Kaizen #40 - System-defined fields and their default values in Leads #API

Kaizen #40 - System-defined fields and their default values in Leads #API

Hello everyone!

Welcome back to another post in the Kaizen series!
This week, we will discuss the system-defined fields and their default values in the Leads module in Zoho CRM.

We will cover the following in this post:
  1. System-defined non-mandatory fields and their default values
  2. System-defined mandatory fields

What are the system-defined fields in a module?
The fields that are available by default in a module, are system-defined fields. You can choose to set values to these fields, or the system assigns the default value for applicable fields.

How can you find which fields are system-defined?
Use the Fields Metadata API. The response contains all the fields available in that module for your org.
The boolean value of the key custom_field indicates whether the field is system-defined or a custom field in that module. The value "true" indicates that the current field is a custom field, and the value "false" indicates that the current field is a system-defined field.

System-defined mandatory fields
Few system-defined fields are mandatory. If left unspecified, the system throws the MANDATORY_NOT_FOUND error.
The boolean value of the key system_mandatory indicates whether the field is mandatory in that module. The value "true" indicates that the current field is a system-defined mandatory field, and the value "false" indicates that the current field is not a system-defined mandatory field.

Note
We cannot modify the properties of a few system-defined fields. Ex: Last_Name in Leads.

Fields Metadata API for the Leads Module

Sample Request
Request URL: {{api-domain}}/crm/v2/settings/fields?module=Leads
Request Method: GET

Sample Response
{
    "fields": [
        {
            "system_mandatory": false,
            "webhook": true,
            "json_type": "jsonobject",
            "crypt": null,
            "field_label": "Lead Owner",
            "tooltip": null,
            "created_source": "default",
            "field_read_only": true,
            "display_label": "Lead Owner",
            "read_only": false,
            "association_details": null,
            "businesscard_supported": true,
            "multi_module_lookup": {},
            "currency": {},
            "id": "949200000000000553",
            "custom_field": false,
            "lookup": {},
            "visible": true,
            "length": 120,
            "view_type": {
                "view": true,
                "edit": true,
                "quick_create": false,
                "create": true
            },
            "subform": null,
            "api_name": "Owner",
            "unique": {},
            "data_type": "ownerlookup",
            "formula": {},
            "decimal_place": null,
            "mass_update": false,
            "multiselectlookup": {},
            "pick_list_values": [],
            "auto_number": {}
        },
        {
            "system_mandatory": false,
            "webhook": true,
            "json_type": "string",
            "crypt": null,
            "field_label": "Company",
            "tooltip": null,
            "created_source": "default",
            "field_read_only": false,
            "display_label": "Company",
            "read_only": false,
            "association_details": null,
            "quick_sequence_number": "1",
            "businesscard_supported": false,
            "multi_module_lookup": {},
            "currency": {},
            "id": "949200000000000555",
            "custom_field": false,
            "lookup": {},
            "visible": true,
            "length": 100,
            "view_type": {
                "view": true,
                "edit": true,
                "quick_create": true,
                "create": true
            },
            "subform": null,
            "api_name": "Company",
            "unique": {},
            "data_type": "text",
            "formula": {},
            "decimal_place": null,
            "mass_update": true,
            "multiselectlookup": {},
            "pick_list_values": [],
            "auto_number": {}
        },
        {
            "system_mandatory": true,
            "webhook": true,
            "json_type": "string",
            "crypt": null,
            "field_label": "Last Name",
            "tooltip": null,
            "created_source": "default",
            "field_read_only": false,
            "display_label": "Last Name",
            "read_only": false,
            "association_details": null,
            "quick_sequence_number": "3",
            "businesscard_supported": false,
            "multi_module_lookup": {},
            "currency": {},
            "id": "949200000000000559",
            "custom_field": false,
            "lookup": {},
            "visible": true,
            "length": 80,
            "view_type": {
                "view": false,
                "edit": true,
                "quick_create": true,
                "create": true
            },
            "subform": null,
            "api_name": "Last_Name",
            "unique": {},
            "data_type": "text",
            "formula": {},
            "decimal_place": null,
            "mass_update": false,
            "multiselectlookup": {},
            "pick_list_values": [],
            "auto_number": {}
        },
        {
            "system_mandatory": false,
            "private": null,
            "webhook": true,
            "json_type": "jsonobject",
            "crypt": null,
            "field_label": "Related Users",
            "tooltip": null,
            "created_source": "default",
            "field_read_only": false,
            "display_label": "User",
            "read_only": false,
            "association_details": null,
            "businesscard_supported": false,
            "multi_module_lookup": {},
            "currency": {},
            "id": "4150868000000625001",
            "custom_field": true,
            "lookup": {},
            "visible": true,
            "length": 50,
            "view_type": {
                "view": true,
                "edit": true,
                "quick_create": false,
                "create": true
            },
            "subform": null,
            "api_name": "User",
            "unique": {},
            "data_type": "userlookup",
            "formula": {},
            "decimal_place": null,
            "mass_update": false,
            "multiselectlookup": {},
            "pick_list_values": [],
            "auto_number": {}
        },
...
]
}

