Kaizen #21 - Functions in Zoho CRM

Kaizen #21 - Functions in Zoho CRM

Hello everyone!

Welcome back to another week in the Kaizen series!
This week, we will discuss Functions in detail.

What will you learn from this post?
  1. What are Functions in Zoho CRM?
  2. Creating a function
    1. Choosing a function category
    2. Function body
  3. Integration Tasks
  4. Triggering Functions
    1. From Zoho CRM functionalities
    2. From third-party applications
  5. Limits of Functions

1. What are Functions in Zoho CRM?
  • Functions help you accomplish the tasks that are not available by default in Zoho CRM. 
  • You must write custom functions using DELUGE [Data Enriched Language for the Universal Grid Environment]—An online scripting language.
  • Using custom functions, you can automate actions within Zoho CRM, across Zoho products, or between Zoho CRM and any other third-party application.
Note:
Functions are supported only in the enterprise and ultimate editions.

2. Creating a function

To create a function:

Step 1: Go to Setup > Developer Space > Functions


Step 2: Click +New Function


Step 3: Enter details like the Function Name, Display Name, Description, and choose the function category.


2a. Choosing a function category

Functions can fall under five categories:
  • Button: The function gets executed when the user clicks the custom button.
  • Automation: The function gets executed based on workflow rules.
  • Schedule: The function gets executed based on a schedule.
  • Related List: The function gets invoked from a related list.
  • Standalone: A stand-alone function that can be triggered externally.
  • Validation Rule: The function gets executed based on a validation rule.

Step 4: Write the function logic in the console. To know more about DELUGE, refer to Deluge.
Here is an example of a function that automatically generates a quote from a deal on just the click of a button. In DealToQuote() function, the input values are extracted from deals. You can also choose to get them from the users as arguments or JSON request body.


2b. Function Body
potDetails = zoho.crm.getRecordById("Deals",potId.toLong());//integration task
/*Extracting details from the deal*/
quotesubject = ifnull(potDetails.get("Deal_Name"),""); 
contact = ifnull(potDetails.get("Contact_Name").get("id"),""); 
account = ifnull(potDetails.get("Account_Name").get("id"),"");
description = ifnull(potDetails.get("Description"),"");
RelatedProducts = zoho.crm.getRelatedRecords("Products","Potentials",potId.toLong());
product_items = List();
sub = 0.0;
/*Extracting product details from the deal and adding it to quote*/
for each product in RelatedProducts
{
proid = product.get("id");
proname = product.get("Product_Name");
productDesc = ifnull(product.get("Description"),"Manque Description Produit !!!");
quantity = 1;
price = ifnull(product.get("Unit_Price"),"0.0").toDecimal();
listprice = price * quantity;
lineitem = Map();
lineitem.put("product",{"name":proname,"id":proid});
lineitem.put("product_description",productDesc);
lineitem.put("quantity",quantity);
lineitem.put("net_total",listprice);
lineitem.put("total",listprice);
lineitem.put("list_price",listprice);
sub = sub + listprice;
product_items.add(lineitem);
}
/*Storing quote details*/
paramap = Map();
paramap.put("Product_Details",product_items);
paramap.put("Subject",quotesubject);
paramap.put("Contact_Name",contact);
paramap.put("Account_Name",account);
paramap.put("Deal_Name",potId.toLong());
paramap.put("Sub_Total",sub);
paramap.put("Grand_Total",sub);
paramap.put("Description",description);
createResp = zoho.crm.createRecord("Quotes",paramap);
info paramap;
info createResp;
newid = createResp.get("id");
return "Success";

Step 5: Once you have written your logic, click save and execute.


Step 6: Enter the argument values, if any.


Step 7: If your function gets executed successfully, you will get a success message.

Step 7: Click Save.

3. Integration Tasks
Integration tasks are pre-defined functions that allow you to get, create, and update records in Zoho CRM. You can simply use these method names in your Deluge script along with the required data to make API calls. 
In the above example, we have used the getRecordById() integration task that retrieves the details of the deal. For instance, the Deal Name, Contact Name, Account Name, and so on.

Syntax:
<response>=zoho.crm.getRecordById(<module_name>, <record_ID>, <connections>);

Parameters:
Parameter
Description
response
The response with the list of records matching the criteria.
module_name
string, mandatory
The API name of the module you want to fetch the records from.
record_ID
string, mandatory
The unique ID of the record.
connections
string, optional
The connectors that are associated with the function.

