Kaizen #3 - Scopes in OAuth2.0 Authorization #API
Hello Everyone!
Welcome to another week of Kaizen. We hope you find this series of posts useful. Please share your feedback in the comments section and keep the discussion going.
In the last kaizen post, we discussed the OAuth2.0 protocol and Self Client. There are two types of clients in OAuth 2.0—self client and web-based applications.
What you will learn from this post?
In this post, we are going to explore different facets of "Scopes in OAuth2.0 Authorization" in detail. Towards the end of this post, we will see various errors related to scopes, and how you can handle them.
Role of scopes in OAuth2.0
To use the Zoho CRM APIs, you must authenticate the client(either self client or web-based application) to make API calls on your behalf with an access token.
The access token, in return, must be obtained from a grant token (authorization code).
Zoho CRM APIs grant access to the CRM data, only if you provide a legitimate access token.
Based on the client-type, there are two different ways to generate grant token:
a. For web-based applications
Web-based applications are chosen when it requires user intervention while authorizing your application. Now, let us see how the OAuth2.0 protocol is implemented for web-based applications.
Step 1: The web application redirects the user to the OAuth server.
Step 2: The user sees the authorization prompt and approves the app's request as shown in the below image.
Step 3: The user is redirected back to the application with an authorization code in a query string.
Step 4: The application exchanges the authorization code for an access token.
As you can see, this involves user intervention while authorizing your application.
In the above explanation, in Step 2, the user will authorize the set of permissions for which the token has to be generated.
b. For self client
In our last kaizen post, in Step 5a, you must enter the set of permissions for which the token has to be generated for a self client.
These sets of permissions you define, before you generate a token are called scopes.
Scopes play a major role in OAuth2.0 Authentication. It is required for both self-client and web-based applications.
A. What is a scope in Zoho CRM?
The word scope translates to range or extent. In OAuth2.0, scopes define the liberty of a self client/ web application on a particular resource(data in Zoho CRM). The scope controls three aspects:
- The resource to which the client application gains access. Example: Users, Modules, Files, and so on.
- The client application.
- The different types of operations that the client application can perform on that particular resource. Example: ALL, READ, WRITE, CREATE, UPDATE, DELETE.
B. How do scopes work?
The access and refresh tokens are generated based on the scopes you provide.
Based on the token, the system decides whether you have access to perform a certain operation on a particular resource. Thus, there is no room left for data theft, loss, or corruption. For example, with a token that is generated just to view records, you cannot perform the update record operation.
C. Scope Format
The format to define a scope is:
scope=service_name.scope_name.operation_type
The scope consists of three components:
- service_name - Service name will always be ZohoCRM.
- scope_name - In scope name, mention the specific resource(data in Zoho CRM) for which the permissions are being defined. It can be settings, modules, users, org, bulk, notification, or coql.
- operation_type - In operation type, mention what types of operations can be performed on that resource. The following table defines the different operation types in scope:
Operation Type | HTTP Method | Description |
READ | GET | The user can just read the data. |
CREATE | POST | The user can create records. |
WRITE | POST, PUT, DELETE | The user can create, update, and delete the records. |
UPDATE | PUT | The user can update the existing records. |
DELETE | DELETE | The user can delete the records |
ALL | GET, POST, PUT, DELETE | The user can read, create, update, and delete the records. |
CUSTOM | It depends on how it is defined in the API. | User-defined, for instance, permission to send emails to leads. |
Note:
- If you give operation type as WRITE in your scope, it is implicitly understood that you are granting permission to CREATE, UPDATE, and DELETE records.
- Similarly, if you give operation type as ALL in your scope, it is implicitly understood that you are granting permission to READ, CREATE, UPDATE, and DELETE records.