System-defined non-mandatory fields and their default values
The following table gives the list of all the system-defined non-mandatory fields in the Standard Layout of the Leads module.

Field API Name
JSON Type
CRM Data Type
Default Value
Owner
JSON Object
Lookup
Name and ID of the current user
Company
String
Single Line
null
First_Name
String
Single Line
null
Salutation
String
Picklist
None
Email
String
Email
null
Full_Name
String
--
null
Phone
String
Phone
null
Mobile
String
Phone
null
Designation
String
Text
null
Lead_Status
String
Picklist
null
Fax
String
Phone
null
Website
String
URL
null
Lead_Source
String
Picklist
null
No_of_Employees
Integer
Number
null
Industry_Type
String
Picklist
null
Rating
String
Picklist
None
Tag
JSON Array
--
null
Annual_Revenue
Double
Currency
null
Created_By (not editable)
JSON Object
--
Name and ID of the current user
Email_Opt_Out
Boolean
Checkbox
false
Skype_ID
String
Single Line
null
Modified_By
(not editable)
JSON Object
--
Name and ID of the user who last modified the record last
Created_Time
(not editable)
String
--
The date and time at which the record was created
Secondary_Email
String
Email
null
Modified_Time
(not editable)
String
--
The date and time at which the record was last modified
Twitter
String
Single Line
null
Last_Activity_Time
(not editable)
String
--
The date and time at which the record was used last
Converted_Date_Time
String
--
The date and time at which the lead or quote was converted
Street, City, State, Zip_Code, Country
String
Single Line
null
Description
String
Multi-line
null
Record_Image
String
--
null
You can refer to the Sample Attributes section of our Insert Records API for an example on adding values to the above fields.

System-defined mandatory field for the Leads module:
Field API Name
JSON Type
CRM Data Type
Default Value
Last_Name
String
Single Line
Not applicable

Note
  • In the Fields Metadata API, the value true for the key "field_read_only" indicates that it is read-only always.
  • The value true for the key "read_only" indicates that the key is read-only for the viewing user's profile. You can set the properties of such fields based on the profile. A user without the desired profile cannot edit these fields through an API.
  • You cannot modify the properties of system-defined mandatory fields in any module.
  • You can choose to alter the properties of the system-defined(non-mandatory) or custom fields in standard/custom layouts. The details of all the fields in all the layouts will be retrieved in the fields metadata API response.
  • You can also choose to set default values for fields with CRM field types—picklist, multi-select picklist, and checkbox.
We hope you found this post useful. Write to us at support@zohocrm.com if you have any questions, or let us know in the comment section.

Cheers!

Previous 'Kaizen' - Deals #API

    Access your files securely from anywhere

        All-in-one knowledge management and training platform for your employees and customers.






