Kaizen #80 - COQL API - Part I
Hi everyone! Welcome back to another week of Kaizen!
This week, we will discuss the COQL Queries in detail.
COQL (CRM Object Query Language) is a powerful query language based on SQL syntax that allows users to write their own queries and fetch records using module API names and field API names. In this post, we will discuss the operators supported by COQL in detail and also provide examples to help you understand better. Please note that the information in the article holds true for version 4 of Zoho CRM APIs.
When should you use the Query API?
Use Query API when you want to query for a module's data and/or it's look up related data using various comparators, or for records that fall into a custom view without actually creating one. For example, if you want to query for all products in a specific price range, with a 5 star rating and sort the results by price, use the Query API. Similarly you can use Query API to query for records from cross-modules (linked via lookup field), such as filtering products based on the vendor's details.
What types of queries are supported by COQL?
COQL supports only the SELECT query, which is used to select data from the CRM, based on the conditions specified by the clauses.
Here is a sample query:
SELECT {field_api_names} FROM {module_api_name} WHERE {field_api_name} {comparator} {logical_operator} {value} ORDER BY {field_api_name} ASC/DESC LIMIT {limit} OFFSET {offset}
What are the clauses & aggregate functions supported by COQL?
WHERE - used to select records based on specific conditions.
FROM - specifies the module from which to fetch the records.
ORDER BY - used to sort the results in ascending or descending order.
LIMIT - used to limit the number of records returned by the query.
OFFSET - used to skip a specified number of records while retrieving the records.
{ "select_query" : "select Last_Name, First_Name, Mobile, Final_Score from Leads where (Lead_Status = 'Not Contacted') ORDER BY Final_Score DESC LIMIT 5 OFFSET 10" } |
For example, the above query retrieves the Last_Name, First_Name, Mobile and Final_score of all Leads whose status equals 'Not Contacted'. The results will be sorted in descending order based on the Final_Score field, and only the 5 records after skipping the first 10 will be returned.
NOTE : You can also use the syntax "LIMIT offset, limit" to achieve the same result. For example :
{ "select_query" : "select Last_Name, First_Name, Mobile, Final_Score from Leads where (Lead_Status = 'Not Contacted') ORDER BY Final_Score DESC LIMIT 5, 10" } |
Aggregate functions can perform calculations on a set of values and return a single value.
SUM() - to get the sum of the values of an aggregate field in a module.
MAX() - to get the maximum value of an aggregate field.
MIN() - to get the minimum value of an aggregate field.
AVG() - to get the average value of the values of a field.
COUNT() - to get the number of records that satisfy the criteria.
Wildcard Character Support in COQL
In COQL queries, the only supported wildcard character is %. This % wildcard can be used with the like operator to achieve functionality similar to the contains, starts_with and ends_with operators. For instance, '%tech" queries for field values ending with tech, 'C%' queries for the values starting with C, and '%tech%' translates to contains 'tech'.
Supported field types and Comparators
The following table gives a gist of the field types whose data you can query for, and the comparators for each field type.
| Field Type | Comparators |
| Text and Picklist | =, !=, like, not like, in, not in, is null, is not null |
| Lookup | =, !=, in, not in, is null, is not null |
| Date, DateTime, Number, Currency | =, !=, >=, >, <=, <, between, not between, in, not in, is null, is not null |
| Boolean | = |
Supported field types and Comparators
1) Text and Picklist Fields
Supported comparators : =, !=, like, not like, in, not in, is null, is not null. Please note that the like operator is used for starts_with, ends_with, contains, and not like operator is used for not contains.
Sample Query 1: (=, like, in)
{ "select_query": "SELECT First_Name, Last_Name FROM Leads WHERE (((Lead_Status = 'Pre-Qualified') and (Company like '%zylker%')) and Industry in ('Technology', 'ERP'))" } |
This SELECT query retrieves the First_Name and Last_Name of all Leads whose Lead_Status is Pre-Qualified, Company contains zylker, and Industry is either Technology or ERP.
Sample Query 2:(not in, like, not null)
{ "select_query": "SELECT First_Name, Last_Name FROM Leads WHERE (((Lead_Status not in ('Closed-Won', 'Closed-Lost')) and (Lead_Source like '%Web%')) and (Skype_ID is not null)) LIMIT 2" } |
This query will return the first name and last name of all leads whose lead status is not Closed-Won or Closed-Lost, whose Lead Source fields contains web, and whose Skype ID field is not empty.
