Automatic Mail-Merge Document Creation Using Zoho CRM APIs
Efficient communication and personalized document generation are crucial for maintaining strong customer relationships in your business. Manual document generation can be time-consuming, repetitive and error-prone, decreasing productivity and customer satisfaction. You can solve this with automatic document generation by creating merged documents from predefined mail merge templates.
With Zoho CRM's mail merge templates you can create personalized documents, including forms, envelopes, and letters, by utilizing variables also known as merge fields. These templates enable you to merge data from variables, ensuring accurate information is incorporated into the documents without the need for manual data entry for each record. For additional information, please consult the guidelines on Managing Mail Merge Templates.
In Zoho CRM, you can automate document generation using its mail merge template APIs. You can send, sign, and download customized documents automatically.
Send Mail Merge API : To send emails to users using mail merge template. You can also attach files either as inline images or separate attachments with the email through the API.
Sign Mail Merge API : To sign and approve a merged document.
Download Mail Merge API: To download a mail merged document.
Let us discuss two use cases where these APIs are used. Assume you manage your business for a technological company, Zylker Technologies, using Zoho CRM.
Prerequisites
- Create a connector with required scopes. For the below use cases a connector with the below scopes was created -ZohoSign.documents.ALL, ZohoCRM.modules.ALL, ZohoWriter.documentEditor.ALL, ZohoWriter.Merge.ALL, ZohoCRM.settings.mailmerge.CREATE
- For using sign mail merge API, you must initially access the Merge and Sign dialogue from the Writer UI.
Use Case 1: Using Mail Merge APIs for sending Letter of Intent for customers
Let us consider a scenario where you want to send a LOI (Letter of Intent) to be signed by your customer. A Letter of Intent is a formal document that contains a preliminary agreement and commitment to move forward with the deal, outlining key terms and conditions. You can create a mail merge template for your LOI with merge fields from your Customer module. You can find mail merge templates in Zoho CRM UI under Setup > Customization > Templates > Mail Merge. Refer the below image for a sample LOI mail merge template.
Sample Mail Merge Template for Letter of IntentNote that the merge fields given in the mail merge template are fields from Accounts module (renamed as Customers) with additional custom fields.
You can automate sending the LOI to your customer using a custom button with an associated function for the Customers module. In this case, a custom button "send LOI" is added as shown in the screenshot below.
Screenshot of Customer module showing sendLOI buttonThe below function calls sign mail merge API which sends the merged letter of intent document to your customer for signing. The customer will receive an email notification containing the document which can be signed using Zoho Sign. Sign mail merge API's response includes a Zoho Writer document link that can be used to track the signing status. In the below function, the system will send mail to the customer along with the mail-merged document for them to sign, and it will store the link to track the sign status in a custom URL field named Document Sign Details. This field allows you to access and review the document from your record conveniently.
customerMap = zoho.crm.getRecordById("Accounts",customerId.toLong()); name = customerMap.get("Account_Name"); to_email = customerMap.get("customer_Email"); merge_template_name = "LOI"; //Replace with your mail merge template name info name; info to_email; input_json = "{'sign_mail_merge':[{'mail_merge_template':{'name':'" + merge_template_name + "'},'file_name':'letterofintent','sign_in_order':false,'signers':[{'recipient_name':'" + name + "','action_type':'sign','recipient':{'type':'email','value':'" + to_email + "'}}]}]}"; header_data = Map(); header_data.put("Content-Type","application/json"); response = invokeurl [ url :"https://www.zohoapis.com/crm/v5/Accounts/" + customerId.toLong() + "/actions/sign_mail_merge" type :POST parameters:input_json connection:"zylkercrm" ]; //Replace above connection name with your connection name info response; details = response.getJSON("sign_mail_merge").toJSONList(); link = ""; for each detail in details { link = detail.get("details").get("report_link"); info link; } mp = Map(); mp.put("Document_Sign_Details",link); update = zoho.crm.updateRecord("Accounts",customerId.toLong(),mp); return ""; |
The system sends a merged document, as shown in the screenshot below, to the customer.
Final Merged Document sent to CustomerUse case 2: Using mail merge API for sending different types of SLA
Assume that in Zylker Technologies, when you sell a product, your customer can opt for different types of after sales support . A check list field - Support Type - indicates type of support - Standard or Premium. SLA document(Service Level Agreement) is a contract between you and your customer that defines level of service and the metrics used to measure the service.The service level provided to different customers will be different based on the kind of support they opted for and you need to send different SLA document based on this. This can be achieved by maintaining two SLA mail merge templates.
Similar to use case 1, a custom button can invoke the below function and in the function, a mail merge template is selected based on the type of service provided. The support_Type fields gets the value of the "Support Type" check list. Merge mail template is decided based on this field and send mail merge API is called to send the merged document. After sending the mail with appropriate mail merge template document, the function downloads the merged document and uploads it to the Attachments related list.