Example:
potDetails = zoho.crm.getRecordById("Deals",potId.toLong());

Some of the other available integration tasks are:
To know more about integration tasks, click here.

4. Triggering functions

A function needs a trigger to get executed. You can trigger a function in two ways:
      4a. From Zoho CRM functionality
      4b. From third-party applications

Scenario:
Functions are primarily used to write custom business logic in Zoho CRM. Consider a scenario, where you want your sales representatives to create a quote after reviewing the deal. Instead of letting them create each quote manually, you can add a custom button in the Edit Deal page, which when clicked upon, triggers a function that creates a quote. 

Also, you can configure a third-party system to automatically create a quote in Zoho CRM when the deal amount is less than 1000 OR the deal stage is closed-won. Thus, avoiding manual intervention and enabling them to emphasise on substantial deals. 

Let us discuss how to trigger the DealToQuote() function via a custom button and a third-party application. You can also trigger the same function from a third-party application as a REST API webhook

4a. From Zoho CRM functionality (Custom Button)
  1. Go to Setup > Customization > Modules and Fields.
  2. From the List of Modules, select the required module.
  3. In the Links & Buttons tab, click Create New Button.
  4. In the Create Your Button page, do the following:
    1. Enter the name of the button. The button name should not exceed 30 characters.
    2. Click the Add Description link and specify the details of your custom button. The description should not exceed 250 characters.
    3. Choose the location of your custom button from the drop-down list.
    4. Custom buttons can be placed in 6 different places in your CRM account - Create/Clone page, Edit page, View page, List View page, a button to each record in the list view and Related Lists Page. Note that you can create up to 50 buttons for each module.
  5. Choose an action to be executed when a user clicks the custom button. You can either choose a predefined action from the gallery or the existing functions that were already created by the users in your organization. Also, define your own action by writing a custom function, open a new web tab or invoke a URL based on your needs. It is mandatory to choose the button action. In our case, From Existing Actions in Functions. Choose the function and click Configure.


6. Map the input values to the fields in that module and click Save.


Once the custom button is associated with an action, CRM Administrators can manage permissions by assigning only specific profiles to view and access the custom button.

Similarly, you can associate functions with SchedulesWorkflowsValidation Rules, and Related Lists.

To know more, click here.

4b. From third-party applications

Here, we are going to configure a third-party system to automatically create a quote in Zoho CRM when the deal amount is less than 1000 OR the deal stage is closed-won, thus avoiding manual intervention. 

To achieve this, we are going to trigger the DealToQuote() function from a third-party application (automate.io), whenever the above conditions are met. 



If you want to trigger a function from a third-party application, you must make it available as REST API. 

1. Go to SetupDeveloper SpaceFunctions
2. Choose the function > Click more options > Click REST API


3.Enter the API name for the function. 
4. Enable OAuth 2.0 to share the function as an API within your organization and enable API key to share the function as a webhook with any third-party user.
Click Save.


You must make the API call from the third-party application using the request URL received here.

The DealToQuote() function is triggered from a third-party application (automate.io). You can achieve the same using:
  • Zoho Flow
  • Zoho CRM workflow rule that is triggered whenever a deal is updated
Sample bot configuration in automate.io:


We have triggered the DealToQuote() function using custom button as well as a third-party application. 



5. Limits of Functions
Function calls in Zoho CRM are associated with credits. Each function call results in reduction of one credit from your account. 
Maximum credit limit based on your edition
Edition
Allowed Credits
Maximum credits that can be availed in a 24 hour window
Starter
5,000 credits + (Number of User licenses x 200)
10,000 credits
Standard
5,000 credits + (Number of User licenses x 200)
15,000 credits
Professional
5,000 credits + (Number of User licenses x 200)
20,000 credits
Enterprise/Zoho One/CRM Plus
20,000 credits + (Number of User licenses x 500)
1,00,000 credits
Ultimate
20,000 credits + (Number of User licenses X 1000)
2,00,000 credits

Limits based on properties of a function
Functionality
Description
Limits
Execution Time
Function should be executed within the specified time.
1 minute
Response Limit
Function should return the response within a particular size.
10 MB
Lines of execution
The number of lines in a function code has a limit.
200,000
Send Mail
The number of emails that you can using the send mail syntax has a limit.
1000 per day
Webhooks
GET and POST URLs
50,000 requests per day

For more tips, refer to function tips.

We hope you found this post useful. Stay tuned for more!

Cheers!

