Kaizen #33 - Triggering Workflow Rules, Approvals, and Blueprints via Zoho CRM API
Hello everyone!
Welcome back to yet another post in the Kaizen series.
This week, we will discuss Triggering Workflow rules, Approvals, and Blueprints via Zoho CRM API, while inserting, updating, or upserting records.
First things first—What are Workflows, Approvals, and Blueprints?
- Workflow Rules: Using workflow rules, you can automate a set of routine actions and communication like sending email notifications, assigning tasks, field updates, and so on.
- Approvals: Using the approval process, you can automate the process of submitting records for approval based on certain conditions, and define the set of actions to be performed upon approval or rejection of the record.
- Blueprints: Blueprints are a replica of your business process. They facilitate automation, validation, and collaboration of teams, thus making your business process more efficient and free from loopholes.
The default flow:
- While creating/updating/deleting records via API, you need not explicitly specify any input to trigger workflow rules, approvals, or blueprints. When the records match the criteria, the automation rules will be triggered automatically.
- When you specify an empty "trigger" array in the input, the system prevents the execution of all automation rules (workflow rules, approvals, and blueprints)."trigger":[]
- To trigger a specific set of automation (workflow rule, approval or blueprint), you must specify the value in the "trigger" key of the input. For instance, to trigger all the workflow rules and approvals, but not blueprints associated with the request:"trigger": ["workflow","approval"]
Example:
Zylker Inc. is a sales organization that provides multiple B2B solutions. Let us see how Zylker Inc. manages various business scenarios using workflow rules, approvals, and blueprints.
1. Triggering workflow rules
Assume that to avoid delayed closings, Zylker Inc., has decided to close deals with value 2000 or more, within a week of their initiation.
To manage this, they have a workflow that automatically assigns a task to the deal owner to close the deal within a week, when a new deal with amount greater than or equal to 2000 is created.
Here is a screenshot of a sample deal that meets the above mentioned condition, created via API.
You can see that a new task is automatically assigned to the deal owner to close the deal within a week.
1a. To prevent the system from triggering workflow
Now, assume that a deal is already closed and won, and you are creating it in Zoho CRM for record purposes. In this case, there is no need to assign a task to the deal owner to close the deal within a week.
Hence, to prevent the system from triggering the workflow, you must specify the "trigger" key in the input with no values. The sample input would be:
{ "data": [ { "Deal_Name": "Sample Deal3", "Pipeline": "Standard", "Stage": "Qualification", "Amount": "6000" } ], "trigger": [] } |
1b. To trigger all the workflow rules (but not approvals or blueprints)
To trigger all the workflow rules associated with creating a deal, and prevent the system from triggering any other automation rule (approvals or blueprints), the input would be:
{ "data": [ { "Deal_Name": "Sample Deal3", "Pipeline": "Standard", "Stage": "Qualification", "Amount": "6000" } ], "trigger": [ "workflow" ] } |
The "wf_trigger" parameter for Delete Records API
You can use "wf_trigger" parameter to trigger the workflows/prevent the system from triggering workflows while deleting records. The parameter accepts boolean values, with default value false.
Sample request to trigger workflow while deleting records:
curl "https://www.zohoapis.com/crm/v2/Leads?ids=410405000002264040,410405000002264025&wf_trigger=true" -X DELETE -H "Authorization: Zoho-oauthtoken 1000.8cb99dxxxxxxxxxxxxx9be93.9b8xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxf" |
2. Triggering approvals
Assume that as per Zylker Inc's policies, the sales representatives are allowed to give a discount of up to only 10% during the negotiation stage of a deal. If they have to give a discount beyond 10%, they must get approval from their manager and their sales director. Based on the deal size and purchase history, the approvers would choose to approve or reject the discount requested by the customer.
To manage this, they have configured an approval process that automatically submits the deals for approval, if the discount is more than 10%.
Here is a screenshot of a sample deal that meets the above mentioned condition, created via API.
You can see that the record has been automatically created in the approval mode.
2a. To prevent the system from triggering the approval process (while allowing it to trigger workflows)
While the above mentioned flow is default, there is a catch—when the deal amount is more than a specific limit, the restrictions on discount can be relaxed by sales representatives themselves.
