Kaizen #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.
Hi all,
Hello and welcome to another week of Kaizen!
In this post, we will be discussing Frequently Asked Questions on Zoho CRM GraphQL APIs. GraphQL is a query language that provides a more flexible and efficient way to access data and metadata within your Zoho CRM organization.
Why should I try GraphQL APIs?
Using GraphQL with Zoho CRM allows you to fetch exactly the data you need in a single request, reducing over-fetching and under-fetching. It also enables you to combine multiple operations in one request, which can improve performance and reduce network overhead.
How do I authorize GraphQL requests?
Similar to Zoho CRM REST APIs, GraphQL APIs use OAuth 2.0 for authorization.
For self-clients, you can use the self-client option in the API console to get an authorization grant code. This code can be exchanged for an access token and a refresh token. Once you receive the access token, send the token in your HTTP authorization header with the value "Zoho-oauthtoken {access_token}" for each request. Check out our Postman collection for GraphQL APIs for examples.
Are GraphQL APIs available for all Zoho CRM editions?
GraphQL APIs are available in Enterprise, Zoho One Enterprise, CRM Plus and Ultimate edition of Zoho CRM. Note that it is not available in any trial editions.
What is the difference between REST APIs and GraphQL APIs?
REST APIs let clients talk to servers using standard HTTP methods such as GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, and DELETE. Instead of fetching a fixed dataset like with REST, GraphQL APIs allows you to ask for precisely the data you want. We have covered this topic in detail in our previous Kaizen post that compares REST APIs and GraphQL APIs
Do I need to do any initial setup to start using GraphQL APIs?
To start using GraphQL APIs, you have to enable GraphQL APIs for your Zoho CRM profile through the enable GraphQL API call.
- Request URL : {api-domain}/crm/graphql/actions/enable
- Method : POST
- Scope: ZohoCRM.GraphQL.UPDATE
This API call generates the GraphQL schema. GraphQL schema defines the capabilities of a server, the data it contains and the actions that can be done on it. Note that it is sufficient to invoke this API call once for each profile.
What are the operations supported in Zoho CRM GraphQL APIs?
Currently, Zoho CRM GraphQL APIs support only query operations. Query operation is analogous to the GET method in REST APIs.
How do I configure requests for Zoho CRM’s GraphQL APIs?
- Request URL: {{api-domain}}/crm/graphql
- Method: POST
- Scope: ZohoCRM.graphql.READ and scope of the corresponding resource.
How do I write a basic query in GraphQL?
The below query can be used to fetch Last_Name in Leads module.
Request body
query { Records { Leads {_data {Last_Name {value}}} } } |
Output
{"data":{"Records":{"Leads":{"_data":[ {"Last_Name":{"value":"Kitzman"}}, {"Last_Name":{"value":"Frey"}} // ... ]}}}} |
What are the supported metadata types that can be fetched using GraphQL APIs?
Using GraphQL APIs you can fetch metadata from Modules, Users, KanbanView, UserProperties, ProfilePermissions, Profiles, Roles, and Widgets
Can I fetch metadata and data of a particular module in a single query using GraphQL APIs?
Yes, using GraphQL it is possible to fetch both metadata and data in a single query.
For example, the below query can be used to fetch Last_Name from Leads module and metadata information of the Last_Name field in the Leads module.
Request body
{ Records { Leads { _data { Last_Name { value } } } } Meta { Modules(filter: { api_name: "Leads" }) { _data { fields(filter: { api_names: "Last_Name" }) { _data { id api_name display_label json_type data_type }}}}}} |
Output
{ "data": { "Records": { "Leads": { "_data": [ { "Last_Name": { "value": "Kitzman" } }, { "Last_Name": { "value": "Frey" } } // ... ] } }, "Meta": { "Modules": { "_data": [ { "fields": { "_data": [ { "id": "6660682000000002595", "api_name": "Last_Name", "display_label": "Last Name", "json_type": "string", "data_type": "text" }]}}]}}}} |
We have covered this in detail in this Kaizen post: Using GraphQL APIs to fetch data in a consolidated way.
Are there any limits applicable for a GraphQL API query?
Yes, Zoho CRM imposes certain limits on the GraphQL API to ensure fair usage.
- Credits: A single query can consume up to a maximum of 10 credits
- Complexity: Complexity is a measure of workload a query exerts on the server based on the number of fields and depth of the query. The maximum complexity allowed for a single query is 1000.