Using download mail merge API, the merged document is obtained and then attached to the Contacts module with the attachFile function.
customerMap = zoho.crm.getRecordById("Accounts",customerId.toLong()); to_email = customerMap.get("customer_Email"); from_email = customerMap.get("Owner").get("email"); support_Type = customerMap.get("Support_Type"); if (support_Type == "Premium" ) { merge_template_name = "SLA_Premium"; } else { merge_template_name = "SLA_Std"; } //Replace above merge template names with your merge template names input_json = "{'send_mail_merge':[{'mail_merge_template':{'name':'" + merge_template_name + "'},'from_address':{'type':'email','value':'" + from_email + "'},'to_address':[{'type':'email','value':'" + to_email + "'}],'subject':'Hi there','type':'attachment','attachment_name':'testdocument','message':'Big Deal'}]}"; header_data = Map(); header_data.put("Content-Type","application/json"); response = invokeurl [ url :"https://www.zohoapis.com/crm/v5/Accounts/" + customerId + "/actions/send_mail_merge" type :POST parameters:input_json connection:"zylkercrm" ]; //Replace above connection name with your connection name input_json = "{'download_mail_merge':[{'mail_merge_template':{'name':'" + merge_template_name + "'},'output_format':'pdf'}]}"; header_data = Map(); header_data.put("Content-Type","application/json"); //The merged document is stored to file_object file_object = invokeurl [ url :"https://www.zohoapis.com/crm/v5/Accounts/" + customerId.toLong() + "/actions/download_mail_merge" type :POST parameters:input_json connection:"zylkercrm" ]; //Replace above connection name with your connection name response = zoho.crm.attachFile("Accounts",customerId,file_object); return ""; |
The benefits of using the mail merge template APIs from Zoho CRM, which enable automated document generation, are highlighted in this article. These APIs enable the easy customization of the documents like Letters of Intent (LOIs), Service Level Agreements (SLAs), Request for Proposal (RFPs), etc. Businesses can increase efficiency, accuracy, and customer happiness by automating this procedure.
We hope you found this article useful. We will be back next week with another interesting topic. If you have any questions, write to us at support@zohocrm.com or let us know in the comment section.
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
Mable Mary M P
Chad LeJeune
Anamika Prasanth
Blake Guilfoyle
Pheranda Nongpiur
Sticky Posts
Kaizen #197: Frequently Asked Questions on GraphQL APIs
🎊 Nearing 200th Kaizen Post – We want to hear from you! Do you have any questions, suggestions, or topics you would like us to cover in future posts? Your insights and suggestions help us shape future content and make this series better for everyone.Kaizen #198: Using Client Script for Custom Validation in Blueprint
Nearing 200th Kaizen Post – 1 More to the Big Two-Oh-Oh! Do you have any questions, suggestions, or topics you would like us to cover in future posts? Your insights and suggestions help us shape future content and make this series better for everyone.Celebrating 200 posts of Kaizen! Share your ideas for the milestone post
Hello Developers, We launched the Kaizen series in 2019 to share helpful content to support your Zoho CRM development journey. Staying true to its spirit—Kaizen Series: Continuous Improvement for Developer Experience—we've shared everything from FAQsKaizen #193: Creating different fields in Zoho CRM through API
🎊 Nearing 200th Kaizen Post – We want to hear from you! Do you have any questions, suggestions, or topics you would like us to cover in future posts? Your insights and suggestions help us shape future content and make this series better for everyone.Client Script | Update - Introducing Commands in Client Script!
Have you ever wished you could trigger Client Script from contexts other than just the supported pages and events? Have you ever wanted to leverage the advantage of Client Script at your finger tip? Discover the power of Client Script - Commands! Commands
New to Zoho TeamInbox?
Zoho TeamInbox Resources
Zoho CRM Plus Resources
Zoho Books Resources
Zoho Subscriptions Resources
Zoho Projects Resources
Zoho Sprints Resources
Qntrl Resources
Zoho Creator Resources
Zoho CRM Resources
Design. Discuss. Deliver.
Zoho Show Resources
Get Started. Write Away!
Writer is a powerful online word processor, designed for collaborative work.
Zoho CRM コンテンツ
-
オンラインヘルプ
-
Webセミナー
-
機能活用動画
-
よくある質問
-
Ebook
-
-
Zoho Campaigns
- Zoho サービスのWebセミナー
その他のサービス コンテンツ
Nederlandse Hulpbronnen
ご検討中の方
Recent Topics
📞 Call + 💬 WhatsApp + 📲 SMS in Zoho CRM – All in One Place!
