Kaizen #88 Assignment Rules

Kaizen #88 Assignment Rules

Hello everyone!
This week, we will discuss the use cases of assignment rules in inserting, updating, and upserting records.

What are Assignment Rules?

The effectiveness of sales is closely tied to a sales representative's daily tasks, such as promptly following up with leads and providing quick responses to customers. A crucial aspect of achieving this lies in implementing a well-structured and carefully planned lead assignment process that takes into account the diverse requirements of leads originating from different sources. Manual assignment may not be efficient, as leads should not be assigned randomly, but rather based on specific criteria like regional experience or product knowledge. "Assignment Rules" automates the lead assignment process by applying predefined rules that consider factors such as territory and product interest, thereby saving time and reducing errors.

Advantages of Assignment Rules 

Zoho CRM's Assignment Rule helps you,
  • To filter records based on the given conditions and assign corresponding owners.
  • To implement an automated system, the time taken to assign leads manually/records that meet the defined criteria can be significantly reduced, thereby making the assignment process more efficient.
  • To assign the filtered records to the specific team in your organization so that they act efficiently to convert leads into contacts and increase your business growth at the earliest possible time.

Where can we create assignment rules on the web UI?

To create an assignment rule, go to Zoho CRM > Setup > Automation > Assignment Rules.

List the Assignment Rules

To list the available assignment rules in your organization.

Request URL: {api-domain}/crm/v4/settings/automation/assignment_rules
Request Method: GET

Sample Response

 {
    "assignment_rules": [
        {
            "created_time": "2023-05-10T00:00:00-07:00",
            "modified_time": "2023-05-30T22:10:53-07:00",
            "default_assignee": {
                "name": "Logged in User",
                "id": "${CURRENTUSER}"
            },
            "module": {
                "api_name": "Leads",
                "id": "5725767000000002175"
            },
            "name": "Leads from India",
            "modified_by": {
                "name": "Patricia Boyle",
                "id": "5725767000000411001",
                "zuid": 808233918
            },
            "description": "Leads from India",
            "id": "5725767000000526437", //ID of the rule(Leads from India)
            "created_by": {
                "name": "Patricia Boyle",
                "id": "5725767000000411001",
                "zuid": 808233918
            }
        }
    ]
}

Apply the rule while creating new records using the ID of the corresponding assignment rule.

Assignment rules on records insert 

While inserting records in a module, you need to specify the ID of the assignment rule which you want to execute, in the request body of the API under the json key "lar_id".
 
Request URL: {api-domain}/crm/v4/Leads
Request Method: POST

Sample Input

{
    "data": [
        {
            "Last_Name":"Smith",
            "Country":"India",
            "Company":"A Technology",
            "Email":"smith@aaa.com",
            "Phone":"+91 87654321**"
        },
        {
            "Last_Name": "Shane",
            "Country": "Pakistan",
            "Company":"B Technology",
            "Email":"shane@bbb.com",
            "Phone":"+9230012345**"
        },
        {
            "Last_Name": "Taqi",
            "Country": "Sri Lanka",
            "Company":"C Technology",
            "Email":"taqi@ccc.com",
            "Phone":"+947123456**"
        },
        {
            "Last_Name": "Kane",
            "Country": "USA",
            "Company":"D Technology",
            "Email":"kane@ddd.com",
            "Phone":"+112345678**"
        }
    ],
    "lar_id": "5725767000000526437"
}

Sample Response

{
    "data": [
        {
            "code": "SUCCESS",
            "details": {
                "Modified_Time": "2023-05-31T02:24:11-07:00",
                "Modified_By": {
                    "name": "Patricia Boyle",
                    "id": "5725767000000411001"
                },
                "Created_Time": "2023-05-31T02:24:11-07:00",
                "id": "5725767000000619002",
                "Created_By": {
                    "name": "Patricia Boyle",
                    "id": "5725767000000411001"
                },
                "$approval_state": "approved"
            },
            "message": "record added",
            "status": "success"
        },
        .
        .
        .
        }
    ]
}

Now, we have applied the rule to the new records and assigned them to their respective owner. To verify whether the records have been assigned to the owner specified in the rule, you can make an API request to GET Records API with the ID of the record. Alternatively, you can perform the verification on the web UI.


