Kaizen #7 - URL Encoding while making API Calls
Welcome to another week of Kaizen. In this post, we will discuss things you need to handle in your code before you start making API calls to Zoho CRM.
If you have an application that is integrated with Zoho CRM, it will contain the code for making API calls with different request methods—GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE. We will explain the things you need to handle for each of these methods, before you use it to make API calls to Zoho CRM.
a. GET method
A GET method is used to retrieve data/resource from the resource server. For example, Search Records.
For the GET method, you need to pass data as a parameter in the request URL, and that parameter value has to be URL encoded.
URL encoding is a way to encode or escape reserved, unprintable, or non-ASCII characters in URLs, and convert them into a secure format.
Consider the following example, when you try to search a lead record with an email ID(p.daly+demo1@zylker.com).
When this request URL is decoded in our end, it gets converted into:
The '+' character got decoded as 'space'. Because, the '+' character is valid in URL as a substitute for space. Therefore, they have to be encoded or escaped. If not, the URL might be misinterpreted while decoding it.
Unsafe characters that you need to encode are the following.
- ASCII Control characters:
ISO-8859-1 (ISO-Latin) character ranges 00-1F hex (0-31 decimal) and 7F (127 decimal.) - Non-ASCII characters:
Entire “top half” of the ISO-Latin set 80-FF hex (128-255 decimal.) - Unsafe characters
Blank/empty space and " < > # % { } | \ ^ ~ [ ] ` - Reserved characters when NOT USED for their reserved or defined purposes such as / ? : = &.
Based on your language, you can use the following methods to encode the reserved characters.
Language | Script |
Java | URLEncoder.encode("(p.daly+demo1@zylker.com)", "UTF-8"); |
Ruby | URI::encode("(p.daly+demo1@zylker.com)") |
PHP | urlencode("(p.daly+demo1@zylker.com)") |
Python | urllib.parse.quote("(p.daly+demo1@zylker.com)".encode("UTF-8")) |
After encoding, the resultant search query will have the following email ID—p.daly%2Bdemo1%40zylker.com
The corresponding cURL code for this operation is:
curl -X GET \
-H 'Authorization: Bearer 1000.b481413bedf852e81bf591e7ca769de8.85f9671a36047d740216b656c8b3ad4d'
You can see that the data in the URL is encoded.
b. POST/PUT method
POST method is used to insert or upload any new resources to the server. For example, Insert Records.
PUT method is used to update an existing resource. This replaces the target resource with the updated content. For example, Update Records.
You can pass the input data for an API call in different ways, based on API requirements.
- Sending data as parameter in the request URL
- Sending data wrapped in a request body
Let us look into each of these methods.
a. Sending data as a parameter in the request URL
As mentioned in the earlier section, when you send data as a parameter in the request URL, it has to be encoded.
b. Sending data wrapped in a request body
When data is sent in request body, it is secure. There are two different methods in which you can send data wrapped in a request body, for an API call. Based on the API requirement, you can choose the appropriate method.
- Sending data as raw JSON in the request body
In this type, the data is sent as JSON in the request body. Here, you need to add the header 'Content-Type' as 'application/json'. When data is sent as raw JSON, it need not be encoded. - Sending data as a key-value pair
Here, the data is given as key-value pairs. For instance, while you upload an attachment, you need to send the file data, for which you need to make the request with 'Content-Type' as 'multipart/form-data'. Here the data is wrapped in request body. Therefore, it need not be encoded. If the data you have is already encoded, you must use the 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded' content-type and you cannot send file data with this content-type.
Consider the following example of inserting leads.