- Depth: The nesting level of a queried field is referred to as depth. The limit for metadata is seven, and for data is three.
Refer to the official documentation on GraphQL credits.
Is it possible to retrieve selective data using GraphQL APIs?
Records
You can use the where argument to filter records from each module. Each field can support type specific operators and can be combined with Boolean logic and wildcards.
For example. to fetch Email, Last_Name, ID, Phone and Mobile of contacts where last name starts with "Ni" and mobile contains the digit 5 or phone number equals 555-678-9999
Request body
{ Records { Contacts(where: { and: [ { Last_Name: { like: "Ni%" } }, { or: [ { Phone: { equals: "555-678-9999" } }, { Mobile: { like: "%5%" } } ] } ] }) { _data { Email { value } Last_Name { value } id { value } Phone { value } Mobile { value } }}}} |
Introspecting the GraphQL schema in Postman will reveal the details of fields and supported operators for each module. Check out our previous Kaizen, where we explained this using videos.
Metadata
You can use the filter argument to filter metadata resources.
For example, the query below fetches metadata of Deals module and api_name of its layouts and fields
Request body
query { Meta { Modules(filter: { api_name: "Deals" }) { _data { id singular_label plural_label layouts { _data { id api_name } } fields { _data { api_name }}}}}} |
How do I paginate results in GraphQL?
In GraphQL, we use the offset and limit argument to paginate results.
You can use offset to fetch the next page of results by passing the value from your previous response, starting with null for the initial set. For each page, the number of records has a limit: up to 100 records for root queries or 10 for nested data.
The value to be passed in offset is obtained by querying for previous_offset and next_offset inside _info object.
Is it possible to sort records in GraphQL?
The order_by argument can be used to sort the response set after fetching records to ascending or descending order.
For example, the below query fetches the fields Deal_Name, Expected_Revenue, and Probability from Deals module in descending order of probability.
Request body
query { Records { Deals(order_by: { Probability: { order: DESC } }) { _data { Deal_Name { value } Expected_Revenue { value } Probability { value } }}}} |
When should I choose Zoho CRM GraphQL APIs over Zoho CRM REST APIs, and vice versa?
Use Zoho CRM GraphQL APIs when:
You need to fetch complex, nested data from multiple resources (e.g., accounts with linked contacts and deals) in a single request and avoid under-fetching of required data/metadata.
You need to minimize over-fetching of data/metadata by selecting only specific resources, fields of the resources, and relationships of the resources.
You need to query data and metadata together efficiently.
Use Zoho CRM REST APIs when :
You need to perform simple CRUD operations (e.g., fetch/update a single product).
Your use case involves straightforward endpoints without nested data/metadata.
You need to do add/update/delete operations.
We trust that this post addressed your doubts on GraphQL APIs. If you have any questions please let us know in the comment section or reach out to us at support@zohocrm.com.
Previous Kaizen Post : Kaizen #196 - Zoho CRM Queries - Best Practices|Kaizen 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
Mable Mary M P
Andres
qasim
Malik Faisal Ijaz
Thomas James
Sticky Posts
Kaizen #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.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.Celebrating 200 posts of Kaizen! Share your ideas for the milestone post
Hello Developers, We launched the Kaizen series in 2019 to share helpful content to support your Zoho CRM development journey. Staying true to its spirit—Kaizen Series: Continuous Improvement for Developer Experience—we've shared everything from FAQsKaizen #193: Creating different fields in Zoho CRM through API
🎊 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.Client Script | Update - Introducing Commands in Client Script!
Have you ever wished you could trigger Client Script from contexts other than just the supported pages and events? Have you ever wanted to leverage the advantage of Client Script at your finger tip? Discover the power of Client Script - Commands! Commands
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
Ugh! - Text Box (Single Line) Not Enough - Text Box (Multi-line) Unavailable in PDF!