Assignment Rules on records update

Zoho CRM provides the flexibility to execute an assignment rule while updating records through its Update Records API.
In the sample request, Kane, a lead from the USA, was initially handled by John. However, Kane has now to moved to India, so Lee will become his new owner.
To achieve this, send the assignment rule ID in the 'lar_id' json key of the request body of the API as below.

Request URL : {{api-domain}}/crm/v4/Leads/{record-id}
Request Method: PUT

Note:
It is mandatory to specify the record ID of Kane to update the fields. 

Sample Input

{
    "data": [
        {
            "Last_Name": "Kane",
            "Country": "India",
            "Company":"D Technology",
            "Email":"kane@ddd.com",
            "Phone":"+9188255172**"
        }
    ],
    "lar_id": "5725767000000526437"
}

Sample Response

{

    "data": [

        {

            "code": "SUCCESS",

            "details": {

                "Modified_Time": "2023-05-31T05:46:51-07:00",

                "Modified_By": {

                    "name": "Patricia Boyle",

                    "id": "5725767000000411001"

                },

                "Created_Time": "2023-05-31T03:19:19-07:00",

                "id": "5725767000000619110",  //ID of the record

 

                "Created_By": {

                    "name": "Patricia Boyle",

                    "id": "5725767000000411001"

                }

            },

            "message": "record updated",

            "status": "success"

        }

    ]

}

To ensure that the record owner has been changed, verify the same using GET Records API.

Request URL: {api-domain}/crm/v4/Leads/{record-id}
Request Method: GET

Sample Response

{
    "data": [
        {
            "Owner": {
                "name": "Lee",
                "id": "5725767000000583018",
                "email": "lee@mail.com",
            },
            "Company": "D Technology",
            "Email": "kane@ddd.com",
            .
            .
            .

            "Country": "India",
            "Created_By": {
                "name": "Patricia Boyle",
                "id": "5725767000000411001",
                "email": "patriciaboyle@zoho.com",
            },
           .
           .
           .

            "Phone": "+9188255172**",
            .
            .
            .

        }
    ]
}

Alternatively, you can check the updated changes on the web UI.

Assignment Rules on records Upsert

Apply assignment rules during Upsert Records API.

Request URL : {api-domain}/crm/{version}/{module_api_name}/upsert
Request Method : POST

Sample Input

{
    "data": [
        {
            "First_Name":"James",
            "Description":"Checking Assignment rules",
            "Last_Name": "DJ",
            "Country": "Sri Lanka",
            "Company":"D Technology",
            "Email":"james@mail.com", //system-defined duplicate check field for Leads Module
            "Lead Source":"Cold Call",
            "Phone":"+9188255172",
            "Annual Revenue":"20000"
        }
    ],
    "lar_id": "5725767000000526437"
}

Note:
  • Provide the email (a system-defined mandatory field ) for the Leads module. If the record already exists, the system will check for matching data and update the record. If the record does not exist, a new record will be created.
  • Provide the assignment rule ID that you want to execute while upserting the record.
Sample Response

{
    "data": [
        {
            "code": "SUCCESS",
            "duplicate_field": "Email",
            "action": "insert", //No existing records were found. So, the system created a new record.
            "details": {
                "Modified_Time": "2023-05-31T12:02:32-07:00",
                "Modified_By": {
                    "name": "Patricia Boyle",
                    "id": "5725767000000411001"
                },
                "Created_Time": "2023-05-31T11:57:15-07:00",
                "id": "5725767000000627046", //ID of the record 
                "Created_By": {
                    "name": "Patricia Boyle",
                    "id": "5725767000000411001"
                }
            },
            "message": "record added",
            "status": "success"
        }
    ]
}

Thank you for your time, and we look forward to bring you another insightful guide in next week's Kaizen.
Feel free to post your queries in the comment section below or write to us at support@zohocrm.com 

Cheers!