We’re excited to introduce HelloSend, a powerful communication extension for Zoho CRM that brings SMS, WhatsApp, and Voice Calling directly into your CRM workspace. Whether you're in sales, support, or service delivery, HelloSend helps you connect withAutomation#24: Auto-Update custom field from Accounts to Tickets
Hello Everyone! Welcome back to the Community Learning Series! This episode dives into how Zylker Techfix streamlines account-related ticket references. Previously, employees had to manually check account details to retrieve specific customer information,Product Updates in Zoho Workplace applications | May 2025
Hello Workplace Community, Let’s take a look at the new features and enhancements that went live across all Workplace applications this May. Zoho Mail Increased Preset Limit for Reminder and Snooze Options Preset limits for the Reminder and Snooze optionsOutlook 365 ('classic') won't connect to Zoho email
New computer, fresh install of Office desktop. On the old computer Outlook was working fine with Zoho, retrieving/sending mail, etc. On the new one I can't connect the accounts in Outlook--Outlook just keeps popping up the box asking for a password. Alllogin email
Never logged into email says last log in never loged intoInstallment plans
Hi I am looking for a way to allow my customer to make equal monthly payments. For instance if I create an invoice for customer Y for $1000 I want to allow them to make equal monthly payments for the next 6 months. I need those payments to be auto chargedSearch Mail with URL parameters
Is it possible to search Zoho Mail by passing URL params like we can in Gmail? eg. mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#search/from:(jane@doe.com)Need Help Fetching Latest Conversion Rate by Date
Hi Team, I’m currently working on building a Balance Sheet in Zoho Analytics across different entities, with a common base currency of USD. I receive USD conversion values on a daily basis, and my requirement is to always capture the most recent availableEnhance Zoho One Conditional Assignment to Fully Reassign App Settings When Changing Departments
Hi Zoho Team, We’d like to submit a feature request regarding the current behavior of Zoho One’s conditional assignment logic when moving a user between departments. 🔧 Current Limitation As it stands, Zoho One’s conditional assignment does not removeCategory to Alert
Hi I am looking for help on how to solve an issue. We use the Category field for all items. We also use Composite Items. We would like to create an email alert when a Sales Order is created, however it would need to look at the Item to identify the categoryValidation Rule (Date)
Hi There, Can any anyone help me with the validation rule? I'm trying to fire a rule whereby the End Date cannot be before Start Date. Any takers? Manoj NairBeyond Email: #3 Organize effortlessly with Bookmarks
With her team’s details now neatly saved under Contacts, Sarah is feeling more settled in Zoho Mail. As she begins exploring her new workspace, she remembers the collection of useful links she has saved on her browser—project trackers, client portals,Notification based on created/updated sales order that contain certain line items.
Hi, I am finding the workflows within Books somewhat difficult to setup, so I am thinking that a custom function may be the best way to go about this. I want to be able to send a notification to a team member that any sales order that has been createdDrawings in forms
I do a lot of drawings during my consultations and I’d like to add body maps or stencils that I can draw on in different colours and add explanations etc. I need to be able to erase mistakes etc. Ideally in a form that I can prepopulate with client details and a few questions/ client signature and then save as a form. is this currently possible? if not, is it in the pipeline? thanks, DennisHow can I populate dropdown data with information from another source or app?
I want to maintain a list of items in another app (say in excel or another database) and sync those as items in a drop down menu, instead of copy pasting to import. Is this kind of a feature available?Workplace - Zoholics Europe Customer Awards
Dear Zoho Mail Community! 📣 We're excited to announce that at this year's Zoholics events across Europe, we're holding customer awards for the first time ever! Workplace - Zoholics Europe Customer Awards This is your chance to shout about the amazingZoholics Europe Customer Awards
Dear Zoho Workplace Community! 📣 We're excited to announce that at this year's Zoholics events across Europe, we're holding customer awards for the first time ever! Workplace - Zoholics Europe Customer Awards This is your chance to shout about the amazingChange Default Currency in Zoho Reports
Is it possible to default all currency fields in my Reports and Tables to my local currency without having to reformat them every time?[Webinar] Deluge Learning Series - Master Conditional & Operational Logic in Zoho Deluge
We’re excited to bring you the next session in our Deluge Learning Series—a focused one-hour webinar where you’ll level up your skills in conditional and operational logic using Deluge scripting. From writing clean if-else conditions to implementing powerfulUPI QR Code in Invoices
Hi, It would be easier to make payment, if UPI Qr code is generated by Zoho Books and shown in the invoice itself. This will promote digital payments and also makes it easier for customers to pay. It would be even helpful, if QR code contains the invoiceWebDAV support
I need WebDAV support so that I can upload/download (and modify) documents from my local file system. Is anything planned in his direction?Recurring Events Not Appearing in "My Events" and therefore not syncing with Google Apps
We use the Google Sync functionality for our events, and it appears to have been working fine except: I've created a set of recurring events that I noticed were missing from my Google Apps calendar. Upon further research, it appears this is occurringZoho Inventory Item History
Hi Zoho Inventory Team, I 've been testing the History feature on Inventory Items in a demo system and I noticed that when I changed the value of a field to a new value, the history just says "updated by - user1", it doesn't say what what field was changedFilter Images in Work Drive
Hi, what is the best way to be able to filter files by multiple descriptions, for example, the name of a person in the photo as well as, an item in the photo and other descriptions? With labels it looks like you can only select one label at once but thisFlow not working when trying to Create a Merged Doc with info from a custom CRM module w/ subform
I am having a problem creating a flow that gets its info from a webhook connected to a button in a custom module in Zoho CRM. I have made a template in Writer that follows: This is a clone of the template in the CRM mail merge which works perfectly if i do it manually through there. My flow gets the custom module entry id through a webhook, then fetches the module entry data, and creates a merge document from that data. I know the webhook and the fetch work because if i replace the "create mergeSmart Scheduling via Agent Confirmation
We’re excited to introduce a smarter and more streamlined way to manage dispatched service appointments in Zoho FSM! Feature Highlights Field agents can now approve or reject service appointments assigned to them—helping reduce unnecessary workload andHow to delete Inactive users?