D. Types of scopes
Based on the scope and methods, scopes are broadly differentiated into two types:
- Sub-scopes
- Group Scopes
a. Sub-scopes
Here the permission is defined for a specific resource. For instance, if you want to define permissions for leads and contacts modules, the scopes will be:
ZohoCRM.modules.leads.ALL
ZohoCRM.modules.contacts.ALL
Format
scope=service_name.scope_name.sub_scope_name.operation_type
The following table gives you the data about the scopes and different sub scopes. Along with each sub-scope, you can view which resource it is associated with:
Scopes | Sub scopes |
settings- This scope usually provides access to metadata and the information on the set-up page of Zoho CRM. | territories - Data about Territory Management. custom_views - Data about custom_views created by users in all the modules. related_lists - Data about related_lists. modules - Metadata of all the modules. variables - Data about CRM Variables. tags - Data about tags. tab_groups - Data about the tab groups in Zoho CRM. fields - Data about fields in all the modules. layouts - Data about layouts in all the modules. macros - Data about macros operations. custom_links - Data about the custom links. custom_buttons - Data about the custom buttons. roles - Data about roles in your organization. profiles - Data about profiles in your organization. organization - Data about your organization. |
modules- This scope gives access to all the modules in Zoho CRM. | approvals - Data in the 'My Jobs' tab. leads accounts contacts deals campaigns tasks - Part of the 'Activities' module. cases events - Part of the 'Activities' module. calls - Part of the 'Activities' module. solutions products vendors pricebooks quotes salesorders purchaseorders invoices custom - Scopes cannot be configured for individual custom modules. Use this method for all custom modules. dashboard - Data on the dashboard page. notes - Data about notes in each record. activities - Data about events, calls, and tasks. |
Apart from the above two, other scopes are–
- users - Data about individual users in Zoho CRM. For more information, refer to Users API.
- org - Data about your organization. For more information, refer to Organization API.
- bulk - Permissions to perform bulk operations. For more information, refer to Bulk API.
- notification - Permissions to send/receive instant notifications of actions performed on a module. For more information, refer to Notification API.
- coql - Permissions to write your queries. For more information, refer to Query API.
b. Group Scopes
Format
scope=service_name.scope_name.operation_type
Imagine that you need to set permissions for all the modules. With sub-scopes, you must enter the following list of scopes—
ZohoCRM.modules.leads.ALL,ZohoCRM.modules.accounts.ALL,ZohoCRM.modules.contacts.ALL,ZohoCRM.modules.deals.ALL,ZohoCRM.modules.campaigns.ALL,ZohoCRM.modules.tasks.ALL,ZohoCRM.modules.cases.ALL,ZohoCRM.modules.events.ALL,ZohoCRM.modules.calls.ALL,ZohoCRM.modules.solutions,ZohoCRM.modules.products,ZohoCRM.modules.vendors,ZohoCRM.modules.pricebooks,ZohoCRM.modules.quotes,ZohoCRM.modules.salesorders,ZohoCRM.modules.purchaseorders,ZohoCRM.modules.invoices,ZohoCRM.modules.custom.
This is both cumbersome and exposing all these details in UI is not advisable. Thus, we came up with group scopes. With group scopes, you can define a set of permissions for a collective resource set. So, if you need to set permissions for modules, you can define the scope as:
ZohoCRM.modules.ALL—This gives the user access to perform all operations in all the modules in Zoho CRM.
E. Possible Errors
Error Code | Reason | Strategy to handle |
INVALID_SCOPE | The scope value is invalid. | Check the service name, scope name, and the sub-scope. |
INVALID_OPERATION_TYPE | The operation type is invalid. | Ensure you have defined the operation type correctly. It must be either—READ, CREATE, WRITE, UPDATE, DELETE, ALL, or CUSTOM. |
OAUTH_SCOPE_MISMATCH | The operation you performed does not have the required scope. | Check if the operation you are trying to perform is allowed in the scopes defined or not. |
Note:
The INVALID_SCOPE and INVALID_OPERATION_SCOPE errors might be thrown while generating a grant token. The OAUTH_SCOPE_MISMATCH error might be thrown while you make an API call.
F. How to revoke access?
As mentioned earlier in this post, tokens are generated based on the scopes.
There are two use-cases here.
a. If you are a user who wants to revoke the access given to any web-application, then it has to be done via accounts web UI.
