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
Show my cost or profit while creating estimate
Hi, While creating estimate it becomes very important to know exact profit or purchased price of the products at one side just for our reference so we can decide whether we can offer better disc or not .Issue on Upload API and href image URL
Here is my Full API Code , URL : URL: https://desk.zoho.com/api/v1/uploads/659563000000193003/content Headers* Authorization: 'Zoho-oauthtoken 1000.ed5ce2836bf5ba9b946f5ec9************88e73ff4883a3e9c58ffeb7870' orgId: 7586***** RESPONSE{ "errorCode":Issue when downloading a Mail Merged Zoho Writer Document as .docx
Hi, We are using within Zoho CRM mailmerge to create documents. This results in a Zoho Writer document. When we try to download as a Microsoft Docx file we get following error: "Word experienced an error trying to open the file. Try these suggestions.【Zoho CRM】ケイデンス機能のアップデート
ユーザーの皆さま、こんにちは。コミュニティチームの中野です。 今回は「Zoho CRM アップデート情報」の中から、ケイデンス機能のアップデートをご紹介します。 ケイデンス機能の2つの強化されたことで、適用と解除のタイミングをより柔軟に管理できるようになり、 よりタイムリーで的確なコミュニケーションが実現できるようになりました。 目次： 1. ケイデンスの再開／最初からのやり直し 2. ケイデンスからのデータ解除タイミングの設定 1. ケイデンスの再開／最初からのやり直し 手動削除、完了、または適用解除条件が満たされた場合など、以前に適用解除されたデータをケイデンスに再適用できるようになりました。Rescheduled US meetups: Zoho Desk user meetups are coming to seven U.S. cities in October and November, 2025
Hello to our Zoho Desk users in the United States, We're excited to share the revised dates for the upcoming Zoho User Groups happening across the US this summer. Our product experts are heading to seven cities throughout the country, and for the firstAnyone get the OpenAI API to work in Zoho Meeting?
Has anyone been able to get the OpenAI API to work in generating meeting summaries? I have been trying, but I get an error that says "OpenAI key notes request rate exceeded. Please try again later or upgrade your open AI account." I contacted Zoho supportPush Notifications Customization
There is no way to customize the notifications we get. I would like to be able to get notifications based on if they are assigned directly to me, my team, my department, or perhaps tickets that match a specific criteria (a contact or account is a VIPAnnouncing Early Access to the next generation of Zoho Desk UI
Customer service is one of the categories where efficiency and quality of service have to run in parallel, and your team's experience with their helpdesk goes a long way ensuring these aspects are uncompromised. Introducing DOT Design for Zoho Desk -Editing the record in report
I have a use-case as below- User creates a assessment record by filling some fields. User assigns that record to portal user by using Assigned To dropdown (Assigned To is Users field in form with choices as customers). I have set the record owner of formUnified WhatsApp Number Management in Zoho Desk and SalesIQ
Dear Zoho Desk Support Team, We are currently utilizing both Zoho Desk and Zoho SalesIQ for our customer support operations. While both platforms offer WhatsApp integration, we are facing challenges due to the requirement of separate WhatsApp numbersCan we have Bills of Material Module ?
Can we have Bills of Material Module ?Main Ticket Page Customization
We do not love the ticket list page (right after clicking Tickets menu item) would like options to customize it.Communicating with emojis
On July 17, we celebrate World Emoji Day! We're a bit late 😐 sharing insights about this day. But we just couldn't let it pass without a mention 😊 because emojis have a meaningful connection with customer service 💬 🤝. We do not want to miss out onAgent Collision Missing from Mobile App
Please add Agent Collision capabilities to the mobile app.Zia Sentiment and Functionality on Mobile
Please add Zia sentiment and generative responses to the mobile app. It would be nice to see the ticket sentiment and generate a response back to a user using Zia on my iPhoneView Account Attachments on iOS
Please allow us to view account attachments on the mobile iOS app!How do I run a PnL by Sales Person?
I am trying to run a PnL by sales person but am not seeing the option do so. All I need to know (per salesperson) is revenue, cost of goods, gross profit.View Contracts and Support Plans on Mobile
We would like to be able to see contracts and support plans from the mobile app on iOS!Why is Zoho Meeting quality so poor?
I've just moved from Office 365 to Zoho Workplace and have been generally really positive about the new platform -- nicely integrated, nice GUI, good and easy-to-understand control and customisation, and at a reasonable price. However, what is going onApp like Miro
Hi all, is there a way to have a interactive whiteboard like in Miro? We want to visualize our processes and workflows in an easy way.Loan repayment Entry
While receiving loan, i does following steps in My Zoho books. 1. Create "Loan & Advance " Account as Parent Account under Long Term Liabilities. 2. Create another account For Example "Mr. ABC's Loan as Child account under the parent account. Now: InQuotes module send email reverted back into 2022??