We want to delete inactive users from our system, but went you deactivate still the names are shown at the inactive section. How to get really rid off these names? Thanks for your response! Fabian van den BarselaarHelp me format my signature in zoho mail
I need to set up my signature in zoho mail then send the format to other colegues to set it up by themselves. I have isues setting up my 5 logos one after another as I am not able to give sapce between logos. After setting up my signature with logos thereCan i integrate bigin with google voice?
I make all my calling through google voice to seprate my personal line from business. I want to log my calls with customers automatically but i domt see anywhere where i can do that. Any help? Im pretty sure i wont be able to. SadCustom Field for Customer ID in Zoho Commerce's Customer Section
Hi everyone, I’m wondering if it’s possible to add a custom field in the "Customer" section of Zoho Commerce. Specifically, I need to include a "NIF" or "Customer ID" field, as it's mandatory for invoicing in Spain. I know this can be done in Zoho Inventory,Introducing Zoho CRM for Everyone: A reimagined UI, next-gen Ask Zia, timeline view, and more
Hello Everyone, Your customers may not directly observe your processes or tools, but they can perceive the gaps, missed hand-offs, and frustration that negatively impact their experience. While it is possible to achieve a great customer experience byAPI Self Client Authtoken conversion always returns "invalid_client".
I am having a problem when trying to convert an Authtoken to OAuth for a Self Client script. I have made sure that the client Id, secret, and organisation are correct, and the domain is definitely ".com"/ This is the python code I am using to create[Webinar] Live demos and user Q&A with Zoho Writer product experts
Join us on June 12, 2025 for live demos based on your use cases and real-world scenarios raised via form. This is also an opportunity to get your questions answered directly by product experts from the Zoho Writer team. Webinar agenda Live demos basedMy client requires me to have custom pdf file names to except payment for invoices, how can I customize this before emailing.
Hello! I love the program so far but there are a few things that are standing in the way. I hope you guys can code them in so I can keep the program for years to come. My client requires I customize the pdf file names I send in for billing. Can you pleaseSchedule mass emails, view mass emails status and more!
Hello everyone, Mass emails help you communicate with multiple customers in a couple of clicks. We have introduced a Mass Emails dashboard in Bigin so that users can see the status of the mass emails like how many emails were opened, clicked and bounced.Multiple Selection/Select All for Approvals
I have a suggestion from users regarding Approvals. In our environment, our Regional Managers can receive multiple requests for Approval or Rejection. They find it tedious to approve (or reject) each individual record. They would like to have a way toHow to report and analyze a multi-select field entries distinctly ?
As many of CRM users I have many multi-select fields that allows me to choose more than one chose in one cell for a specific filed Like: Field A - A;BC - A;C -B;C But when reporting the field it will handle each cell as a "String" not multiple entriesMerge invoices
This has come up three times in a month of me using the system. a client whom i do work for on a regular bases asked me to invoice separate jobs on a single invoice. I would then go and cancel the old invoices and make a new one. It would be great if i could just select the invoices and click merge to create a single invoice.Zoho CRM Two currencies on one record
Hello all, Our country is planning to transition to Euro from our local currency. The government is planning to mandate that all companies show their invoices, quotes, etc. in both currencies for a period of one year in order to protect from speculation.How to get values from both tables in Join in COQL query in Zoho API
In this below query I can get value either from Deal Table or from Contact table. If I wanted data from both the table it is not working. Can you please help me with this. Thanks in advance. { "select_query": "select ,A.Deal_Name,B.First_Name,B.Last_Name,Next Page