The corresponding cURL code is:
-H 'Authorization: Bearer 1000.b481413bedf852e81bf591e7ca769de8.85f9671a36047d740216b656c8b3ad4d' \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{
"data": [
{
"Company": "Zylker",
"Last_Name": "Daly",
"First_Name": "Paul",
"Email": "p.daly+demo1@zylker.com",
"State": "Texas"
},
{
"Company": "Villa Margarita",
"Last_Name": "Bran",
"First_Name": "Hofstadter",
"Email": "bran.h+demo2@villa.com",
"State": "Texas"
}
],
"trigger": [
"approval",
"workflow",
"blueprint"
]
}'
You can see that the data is not encoded.
c. DELETE method
DELETE method is used to delete a resource at a particular location. For example, Delete Records.
URL encoding for the DELETE method is the same as the GET method. Consider the following example of deleting leads.
Encoded request URL:
https://www.zohoapis.com/crm/v2/Leads?ids=4150868000000843062%2C4150868000000843044
We hope you found this post useful. Keep a tab on this series for more exciting topics!
Reach out to us at support@zohocrm.com if you have any questions, or let us know in the comment section.
Cheers!
Previous 'Kaizen' - Environments and Domains in Zoho CRM [Part2/2]
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
Sticky Posts
Kaizen #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 achievedKaizen #142: How to Navigate to Another Page in Zoho CRM using Client Script
Hello everyone! Welcome back to another exciting Kaizen post. In this post, let us see how you can you navigate to different Pages using Client Script. In this Kaizen post, Need to Navigate to different Pages Client Script ZDKs related to navigation A.Kaizen #210 - Answering your Questions | Event Management System using ZDK CLI
Hello Everyone, Welcome back to yet another post in the Kaizen Series! As you already may know, for the Kaizen #200 milestone, we asked for your feedback and many of you suggested topics for us to discuss. We have been writing on these topics over theKaizen #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.
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
Sub-Form Fields as Filters for Reports
Hi, I would like to use the Sub-Form Fields as Filters in Reports just like we do for Main Page Fields. Thanks DanZoho CRM Formula - Current Time minus Date/Time field
Hello, I am trying to prevent duplicate emails going to clients when more than 1 deal is being updated. To do this, I would like to create a formula to identify if a date/time field is >= 2 hours ago. Can someone please help me write this formula? Example:Billing Management: #7 Usage Billing in Telecom & Internet Service Provider
Telecom and Internet Service Providers operate in markets where usage varies drastically from one customer to another. While flexible, usage-based models align revenue directly with consumption, they also introduce operational challenges like real-timeZoho Sprints - Q3 updates for 2025
The updates for the third quarter of 2025 are out. A few significant features and enhancements have been rolled out to improve user experience and product capabilities. The following are the updates: Manage tags and cluster tags Record and maintain projectKaizen #208 - Answering your Questions | Functions, AI and Extensions
Hello Developers! Welcome back to a fresh week of Kaizen! We are grateful for your active participation in sharing feedback and queries for our 200th milestone. This week, we will answer the queries related to Functions and Extensions in Zoho CRM. 1.Zoho CRM still doesn't let you manage timezones (yearly reminder)
This is something I have asked repeatedly. I'll ask once again. Suppose that you work in France. Next month you have a trip to Guatemala. You call a contact there, close a meeting, record that meeting in CRM. On the phone, your contact said: "meet meCreating Restaurant Inventory Management on Zoho
Hi, We run a small cloud kitchen and are interested to use Zoho for Inventory and Composite Item tracking for our food served and supplied procured to make food items. Our model is basically like subway where the customer can choose breads, veggies,To Zoho customers and partners: how do you use Linked Workspaces?
Hello, I'm exploring how we can set up and use Linked Workspaces and would like to hear from customers and partners about your use cases and experience with them. I have a Zoho ticket open, because my workspace creation fails. In the meantime, how isZoho Forms to Zoho CRM : First/Last Name to just Name ?