Previous 'Kaizen' - Node JS SDK
Next 'Kaizen' - Connections in Zoho CRM

    Access your files securely from anywhere







                            Zoho Developer Community





                                                  Use cases

                                                  Make the most of Zoho Desk with the use cases.

                                                   
                                                    

                                                  eBooks

                                                  Download free eBooks and access a range of topics to get deeper insight on successfully using Zoho Desk.

                                                   
                                                    

                                                  Videos

                                                  Watch comprehensive videos on features and other important topics that will help you master Zoho Desk.

                                                   
                                                    

                                                  Webinar

                                                  Sign up for our webinars and learn the Zoho Desk basics, from customization to automation and more

                                                   
                                                    
                                                  • Desk Community Learning Series


                                                  • Meetups


                                                  • Ask the Experts


                                                  • Kbase


                                                  • Resources


                                                  • Glossary


                                                  • Desk Marketplace


                                                  • MVP Corner




                                                            • 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 FAQs
                                                            • Kaizen #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


                                                            Manage your brands on social media



                                                                  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

                                                                                      • CRM Community Learning Series

                                                                                        CRM Community Learning Series


                                                                                      • Kaizen

                                                                                        Kaizen

                                                                                      • Functions

                                                                                        Functions

                                                                                      • Meetups

                                                                                        Meetups

                                                                                      • Kbase

                                                                                        Kbase

                                                                                      • Resources

                                                                                        Resources

                                                                                      • Digest

                                                                                        Digest

                                                                                      • CRM Marketplace

                                                                                        CRM Marketplace

                                                                                      • MVP Corner

                                                                                        MVP Corner







                                                                                          Design. Discuss. Deliver.

                                                                                          Create visually engaging stories with Zoho Show.

                                                                                          Get Started Now


                                                                                            Zoho Show Resources


                                                                                              Zoho Writer Writer

                                                                                              Get Started. Write Away!

                                                                                              Writer is a powerful online word processor, designed for collaborative work.

                                                                                                Zoho CRM コンテンツ








                                                                                                  Nederlandse Hulpbronnen


                                                                                                      ご検討中の方




                                                                                                            • Recent Topics

                                                                                                            • How to overcome limitations in meetings

                                                                                                              As a company, one of our deliverables is a meeting between two other companies, where we act as facilitators. So, if we recorded this meeting  in Zoho CRM, it should be connected to 2 accounts, 2 contacts, and 1 campaign (a campaign, in our use, is the
                                                                                                            • Cross Data Center Support for 1:1 Chats with External Users

                                                                                                              Hello Zoho Cliq Team, We hope you're doing well. We appreciate the recent enhancement that enables cross data center collaboration in external channels, which has already improved communication across distributed teams. However, we’ve noticed that this
                                                                                                            • Support Bots and Automations in External Channels

                                                                                                              Hello Zoho Cliq Team, How are you? We actively use Zoho Cliq for collaboration, including with our external developers. For this purpose, external channels are a key tool since they work seamlessly within the same interface as all of our other channels
                                                                                                            • Answer Bot and Personalized Questions

                                                                                                              Hi there, I have the same problem using the SalesIQ Answer Bot and the Zoho Desk Answer Bot (which really need different names, to be honest, in order to avoid confusion...) Customers that visit our website ask questions in the form of "What do you do?"
                                                                                                            • Handling Greetings/Small Talk at the Beginning of a Zobot Conversation

                                                                                                              Hello everyone, I’m currently configuring a **Zobot** in Zoho SalesIQ and everything is working as expected, except for one specific scenario at the very beginning of the conversation. My target audience has the habit of starting with a **greeting or
                                                                                                            • Regex in Zoho Mail custom filters is not supported - but it works!

                                                                                                              I recently asked Zoho for help using regex in Zoho Mail custom filters and was told it was NOT supported. This was surprising (and frustrating) as regex in Zoho Mail certainly works, although it does have some quirks* To encourage others, here are 3 regex
                                                                                                            • Importing a new list into campaigns

                                                                                                              I'm in the middle of switching my email platform to campaigns. I have a list that I want to import, and it overlaps with my existing Zoho CRM list. The fields in my Zoho CTM are more robust. Will this new list that I upload into my campaigns overwrite
                                                                                                            • Client Script Payload Size Bug

                                                                                                              var createParams = { "data": [{ "Name": "PS for PR 4050082000024714556", "Price_Request": { "id": "4050082000024714556" }, "Account": { "id": "4050082000021345001" }, "Deal": { "id": "4050082000023972001" }, "Owner": { "id": "4050082000007223004" }, "Approval_Status":
                                                                                                            • Webform & spam

