Kaizen #22 - Connections in Zoho CRM
Hello everyone!
Welcome back to another post in the Kaizen series!
This week, we will discuss Connections in Zoho CRM.
In this post, we will discuss the following:
- What are connections?
- Authentication types
- Creating a connection
- Using a connection
1. What are Connections?
A Connection (or a connector) is a simple authentication mechanism to connect your Zoho CRM account with a third-party app.
Zoho provides default integration support to a wide range of apps like core Google services (Contacts, Calendar, and Google Ads) and Microsoft software (MS Office, MS Outlook, etc).
However, there is no default integration with third party services like PandaDoc, SignEasy etc,. In these cases, you can use a connector to expand Zoho's third-party support. Connectors use the OAuth 2.0 or other authentication types to facilitate this integration.
You can use connections to invoke any third-party apps' REST APIs and get access to the authenticated data through your functions or widgets.
Zoho provides more than 20 connections to the most popular third-party apps, out of the box. You can also create your own connection and integrate your app with Zoho CRM.
2. Authentication types
Since different services have different methods of authentication for their service, Connections are equipped with four different modes of authentication.
a. Basic Authentication
b. API Key
c. OAuth 1.0
d. OAuth 2.0
a. Basic Authentication
This is the authentication method where the user's username and password are sent in the header, form data, or the query string in the format username:password. This method uses the Base64 encoding standard to encode the username and password.
b. API Key
This is a token that the client provides that you can send in the query string or in the header. The API key is unique to every user and stays the same for that user as long as the user uses the service.
c. OAuth 1.0
This method uses a Request Token and an Access Token to get access to the resources on the resource server. The access token does not expire until the user revokes it.
d. OAuth 2.0
This method provides an app limited access by providing an access token only to specific resources. The access token is valid only for an hour.
3. Creating a Connection
To create a new connection,
- Go to Setup > Developer Space > Connections.
- Click Get Started. The Create Connection page opens.
- The Pick your Service tab lists all the connections that are already available. Choose the one that meets your needs.
- If any third-party app is not listed under this tab, you can add a new service under the Custom Service tab.
- For already existing services (under the Pick Your Service tab),
a. Select the service of your choice.
b. Enter the details of the connection such as the name and choose the scope you require from the list.
c. Click Create and Connect. The below image shows a sample connection created for the YouTube app, and you can use the code shown in the box to invoke the YouTube APIs.
- For a new service (services not listed under the Pick Your Service tab),
a. Click the Custom Service tab.
b. Enter the name of the service and choose the authentication type that the third-party service supports.
c. For services that use the OAuth1.0 or OAuth2.0 protocol, enter the following details:
Client ID and Secret you obtained from the third-party service.
The URLs to obtain the request token and the access token (OAuth1.0).
The URLs to obtain the access token and refresh token (OAuth 2.0).
You must obtain these details from the third-party service's documentation.
The below image shows a sample connection created for the third-party service "SignEasy".
- Enter the name of the connection and the required scope.
- Click Create and Connect.
- The connection will be created and the summary will be displayed.
The system also displays the code you must use in a function to invoke the connection.
The below image shows the sample connection created for the third-party service "SignEasy". You can use the code in the box to use the APIs of SignEasy.
- Where,
url: The URL that you can obtain from the third-party service.
type: The HTTP request method (GET, POST, PUT, or DELETE) that the request performs.
parameters: The parameters that the function uses to replace the dynamic values present in the API with user-specific values.
4. Using a Connection
After creating a connection, you can use them in functions to invoke them.
Let us consider a case where you want to send out newsletters through a MailChimp campaign to the contacts stored in Zoho CRM. Before you can send them the newsletters, you want to obtain their consent through a consent form stored in Google Drive.
Here, you must establish a connection between MailChimp and Google Drive and have the consent form as a button in the View page of the Contacts module in CRM.
You can choose to place this widget as a button in the View page of a contact. When the CRM user (an agent) clicks this button, the Consent form widget opens where the agent fills the details of the user.
This triggers the function where an email is sent to the customer. When the customer grants consent, the details of that contact are added to the MailChimp campaign list.
Simply put, you must
a. Establish a connection between Google Drive and MailChimp.
b. Write a function to call the APIs of both these apps.
c. Make the function available as an API.
d. Create a widget and invoke the function.