In this case, there is no need to submit the records for approval. However, the workflow rule must be triggered to create a task for the deal owner to close it within a week.
The sample input to trigger all the associated workflow but not approval processes would be:
{ "data": [ { "Deal_Name": "Sample Deal3", "Pipeline": "Standard", "Stage": "Qualification", "Amount": "6000" } ], "trigger": [ "workflow" ] } |
2b. To trigger all the approval process (but not workflows and blueprints)
To trigger all the approvals associated with creating a deal, and prevent the system from triggering any other automation rule (workflows or blueprints), the input would be:
{ "data": [ { "Deal_Name": "Sample Deal3", "Pipeline": "Standard", "Stage": "Qualification", "Amount": "6000" } ], "trigger": [ "approval" ] } |
If you specify "approval" and "workflow" in the "trigger" array, the system triggers all the approval processes and workflow rules associated with the request.
3. Triggering a blueprint
Assume that Zylker Inc follows a simple deal follow-up process. Whenever a new deal is created, it goes through a few stages like Qualification, Negotiation, Discount Approval, Contract, and Deal Closure. To manage the same, they have configured a blueprint.
In any case, if you do not want the record action to trigger the blueprint, the sample input would be:
{ "data": [ { "Deal_Name": "Sample Deal3", "Pipeline": "Standard", "Stage": "Qualification", "Amount": "6000" } ], "trigger": [] } |
If you specify an empty "trigger" array the system prevents the execution of any automation rule associated with the request. Instead, if you specify "blueprint" in the "trigger" array, all the blueprints associated with the request will be triggered by the system.
We hope you found this post useful. Reach out to us at support@zohocrm.com if you have any questions, or let us know in the comment section.
We will meet you next week with another useful topic.
Cheers!
Next 'Kaizen' - API Credits
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
Sneha Sridharan
chaitanya2561
Praveen Sankar
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
Est-il possible d'annuler l'envoi d'un mail automatique ?
Bonjour, Lorsque je refuse un candidat, il reçois un mail dans les 24h pour l'informer que sa candidature n'est pas retenue. J'ai rejeté un candidat par erreur. Savez-vous s'il possible d'annuler l'envoi de ce mail ? Merci d'avance pour votre aide.Is it possible to hide fields in a Subform?
Since layout rules cannot be used with Subforms, is there another way, or is it even possible, to hide fields in a subform based on a picklist fields within said subform? For example, if the Service Provided is Internet, then I do not want to see theNew in Cadences: Option to Resume or Restart follow-ups when re-enrolling records into a Cadence, and specify custom un-enrollment criteria
Managing follow-ups effectively involves understanding the appropriate timing for reaching out, as well as knowing when to take a break and resume later, or deciding if it's necessary to start the follow-up process anew. With two significant enhancementsembed a form in an email
Hello, how to embed a form in an email that populates Zoho CRM cases? I would like to send emails to a selected audience offering something. In the same email the recipients - if interested - instead of replying to can fill in a Zoho CRM form that createsSystematic SPF alignment issues with Zoho subdomains
Analysis Period: August 19 - September 1, 2025 PROBLEM SUMMARY Multiple Zoho services are causing systematic SPF authentication failures in DMARC reports from major email providers (Google, Microsoft, Zoho). While emails are successfully delivered dueUnveiling Cadences: Redefining CRM interactions with automated sequential follow-ups
Last modified on 01/04/2024: Cadences is now available for all Zoho CRM users in all data centres (DCs). Note that it was previously an early access feature, available only upon request, and was also known as Cadences Studio. As of April 1, 2024, it'sZoho Bookings - Reserve with Google
Does Zoho Bookings plan to to integrate with Reserve with Google?How to add Zoho demo site page designs to my Zoho Sites website
Hi, I would like to add the design from the following demo URLs into my current Zoho website. I have already created two new pages on my site, named “Menu2” and “Menu3.” For the “Menu2” page, I want to use the design from this demo: https://naturestjuice-demo.zohosites.com/menuDigest Août - Un résumé de ce qui s'est passé le mois dernier sur Community
Bonjour chère communauté ! Voici le résumé tant attendu de tout ce qui a marqué Zoho le mois dernier : contenus utiles, échanges inspirants et moments forts. 🎉 Découvrez Zoho Backstage 3.0 : une version repensée pour offrir encore plus de flexibilité,Zoho Books - Include Payment Terms as a Custom View filter
