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
Centralize Knowledge. Transform Learning.
All-in-one knowledge management and training platform for your employees and customers.
New to Zoho Recruit?
Zoho Developer Community
New to Zoho LandingPage?
Zoho LandingPage Resources
New to Zoho Survey?
New to Zoho CRM Plus?
Deliver unforgettable customer experiences
New to Zoho CRM Plus?
Deliver unforgettable customer experiences
New to Zoho Marketing Plus?
Everything you need to run your marketing
New to Zoho Marketing Plus?
Everything you need to run your marketing
New to Bigin?
Topic Participants
Kiruthiga G
Sticky Posts
Kaizen #198: Using Client Script for Custom Validation in Blueprint
Nearing 200th Kaizen Post – 1 More to the Big Two-Oh-Oh! Do you have any questions, suggestions, or topics you would like us to cover in future posts? Your insights and suggestions help us shape future content and make this series better for everyone.Kaizen #226: Using ZRC in Client Script
Hello everyone! Welcome to another week of Kaizen. In today's post, lets see what is ZRC (Zoho Request Client) and how we can use ZRC methods in Client Script to get inputs from a Salesperson and update the Lead status with a single button click. In thisKaizen #222 - Client Script Support for Notes Related List
Hello everyone! Welcome to another week of Kaizen. The final Kaizen post of the year 2025 is here! With the new Client Script support for the Notes Related List, you can validate, enrich, and manage notes across modules. In this post, we’ll explore howKaizen #217 - Actions APIs : Tasks
Welcome to another week of Kaizen! In last week's post we discussed Email Notifications APIs which act as the link between your Workflow automations and you. We have discussed how Zylker Cloud Services uses Email Notifications API in their custom dashboard.Kaizen #216 - Actions APIs : Email Notifications
Welcome to another week of Kaizen! For the last three weeks, we have been discussing Zylker's workflows. We successfully updated a dormant workflow, built a new one from the ground up and more. But our work is not finished—these automated processes are
New to Zoho TeamInbox?
Zoho TeamInbox Resources
Zoho CRM Plus Resources
Zoho Books Resources
Zoho Subscriptions Resources
Zoho Projects Resources
Zoho Sprints Resources
Qntrl Resources
Zoho Creator Resources
Zoho CRM Resources
Design. Discuss. Deliver.
Zoho Show Resources
Get Started. Write Away!
Writer is a powerful online word processor, designed for collaborative work.
Zoho CRM コンテンツ
-
オンラインヘルプ
-
Webセミナー
-
機能活用動画
-
よくある質問
-
Ebook
-
-
Zoho Campaigns
- Zoho サービスのWebセミナー
その他のサービス コンテンツ
Nederlandse Hulpbronnen
ご検討中の方
Recent Topics
Attaching files to emails within CRM Deals.
Hello, We have recently started using the extension "Workdrive for CRM" (Related List) to view/store our documents for each Deal, instead of using Attachments. Overall it feels like a better way to go but the user experience is not so great when it comesAnyone worked out how to export or screengrab a full heatmap?
I'd love to be able to include a copy of a heatmap in a report but can't work out how to grab the whole thing as there doesn't appear to be an export function? Thanks in advance.Establishing Relationships among contacts/leads with Reciprocal
Is there any way to create a relationship between contacts and leads and be able to go into just one of the files and have it reciprocate the entry in the other file? For example, if I have two people say John and Jane Smith who are husband and wife.Placeholder for Agent Signature in Email Templates
Dear Zoho Team, I hope this message finds you well. We currently face a limitation when designing email templates in Zoho Desk. While we can create email templates and include a footer at the end, the agent signature is always appended by default at theCustom View and Custom Fields on Zoho Books
Hi, I have some custom fields on Estimates and Invoices. I also use Custom Views so I can have a lot of information at a glance. I want to include my custom fields as columns in my custom views of estimates / invoice, but it looks like is not possible.%PaymentLink%
Does not work. Software creates a BAD link. ....and yes payment options are turned on. Link on the invoice pdf once opened will work but this template is a joke.Syncing calendar with Google Calendar doesn't work when events are sent to auto repeat
Hi... The ZOHO CRM -- GOOGLE CALENDAR sync is broken. If I create a single event on either side, sync works, but if I create an event with auto repeat on either side it doesn't work. Furthermore, events created before the sync don't show up in the calendar.Allow Global Admin to access/edit all forms without changing owners
Hi there, Please consider adding a feature where the Global Admin of the account an automatically access/edit any form in the Company Account. I'm the Global Admin on our Zoho One plan, and we have multiple users that use/create forms. But for me to accessCan Zoho Marketing Automation send OTP codes via WhatsApp during user registration?