Let us now see these steps in detail.
a. Establish a connection between Google Drive and MailChimp
Follow the steps in the "Create a Connection" section, and create connections for Google Drive and MailChimp.
b. Write the function code
- Go to Setup > Developer Space > Functions > +New Function.
- Enter details like the function name, display name, description, and choose the function category (Standalone, in our case).
- Write the code in the console as shown below. You can find the code as an attachment to this post.
What does this sample function do?
a. Invokes the MailChimp API.
b. Checks for the Campaign ID.
c. Checks for the email address. If the email already exists on the campaign list, throws the message "The member has already subscribed to the newsletter." Otherwise, adds the email to the campaign list.
d. Invokes the Google Drive API to get the link of the Consent form.
e. If the consent form exists on Google Drive, sends the form to the email address.
e. If the form does not exist, throws the error "No document found".
- This function takes the following parameters
listId (string) - The Campaign ID from MailChimp,
emailAddress (string) - The email ID of the contact you want to send the newsletter to,
extraDetails (string) - To capture any extra information about the contact after they grant consent such as the mobile number, address etc. - Click Save and Execute. Provide the listId, emailAddress, and extraDetails to check if the function works as expected.
- Click Close.
c. Make the function available as an API
- Go to Setup > Developer Space > Functions.
- Choose the required function and click the Settings icon. Select REST API.
- Enable the OAuth2.0 and API key sliders and click Save.
- The function is now available as an API. You can use the URL as a webhook to trigger the function or use the API name of the function in your code to trigger it.
For more details about functions, refer to this post.
d. Create a widget and invoke the function
Since the function is now available as an API, you can use it in any widget and trigger the function based on your needs.
The HTML and the script for the below consent form is attached to this post.
You can also write your own implementation of the widget. Refer to this page to know how.
What does the sample widget code do?
a. The HTML renders the widget.
b. When the user hits the "Subscribe" button, the script invokes the connection and calls the above function (4.b.3) via JavaScript.
We hope you found this post useful. Stay tuned for more!
Cheers!
Access your files securely from anywhere
Zoho FSM Video Tutorials
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
Shylaja S
Matt Beck
Praveen Sankar
Sticky Posts
Announcing the new SKILL.md for Zoho CRM and the updated OAS repository!
We are introducing a new zoho-crm skill to make working with Zoho CRM Developer tools (like APIs, functions, widgets, client scripts, queries etc) easier and faster, with the help of AI in your preferred AI harness like Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VSCodeKaizen #256 - Build an Arrival Readiness Web Tab in Zoho CRM
Hi everyone! Welcome back to the Kaizen series! In the post, we discuss a use case in hospitality industry: how an Arrival Readiness web tab widget can be used to let reception staff identify and resolve issues before arrival of guests. Use case In theKaizen #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 how
New to Zoho TeamInbox?
Zoho TeamInbox Resources
Zoho CRM Plus Resources
Zoho Books Resources
Zoho Billing 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
Check out in Meetings
Why there is no check out in Meetings of Zoho CRM, very difficult to trackHow do I get to "Admin Panel"
I just started a Cliq account. I am the sole administrator. As I read the documentation, I keep seeing reference to an "Admin Panel". I see no way to access this from my Cliq account. How do I access this panel?【初開催！ オンライン】Zoho Campaigns メール配信の基礎・活用勉強会を開催します！ 10/15 参加無料
ユーザーの皆さま、こんにちは。 Zoho コミュニティグループの中野です。 Zoho ユーザーコミュニティ初となる、メールマーケティングをテーマにしたオンライン勉強会を開催します！ ▶︎イベント詳細・参加登録はこちら 今回取り上げるサービスは「Zoho Campaigns」です。 「Zoho CRMとZoho Campaignsのどちらからメールを配信すればよいか分からない」 「一斉配信はできるようになったけれど、現在のリスト管理や設定が正しいか不安」 「メールを送るだけで終わり、配信後の改善につなげられていない」Marketing Tip #46: Run flash sales the right way
A flash sale can do a lot for your store. It can clear slow-moving inventory, spike revenue on a slow day, or reward your most loyal customers. But if done carelessly, flash sales can backfire. Customers start expecting discounts, stop buying at fullIntroducing Smart Fields in Zoho Forms