I provide services, I do not sell items. In each estimate I send I provide a customized job description. A two or three sentence summary of the job to be performed. I need to be able to include this job description on each estimate I send as it's a criticalMerge 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.Supervisor Rules - Zoho Desk
Hi, I have set up a Supervisor Rule in Zoho Desk to send an email alert when a ticket has been on hold for 48 hours. Is there a way to change it so that the alert only sends once and not on an hourly basis? Thank you LauraResponseCode 421, 4.7.0 [TSS04] Messages from 136.143.188.51 temporarily deferred due to user complaints
Had email bounce. Let me know if you can fix this. Thanks. MichaelZoho Canvas - Custom templates for related lists
Hi, I see that the example pages load always one of our related lists in a custom template, but I dont know how to work with that: 1) How can i make my own custom templates for related lists? 2) Where and how can i check out existing custom templates?Automation #15: Automatically Adding Static Secondary Contacts
Rockel is a top-tier client of Zylker traders. Marcus handles communications with Rockel and would like to add Terence, the CTO of Zylker traders to the email conversations. In this case, the emails coming from user address rockel.com should have TerenceNew Zoho triggers Google Dangerous flag due toabnormal charcters
Just signed up and doing my first email test. I sent it to my google email account but it got flagged as Dangerous" due abnormal characters. My DNS setup looks ok. Page snips attached Help Please Thanks, Rick DC PowerWorldIs there a API to fetch tasks in a Board/Section
I am writing a scheduled function that retrieves all the tasks and send an reminder on cliq. I cannot seem to find a API to fetch tasks (by user / board / section) What are the way to fetch tasks?Having trouble fetching contents of Zoho Connect Feeds using the API, requesting alternative API documentation.
I'm trying to retrieve feed/post data from Zoho Connect using the API but facing challenges with the current documentation. What I've tried: OAuth authentication is working correctly (getting 200 OK responses) Tested multiple endpoints: /pulse/nativeapi/v2/feeds,Adding an Account Name to Tasks/Reminders
Does anyone know how to add the related account name to a task? When we look at the list of activities and when the reminders pop up, there is no way of quickly seeing who the account is.Triggering Zoho Flow on Workdrive File Label
Right now Im trying to have a zoho flow trigger on the labeling/classification of a file in a folder. Looking at the trigger options they arent great for something like this. File event occurred is probably the most applicable, but the events it has arentSendMail to multiple recipients
Hi, I'm trying to send an email to a list of recipients. Right now the "to" field is directed to a string variable. (List variables won't work here). In the string variable, how can I make it work? trying "user@app.com;user2@app.com" or "user@app.com; user2@app.com" just failed to send the emails. RavidPopulate drop down field from another form's subform
Hello, I found how to do that, but not in case of a subform. I have a Product form that has a subform for unit and prices. A product might have more than one unit. For example, the product "Brocoli" can be sold in unit at 3$ or in box of 10 at 25 $. BothUsar o Inventory ou módulo customizado no CRM para Gestão de Estoque ?
Minha maior dor hoje em usar o zoho é a gestão do meu estoque. Sou uma empresa de varejo e essa gestão é fundamental pra mim. Obviamente preciso que esse estoque seja visível no CRM, Inicialmente fiz através de módulos personalizados no próprio Zoho CRM,Signup forms behaviour : Same email & multiple submissions
My use case is that I have a signup form (FormA) that I use in several places on my website, with a hidden field so I can see where the contact has been made from. I also have a couple of other signup forms (FormB and FormC) that slight differences. Allgetting error in project users api
Hello, I'm getting a "Given URL is wrong" error when trying to use the Zoho Projects V3 API endpoint for adding users to a project. The URL I'm using is https://projectsapi.zoho.com/api/v3/portal/{portalid}/projects/{projectid}/projectusers/ and it'sChange total display format in weekly time logs
Hi! Would it be possible to display the total of the value entered in the weekly time log in the same format that the user input? This could be an option in the general settings -> display daily timesheet total in XX.XX format or XX:XX.Different Company Name for billing & shipping address
We are using Zoho Books & Inventory for our Logistics and started to realize soon, that Zoho is not offering a dedicated field for a shipping address company name .. when we are creating carrier shipping labels, the Billing Address company name gets alwaysHow to display historical ticket information of the total time spent in each status
Hi All, Hoping someone can help me, as I am new to Zoho Analytics, and I am a little stuck. I am looking to create a bar chart that looks back over tickets raised in the previous month and displays how much time was spent in each status (With Customer,Zoho Projects iOS app update: Global Web Tabs support
Hello everyone! In the latest version(v3.10.10) of the Zoho Projects app update, we have brought in support for Global Web Tabs. You can now access the web tabs across all the projects from the Home module of the app. Please update the app to the latestZoho Community Weekend Maintenance: 13–15 Sep 2025
Hi everyone, We wanted to give you a heads-up that Zoho Community will undergo scheduled maintenance this weekend. During this period, some community features will be temporarily unavailable, while others will be in read-only mode. Maintenance Window:Agent Performance Report
From data to decisions: A deep dive into ticketing system reports An agent performance report in a ticketing system provides a comprehensive view of how support agents manage customer tickets. It measures efficiency and quality by tracking key performanceShow both Vendor and Customers in contact statement
Dear Sir, some companies like us working with companies as Vendor and Customers too !!! it mean we send invoice and also receive bill from them , so we need our all amount in one place , but in contact statement , is separate it as Vendor and Customer,URL validation
We use an internal intranet site which has a short DNS name which Zoho CRM will not accept. When attempting to update the field it says "Please enter a valid URL". The URL I am trying to set is http://intranet/pm/ Our intranet is not currently setup with a full DNS name and given the amount of links using the shortname probably isn't a feasible change for us.Pourquoi dans zohobooks version gratuite on ne peut ajouter notre stock d'ouverture??