The flow I would like to implement is: A user signs up in the mobile app and enters their phone number. The system generates a one-time verification code (OTP). The OTP is sent to the user via WhatsApp message. The user enters the code in the app to confirmWhere to show Customization Field ?
Dear Sir, I have made some New Field in Item Field Customisation. Now I don't require that field in Estimate, Sales Orders etc. I just wants that field in Sales Invoice to Show/Hide... Is that possible ?What's New in Zoho Analytics - February 2026
Hello Users! We're back with another round of updates for Zoho Analytics. This month's release focuses on giving you greater flexibility in how you visualize, manage, and act on your data - with new features like custom visualizations, remote MCP server,Zoho Books (and other Finance Suite Apps) - Clickable Item Name on Invoices and Reports
Hi Zoho Books team, It would be really helpful if the Item Name on Reports were clicable to take me to the item. The same on Invoices, often I am looking at an invoice and I want to look at the deails of a product. A link here would be helpful to jumpZOHO Reports are taking longer time to get refresh
Hi Team, Since last few days, I'm facing issues in getting updated reports. For eg: right after making an expense entry or even posting a journal, it is taking longer then expected for the updated reports. Refer below: "You are viewing the report thatDisplay actual mileage on an invoice
My users are creating expenses in Zoho expense. For example, they expense 10 miles and get paid 7 dollars (10 miles * IRS rate of .70). If I look at the expenses in Zoho Books, it does show them at 10 miles at .70 cent When I add these expense to an invoiceCan't change form's original name in URL
Hi all, I have been duplicating + editing forms for jobs regarding the same department to maintain formatting + styling. The issue I've not run into is because I've duplicated it from an existing form, the URL doesn't seem to want to update with the newCan you create relationships BETWEEN contacts within the same module
I am setting up my CRM, and I want to have a way to connect contacts within the same module. Is there a way to do this? If not - how do I decide how to split up contacts to make connections? What are best practices for this? We have clients who needFunction and workflow to create customer payment and send receipt
I am attempting to set up a workflow/custom function for the automatic creation of a customer payment and sending the email receipt, but am receiving the error "Improper Statement Error might be due to missing ';' at end of the line or incomplete expression" I've been over everything several times and cannot see where the error is (code is copied into the attached document). I haven't used custom functions before with Deluge, so it's very likely something very simple, or I've completely muckedDisable Sign Up option in Zoho Creator Portal and show only Sign In page
Is it possible to disable the Sign Up option in a Zoho Creator portal? The requirement is to show only the Sign In page and completely remove or hide the Sign Up page, so users cannot create accounts directly from the portal login page. Is there any settingRestrict Payment Methods
Allow us to restrict certain payment methods specific for each customer.How to install Widget in inventory module
Hi， I am trying to install a app into Sales Order Module related list, however there is no button allow me to do that. May I ask how to install widget to inventory module related list?Can I view the KB in the same way as a customer logged in as my Agent?
Sorry if this seems a mad question. I have some Articles that I want to be seen by my Agents and the status of these is set to Agents only. We also have some that are set to Public. When I sign in with my private email address (as a customer) I canWhat’s New in Zoho Inventory — Latest Features, Integrations & Updates | December 2025
Zoho Inventory has evolved significantly over the past months, bringing you smarter, faster, and more connected tools to streamline your operations. Whether you’re managing multichannel sales, complex fulfillment workflows, or fast-moving stock, our newestWhich user's capacity is used for Shared Mailbox storage?