When integrating a Zoho Form into the Accounts menu of the CRM I'm having trouble with how names are formatted ; In Forms the data is available as First Name or Last Name In the CRM there is only one field called Name How can I ensure that "John" "Smith"This festive season, offer discounts with coupon code support in Stripe Checkout
Hello form builders! It’s the festive season, the perfect time to spread joy and great deals! Now, with Zoho Forms’ latest enhancement for Stripe Checkout, you can do exactly that with coupon codes! Your payment forms integrated with Stripe Checkout canCómo creo una factura negativa o de abono?
NEcesito anular una factura y crear una nueva igual pero en negativo. El sistema no me lo permitePower of Automation::Streamline log hours to work hours upon task completion.
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:-CRM : Function to add user name to text field
I have a lookup field in a module that is linked to the CRM users so we can assign a Project Lead to the customer. Sadly Zoho Marketing Automation doesn't sync Lookup fields so I need to extract information from the lookup to text fields: Lookup fieldZoho CRM - Restrict Login based on work hours
Hi there, I'm wondering if we can restrict users to login during works - For example the users would be able to login from 8am to 5pm. I have seen the IP address restriction - the only downfall is what if the customer has dynamic IP. thanks JiriTips and Tricks #46: Customize themes and templates using Show's Master View
Hi All! Let's say you want to revamp your presentation and make changes to its visual design. You can do this easily using the Master Slide and its associated layouts. The Master Slide stores information about all the layouts used in the presentation.Sheet View in CRM portal
Hi, When will it be possible for my CRM portal users to edit/add records with Sheet View? GeorgeWhat's New in Zoho Invoice | July - September 2025
Hello everyone! We’re back with the latest updates and enhancements we’ve rolled out in Zoho Invoice from July to September 2025. Here’s what’s new this quarter: Introducing the Singapore Edition in Zoho Invoice Share Invoices through WhatsApp GST 2.0Alert: Audio Call Support to be discontinued for Old Live Chat Widget from December 31, 2025
Action Required: Upgrade to the New SalesIQ Live Chat Widget We're reaching out with an important update regarding the SalesIQ Live Chat Widget that requires your immediate attention. Effective December 31, 2025, audio call functionality will no longermultiple contacts for one account
We currently use Zoho CRM where each Account represents a club or organization, and each Contact represents a manager or owner. However, some of our managers own or manage multiple clubs, and Zoho only allows a contact to be linked to one account at aRich text Merge field - Not using font specified in HTML
I have a rich text merge field in a writer template which is creating a table. I have chosen to use this method instead of a repeat region because I need to specify specific cell background colours which change every time the document is created. Theヒートマップ詳細設定について
はじめまして マーケティング担当の浅田です。 PageSenceのヒートマップ設定について質問です。 単一ページ毎の設定は上手くできるのですが 詳細設定にて、トップページのURLを含ませ全体のヒートマップを計測できないか試したところ お知らせ：データを受信していません。と表示されてしまいます。 トップページURLで始まるページの条件も試しております。 全頁を反映させたいと思い、詳細設定を上手く設定できたらと考えております。 どなたか詳しい方がいらっしゃいましたら、教えて頂けませんでしょうか 宜Automatic category assignment
Hi, I’d like to ask if there is a way to automatically assign an expense category based on the recognized Merchant. What would be the simplest way to set up automatic category assignment? Alternatively, is there an option to first choose the categoryExperience with Zoho Vertical Studio
I'm considering Zoho Vertical and would love to hear from some devs who've been using it. The Zoho ecosystem is pretty solid, so I assume the experience has been pretty good, but sometimes Zoho has its quirks. Overall, has your experience been positive?LinkedIn Chrome Extension
Hello - I believe it is a known issue that the LinkedIn extension Resume Extractor has stopped working and they are working on potential fixes. Wondering how others users are finding this issue and if there are any better workarounds for this issue? ItAdvance PDF creation from CRM data
I'm trying to create a PDF export of data in the CRM. My problem is I want a pretty complicated format for the data. I'm trying to export multiple modules worth of data, with nested one-to-many relationships between the modules. Along with that, I wantSub-Form Padding in CSV Export
Hi, When you use the Sub-Form, and for example you have a Date Field on the Main Page, then Option 1 and Option 2 fields on the Subform, when you export this to CSV the Date column will only have the Date in 1 row, the first row, it would be nice to padMore Formula Functions
Hi, I would like for example to be able to have a Date Field and Formula Fields, and then in the Formula Fields I would like to grab just the Month of the above Date Field or the Week Number of the above Date Field. So more "Functions" than the currentFile upload size limits
I am designing a contact form in Zoho Creator with File upload facility. I am not sure where and how to set the following properties for the same: Allowed File Types Maximum Size of the Attachment Number of AttachmentsComposite Services and Account Tracking
I am looking to garner support/request the ability to make composite services. A quick search in the forums brings up multiple requests for this feature. I fail to see why an item is mandatory while services are optional. I also would like to see theAll operation codes getting Not applied in WO-TT22J1025WOR0471, SR-TT22J1025PRE0423,FOR VIN-W1K6G2AB2SL005130.