Pourquoi dans zohobooks version gratuite on ne peut ajouter notre stock d'ouverture ??How can I adjust column width in Zoho Books?
One issue I keep running into is as I show or hide columns in reports, the column widths get weird. Some columns have text cut off while others can take a fourth of the page for just a few characters. I checked report layout guides and my settings, butInvalid value passed for file_name
System generated file name does not send file anymore - what is the problem?Custom Function for Estimates
Hey everyone, I was wondering if there was a way to automate the Subject of an estimate whenever one is created or edited: * the green box using following infos: * Customer Name and Estimate Date. My Goal is to change the Subject to have this format "<MyFirm>-EstimateThis domain is not allowed to add. Please contact support-as@zohocorp.com for further details
I am trying to setup the free version of Zoho Mail. When I tried to add my domain, theselfreunion.com I got the error message that is the subject of this Topic. I've read your other community forum topics, and this is NOT a free domain. So what is theSearch in module lists has detiorated
Every module has a problem with the search function :-/YouTube Live #1: AI-powered agreement management with Zia and Zoho Sign
Hi there! We're excited to announce Zoho Sign’s first YouTube live series, where you can catch the latest updates and interact with our Zoho Sign experts, pose questions, and discover lesser-known features. We're starting off by riding the AI wave inSearch in module lists has detiorated
Every module has a problem with the search function :-/Sales Receipts Duplicating when I run reports why and how do we rectify this and any other report if this happens
find attached extract of my reportAdd Zoho Forms to Zoho CRM Plus bundle
Great Zoho apps like CRM and Desk have very limited form builders when it comes to form and field rules, design, integration and deployment options. Many of my clients who use Zoho CRM Plus often hit limitations with the built in forms in CRM or Desk and are then disappointed to hear that they have to additionally pay for Zoho Forms to get all these great forms functionalities. Please consider adding Zoho Forms in the Zoho CRM Plus bundle. Best regards, Mladen Svraka Zoho Certified Consultant andBigin: filter Contacts by Company fields
Hello, I was wondering if there's a way to filter the contacts based on a field belonging to their company. I.e.: - filter contacts by Company Annual Revenue field - filter contacts by Company Employee No. field In case this is not possibile, what workaroundHas Zoho changed the way it searches Items?
Right now all of our searches have broken and we can no longer search using the SKU or alias. It was fine last night and we came in this morning to broken.....this is impacting our operations now.Refunds do not export from Shopify, Amazon and Esty to Zoho. And then do not go from Zoho inventory to Quickbooks.
I have a huge hole in my accounts from refunds and the lack of synchronisation between shopify , Amazon and Etsy to Zoho ( i.e when I process a refund on shopify/ Amazon or Etsy it does not come through to Zoho) and then if I process a manual credit note/CRM->INVENTORY, sync products as composite items
We have a product team working in the CRM, as it’s more convenient than using Books or Inventory—especially with features like Blueprints being available. Once a product reaches a certain stage, it needs to become visible in Inventory. To achieve this,Zoho Calendar not working since a few days
Hey there, first off a minor thing, since I just tried to enable the Calendar after reading this in another topic (there was no setting for this though) : For some reason my current session is showing me based in New York - I'm in Germany, not using aMonthly timesheet, consolidation of time by project
I have time logs for various jobs for project. Is it possible to consolidate the time spent for each job, when I am generating a timesheet for a month? I am getting the entries of jobs done on each day when I generate a timesheet for a month For exampleNext Page