We use shared mailboxes at our company, and their size is increasing daily. Which user(s)'s total mailbox limit is being used up by this space?Evernote (ENEX) import limitations
I have been with Evernote since 2010, but the latest price increase is ridiculous. I am currently testing Zoho Notebook as a replacement. I am impressed so far - if it were not for critical need to import legacy Evernote notes, I would 100% migrate toCan I create a CODE 128 custom field for my items in Zoho Inventory and then use it for generating Sales Orders?
Can anyone helps me, I don't want to use the SKU code for scanning my products. Because all my products have a CODE-128 label attached.Prevent duplicate with custom fields?
I was wondering something about custom field/custom modules in Zoho Desk. For some reason you can make a custom field mandatory but not unique? For example, if I create a custom module to manage equipment and renewal and make a field serial number noZoho Books' 2025 Wrapped
Before we turn the page to a new year, it’s time to revisit the updates that made financial management simpler and more intuitive. This annual roundup brings together the most impactful features and enhancements we delivered in 2025, offering a clearMultiple 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 forCreate Invoice automated with Package
Does anyone knows how to create an invoice from a SO when we have created the package? We do these manually. and validate that the product packed is the product invoiced (if the order is partially packed) Regards, JSUnable to integrate Zoho Projects and Zoho Workdrive
I'm a Zoho One subscriber. When I go to Zoho Projects > Settings > Marketplace > Zoho Apps I do not see an option for Zoho Workdrive but I do see one for Zoho Docs that does nothing. How do I get the option to integrate Zoho WorkDrive and Zoho ProjeDisable payment thank-you emails
Hello, can someone please tell me how to disable sending of the "Payment Thank-You" emails?How to backdate record payment for the invoice
I would like to record a payment which happened 2 days ago, but I am not able to select any date later than today. I backdated the invoice, too, but it doesn't change anythingHelp with deluge script
Hi Community, this is my first Deluge script. I've pieced it together from reading various articles I want to use it in a workflow to 1 Convert a lead to a contact 2. Create a record in a custom module Below is what I have got so far but it does not fireMarketer's Space: Why email authentication matters in Zoho Campaigns
Welcome back to another post in Marketer's Space! If you've recently started using Zoho Campaigns, you've probably come across terms like SPF and DKIM. You may have also noticed emails that show "via zcsend.net" in Gmail when testing or sending campaigns.Feature Request: "Send Invitation" Toggle for Events
I am writing to request a critical "Quality of Life" update for the Activities module. Currently, adding people to the Participants field in an Event triggers an automatic email invitation/acceptance tracking with no way to opt-out. For general eventsEdit email address that appears on invoice
Hi How do I change the email address that appears on invoices, it is showing the email address that i used to sign up to zoho with but I want to change it to another email address that we use for accounts. also is there a way to edit the position of aIntroducing Zoho Sprints 3.0
Zoho Sprints is consistently evolving in steady increments. The introduction of the latest version, with its enterprise level solutions, brings to you advanced capabilities that propel your agile efforts in the right direction. Here's a quick glimpseGoogle Fonts Integration in Pagesense Popup Editor
Hello Zoho Pagesense Team, We hope you're doing well. We’d like to submit a feature request to enhance Zoho Pagesense’s popup editor with Google Fonts support. Current Limitation: Currently, Pagesense offers a limited set of default fonts. Google FontsClone Entire Zoho Boooks Organization, including all transactions for testing & training
Can Zoho Books support help with direct cloning of entire Zoho Books & Inventory Organization? including all transactions, just like a copy & paste or disk cloning. Is this possible?Restrict portal signup until registration form and payment are completed
Hi everyone, I am working on a Zoho Creator portal for a project. In our business flow, users must first fill out a registration form and pay a registration fee before they are allowed to access the portal. However, when I share the portal link, usersNext Page