                              Zoho Developer Community



                                  Bootcamp
                                  Community
                                  Pricing
                                  Webinars
                                  What's New
                                  Integrations
                                  Contact Support
                                  Contact Sales
                                    Zoho Survey Resources
                                      Features
                                      Survey Templates
                                      Integrations
                                      Community
                                      iOS Mobile Surveys
                                      Pricing
                                      Android Mobile Surveys
                                      Insurvey Blogs
                                      Insight Blogs
                                      Tips & Tricks





                                                  Latest Feature Updates

                                                    • Desk Community Learning Series


                                                    • Digest


                                                    • Functions


                                                    • Meetups


                                                    • Kbase


                                                    • Resources


                                                    • Glossary


                                                    • Desk Marketplace


                                                    • MVP Corner


                                                    • Word of the Day


                                                    • Ask the Experts




                                                        Zoho SalesIQ Resources

                                                              • Sticky Posts

                                                              • 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.

                                                              • 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 this

                                                              • Kaizen #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

                                                              • Kaizen #217 - Actions APIs : Tasks

                                                                Welcome to another week of Kaizen! In last week's post we discussed Email Notifications APIs which act as the link between your Workflow automations and you. We have discussed how Zylker Cloud Services uses Email Notifications API in their custom dashboard.

                                                              • Kaizen #216 - Actions APIs : Email Notifications

                                                                Welcome to another week of Kaizen! For the last three weeks, we have been discussing Zylker's workflows. We successfully updated a dormant workflow, built a new one from the ground up and more. But our work is not finished—these automated processes are


                                                              Manage your brands on social media
                                                              Access Zoho Social

                                                                Zoho Pagesense Resources


                                                                    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 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

                                                                                                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

                                                                                                                • Function and workflow to create customer payment and send receipt

                                                                                                                   I am attempting to set up a workflow/custom function for the automatic creation of a customer payment and sending the email receipt, but am receiving the error "Improper Statement Error might be due to missing ';' at end of the line or incomplete expression" I've been over everything several times and cannot see where the error is (code is copied into the attached document).  I haven't used custom functions before with Deluge, so it's very likely something very simple, or I've completely mucked

                                                                                                                • Disable Sign Up option in Zoho Creator Portal and show only Sign In page

                                                                                                                  Is it possible to disable the Sign Up option in a Zoho Creator portal? The requirement is to show only the Sign In page and completely remove or hide the Sign Up page, so users cannot create accounts directly from the portal login page. Is there any setting

                                                                                                                • Restrict Payment Methods

                                                                                                                  Allow us to restrict certain payment methods specific for each customer.

                                                                                                                • How to install Widget in inventory module

                                                                                                                  Hi， I am trying to install a app into Sales Order Module related list, however there is no button allow me to do that. May I ask how to install widget to inventory module related list?

                                                                                                                • Can I view the KB in the same way as a customer logged in as my Agent?

                                                                                                                  Sorry if this seems a mad question.  I have some Articles that I want to be seen by my Agents and the status of these is set to Agents only.  We also have some that are set to Public. When I sign in with my private email address (as a customer) I can

                                                                                                                • What’s New in Zoho Inventory — Latest Features, Integrations & Updates | December 2025

                                                                                                                  Zoho Inventory has evolved significantly over the past months, bringing you smarter, faster, and more connected tools to streamline your operations. Whether you’re managing multichannel sales, complex fulfillment workflows, or fast-moving stock, our newest

                                                                                                                • Which user's capacity is used for Shared Mailbox storage?

                                                                                                                  We use shared mailboxes at our company, and their size is increasing daily. Which user(s)'s total mailbox limit is being used up by this space?

                                                                                                                • Evernote (ENEX) import limitations

                                                                                                                  I have been with Evernote since 2010, but the latest price increase is ridiculous. I am currently testing Zoho Notebook as a replacement. I am impressed so far - if it were not for critical need to import legacy Evernote notes, I would 100% migrate to

                                                                                                                • Can I create a CODE 128 custom field for my items in Zoho Inventory and then use it for generating Sales Orders?

                                                                                                                  Can anyone helps me, I don't want to use the SKU code for scanning my products.  ​Because all my products have a CODE-128 label attached.

                                                                                                                • Prevent duplicate with custom fields?