Sample Query 3:( !=, not like, null)
{ "select_query": "SELECT First_Name, Last_Name, Mobile FROM Leads WHERE (((Lead_Source != 'Webinar') and (City not like '%New York%')) and (Skype_ID is null))" } |
This query retrieves the first name, last name and mobile of leads where the lead source is not a webinar, the city is not New York, and the Skype ID field is empty or null.
2. Lookup Fields
=, !=, in, not in, is null, is not null are the supported comparators for lookup fields. If you want to get the name of the lookup field in the response, you must include the field API name in the query. Otherwise, the system will return only the ID of the field.
Sample Query 1: (=, not in, !=)
{ "select_query": "select Last_Name, First_Name, Full_Name, Account_Name, Owner from Contacts where (((Account_Name.Account_Name != 'Zylker') and (Owner = 4876876000000327001)) and Vendor_Name.Vendor_Name not in ('Skytech','SR')) LIMIT 2" } |
This query retrieves the last name, first name, full name, account name, and owner of two contacts whose account name is not Zylker, whose owner ID is 4876876000000327001, and whose vendor name does not contain Skytech or SR.
Sample Response:
{ "data": [ { "First_Name": "John", "Full_Name": "John Wilson ", "Owner": { "id": "4876876000000327001" }, "Last_Name": "Wilson ", "Account_Name": { "id": "4876876000000333089" }, "id": "4876876000000333182" }, { "First_Name": "Josephine", "Full_Name": "Josephine Darakjy", "Owner": { "id": "4876876000000327001" }, "Last_Name": "Darakjy", "Account_Name": { "id": "4876876000000333090" }, "id": "4876876000000333183" } ], "info": { "count": 2, "more_records": true } } |
In this query, the id of the account is returned but not the name since we have not specified the field API name in the query. To fetch the field name, specify the field API name in the query. Refer to the following sample query to know how.
Sample Query 2: (in, is null, is not null)
{ "select_query": "SELECT Deal_Name, Account_Name.Account_Name, Created_Time FROM Deals WHERE (((Account_Name.Account_Name in ('Grayson','Zylker')) and (Owner is not null)) and (Contact_Name is null)) ORDER BY Created_Time DESC LIMIT 2" } |
This query retrieves the Deal Name, Account Name, and Created Time of the 2 most recently created Deals whose Account Name contains Zylker or Grayson, and do not have a Contact Name associated with them but have a Deal Owner associated with them. The results will be ordered in descending order by the Created Time.
Sample Response:
{ "data": [ { "Deal_Name": "Westborne Deal", "Created_Time": "2023-04-06T10:04:02+05:30", "Account_Name.Account_Name": "Grayson", "id": "4876876000003548001" }, { "Deal_Name": "Eastwing Deal", "Created_Time": "2023-04-05T19:10:55+05:30", "Account_Name.Account_Name": "Grayson", "id": "4876876000003526011" } ], "info": { "count": 2, "more_records": true } } |
In the same query, if you want to use the Account ID instead of the name, replace ((Account_Name.Account_Name in ('Grayson','Zylker')) with ((Account_Name in (4876876000001236083, 4876876000002799001)) to include the IDs instead of the field API names and the account names.
{ "select_query": "SELECT Deal_Name, Account_Name.Account_Name, Created_Time FROM Deals WHERE (((Account_Name in (4876876000001236083, 4876876000002799001)) and (Owner is not null)) and (Contact_Name is null)) ORDER BY Created_Time DESC LIMIT 2" } |
3. Date, DateTime, Number, Currency Fields
=, !=, >=, >, <=, <, between, not between, in, not in, is null, is not null are the supported comparators for these fields.
Sample Query 1: (between, <, >)
{ "select_query": "SELECT Deal_Name, Amount, Stage, Probability FROM Deals WHERE (((Closing_Date between '2023-01-01' and '2023-03-31') and (Probability < 99)) and (Amount > 10000))"} |
This query retrieves the deal name, amount, stage, and probability of all deals whose closing date is between January 1, 2023 and March 31, 2023, and whose probability is less than 99 and amount is greater than 10000.
Sample Response:
{ "data": [ { "Deal_Name": "Chapman Deal", "Amount": 2500000, "Probability": 97, "Stage": "Closed Won", "id": "4876876000003550011" } ], "info": { "count": 1, "more_records": false } } |
Sample Query 2: (<=, !=, >=)
{ "select_query": "SELECT Product_Name, Qty_in_Stock, Vendor_Name, Cost_Price FROM Products WHERE (((Sales_End_Date <= '2023-04-30') and (Qty_in_Stock != 0)) and (Cost_Price >= 500))" } |
This query retrieves the product name, quantity in stock, vendor name, and cost price for all products whose sales end date is on or before April 30, 2023, whose quantity in stock is not zero, and whose cost price is greater than or equal to 500. Since Vendor_Name is a lookup field, only the ID will be returned in the response.