                                                                                                              Hi, We set up 2 webform on our website, fowarding the content to Zoho CRM. Since it has been opened up, we are getting lot of spam message (for now about 20 a day). To lower the  amount of false new leads we added the captcha field and new enquieries are send to the Approval Leads list. However we still get some spam. Is there any "anti spam" mechanism built in Zoho CRM, or how is the best way to avoid these kind of spam ? Thanks
                                                                                                            • when I email a invoice how can i see it was sent and also were i can go to see all emails sent

                                                                                                              when I email a invoice how can i see it was sent and also were i can go to see all emails sent?
                                                                                                            • Kaizen #208 - Answering your Questions | Functions, AI and Extensions

                                                                                                              Hello Developers! Welcome back to a fresh week of Kaizen! We are grateful for your active participation in sharing feedback and queries for our 200th milestone. This week, we will answer the queries related to Functions and Extensions in Zoho CRM. 1.
                                                                                                            • Export Invoices to XML file

                                                                                                              Namaste! ZOHO suite of Apps is awesome and we as Partner, would like to use and implement the app´s from the Financial suite like ZOHO Invoice, but, in Portugal, we can only use certified Invoice Software and for this reason, we need to develop/customize on top of ZOHO Invoice to create an XML file with specific information and after this, go to the government and certified the software. As soon as we have for example, ZOHO CRM integrated with ZOHO Invoice up and running, our business opportunities
                                                                                                            • Showing description in timesheet and timelogs.

                                                                                                              I am wondering if it’s possible in version 5 of Zoho People to have the description show by default or with a manipulation on the user’s part. Let me show you what I mean. As you can see this is the view for the users. Now if they want to see the full
                                                                                                            • How can I see content of system generated mails from zBooks?

                                                                                                              System generated mails for offers or invices appear in the mail tab of the designated customer. How can I view the content? It also doesn't appear in zMail sent folder.
                                                                                                            • New in Cadences: WhatsApp follow-ups, upgraded limits, and options for add-ons

                                                                                                              Hello everyone, We're rolling out two key updates to help you engage better and scale smarter with Cadences in Zoho CRM. Reach customers on WhatsApp, directly from Cadences Previously, Cadences have enabled you to automate follow-ups through emails, calls,
                                                                                                            • CRM Blueprint Notification by Cliq

                                                                                                              Dear Zoho team, In Workflow, there is nofication by cliq, but in blueprint, there is no option as cliq notification. I think it is very convenient to get notified by Cliq , as there are multi modules in apps, but we will always check Cliqs
                                                                                                            • Zoho People Attendance Regularization – Wrong Total Hours Displayed

                                                                                                              While using Zoho People, I observed that the attendance regularization is showing wrong total hours when applied to past dates. For example, if a check-in is added at 10:00 AM and check-out at 6:00 PM for a previous date, the system sometimes calculates
                                                                                                            • Sync Contacts in iOS

                                                                                                              What does the "Sync Contacts" feature in the iOS Zoho Mail app do?
                                                                                                            • Live webinar: Craft the ideal sales pitch deck with Show

                                                                                                              Every great sale starts with a great story. And your pitch deck? That’s where the story takes shape. But too often, these presentations end up looking generic, overloaded with text, or lacking structure. The good news is, it's easier to fix than you think!
                                                                                                            • Project Statuses

                                                                                                              Hi All, We have projects that sometimes may not make it through to completion. As such, they were being marked as "Cancelled". I noticed that these projects still show as "Active" though which seems counter intuitive. In fact, the only way I can get them
                                                                                                            • 👋 Welcome to the Zoho MCP Community

                                                                                                              Hello all, glad to have you here! This is your space for everything AI agents, MCP tools, and intelligent business apps. This community is for you — developers, partners, creators, and businesses exploring how agents can transform work. Whether you’re
                                                                                                            • Suitability of Zoho One (Single User License) for Multi-State GST Compliance & Cost Analysis

                                                                                                              Hello Zoho Team, I am an e-commerce business owner selling on platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, and Meesho, and I'm currently using their fulfillment warehouses. I have two GSTIN registrations and am planning to register for an additional 2-3 to expand
                                                                                                            • DNS Manager

                                                                                                              Where Can I find my DNS manager so I can link this to click funnels or AWEBER
                                                                                                            • Forwarder

                                                                                                              Hi, I tried to add a forwarder from which emails are sent to my main zoho account email . However, it asks me for a code that should be received at the forwarder email, which is still not activated to send to my zoho emial account. So how can I get the
                                                                                                            • Forwarder

                                                                                                              Hi, I tried to add a forwarder from which emails are sent to my main zoho account email . However, it asks me for a code that should be received at the forwarder email, which is still not activated to send to my zoho emial account. So how can I get the
                                                                                                            • How do I sync multiple Google calendars?