Hello form builders! We are excited to introduce Smart Fields in Zoho Forms - a faster way to add calculations to your forms without writing formulas. Instead of creating multiple fields and configuring complex calculations yourself, you can now dragCheckbox not displaying correctly in subform
Greetings: I have shared my app (wv) with support. I am having problems with a checkbox field not displaying correctly in a subform. The main form is called volunteers and the subform is called volunteers_subform. The field in question is called roles. When you access the subform by itself the checkbox lookup displays as checkboxes. But when you view it in the main volunteers form, it displays as a multi-select dropdown instead. I have attached jpegs showing the difference. Any thoughts?Unbundle feature for composite items
We receive composite items from our vendors and sell them either individually or create other composite items out of them. So, there is a lot of bundling and unbundling involved with our composite items. Previously, this feature was supported in formValid characters for use in email addresses using Zoho's apps/APIs
We have found an issue with the + sign character in zoho subs - we are allowed to create a customer with an email address that has a plus sign but the API doesn't allow the + so the billing portal is not created. We are going to prevent users from usingExpand Zoho Analytics Spatial Capabitlities
Dear Analytics team Thanks for the great product - I'm a big fan on Analytics and the monthly release highlights is one of my favourite emails to receive. I'd like to request expansion and improvement of Zoho Analytics spatial data capabilities, namely:Automate customer follow-ups with Sequences in Bigin
Greetings, We hope you're all doing well! We're happy to announce a new feature that we've added to Bigin. Following up with every lead at the right time can be challenging, especially when your team is managing multiple conversations across emails, calls,Displaying only unread tickets in ticket view
Hello, I was wondering if someone might be able to help me with this one. We use filters to display our ticket list, typically using a saved filter which displays the tickets which are overdue or due today. What I'd really like is another filter thatCan we have an automated TDS Receivable Recon with Form 26AS of Income Tax Portal ?
Can we have an automated TDS Receivable Recon with Form 26AS of Income Tax Portal ?Customers would like to add tips when paying in Client Portal
I am happy with the clean interface of the Client Portal. However, I am running into a challenge: my customers would like to be able to add tips/gratuities when making payments. Currently, this is very clunky because they have to 1) manually over-pay,Tag Limi?
is there any way to create more than 20 tags?prefill_data for Creator + Merge & Sign
Hello, Is there an option to use prefill_data for signer fields from creator? I see the option for CRM but it will not work with creator? I have tried passing the value in the signer data, and that also does not work. Alternatively, is there a way toDelug script
I have been looking at auto-update a amount (home currency) field from another module. Zoho native multicurrency was used in the other module (we have 4 here). Custom script was input with no error, but the field was not updated on trigger. Script asCan I Build a Gaming Website Using Zoho? Need a Quick Roadmap
Hi Dear Members, I want to create a gaming website using Zoho. Is it possible? My goal is to build a sleek, unique, easy-to-navigate, and fast-loading website for a gaming project. I want the site to look professional, user-friendly, and optimized forRemove Due Date from Statements
Is it possible to remove the Due Date on the Invoice transation line on statements? I have figured work arounds to get the Invoice detail on the Statement but cannot work out haw to simplify the stament by removing the "- due on xx/xx/2026" - it reallyWhat Should an Agent-Native Project Workspace Look Like
AI is moving beyond assistants that simply answer questions. With tools like MCP, agents can now interact directly with project data and perform actions. That makes me wonder: what should an agent-native project workspace actually look like? For me, itunable to join meeting due to speaker issue
unable to join meeting due to speaker issueHow to add formatting in zoho.cliq.postToUser(...) message?