Further Reading 









    Access your files securely from anywhere









                          Zoho Developer Community




                                                • Desk Community Learning Series


                                                • Digest


                                                • Functions


                                                • Meetups


                                                • Kbase


                                                • Resources


                                                • Glossary


                                                • Desk Marketplace


                                                • MVP Corner


                                                • Word of the Day


                                                • Ask the Experts





                                                          Manage your brands on social media



                                                                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

                                                                                    • 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

                                                                                                          • Is it really true that I can't set the default 'deposit to' account in 2025?

                                                                                                            I've been using Books for 7 years and the default account has never been a problem. I usually manually reconcile invoices and have never had a thought about which account. It has always been my account. However, I recently noticed that for the past 4
                                                                                                          • Standard Payment Term is not pulled from account to quotation

                                                                                                            Hey Team There seems to be something off. I do have "Net 30" as my default payment term in Zoho Books for my customers. If, from the customer overview or quote section, I create a new Quotation, the payment terms field stays blank and doesn't get the
                                                                                                          • OAuth integration issues

                                                                                                            I'm experiencing persistent OAuth errors when trying to connect Make with Zoho API. I've tried multiple approaches but keep encountering the following issues: First error: 'Invalid Redirect Uri - Redirect URI passed does not match with the one configured'
                                                                                                          • Zoho Mail Android app update: Manage folders

                                                                                                            Hello everyone! In the latest version(v2.9) of the Zoho Mail Android app update, we have brought in support for an option to manage folders. You can now create, edit, and delete folders from within the mobile app. You can also manage folders for the POP
                                                                                                          • Shortcut to fill a range of cells

                                                                                                            Good evening: I'm writing because I haven't been able to find a feature that allows you to select a range of cells, type in one of them, and then use a key combination to type in all of them. In Excel, the keyboard shortcut is Ctrl+Enter. I haven't found
                                                                                                          • validation rules doesn't work in Blueprint when it is validated using function?

                                                                                                            I have tried to create a validation rule in the deal module. it works if I try to create a deal manually or if I try to update the empty field inside a deal. but when I try to update the field via the blueprint mandatory field, it seems the validation
                                                                                                          • Get Zoho Mail API working (including DRE Connector, Oauth Token, ZUID, ZOID & ACCOUNT_ID)

                                                                                                            Disclaimer: I’m not a professional coder! Do you need to use Zoho Mail API? Me too. It lets you do all sorts of things — like reading the complete header of an email, or forwarding an email with its attachments — which is what I wanted to do. But setting
                                                                                                          • Revenue Deferrals

                                                                                                            Does ZOHO books and subscriptions handle Revenue Deferrals?   
                                                                                                          • Can I make a website open inside Zoho whenever I log in?

                                                                                                            Hi Zoho Team, Every day, I check a few websites for updates, for example, Rojgar--result, where I see the latest government job results and notifications. I was wondering if there’s any option in Zoho to make a website like that open inside Zoho whenever
                                                                                                          • Zoho Analytics & SQL Server - Live connect

                                                                                                            Below are the steps I did Created a fresh database and table in my own virtual server Created a new data source connection with live connect I was able to select the tables and created the data source successfully I am getting the error when I try to
                                                                                                          • Kaizen #214 - Workflow APIs - Part 2

                                                                                                            Welcome back to another week of Kaizen! Last week, we discussed how Zylker Cloud Services used the Workflow APIs to discover and audit all the automations in their CRM, listing every workflow, checking triggers, and understanding their automation limits.
                                                                                                          • Playback and Management Enhancements for Zoho Quartz Recordings

                                                                                                            Hello Zoho Team, We hope you're all doing well. We would like to submit a feature request related to Zoho Quartz, the tool used to record and share browser sessions with Zoho Support. 🎯 Current Functionality As of now, Zoho Quartz allows users to record
                                                                                                          • Implementing a Self-Invoicing/Vendor Portal in Zoho Creator

                                                                                                            Hello Zoho Community / Creator Experts, We would like to build a Self-Invoicing Portal (Vendor Portal) in Zoho Creator for our external contractors. Our goal is to allow approved contractors to log in, submit their invoice details (hours worked, project
                                                                                                          • Zoho CRM Community Digest - September P1 | 2025

                                                                                                            Hello Everyone! September's Here! Before we jump into product updates, and community highlights, here's a quick spotlight! Zoho has launched a Professional Sales Rep Certification course on Coursera, tailored for sales professionals to strengthen their
                                                                                                          • Upload my theme.