It would be great if you could created a custom view based on Payment Terms. This would be really handy for seeing a list of customers who have credit terms. A workaround is not required. I could do something with a creditor checkbox, but it would beGlobal Sets for Multi-Select pick lists
When is this feature coming to Zoho CRM? It would be very useful now we have got used to having it for the normal pick lists.Text snippet
There is a nice feature in Zoho Desk called Text Snippet. It allows you to insert a bit of text anywhere in a reply that you are typing. That would be nice to have that option in Zoho CRM as well when we compose an email. Moderation Update: We agree thatKaizen #206 - Answering your Questions | Displaying Related Purchase Orders from Zoho Books in CRM Deals using Queries
Hello everyone! We're back with another post in the Kaizen series. We're grateful for the feedback we received from all of you! One of the questions we received was "I would like to see the list of Purchase Orders in Zoho Books for a Deal in CRM." WeAdd Analytics function for Title case (capitalising each word in a string)
At present, you can only capitalise each word in a string in Analytics during data import. It would be really useful to be able to do this with a formula column, but there is no Title Case function.How to conditionally embed an own internal widget with parameters in an html snippet?
Hello everyone, I'm trying to create a dynamic view in a page using an HTML snippet. The goal is to display different content based on a URL parameter (input.step). I have successfully managed to conditionally display different forms using the followingIntroducing AI-powered Assessments & Zoho's native LLM, Zia
We’ve shipped a cleaner, faster way to create assessments in Zoho Recruit. 🚀 Instead of manually building question banks or copying old templates, you can now generate ready-to-use assessments in just a few clicks, all tailored to the role you’re hiringSync more than one Workdrive
Hello Please I'm facing some difficulties since some days. In my company we have many zoho accounts in different organisations. And I have to find a way to sync all these Workdrives. I spend many hours to search it on zoho Workdrive but no solution. Could someone help me ? Any idea how I can achieve it ? Thanks in advance. RegardsCannot update Recurring_Activity on Tasks – RRULE not accepted
Hello, I am trying to update Tasks in Zoho CRM to make them recurring yearly, but I cannot find the correct recurrence pattern or way to update the Recurring_Activity field via API or Deluge. I have tried: Sending a string like "RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1"Zoho writer unable to merge documents to PDF with basic fonts in Hebrew or fonts from my computer
I created several forms that will be merged into PDF files through Zoho Writer and I am unable to receive the PDF in the basic fonts of the Hebrew language or in the fonts I have on my computer. The writer exports to PDF an exchange font that looks veryUnable to enable tax checkboxes
Hi Zoho Commerce Support, I'm writing to report an issue I'm having with the tax settings in my Zoho Commerce store. I've created several tax rates under Settings > Taxes, but all of them appear with the checkbox disabled. When I try to enable a checkbox,Zoho Projects app update: Voice notes for Tasks and Bugs module
Hello everyone! In the latest version(v3.9.37) of the Zoho Projects Android app update, we have introduced voice notes for the Tasks and Bugs module. The voice notes can be added as an attachment or can be transcribed into text. Recording and attachingSearch Records returning different values than actually present
Hey! I have this following line in my deluge script: accountSearch = zoho.crm.searchRecords("Accounts","(RS_Enroll_ID:equals:" + rsid + ")",1,200,{"cvid":864868001088693817}); info "Account search size: " + accountSearch.size(); listOfAccounts = zoho.crm.searchRecords("Accounts","(RS_Enroll_ID:equals:"Making digital signatures accessible to all: Introducing accessibility controls in Zoho Sign
Hi there! At Zoho Sign, we are committed to building an inclusive digital experience for all our users. As part of our ongoing efforts to align with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), we’re updating the application with support that will goSuper Admin Access to All Courses and Spaces in Zoho Learn
Dear Zoho Learn Team, We hope this message finds you well. We are using Zoho Learn extensively for internal and agent training. While managing our courses and spaces, we encountered a significant limitation regarding admin access and course management.Updating Subform Record from other Form