Sample Response
{ "data": [ { "Cost_Price": 2000, "Vendor_Name": { "id": "4876876000001039017" }, "Product_Name": "Sigma", "Qty_in_Stock": 30, "id": "4876876000001036109" } ], "info": { "count": 1, "more_records": false } } |
Sample Query 3: (not between, is not, >)
{ "select_query": "SELECT Last_Name, First_Name, Referred_By.Full_Name FROM Leads WHERE (((Final_Score not between 10 and 20) and (Annual_Revenue is not null)) and (No_of_Employees > 200)) LIMIT 1" } |
This COQL query selects the last name, first name, and the full name of the lead's referred by field, for one lead whose final score is not between 10 and 20, annual revenue is not null and whose number of employees is greater than 200.
Sample Response
{ "data": [ { "First_Name": "Chau", "Last_Name": "Kitzman", "id": "4876876000000333403", "Referred_By.Full_Name": "Simmons Truhlar" } ], "info": { "count": 1, "more_records": true } } |
Sample Query 4: (>, not in, =, is null)
{ "select_query":"SELECT PO_Number, PO_Date, Status, Discount FROM Purchase_Orders WHERE (((PO_Date = '2023-04-06') and (Due_Date not in ('2023-04-10','2023-04-11', '2023-04-12'))) or ((Discount > 10) and (Requisition_No is null)))" } |
This query selects the PO_Number, PO_Date, Status, and Discount from the Purchase_Orders module where the PO_Date is equal to '2023-04-06' and Due_Date is not any of '2023-04-10', '2023-04-11', or '2023-04-12'; OR Discount is greater than 10 and Requisition_No is null. In this query, we have used both AND and OR operators to combine the clauses.
Sample Response
{ "data": [ { "Status": "Created", "PO_Date": "2022-05-10", "Discount": 9990, "PO_Number": "PO-JL-3876", "id": "4876876000001125176" }, { "Status": "Created", "PO_Date": "2023-04-06", "Discount": 370.37, "PO_Number": "PO-DA-1932", "id": "4876876000003561019" } ], "info": { "count": 2, "more_records": false } } |
We hope you found this post useful and that it has given you a better understanding of COQL queries. In our next post, we will discuss the rest of the field types, aggregate functions with more examples, and provide more queries to help you get started.
If you have any questions or feedback, please let us know in the comments below, or write to us at support@zohocrm.com. We would love to hear from you!
Additionally, if you have any questions about the COQL API or how to construct a query, kindly let us know in the comments.
Additional Reading:
Access your files securely from anywhere
Centralize Knowledge. Transform Learning.
All-in-one knowledge management and training platform for your employees and customers.
New to Zoho Recruit?
Zoho Developer Community
New to Zoho LandingPage?
Zoho LandingPage Resources
New to Zoho Survey?
New to Zoho CRM Plus?
Deliver unforgettable customer experiences
New to Zoho CRM Plus?
Deliver unforgettable customer experiences
New to Zoho Marketing Plus?
Everything you need to run your marketing
New to Zoho Marketing Plus?
Everything you need to run your marketing
New to Bigin?
Topic Participants
Anu Abraham
DataWarehouse
dkvagency
Jeganprabhu S
Anamika Prasanth
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 thisKaizen #222 - Client Script Support for Notes Related List
Hello everyone! Welcome to another week of Kaizen. The final Kaizen post of the year 2025 is here! With the new Client Script support for the Notes Related List, you can validate, enrich, and manage notes across modules. In this post, we’ll explore howKaizen #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
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
Cannot connect IMAP to outlook
Hello I have followed the instructions to connect my zoho account to Outlook IMAP but get this message: Session Id: bba118fb-151c-824f-9512-3ad1e91b109d Timestamp: 1708976566964 Error code: INVALIDCREDENTIALS INTERACTIONREQUIRED I'm using the exact configerationDepartment Overview by Modified Time
We are trying to create visuals to show the work our agents do in Zoho Desk. Using Zoho Analytics how can we create a Department Overview per modified time and not ticket created time? In order for us to get an accurate view of the work our agents areEnhance Sign CRM integration
Hello all, I'm working on a custom Deluge script to enhance the integration between Zoho CRM and Sign by using a writer merge template for additional flexibility. I want to replicate the post-sign document integration that exists between CRM and SignZoho Workdrive download was block by security software
Hi Team, Recently workdrive download was blocked by huorong security. Could you please advise how to put zoho workdrive as white list? every time we put "*.zohoexternal.com" or "workdrive.zohoexternal.com", the warning msg will still pop in next dowChoosing a portal option and the "Unified customer portal"?