To revoke the access:
Step 1: Goto https://www.accounts.zoho.com.
Step 2: Choose 'Active Authtokens'.
Step 3: Click on 'Connected Apps'. Here you will be able to see all the active applications, click on the delete button to revoke access.
b. If you are a client/developer, to revoke permissions for your self-client, you must revoke the access and refresh tokens.
You cannot revoke the access token as it expires after an hour of its generation.
To revoke the refresh token, make a POST request with the following URL:
"{{Accounts_URL}}/oauth/v2/token/revoke?token={refresh_token}"
Note that you must use domain-specific Zoho Accounts URL to revoke your refresh token.
We will meet you next week with another useful topic.
Cheers!
Previous 'Kaizen' - OAuth2.0 and Self Client #API
Next 'Kaizen' - Troubleshooting OAuth2.0
Access your files securely from anywhere
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
Sneha Sridharan
Sticky Posts
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! CommandsKaizen #165 : How to call Zoho CRM APIs using Client Script
Welcome back to another exciting Client Script post! In this post, we will discuss one of the most frequently asked questions: How do you call Zoho CRM APIs from Client Scripts? In this kaizen post, 1. Ways to make calls to Zoho CRM APIs using ClientKaizen#162 : Add Tags and Open Pre-filled Email Drafts via Client Scripts
Hello everyone! Welcome to another informative Kaizen post. In this post, let us see how to accomplish the following using Client Script. 1. How to auto-tag a record based on field update? 2. How to Open a pre-filled email draft This post will provideExtension Pointers - JS SDK series #4: Managing data from a widget using ZOHO.CRM.HTTP
Handling and managing the data between two applications is a major factor for an efficient business. There are a variety of ways to handle data between Zoho CRM and other third-party applications. You can use deluge CRM tasks, create connectors, use APIKaizen #152 - Client Script Support for the new Canvas Record Forms
Hello everyone! Have you ever wanted to trigger actions on click of a canvas button, icon, or text mandatory forms in Create/Edit and Clone Pages? Have you ever wanted to control how elements behave on the new Canvas Record Forms? This can be achieved
New to Zoho TeamInbox?
Zoho TeamInbox Resources
Zoho DataPrep Resources
Zoho CRM Plus Resources
Zoho Books Resources
Zoho Subscriptions Resources
Zoho Projects Resources
Zoho Sprints Resources
Qntrl Resources
Zoho Creator Resources
Zoho Campaigns 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
Being able to draw inside a module ?
I was wondering if anyone know of a solution for this request. We would like to be able to draw directly from one module in the CRM and have it attached to that record. Here is an example. Paul would go to the customer once he as done the measuring, heHolidays
Hi; For defining Holidays, you need to add logic to handle the year as well as the month & day. We need to be able to enter Holidays for the next year. I need to add a holiday for January 2, 2017, but I can't until January 1st, which is a Sunday and weDelete a department or category
How do I delete a Department? Also, how do I delete a Category? This is pretty basic stuff here and it's impossible to find.Remove or hide default views
I'm looking to only have the views pertinent to my organization. Is there a way to show only my custom views (or separate them to a different area or something)? If not, this should be a feature as switching from Zendesk we had this option...Analytics Module: Can you move items from one dashboard to another?