Just wanted to ask how to properly approach this. I have 2 forms and would like to trigger an auto update on the subform once record submitted. block below only updates 1 row for each recordRow in input.AV_System { AssetRecord = Site_Asset_Services[SOR_NoPrint checks for owner's draw
Hi. Can I use Zoho check printing for draws to Owner's Equity? This may be a specific case of the missing Pay expenses via Check feature. If it's not available, are there plans to add this feature?Introducing Profile Summary: Faster Candidate Insights with Zia
We’re excited to launch Profile Summary, a powerful new feature in Zoho Recruit that transforms how you review candidate profiles. What used to take minutes of resume scanning can now be assessed in seconds—thanks to Zia. A Quick Example Say you’re hiring[New Release 2024] Create and embed custom capabilities across CRM with Kiosk Studio, our latest no-code tool
[Update | New series] We've started publishing a series of posts on Kiosk Studio. It's called Kiosk Studio Sessions and you can check out the first one here! [Update | 15 Oct} Session #2 is live! This one will look at how to create a kiosk for your callRevenue Management: #10 Common Mistakes while Recognizing Revenue
We are at the end of the series on Revenue Management, covering how different businesses recognise revenue. Even with clear standards like ASC 606 and IFRS 15 in practice, businesses often struggle with the nuances of revenue recognition. Especially growingZoho Projects MCP Feedback
I've started using the MCP connector with Zoho Projects, and the features that exist really do work quite well - I feel this is going to be a major update to the Zoho Ecosystem. In projects a major missing feature is the ability to manage, (especiallyWindows Desktop App - request to add minimization/startup options
Support Team, Can you submit the following request to your development team? Here is what would be optimal in my opinion from UX perspective: 1) In the "Application Menu", add a menu item to Exit the app, as well as an alt-key shortcut for these menusintegarting attachments from crm to creator
when i tried to integrate pdf attachments from crm to creator via deluge i am getting this error {"code":2945,"description":"UPLOAD_RULE_NOT_CONFIGURED"} the code i used is attachments = zoho.crm.getRelatedRecords("Attachments","Sales_Orders",203489100020279XXX8);Product details removed during update from other system
We maintain our product details in an other system. These details are synchronized with Zoho at the end of each day, through an API. This has worked perfectly sofar. But last Monday, all product codes and some other product data have been wiped duringSearch Option
🚫 Current Limitation: As of now (September 2025), Zoho FSM lacks a global search functionality, which makes it difficult to quickly: Find specific Work Orders by number or keyword Search for customer records or contact info Locate assets, jobs, or serviceMobile Chat Window - Full Screen
Hello, The mobile chat window takes up the full screen, which is highly confusing for most customers! Using a desktop machine, I see the same happens when reducing the browser width to 800px or below. This suggests that it responsive web design, causing the switch to full screen. Can we fix this very annoying behaviour ourselves using a custom css file? If so, can you please let me know how? ThanksIs it possible to customize ZC Themes?
I understand you can choose a layout and customize Brand Color, App Header, Menu, and Sub-Menu components, but can you override some of the default theme settings with CSS or a config file? For example, - Table highlight color - Listview auto filter highlightIs it possible to create Custom function-based Lookup field in Zoho CRM
Is it possible to create a custom function-based lookup field in Zoho CRM? If so, how? Use case: Need to fetch users from Zoho Projects into a dropdown field in Zoho CRM.@mention in comments no notification
Hi, hope someone can help. When we @mention someone in the comments in Zoho Creator, how is that user notifed as we don't get anything on email or in the app notifications.Add "Running Balance" column to Account Transaction Reports
Hello, Currently Zoho Account Transaction Reports give you the opening balance, then lists the transactions, then provides the closing balance. It would be great if you could add a column on the far right that shows the "Running Balance" on the account after each transaction. There are many times when analyzing or tie-ing out transactions that this would be very helpful. I currently have to frequently run a tape on my adding machine to get balance totals after a specific transaction on the list.Unified customer portal login
As I'm a Zoho One subscriber I can provide my customers with portal access to many of the Zoho apps. However, the customer must have a separate login for each app, which may be difficult for them to manage and frustrating as all they understand is thatNext Page