                                                                                                                  I was wondering something about custom field/custom modules in Zoho Desk. For some reason you can make a custom field mandatory but not unique? For example, if I create a custom module to manage equipment and renewal and make a field serial number no

                                                                                                                • Zoho Books' 2025 Wrapped

                                                                                                                  Before we turn the page to a new year, it’s time to revisit the updates that made financial management simpler and more intuitive. This annual roundup brings together the most impactful features and enhancements we delivered in 2025, offering a clear

                                                                                                                • Multiple Vendor SKUs

                                                                                                                  One of the big concerns we have with ZOHO Inventory is lack of Vendor Skus like many other inventory software packages offer. Being able to have multiple vendor skus for the same product would be HUGE! It would populate the appropriate vendor Sku for

                                                                                                                • Create Invoice automated with Package

                                                                                                                  Does anyone knows how to create an invoice from a SO when we have created the package? We do these manually. and validate that the product packed is the product invoiced (if the order is partially packed) Regards, JS

                                                                                                                • Unable to integrate Zoho Projects and Zoho Workdrive

                                                                                                                  I'm a Zoho One subscriber. When I go to Zoho Projects > Settings > Marketplace > Zoho Apps I do not see an option for Zoho Workdrive but I do see one for Zoho Docs that does nothing. How do I get the option to integrate Zoho WorkDrive and Zoho Proje

                                                                                                                • Disable payment thank-you emails

                                                                                                                  Hello, can someone please tell me how to disable sending of the "Payment Thank-You" emails? 

                                                                                                                • How to backdate record payment for the invoice

                                                                                                                  I would like to record a payment which happened 2 days ago, but I am not able to select any date later than today. I backdated the invoice, too, but it doesn't change anything

                                                                                                                • Help with deluge script

                                                                                                                  Hi Community, this is my first Deluge script. I've pieced it together from reading various articles I want to use it in a workflow to 1 Convert a lead to a contact 2. Create a record in a custom module Below is what I have got so far but it does not fire

                                                                                                                • Marketer's Space: Why email authentication matters in Zoho Campaigns

                                                                                                                  Welcome back to another post in Marketer's Space! If you've recently started using Zoho Campaigns, you've probably come across terms like SPF and DKIM. You may have also noticed emails that show "via zcsend.net" in Gmail when testing or sending campaigns.

                                                                                                                • Feature Request: "Send Invitation" Toggle for Events

                                                                                                                  I am writing to request a critical "Quality of Life" update for the Activities module. Currently, adding people to the Participants field in an Event triggers an automatic email invitation/acceptance tracking with no way to opt-out. For general events

                                                                                                                • Edit email address that appears on invoice

                                                                                                                  Hi How do I change the email address that appears on invoices, it is showing the email address that i used to sign up to zoho with but I want to change it to another email address that we use for accounts. also is there a way to edit the position of a

                                                                                                                • Introducing Zoho Sprints 3.0

                                                                                                                  Zoho Sprints is consistently evolving in steady increments. The introduction of the latest version, with its enterprise level solutions, brings to you advanced capabilities that propel your agile efforts in the right direction. Here's a quick glimpse

                                                                                                                • Google Fonts Integration in Pagesense Popup Editor

                                                                                                                  Hello Zoho Pagesense Team, We hope you're doing well. We’d like to submit a feature request to enhance Zoho Pagesense’s popup editor with Google Fonts support. Current Limitation: Currently, Pagesense offers a limited set of default fonts. Google Fonts

                                                                                                                • Clone Entire Zoho Boooks Organization, including all transactions for testing & training

                                                                                                                  Can Zoho Books support help with direct cloning of entire Zoho Books & Inventory Organization? including all transactions, just like a copy & paste or disk cloning. Is this possible?

                                                                                                                • Restrict portal signup until registration form and payment are completed

                                                                                                                  Hi everyone, I am working on a Zoho Creator portal for a project. In our business flow, users must first fill out a registration form and pay a registration fee before they are allowed to access the portal. However, when I share the portal link, users

                                                                                                                • Zoho Creator In-App Notification

                                                                                                                  Hi Team, I have implemented an in-app notification using code, as it required some customization. I followed the example in the link below: https://www.zoho.com/deluge/help/pushnotify-using-deluge.html#Example I have a couple of questions regarding this

                                                                                                                • Tip #64- Exploring Technician Console: Screenshot- 'Insider Insights'