Our Zoho CRM PLUS quotes, sales orders, invoice modules is showing us an email composer from 2022. We cannot send emails and its been a real pain. I tried clicking the new version over there but it doesnt seem to do anything. Any help is welcome. thWorkflow Condition - how do check that a date / time value is in the past?
Hello, I'm got a workflow that runs a function when records reach their 'Effective Date / Time', but sometimes records are created after the 'Effective Date / Time' so I have another workflow that checks for records which needs to be processed immediately.Pre filling SignForm field values by URL field alias's in Zoho Sign
Hi, Does anyone know if it's possible to pre fill the field values of the SignForm by using field alias's like you can in Zoho forms? To be more specific, I want to be able to change the SignForm URL to include some information like this: Before : https://sign.zoho.eu/signform?form_link=234b4d535f495623920c288fc8538cb9e6db03bbfd44499b63f3e5c48daf78f44bc47f333e2f5072cc1ee74b7332fe18b25c93fab10cb6243278d49c67eacbf30bbe5b6e1cc8c6b2#/How to Split Payout in Zoho Books (Without Using Journal?)
Hi, I'm trying to properly record payouts in Zoho Books. The issue is that each payout is a combination of sales and expenses (fees). When I try to categorise the payout transaction from the Banking tab, I can only split the transaction using income-typePayment Schedule
Please add the ability to create a payment schedule. The other options, like retainer invoices or two invoices, do not work for the customer. We invoice a client and need to be able to show them everything they owe in one invoice, and when each paymentWhich pricing system do you think would work best for us?
Imagine we’re selling strictly wholesale. We’d rather not publish unit prices; instead, we quote customers case-by-case. To spur larger orders, we’re considering a transparent discount ladder—say: $0 – $999: 0 % $1,000 – $1,999: 5 % $2,000 – $4,999: 10Can't Remove Payment Gateway
I am getting the error "Settings cannot be cleared as some of the transactions are still in progress." when trying to remove the PayGate payment gateway which I was unable to get working. I am now using paystack and I want to remove Paygate.Sync specific Zoho Inventory Warehouses to Zoho Commerce
As said in the title, we would want to only sync stock from one warehouse of Zoho Inventory to the Zoho Commerce item stock. We have a 2 warehouses in different countries and the way that Zoho Commerce works (It takes stock from ALL WAREHOUSES EVERYWHEREWeekly Tips : Automatically clean clutter with Junk cleanup interval
If you regularly receive many unwanted or spam emails, your Spam folder can quickly fill up and start taking up valuable storage space in your Zoho Mail account. Instead of manually clearing it every few days, you might find it helpful to enable automaticAny solution for getting portal users list in deluge or in widget
Hi Team, Has anyone able to find the solution to get portal users list in deluge or in zoho creator widgets? Thanks, PayalThe Grid is here!
Hey Zoho Forms Community! 👋 We’re thrilled to announce the launch of a feature that’s been on your wishlist for a while: Grids What is Grids? Grids let you place form fields side by side in multiple columns to create a more concise and organized formSteuerberater der Zoho benutzt in Deutschland
I write in English because the issue is related to German regulations. Wir sind ein Unternehmen, welches aktuell keine Pflicht zur doppelten Buchführung hat. Aktuell bucht unser Steuerberater jeden Beleg, auch unsere Auslagen. Wir würden dies gerne selbstGraphQL in new Send Webhooks feature
Hello, is it possible to use GraphQL apis in the new Send Webhooks feature?# 2 Why do we need a billing system when accounting covers billing?
In today's evolving financial tech stack, businesses use a mix of tools to manage their day-to-day operations, from invoicing to full-fledged accounting. While accounting platforms typically come with built-in invoicing features, specialized billing systemsHow to insert an Excel/Zoho Sheet table in a chat?
Hello, is there a way to paste an excel/zoho sheet table to a conversation without loosing table lines. I tried to paste a piece of a table and all the columns and rows were gone. How to easily paste a table without a need of sending a file? KatarzyMass Update Application Status
How to update application statuses of Multiple Applications at once? Is that possible? If not then why please consider adding it It can save hours of manual work Thats the only Option I seeFree webinar: Streamlining customer service paperwork with the Zoho Sign extension for Zoho Desk
Hi there! Wondering how to bridge the gap between digitized customer service and business paperwork? Attend our free webinar to learn how you can do this by connecting Zoho Sign, our digital signature app, with Zoho Desk, our online customer service helpMail Search Not Working
Hello, Mail search is not working at all. I've tried Chrome and Mozilla. I can try and search for an exact term, or even an email that is 1st in my email list. All search does is sit and spin, or it comes up with no results. I've also tried it on my androidCannot Send Email to a Gmail Account
Hello, I have a zoho-hosted email account, alex@chirochannelnetwork.com that has trouble sending to gmail accounts. But not all gmail accounts, only some of them. I've tried to figure this out with clients, and they don't appear to be going into theirNext Page