                                                                                                            Hello. I would like to upload my own theme, this one: https://themeforest.net/item/panagea-travel-and-tours-listings-template/21957086 Is it compatible and where I upload it? If not I will hire a developer, what do I have to ask when I search for one?
                                                                                                          • Explore the Redesigned Quotes Module in Zoho Billing

                                                                                                            Dear users, We’re excited to introduce a refreshed look for the Quotes details page in Zoho Billing! This update brings you a more efficient user interface experience without changing your existing workflow. We've enhanced layouts with organized tabs,
                                                                                                          • Product Updates in Zoho Workplace applications | September 2025

                                                                                                            Hello Workplace Community, Let’s take a look at the new features and enhancements that went live across all Workplace applications this September. Zoho Mail Attach email as EML file in Compose Effortlessly attach emails as EML file in Compose by simply
                                                                                                          • Vehicle Tracking

                                                                                                            we have GPS devices that installed on our vehicles, and we would like to know if it's possible to  get vehicle live location data from the GPS device To Zoho Creator App.   Thank You
                                                                                                          • 🤝 Rencontres, partage et inspiration au Zoho Community Meetup de novembre

                                                                                                            Chers utilisateurs, Bonne nouvelle 🎉 : notre Meetup Zoho Community approche, et nous serions ravis de vous y voir ! 📍 Toulouse : le 25 novembre 📍 Lyon : le 27 novembre (🎯 Il ne reste que quelques places !) Que vous soyez débutant ou utilisateur avancé,
                                                                                                          • Need Help Mapping GST Registration Number Field Between Zoho Books & Zoho CRM + Slow Sync Issues

                                                                                                            am facing an issue with field mapping between Zoho Books and Zoho CRM. I want to map the GST Registration Number field from the Customer module in Zoho Books to a custom GST field inside the Accounts module in Zoho CRM. However, I am getting a warning
                                                                                                          • Notification received when self-assigning tickets

                                                                                                            When I assign tickets in Zoho Desk the relevant agent gets a notification email. When assigning myself a ticket in Zoho Desk, I get a notification email. Now, as I am the person who assigned the ticket to myself, getting a notification in this regard
                                                                                                          • Nouveauté dans Zoho Writer - Création de documents et de modèles assistée par l'IA

                                                                                                            Zia, l’assistant IA de Zoho Writer, soutient les utilisateurs dans l’amélioration de leur écriture et la création de contenus : correction orthographique et grammaticale en temps réel, suggestions adaptées au contexte, détection du plagiat, révisions
                                                                                                          • Session Expired

                                                                                                            I constantly get "Session Expired" and need to relogin or close and open the application again. This gets really frustrating during the day. Is this something that can be solved? This really makes me want to leave the app as it is no go to need to reopen
                                                                                                          • Integrate your Outlook/ Office 365 inbox with Zoho CRM via Graph API

                                                                                                            Hello folks, In addition to the existing IMAP and POP options, you can now integrate your Outlook/Office 365 inbox with Zoho CRM via Graph API. Why did we add this option? Microsoft Graph API offers a single endpoint to access data from across Microsoft’s
                                                                                                          • Disable Buttons for Users with Profiles without permission

                                                                                                            Hey, I've noticed that users without permission of setting up things in the marketplace, can still see the icon: On a click, you see this: It would be way better, if they couldn't see this menu icon at all. (Aside from the fact that it completely misplaced
                                                                                                          • Mapping a new Ticket in Zoho Desk to an Account or Deal in Zoho CRM manually

                                                                                                            Is there any way for me to map an existing ticket in Zoho desk to an account or Deal within Zoho CRM? Sometimes people use different email to put in a ticket than the one that we have in the CRM, but it's still the same person. We would like to be able
                                                                                                          • Zoho Analytics - Make text clickable in underlying data

                                                                                                            Hi Community, I have a simple sales report based on a Invoice query table. I have included a link on to each invoice on the table and sent the Invoice number URL to the link. This works find in the query table, but when I click underlying data on the
                                                                                                          • Credit Management: #5 Advanced Refund Policy

