | Online Help - Zoho Recruit When making the call to /v2/Candidates/search?word=Saudi receive response of { "code": "MANDATORY_NOT_FOUND",Saving reading position + Keep screen on
While Zoho Notebook is excellent for saving and annotating articles, its utility is severely limited by the lack of reading progress synchronization. On the Android app, if a user exits a long note after reading 50%, the app fails to save the position.Multiple Vendor SKUs
One of the big concerns we have with ZOHO Inventory is lack of Vendor Skus like many other inventory software packages offer. Being able to have multiple vendor skus for the same product would be HUGE! It would populate the appropriate vendor Sku forZoho LandingPage is integrated with Zoho One!
Greetings to the Zoho One users out there! We're delighted to let you know that Zoho LandingPage is available in Zoho One too! With Zoho LandingPage, you can host custom-made landing pages, and persuade the visitors to dive deeper by making further clicks,Android app sync problem - multiple devices have same problem
Hello, I am having a problem with synchronization in the Android app. When I create a drawing, the data does not sync correctly—only a blank note is created without the drawing. I tested this on multiple devices, including phones and tablets, and theHow can i resend a campaign to only one of the recipients on the original campaign
How can i resend a campaign to only one of the recipients on the original campaign ? Sincererly, MikeHow to show branch instead of org name on invoice template?
Not sure why invoices are showing the org name not the branch name? I can insert the branch name using the ${ORGANIZATION.BRANCHNAME} placeholder, but then it isn't bold text anymore. Any other ideas?Create CRM Deal from Books Quote and Auto Update Deal Stage
I want to set up an automation where, whenever a Quote is created in Zoho Books, a Deal is automatically created in Zoho CRM with the Quote amount, customer details, and some custom fields from Zoho Books. Additionally, when the Sales Order is convertedMarketing Automation Requirements Questions
I would like to set up a multi-email drip campaign- please see the structure below and confirm if I can achieve this set up in Zoho marketing automation. Where applicable, highlight gaps and workarounds. Thanks Drip email campaign- Can I create one dripZoho CRM for Gmail Extension Not Working in Brave Browser?
Is anyone able to get the Zoho CRM Chrome Extension working in the Brave browser? They're both built on the Chromium platform and every other Chrome Extension works with the exception of Zoho CRM for Gmail so any ideas here?Sharing URLs and direct access
Hello, I am storing my team's email signature images on Workdrive. I am creating a public image download share and adding “?directDownload=true” so that the image can be accessed without the Workdrive interface. A few questions: 1) Can we generate friendlyhow to change the page signers see after signing a document in zoho sign
Hello, How can I please change the page a signer sees after signing a document in Zoho Sign? I cannot seem to find it. As it is now, it shows a default landing page "return to Zoho Sign Home". Thanks!Question about using custom_fields in Storefront Add-to-Cart API (error 2003 – required details)
Hi everyone, I’m working with the Zoho Commerce Storefront API, specifically the Add to Cart endpoint: POST /storefront/api/v1/cart According to the documentation, this endpoint supports a custom_fields parameter for adding line-item custom data. I’mCan a project be cloned?
Good afternoon, greetings. I would like to ask if it's possible to clone a project in Microsoft Project. I found a way to do it using templates, but I'm not sure if there's a direct way to clone a project. Thank you in advance for your attention, andTimesheet Tasks in Zoho Books: associate to service item
How do we associate a service item to timesheet tasks in Zoho Books? For example: Joe spent 5 hours on project:task1 which is Service Item#1 (Income:Service1). When the invoice is issued thru the Project Invoice section, this is not available. When theWhy Sharing Rules do Not support relative date comparison???