In a CRM Deluge function, I'm trying to use the message formatting guidelines given here: https://www.zoho.com/deluge/help/cliq/posting-to-zoho-cliq.html#message-formats My message is: message: #Title text. The result in Cliq is: #Title text. (no largeMarketing Tip #50: Sell digital products and use them to grow your store
Physical products need packaging, shipping, and stock management. Digital products need none of that. Once created, they can be sold an unlimited number of times, delivered instantly, and never go out of stock. What counts as a digital product? A digitalTurn off Mobile Optimize
Hello is it possible to stop the automatic mobile optimization of my site as it looks much better on a mobile in full site format rather than mobile format. ThanksHow to select from pricebook when creating a salesorder or quote
I am creating a sales order and when selecting the Products I do not see any where to select from pricebooks. How do i associate this to my orders?API - Available Stock Definitions
Okay, Zoho team... your copywriters fell down on the job for this one :) I think these warrant a bit more explanation as to what they include and what they don't.Cross-application Deluge calls fail when application link name starts with a number
I encountered an issue when calling a custom function in another Zoho Creator application within the same account. The target application’s URL/application link name began with a number, similar to: 27_example_application The following cross-applicationTransformez vos webinaires en opérations automatisées
Organiser un webinaire, c’est bien plus que passer en direct. Il faut gérer les inscriptions, suivre les participants, envoyer les enregistrements, mettre à jour le CRM… et s’assurer que chaque étape se déroule au bon moment. L’automatisation des workflowsCash Basis VAT RETURN REPORT Required in Saudi Arabia
Zoho Books in Saudi Arabia not showing TAX RETURNS report on CASH Basis.. It only showing accrual basis. Oforur requirement is both reports (Cash Basis and Accrual Basis ) , same like indian Edition of Zoho Books showing. CASH BASIS RETURN is our BasicMarketing Tip #1: Optimize item titles for SEO
Your item title is the first thing both Google and shoppers notice. Instead of a generic “Leather Bag,” go for something detailed like “Handcrafted Leather Laptop Bag – Durable & Stylish.” This helps your items rank better in search results and instantlyHow can I filter inactive/disable agent tickets?
Hello, We have an user-agent that left the company and we inactive/disabled his agent. So, now I can no longer filter or search tickets that he is the current owner, or even create a rule to reassign tickets to another person when the ticket is reopen.How do i move multiple tickets to a different department?
Hello, i have several tickets that have been assigned to the wrong department. I am talking about hundreds of automatically generated ones that come from a separate system. How can i select them all at once to move them to another department in one go? I can select them in "unsassigned open tickets view" but i can't find a "move to another department" option. I also can't seem to assign multiple tickets to the same agent in that same view. Could somebody advice?Add Reauthentication Option for Zoho Bug Tracker Integration in Zoho Desk
Hello Zoho Desk Team, We hope you're doing well. We would like to request an enhancement to the Zoho Bug Tracker integration within Zoho Desk. Current Limitation: At the moment, there is no option to reauthenticate the Zoho Bug Tracker integration inCreate Package From A Picklist
Dear Zoho, Can it be made possible to create a package from a picklist? The reason our company makes a picklist is for that to become a package Our sales orders have 600-1000 items I hope that makes it clear that it's hard to delete 990 items when weMigrating from Zoho Checkout to Zoho Billing
I have an active Zoho Checkout account where I'm charging customers for subscriptions. Now I'm looking to upgrade and only use Zoho BIlling, in which my account in on read only mode at the moment. I can see is also tracking the customers and its payments.Step up your lead generation game with online forms
Hello fellow form builders, Generating leads for your sales team gets easier when you integrate your CRM with online forms. To help show you how to use forms as part of your lead generation strategy, we have exclusive tips and tricks on how to collect, update and prioritize lead information in Zoho CRM based on form responses. 1. Create new leads If CRM software is designed to help you handle your business easily, that means getting data into it should also be easy. Check out the article on howAPI - Bank Accounts | Reconciliation Discrepancy
Unless I'm reading it wrong, the documentation for the Bank Reconciliations API is inconsistent with itself. https://www.zoho.com/books/api/v3/bank-accounts/#create-a-bank-reconciliation The text definition says that the transaction_id should be a string,another little issue
So to get over showing prices with VAT we used the price lists and made the prices inclusive. The problem is now on the items it wants to show the orginal retail value which makes no sense. Ideas pleaseRequest to update VAT registration date for Brikz And Bolt Technical Services L.L.C S.O.C
Dear Zoho Books Support Team, I am writing to request assistance with updating the VAT registration date to 01 June 2026 in our Zoho Books account (Organization: Brikz And Bolt Technical Services L.L.C S.O.C, TRN: 105420963800003). Currently, the systemHandle Leading Zeros in a Number Field
Hi, If I use a Number Field, set with Min 7 Digits and Max 7 Digits, and enter 0000001, it will result in 1 and an error as it removes the leading zeros, the same with entering 0012340 will result in 12340 and error. So I have to use a Text Field andHTML PDF Templates / Build From Scratch option not visible for Custom Modules
Hi everyone, I am working with Zoho Books Custom Modules and trying to create a custom 4x4 package label PDF template using HTML/CSS. According to the official Zoho Books documentation for HTML PDF Templates, there should be an option like: Settings →Next Page