Is there a way to move items from one dashboard to another? I want to rearrange my dashboard now that I know what i'm doing but i don't want to remake my various widgets? Edit: Hey Zoho, This would be a good feature: to be able to move/copy widgets toCopy Widget to another Dashboard
I can see the option to clone a widget to the same dashboard but is it possible to copy it to another dashboard?Introducing Record Summary: smarter insights at your fingertips
Hello everyone, Building on the recent launch of Zoho's in-house Zia Large Language Model (Zia LLM)—a major milestone in Zoho CRM’s AI capabilities—we’re excited to introduce the Record Summary feature. This powerful addition makes use of Zia LLM to simplifySuppress "spreadsheet will not be saved" message on published sheet
I have published a sheet and have one column on that sheet that the user can edit (a dropdown picklist where the user can select the status for each line). Is there a way to suppress the Zoho Sheet message "Any changes made to this published spreadsheetMissing "Email Authentication" tab
Backstage is alerting users about "Unauthenticated Domains" with a large prompt in the backend. It adds a link to learn more. On this tutorial page, it shows where to find the "Email Authentication" tab in this screenshot. However, in our Backstage, thatShow item Cost value on Item screen
The Item screen shows Accounting Stock and Physical Stock. It would be very helpful if value information could be displayed here as well, for instance Cost Price. Currently, to find the Cost Price (as used for inventory valuations) from inside the itemIntegration with Moodle
Greetings, I hope find all doing well and safe. I've recently returned to using Zoho Flow after a break and was hoping to connect my WooCommerce store with Moodle, the world's most widely used learning management system. My goal was to automatically enrollHow to Record Loan with interest
I have received loans from friend he give me like 2 loans so far one is one year repayment and one short, how to properly record his payment, and repayment and give him statement for each loan he give meTask status - completed - other options
I have a dumb question I know i can make custom statuses for the tasks - but is there anyway to make additional "completed" statuses like for instance if i have a task "call back customer" and i leave a vm for them to call back marking it "completed -Task module and related-to field
In modules other than the Task Module I can add several lookup fields to provide a variety of relationships. In the Task module lookup fields are not available. There is only one "related to" field which I want to use for Company. But I want to relateAdd Lookup Field in Tasks Module
Hello, I have a need to add a Lookup field in addition to the ones that are already there in the Tasks module. I've seen this thread and so understand that the reason lookup fields may not be part of it is that there are already links to the tables (https://help.zoho.com/portal/en/community/topic/custom-fields-on-task-module).migrating from Zoho Invoices (CRM) to Zoho Books
Good day, I was wondering if there was a easy way to migrate all the quotes and invoices from Zoho Invoices CRM to Zoho Books. We plan to move to using Zoho Books in a few weeks and would like to have all the quotes and invoices from the past 3 yearsZoho MA and Custom Module
I am trying to create a sync between Markting Automation and Zoho CRM. I am mapping a custom module from the CRM. The custom module has email field mobile phone field However I cannot finish the integration since the system keeps asking me for email orWhen is partial reimbursement going to be launched?
Hi there. I saw somewhere that the partial reimbursement feature is in the work. What is the update and ETA of that? Our clients and prospects have been asking us and we agree that that is an important feature to have.Year-End Wrap: Declutter Your Inbox Using Email Filters
Ping!—an email drops in. And another. And another! It's finally that time of the year when your inbox will be bursting with messages from team members, clients, and marketing agents, leaving you feeling overwhelmed and distracted. Sounds familiar? NowUnified Notes View For Seamless Collaboration
To facilitate better coordination among different departments and team members, the notes added to a record can now be accessed in all its associated records. With this, team members, from customer service representatives to field technicians, can easilyQ4 Europe In-person Zoho User Group Meetup: Streamlining Your Business Processes & Introduction to Zoho CRM for Everyone
Hello Zoho Community, We are excited to announce our upcoming Zoho User Group meetup in Europe! This session is designed to help you streamline your business processes using Zoho CRM, with a special focus on enhancing customer interactions and leveragingFormula fields - Request for dynamic recalculation / proper implementation
Hi Guys, I have a big problem with Zoho formula fields. They don't recalculate each time the record is viewed - only when a record is edited. Formula fields should be updated dynamically each time a record is retrieved. As an example: I have a formulaItems attribute questions