                                                                                                                  Hello Zoho Assist Community! Have you ever needed to capture exactly what's happening on a remote machine, whether to document an issue, guide a customer, or keep a record of your session? That's where the Screenshot feature in Zoho Assist comes in! With

                                                                                                                • Relating Invoices to Projects

                                                                                                                  Hi Zoho team, If I have already created previously an invoice in Books, so I want to know how can I associate it with a relevant project? Thank you

                                                                                                                • Create a quote/estimate that includes a range of prices

                                                                                                                  I am interested in using Zoho Books' Quote templates to create estimates for my customers. I do a mix of fixed-bid quotes and quotes based on an hourly rate. For the hourly rate quotes/estimates, I like to include a price range, for example: 2-4 labor

                                                                                                                • Budget

                                                                                                                  I have just upgraded to the standard plan in order to be able to utilize the budgeting function and record budget amount

                                                                                                                • Capirec bank Automatic feed update

                                                                                                                  Can anyone tell me if Zoho supports Automatic bank feed update from a Capitec bank account in south africa?

                                                                                                                • Free webinar! Accelerate deals with Zoho Sign for Zoho CRM and Bigin by Zoho CRM

                                                                                                                  Hello, Paperwork shouldn’t slow you down. Whether you’re growing a small business or running a large enterprise, manual approvals and slow document turnaround can cost you time and revenue. With Zoho Sign for Zoho CRM and Bigin by Zoho CRM, you can take

                                                                                                                • Add 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 (

                                                                                                                • CRM x WorkDrive: File storage for new CRM signups is now powered by WorkDrive

                                                                                                                  Availability Editions: All DCs: All Release plan: Released for new signups in all DCs. It will be enabled for existing users in a phased manner in the upcoming months. Help documentation: Documents in Zoho CRM Manage folders in Documents tab Manage files

                                                                                                                • Upload own Background Image and set Camera to 16:9

                                                                                                                  Hi, in all known online meeting tools, I can set up a background image reflecting our corporate design. This doesn't work in Cliq. Additionally, Cliq detects our cameras as 4:3, showing black bars on the right and left sides during the meeting. Where

                                                                                                                • 【まだ間に合う！】Zoho ユーザー交流会 | AI活用・CRM・Analytics の事例を聞いて、ユーザー同士で交流しよう！

                                                                                                                  ユーザーの皆さま、こんにちは。コミュニティチームの藤澤です。 3月27日(金)に東京、新橋で開催する「東京 Zoho ユーザー交流会 NEXUS」へのお申し込みがまだの方は、この機会にぜひお申し込みください！（参加無料） ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー イベントの詳細はこちらから▷▷ https://www.zohomeetups.com/tokyo2026vol1#/?affl=communityforumpost3 ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

                                                                                                                • ZeptoMail API

                                                                                                                  Hello Since today, we experience issues with the ZeptoMail API. When trying to send e-mails using: https://api.zeptomail.eu/v1.1/email we receive the error: (503) Site unavailable due to a traffic surge. Please try again shortly. I kindly ask you to identify

                                                                                                                • Sender Email Configuration Error.

                                                                                                                  Hello Team, Hope you are all doing well. We are in the process of creating the Zoho FSM environment in the UAE. When we try to add the sender email address “techsupportuae@stryker.com”, we receive the error message: “Error occurred while sending mail

                                                                                                                • Managing user mailbox actions

                                                                                                                  An organization often has users with different roles and responsibilities, such as leadership, operations, or support teams. While some users may require full access to email features, others may only need limited functionality. For example, enabling

                                                                                                                • Custom function return type

                                                                                                                  Hi, How do I create a custom deluge function in Zoho CRM that returns a string? e.g. Setup->Workflow->Custom Functions->Configure->Write own During create or edit of the function I don't see a way to change the default 'void' to anything else. Adding

                                                                                                                • Update P_Leave: code: 7052 "Employee_ID": "Enter Employee ID"

                                                                                                                  Hi, Zoho People - Update Leaves Can someone assist? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ col = Collection(); col.insert("recordid":id); col.insert("Date_Check_Approval":zoho.currentdate); info zoho.people.update("P_Leave",col.toMap());

                                                                                                                • Next Page