I am trialling Zoho to replace various existing systems, one of which is a customer portal. Our portal allows clients to add and edit bookings, complete forms, manage their subscriptions and edit some CRM info. I am trying to understand how I might bestGeneral feedback
I think Zoho is at the moment (potentially) the best, or perhaps the only, real online solution, for business, and not just business. Surely the only one that has all the features that I need (and I've probably tried everything, at least all that has a cost-free option). It has still got lots of bugs and imperfect features, so I do hope it keeps developing and becomes a really professional platform. Lots of people (including me) want to use such one platform for all scheduling/mail/note-taking...How to add SSL to Short URL custom domain?
Hi, I've added a custom domain the the URL Shortener Domains. It's creating the short URL fine, but when clicking through, firstly I get an SSL warning, then a 400 Bad Request warning.Single Portal for Multiple Apps
Hello, I'm just getting started with Zoho and I'm very overwhelmed. I am currently using the free trial of Zoho One, but if I can figure it out, I intend to upgrade to the paid version. Zoho One, of course, gives me access to an entire suite of services/applications. One of the things I'd like to do is have a single place for clients (customers?) to log in and view current projects, invoices, contact information, etc. A single login for my clients. A single portal. I've come across documentationAntispam validation failed for your domain in Accounts
I tried adding a domain to zeptomail.zoho.com, but the “add domain” operation failed. The front‑end error reads: “Domain could not be added. Please contact support@zeptomail.com.” The back‑end API returned: ``` { "error": { "code": "TM_3601", "details":CodeX Scripts for Enforcing Custom Project Logic
Every organization has a defined way of executing projects. There are clear expectations around how tasks should move, when projects should progress, and which actions require validation. When these rules are consistently followed, projects remain structuredCancelled appointments still block out timeslot
I haven't had to test this before, but I've just found a problem. I had an appointment in a certain timeslot, and that appointment was cancelled. However, Bookings won't let another appointment be booked in that slot - it makes that time unavailable untilPreventing Group Emails From Being Sent to Group Member Personal Mail
We have a group setup for a public facing email address. We have streams turned on for this group. Right now when an email is sent to this group email it hits the group stream and also sends a copy of the email to all group members. We'd like to disableUnusual activity detected from this IP. Please try again after some time.
Hello Zoho admin and IT team We are a registered website in Eloctronic services and we been trying to add our users to the zoho system but this issue faced us ,, hope you unlocked us please.¿Puedo migrar mi sitio desde WordPress a Zoho? ¿Zoho admite herramientas con código personalizado?
¡Hola comunidad! Estoy evaluando la posibilidad de migrar mi sitio web https://calculadoradenotas.cl/ desde WordPress a una solución Zoho, y tengo algunas dudas técnicas que espero puedan aclararme. Mi sitio no es solo informativo: es una herramientaHow do I link my invoice to an estimate?
There has been instances where I have created estimates, however, invoices for the same estimate were created independently. The status of these estimates hasn't converted to 'invoiced'.Zoho Books (and other finance suite apps) - Retrospective Linking of Invoice and Sales Orders to Quotes.
In some cases, Quotes and Invoies may be created sperately instead of using the convert feature. In this feature request I am asking for the Finance Suite team to consider adding a lookup field to reference the quote on Invoices and Sales Orders, or someImpossible to import Journal from Freshbooks
I have been trying to import journals from Freshbooks since August 30th. Every time I try to import, I get an error message. I have already made sure every row has a date. First it was saying the account and notes had unexpected input and that every debit/creditPeppol: Accept Bill (Belgium)
Hi, This topic might help you if you're facing the same in Belgium. We are facing an issue while accepting a supplier bill received by Peppol in Zoho Books. There is a popup with an error message: This bill acceptance could not be completed, so it wasConvert invoice from zoho to xml with all details
How to convert an Invoice to XML format with all detailsPrevent subform editing on a module's detail's page
Hi everyone, We would like to prevent any editing of the subform data in the : Create page Edit page Details page (as subform editing is now allowed by the recent UX update) We are able to prevent editing by making the subform fields read only in theExport Invoices to XML file
Namaste! ZOHO suite of Apps is awesome and we as Partner, would like to use and implement the app´s from the Financial suite like ZOHO Invoice, but, in Portugal, we can only use certified Invoice Software and for this reason, we need to develop/customize on top of ZOHO Invoice to create an XML file with specific information and after this, go to the government and certified the software. As soon as we have for example, ZOHO CRM integrated with ZOHO Invoice up and running, our business opportunitiesRefresh frequency