I am creating a Sharing Rule and simply want to share where "Last Day of Coverage" (Date field) is Greater than TODAY (Starting Tomorrow). However, sharing rules don't have the option to compare a date field to a relative date (like today), only to StaticTask/Activity indicator in SalesPipeline overview has disappeared
I Just logged in my ZOHO CRM first 2026 checking my salespipeline overview , Every record card used to show an indication that there was an open task (Yellow if the expiry date was close, red if the expiry date was today and grey when it had expired).Tip #56- Accessibility Controls in Zoho Assist: Hearing- 'Insider Insights'
As we begin the new year, it’s a great time to focus on making our tools more inclusive and accessible for everyone. Remote support often involves long hours in front of screens, varying lighting conditions, and users with diverse accessibility needs.Zoho Desk Android app update: Table view for All Departments view, custom button
Hello everyone! In the latest version(v2.9.25) of the Zoho Desk Android app update, we have introduced Table view for the 'All Departments' view in the ticket module. We also have supported an option that allows tickets in the Table view to be sortedWhat's New - December 2025 | Zoho Backstage
In December, Backstage introduced a focused set of updates that improve how you manage registrations, communicate with attendees, and track participation. These enhancements are designed to give organizers greater flexibility and clearer control acrossNeed code format to specify default values
Can someone please direct me to the code syntax or the proper translation per the instructions circled below. These instructions don't seem correct.Problem 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 toAdd multiple users to a task
When I´m assigning a task it is almost always related to more than one person. Practical situation: When a client request some improvement the related department opens the task with the situation and people related to it as the client itself, the salesmanA Roundup of Zoho Sprints 2025
Sorting Custom Date in API isn't working w pagination limit
How can we sort a custom field with DATE using pagination? Starting at page=1 then moving to page=2 with a limit of 10 each, its all messed up and even shows some of the same records as page 1? https://www.zohoapis.com/crm/v2/INVOICE_MODULE/search?criteria=(FM_Contact_ID:equals:1234)&sort_by=Invoice_Date&sort_order=desc&per_page=10&page='SAP Business One(B1) integration is now live in Zoho Flow
We’re excited to share that SAP Business One (B1) is now available in Zoho Flow! This means you can now build workflows that connect SAP B1 with other apps and automate routine processes without relying on custom code. Note: SAP Business One integrationEnhancement in Role and Profile mapping of agents in Sandbox
Hello everyone! We have brought in a modification in the way users are mapped to a particular role and profile in Sandbox. What has changed? When agents are copied from production to Sandbox: If a user's current role and profile is available in Sandbox,The reason I switched away from Zoho Notebook
My main reason for switching to Zoho was driven by three core principles: moving away from US-based products, keeping my data within India as much as possible, and supporting Indian companies. With that intent, I’ve been actively de-Googling my digitalDecimal places settings for exchange rates
Hello, We are facing issues while matching vendor payments with banking feeds. As we often import products/services exchange rate comes into play. Currently, ZOHO allows only six digits for decimal places. We feel that conversions like JPY to INR requireZoho removed ability to see all Scheduled Reports!
If you are not the owner of a scheduled report, Zoho recently removed the capability to see each scheduled report. As an admin who relies on seeing all scheduled reports being sent, this is a terrible update. Now I cannot see ANY scheduled reports...even the ones I am being sent!! This should be a setting for admins to control. This is a bad update.Automate Backups
This is a feature request. Consider adding an auto backup feature. Where when you turn it on, it will auto backup on the 15-day schedule. For additional consideration, allow for the export of module data via API calls. Thank you for your consideration.GCLID and Zoho Bookings
Is there anyway to embed a Zoho Bookings signup on a landing page and pass the GCLID information? More specifically, can this be done using auto-tagging and not manual tagging the GCLID? I know Zappier has an integration to do this but is there a betterMerge Items
Is there a work around for merging items? We currently have three names for one item, all have had a transaction associated so there is no deleting (just deactivating, which doesn't really help. It still appears so people are continuing to use it). I also can't assign inventory tracking to items used in past transactions, which I don't understand, this is an important feature moving forward.. It would be nice to merge into one item and be able to track inventory. Let me know if this is possible.Create PO from an invoice
We are a hardware and software sales company which receives orders over the internet. We drop ship most of our products from a warehouse outside of our company. Our orders get sync'd into Zoho from our store via onesaas as invoices. It would be greatBlueprint or Validation Rules for Invoices in Zoho Books
Can I implement Blueprint or Validation Rules for Invoices in Zoho Books? Example, use case could be, Agent confirms from client that payment is done, but bank only syncs transactions tomorrow. in this case, Agent can update invoice status to done, andResetting auto-number on new year
Hi everyone! We have an auto-number with prefix "D{YYYY}-", it generates numbers like D2025-1, D2025-2, etc... How can we have it auto-reset at the beginning of the next year, so that it goes to D2026-1? Thanks!Next Page