                                                                                                              I'm brand new to Zoho and I figured out how to sync my business Google calendar but I would also like to sync my personal Google calendar. How can I do this so that, at the very least, when I have personal engagements like doctor's appointments, I can
                                                                                                            • Need to extract date from datetime field

                                                                                                              I have a datetime field and need only the date part from it. I am unable to find a built-in function that would be <DateTime>.Date(). I don't think I want to go the string conversion route of converting the datetime to string and then parsing out values and create a date out of it. Any one out there has a better solution to this? Thanks in adavnce. Regards Moiz Tankiwala Smart Training & IT Solutions
                                                                                                            • How to Hide Article Links in SalesIQ Answer Bot Responses

                                                                                                              I have published an article in SalesIQ, and the Answer Bot is fetching the data and responding correctly. However, it is also displaying the article link, which I don’t want. How can I remove the link so that only the message is shown?
                                                                                                            • India Tech Support

                                                                                                              Is there no phone tech support number for India? And no chat facility either?
                                                                                                            • additional accounts

                                                                                                              If I brought 5 emails to my account. Can I later buy additional emails.
                                                                                                            • Issue in Zoho People Regularization – Incorrect Hour Calculation

                                                                                                              I have noticed that when applying attendance regularization in Zoho People for previous dates, the total working hours are not calculated correctly. For example, even if the check-in is 10:00 AM and check-out is 6:00 PM, the system shows an incorrect
                                                                                                            • Why I am unable to configure Zoho Voice with my Zoho CRM account?

                                                                                                              I have installed Zoho Voice in my Zoho CRM, but as per the message there is some config needed in Zoho Voice interface. But when I click on the link given in the above message, I get an access denied page.
                                                                                                            • Issue with Hour Calculation in Zoho People Attendance Module

                                                                                                              I have noticed an issue in the attendance regularization feature of Zoho People. When trying to regularize past dates, the total working hours are not calculated correctly. For example, if I enter a check-in and check-out time for a previous day, the
                                                                                                            • Cliq Meeting Calls No Audio and Screen Share

                                                                                                              When in a Cliq channel meeting, the audio does not work at all on pc. When i use my phone as audio source, screen share on pc does not work. I have updated audio drivers but the strangest thing is that during a 1 on 1 call, it works well. Therefore the
                                                                                                            • Bug in Total Hour Calculation in Regularization for past dates

                                                                                                              There is a bug in Zoho People Regularization For example today is the date is 10 if I choose a previous Date like 9 and add the Check in and Check out time The total hours aren't calculated properly, in the example the check in time is 10:40 AM check
                                                                                                            • Work anniversary and birthdays on connect

                                                                                                              Hello, I like the idea of having employee's work anniversary and birthdays on the dashbaord. Do you have to have the employee complete this information themselves in connect settings, or does it pull from their directory settings? (ie. we use Zoho one
                                                                                                            • Alias Email Id already exists

                                                                                                              Hi I'm trying to create an alias : contact @ yoavarielevy.co.il but i get the message  Alias Email Id already exists I had an account with the same name but I deleted it. Can you help? Thanx Yoav
                                                                                                            • BANK FEED - MAYBANK , provider from YODLEE IS NOT WORKING

                                                                                                              As per topic, the provider YODLEE is not working for the BANK FEED. It have been reported since 2023 Q3, and second report on 2023 Q4. now almost end of 2024 Q1, and coming to 2024 Q2. Malaysia Bank Maybank is NOT working. can anyone check on this issue?
                                                                                                            • Feature Request: Ability to Set a Custom List View as Default for All Users

                                                                                                              Dear Zoho CRM Support Team, We would like to request a new feature in Zoho CRM regarding List Views. Currently, each user has to manually select or favorite a custom list view in order to make it their default. However, as administrators, we would like
                                                                                                            • Adding Multiple Products (Package) to a Quote

                                                                                                              I've searched the forums and found several people asking this question, but never found an answer. Is ti possible to add multiple products to a quote at once, like a package deal? This seems like a very basic function of a CRM that does quotes but I can't
                                                                                                            • Next Page