Dear Zoho Team, I really, truly appreciate that Zoho Books gets frequent updates. As a matter of fact this is how a good SaaS company should stay on top. However, I feel that I have to hit refresh almost every day. This was exciting at the beginning butZoho Books | Product updates | January 2026
Hello users, We’ve rolled out new features and enhancements in Zoho Books. From e-filing Form 1099 directly with the IRS to corporation tax support, explore the updates designed to enhance your bookkeeping experience. E-File Form 1099 Directly With theWeekly Tips : Save Time with Saved Search
Let's assume your work requires you to regularly check emails from important clients that have attachments and were sent within a specific time period. Instead of entering the same conditions every time—like sender, date range, and attachments included—youBring real app analytics into Zoho Creator apps with Zoho Apptics
We’re kicking off the year with a release we’ve been looking forward to for a long time. After being in the works for a while, Zoho Creator and Zoho Apptics are now officially integrated, bringing in-depth product analytics directly into the Zoho CreatorDiscontinuing Zoho ShowTime service on May 30, 2026
Hello everyone, As a follow-up to our earlier announcement, we’d like to share an important update regarding Zoho ShowTime’s discontinuation timeline. Zoho ShowTime, our online training platform, reached its end of life on December 31, 2025, and its servicesemailing estimates
Shows up in the customer mail logs as sent but nobody is receiving them, even when I send them to myself I don't get them ??? Something wrong with the mail server or my end ?Ability to CC on a mass email
Ability to CC someone on a mass email.No background for video recordings, no playback speed, can't even playback longer recordings - have to download…
Hi. We utilize heavily video messages on Slack, but wanted to migrate to Cliq with Zoho One, however very basic yet very frequently used feature is missing: backgrounds for video recordings and playback speed. We were not happy with Slack's 5 minute limitsBookings duration - days
Hi team, Is there any way to setup services/bookings that span multiple days? I am using Zoho Bookings for meeting room bookings. Clients may wish to book a room for more than one day, for up to a month. If not, is there a plan to allow services to be setup with durations of Days as well as hours and minutes? Many thanks, Anna.Customer address in Zoho Bookings
Hello, Is it possible to add customer address information to the Zoho bookings appointment screen? Or have it pull that information automatically from the CRM? We are wanting to use this as a field management software but it is difficult to pull the address from multiple sources when it would be ideal to have a clickable address on the appointment screen that opens up the user's maps. It would also be advantageous for the "list view" to show appointment times instead of just duration and bookingFeature Request - Allow Customers To Pick Meeting Duration
Hi Bookings Team, It would be great if there was an option to allow customers to pick a duration based on a max and minimum amount of time defined by me and in increments defined by me. For example, I have some slots which are available for customersNew feature: Invite additional guests for your bookings
Hello everyone, Greetings from Zoho Bookings! We are happy to announce the much-awaited feature Guest Invite, which enhances your booking experience like never before. This feature allows additional participants to be invited for the bookings to makeChanging the owner of a call
Am I correct in my conclusion that I cannot change the owner of a call in Zoho? The field does not show up in the screen, nor can I make it show up as the systems does not give me that option. I cannot "mass update" it either. I tried it, but Zoho refuses to change the name of the owner. Please help out: how do I change the owner of a call.Unified 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 easilyRemove Profiles from "Forecast" Module
How can I remove Profiles from My forecast Module? Image Below The only revenue generators are the VP's, and the Estimation Managers, and the Estimators subordinate to the Est. Managers. How can I remove the unused Profiles? Its frustrating to see themUplifted homepage experience
Editions: All editions. Availability update: 17th February 2026: All editions in the CA and SA DC | JP DC (Free, Standard and Professional editions) 23 February 2026: JP (All Editions) | AU, CN (Free, Standard, Professional editions) 27 February 2026:Restoring records from the recycle bin programatically
Background I'm working on a piece of software to automate conversion of Leads into Deals based on order status from my company's website. The process is mostly complete, right now I'm just working on handling a few edge cases to ensure data integrity.Does Zoho Learn integrate with Zoho Connect,People,Workdrive,Project,Desk?
Can we propose Zoho LEarn as a centralised Knowledge Portal tool that can get synched with the other Zoho products and serve as a central Knowledge repository?All new Address Field in Zoho CRM: maintain structured and accurate address inputs
Availability Update: 29 September 2025: It's currently available for all new sign-ups and for existing Zoho CRM orgs which are in the Professional edition exclusively for IN DC users. 2 March 2026: Available to users in all DCs except US and EU DC. LatestNext Page