Dear Support Team, Please refer attached screenshot. All operation codes getting not applied in work order. Request you to please check and update ASAP.Exclude Segment from Campaign Recipients
I've created two Segments in order to separate Non-Marketing Contacts from Marketing Contacts. I'd like to send an Eblast to all Marketing contacts in my lists, but when I go to select Recipients, I have two options: 1. To Choose Lists to Send to; 2.Reschedule Multiple/Mass Calls at Once
When we go into a Call record, we have the option to "Reschedule Call." How can we select multiple Calls at once from the Activities tab and Reschedule them? The big use case for us: We have many leads that our reps are supposed to call on a daily basis.Option to Empty Entire Mailbox or Folder in Zoho Mail
Hello Zoho Mail Team, How are you? We would like to request an enhancement to Zoho Mail that would allow administrators and users to quickly clear out entire folders or mailboxes, including shared mailboxes. Current Limitation: At present, Zoho Mail onlyI want to Make the due date of the project appears automatically
hello everyone I want to know if the zoho projects app can add automatically the END DATE of the project I added the duration, start after dates of each tasks in the project template & the starting date of the project itself and the end date of it doesn'tDrag 'n' Drop Fields to a Sub-Form and "Move Field To" Option
Hi, I would like to be able to move fields from the Main Page to a Sub-Form or from a Sub-Form to either the Main Page or another Sub-Form. Today if you change the design you have to delete and recreate every field, not just move them. Would be nice toDeluge Tips & Tricks: Mastering dates and times
Hello everyone! We're bringing back our Deluge Tips & Tricks series, where we show you how to make the most of Deluge for achieving a wide range of use cases. Working with dates and times is a fundamental part of almost any business application. WhetherAdding a Button in a Form in Zoho Creator App
Hi I want to know how can I add a Button in Zoho Creator form. I have options that I select from a multiselect options and I want the button to add those selected options in a Subform. I do not want to add on a Page Builder I want it inside a specificInternal Exception for Creator function
I have been running a script successfully for several days using the scheduler in my application. Now today it suddenly creates and Internal Exception error. Nothing has changed about the script. The data is still retrievable from the web service it is using. Why would this suddenly be happening for no apparent reason? Also noticed that my usage logs are not up to date. Is something changing behind the scenes?How to Set Up a Custom Domain and Customize Homepage
Hello, I am experimenting with Zoho Creator to build applications for my own use case and have encountered a couple of issues: 1. Custom Domain Access: Is it possible to access my Zoho Creator application through a domain that I own? If so, how does theAnnouncing new features in Trident for Mac (1.26.0)
Hello everyone! Trident for macOS (v1.26.0) is here with new updates to securely manage your passwords, locally save your emails, and protect against emails with suspicious URLs. Let's take a quick look at them. Manage passwords with Zoho Vault eWidget.Next Page