                                                                                                            You're subscribed to a well-known SaaS design tool. You've used it to manage your team's projects, create marketing visuals, brochures, and so on. But your needs change over time. Your company may switch to another tool or hire an in-house designer who
                                                                                                          • Exported Slide Image Lacks Portion of the Background Image

                                                                                                            This does not always happen, but when I export (or "download") the rendered image of a slide, it sometimes lacks a portion of the background image. I created a sample slide deck to demonstrate it and shared it with the admins. It is also publicly available
                                                                                                          • How to create a Zoho Mail extension similar to Outlook's OnSend add-in?

                                                                                                            Hi, I want to create a Zoho Mail extension similar to Outlook’s OnSend add-in. The extension should: Let the user select headers and footers from a taskpane while composing an email. When the user clicks Send, the extension should: Automatically insert
                                                                                                          • Effective Inbox Organization: Folders vs Tags in Zoho Mail?

                                                                                                            I'm exploring the best ways to organize a busy inbox, especially when managing multiple clients or project using Zoho Mail. I’d love to know what works best for others: 1. Do you prefer **folders** (possibly with sub-folders) for each client or project?
                                                                                                          • Piss poor service in Support in Domains and email

                                                                                                            Srijith Narayanan B contacted me today. Very pleasant fellow. Just didn't want to tell him how bad your support service is. You help the person, but you leave before we can finish the next stage. Which causes a lot of frustration. It's been 8 days now
                                                                                                          • Zoho Mail android app update: Block & reject future emails, Report phishing, Spam alerts, Suspicious URL detection

                                                                                                            Hello everyone! In the most recent Zoho Mail Android app update, we have brought in support for the following features: Block & reject future emails Report Phishing Spam alerts in the mail details screen. Suspicious URL detection. Block & reject future
                                                                                                          • Zohomail does not support additional fields in mailto links

                                                                                                            Hello, I set up Zohomail as default composer in Firefox according to manual here: https://www.zoho.com/mail/help/defaultcomposer.html#alink2 Later, I wanted to use this functionality to answer in a Linux mailing list thread using mailto link: mailto:xxxxx@kernel.org?In-Reply-To=%3C727o0521-q24p-s0qq-66n0-sn436rpqqr1p@example.com%3E&Cc=xxxxx%example.org&Subject=Re%3A%20%5BPATCH%20v2%28%29
                                                                                                          • Emails not being received from a particular domain

                                                                                                            Cannot receive any emails sent from atco.com Domain is in the spam whitelist so should be no reason for it not to be coming through. Have filed a ticket and besides a generic response of we are looking at it - it seems there is no actual support workers
                                                                                                          • Email address for forwarding is not saving and there's no confirmation ema

                                                                                                            Steps to reproduce: 1. Enter my forward email in the email forward section of the account 2. Click save 3. See a notification stating saved successfully 4. Refresh the page, no forward email is saved 5. No email confirmation received at the forwarding
                                                                                                          • This domain is not allowed to add in Zoho. Please contact support-as@zohocorp.com for further details

                                                                                                            This is the error i keep getting when trying to use my Zoho Domain Mail. This domain is not allowed to add in Zoho. Please contact support-as@zohocorp.com for further details Find attached. I hope this can be resolved very quickly so i can go on and make
                                                                                                          • Auto CC - Moving Departments

                                                                                                            We have Auto CC e-mail replies to your support mailbox enabled. We have two departments: Helpdesk (helpdesk@domain.com) Delivery (delivery@domain.com) If we create a Helpdesk ticket, and reply, replies are CC'd to helpdesk@domain.com (OK) We then move
                                                                                                          • unable to send message reason 554 5.1.8 Email outgoing blocked

                                                                                                            unable to send message reason 554 5.1.8 Email outgoing blocked
                                                                                                          • Mailk got blocked / Inquiry About Email Sending Limits and Upgrade Options

                                                                                                            Dear Zoho Support Team, My name is Kamr Elsayed I created this account to use for applying for vocational training in Germany. As part of this process, I send multiple emails to different companies. However, after sending only 8 emails today, I received
                                                                                                          • Next Page