Many of my items have attributes, such as size and color. How can I add new fields to the "New Items" screen to capture that in my Purchase Orders, Items, and Sales Order pages? I only see these attribute fields when adding an Item Group. Also, on theOrganize and Track Phases with Phase Custom Views
Phase Custom Views let you filter and display phases based on specific criteria. This helps you focus on what’s most relevant for you and your team. Filter phases using criteria such as budget, status, and more. Share views with specific users or teamsRecord Asset Received as Payment
How exactly would you account for this in books? For example, I receive a mini computer for a review and I get to keep it after the video is published. Would debit my normal asset account (e.g. Computers) and credit an income account (e.g. Other Income).Invoice Line Item Report
Is it possible to run an 'Invoice Line Item Report'? The 'Invoice Details Report' shows one row per invoice. I would like one row per Invoice Line Item.Transform Your Customer Support with AI-Powered Chatbots in Zoho SalesIQ
Ever wondered how some companies seem to have superhuman customer support? Let's uncover their secret! In the digital age, customer expectations are skyrocketing. Did you know that according to McKinsey, 75% of consumers expect a response within fiveProgressive Invoicing
Progressing invoicing is needed for many industries. It would be great to see it implemented into Zoho Books as well. Set up and send progress invoices in QuickBooks Desktop (intuit.com)Client Script - mapping data from different module
Dear ZOHO Team Firstly I need to describe the need - I need to have data from Contacts module based on lookup field - the 5 map limit is not enough for me because I have almost 20 fields to copy So I have decided to make a Customer Script - and from unknownDORA compliance
For DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act) compliance, I’ll want to check if Zoho provides specific features or policies aligned with DORA requirements, particularly for managing ICT risk, incident reporting, and ensuring operational resilience inFiles Uploaded to Zoho WorkDrive Not Being Indexed by Search Engines
Hello, I have noticed that the files I upload to Zoho WorkDrive are not being indexed by search engines, including Google. I’d like to understand why this might be happening and what steps I can take to resolve it. Here are the details of my issue: FileZoho Creator Upcoming Updates - December 2024
Hi all, We're excited to be back with the latest updates and developments on the Creator platform. Here's what we're going over this month: Deluge AI assistance Rapid error messages in Deluge editor QR code & barcode generator Expandable RTF and multiCustomer can't comment on SO or Invoice
Hi I just saw that my customers are not able to submit a comment either on invoices or sales order. What happens if my customer hits submit is just nothing. only a red line appears on top of the page which probalby indicates an error. I'm not able toZoho Creator customer portal limitation | Zoho One
I'm asking you all for any feedback as to the logic or reasoning behind drastically limiting portal users when Zoho already meters based on number of records. I'm a single-seat, Zoho One Enterprise license holder. If my portal users are going to add records, wouldn't that increase revenue for Zoho as that is how Creator is monetized? Why limit my customer portal to only THREE external users when more users would equate to more records being entered into the database?!? (See help ticket reply below.)See Calendar When Creating Meetings On Record Page
It would be a great user experience to see you calendar while you are creating a meeting on a record page. Here is how I imagine it could look:Saved filters, layout rule support, related list quick navigation, and more
Hello Everyone, We're excited to share some new features and enhancements in the Zoho CRM iOS and Android apps that will improve your mobile experience. These updates will make your CRM journey more efficient and user-friendly. Here's a look at what'sPower of Automation: Automatically send an email to all portal users with today's list of Open tasks.
Hello Everyone, A Custom Function is a user-written set of code to achieve a specific requirement. Set the required conditions needed as to when to trigger using the Workflow rules (be it Tasks / Project) and associate the custom function to it. Requirement:-Introduction of Robotics Process Automation in Zoho products
It will be great if Zoho can start advancing from automation to robotics process automation. For a start, it can be started with smart document understanding. Provide OCR engines Google cloud, Microsoft Azure Computer vision OCR, Microsoft OCR, OmnipageLock a custom field on a deal record but keep all other fields editable?
I have a custom field, which auto-populates a job number upon converting a lead to a deal but the automation breaks if someone accidentally edits that field. I want to lock that field but keep all other fields open. Is this possible? I've tried throughAdd Feature To Hide Plugin Sections On Record View
Hi team, I'm trying to help a client tidy up their CRM. When it comes to record view some sections and fields are visible no matter what Layout Rules are applies and they are not removeable from the layout editor. I would like to see an option to hideNext Page