Kaizen #98 - Query API using v5 PHP SDK

Kaizen #98 - Query API using v5 PHP SDK

Hello and welcome to another week of Kaizen!

In our previous posts, we have already covered in detail about Query API, when to use them and their supported fields and operators with examples. Please refer to COQL API [Part I] and COQL API [Part II] for more details. In this week's post, we will discuss in detail how to use Query API in Zoho CRM PHP SDK. Please note that this article holds true for PHP SDK supporting version 5 of Zoho CRM APIs.

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. 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, or to query for records from cross-modules (linked via lookup field). 

How to construct a simple Query?

  1. Begin with the SELECT clause
  2. Specify the fields you want to fetch.
  3. Use the FROM clause to specify the module you are querying.
  4. Use the WHERE clause to apply conditions and filter the results based on specific criteria.
  5. Specify the conditions.
  6. Utilize additional clauses such as GROUP BY, ORDER BY, LIMIT, and OFFSET to further customize the query results if needed.

For example,
SELECT Last_Name, First_Name, Mobile FROM Leads WHERE (Lead_Status = 'Not Contacted') ORDER BY Last_Name DESC LIMIT 5 OFFSET 10;

COQL API using PHP SDK

To make a query, use the following code snippet in your code.

// Instantiate QueryOperations class
$queryOperations = new QueryOperations();
// Create a new BodyWrapper instance to set the query
$bodyWrapper = new BodyWrapper();
// Define your COQL select query
$selectQuery = "give_your_select_query_here";
// Set the select query in the body wrapper
$bodyWrapper->setSelectQuery($selectQuery);
// Execute the query and get the response
$response = $queryOperations->getRecords($bodyWrapper);


Let us explore in detail with examples how to use COQL for various field types and operators.

I. Text and Picklist Fields

The supported operators for Text and Picklist fields are =, !=, like, not like, in, not in, is null, is not null.

Sample code using =, like, in operators
<?php

use com\zoho\crm\api\query\BodyWrapper;
use com\zoho\crm\api\query\QueryOperations;
require_once "vendor/autoload.php";

class GetRecords
{
    public static function initialize()
    {
        // add initialisation code
        // refer to this post for details and examples 
    }
    public static function getRecords1()
    {
        $queryOperations = new QueryOperations();
        $bodyWrapper = new BodyWrapper();
        $selectQuery =
            "SELECT First_Name, Last_Name FROM Leads WHERE (((Lead_Status = 'Attempted to Contact') and (Company like '%zylker%')) and Lead_Source in ('Employee Referral', 'Advertisement')) LIMIT 5 OFFSET 10";
        $bodyWrapper->setSelectQuery($selectQuery);
        $response = $queryOperations->getRecords($bodyWrapper);
        //Add your code to handle the response received in $response. To know more, refer to this sample code.
    }
}
GetRecords::initialize();
GetRecords::getRecords1();
?>


Please note that the like operator is used for pattern matching, and is used for starts_with, ends_with, and  contains operators. In this example query, LIKE operator with the pattern %zylker% is used to find records where the Company field contains the substring zylker anywhere within its value. The % symbol represents any number of characters (including none) before or after the pattern zylker. % is the only supported wildcard character for Zoho CRM Query APIs. 

II. Lookup Fields

The supported operators for Lookup fields are =, !=, in, not in, is null, is not null.

Sample Query using !=, is not, not in, is not null

<?php
use com\zoho\crm\api\query\BodyWrapper;
use com\zoho\crm\api\query\QueryOperations;
require_once "vendor/autoload.php";

class GetRecords
{
    public static function initialize()
    {
        // add initialisation code
         // refer to this post for details and examples 
    }
    public static function getRecords1()
    {
        $queryOperations = new QueryOperations();
        $bodyWrapper = new BodyWrapper();
       $selectQuery = "SELECT Last_Name, First_Name, Full_Name, Account_Name, Owner from Contacts where (((Account_Name.Account_Name != 'Zylker') and (Reporting_To is not null)) and Vendor_Name.Vendor_Name not in ('Skytech','SR'))";
        $bodyWrapper->setSelectQuery($selectQuery);
        $response = $queryOperations->getRecords($bodyWrapper);
         //Add your code to handle the response received in $response. To know more, refer to this sample code.
    }
}
GetRecords::initialize();
GetRecords::getRecords1();
?>

III. Date, DateTime, Number, Currency Fields

=, !=, >=, >, <=, <, between, not between, in, not in, is null, is not null are the supported operators for these fields.

Sample Query using between, <, >, >=

<?php

use com\zoho\crm\api\query\BodyWrapper;
use com\zoho\crm\api\query\QueryOperations;
require_once "vendor/autoload.php";

class GetRecords
{
    public static function initialize()
    {
        // add initialisation code
         // refer to this post for details and examples 
    }
    public static function getRecords1()
    {
        $queryOperations = new QueryOperations();
        $bodyWrapper = new BodyWrapper();
       $selectQuery = "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) OR (Exchange_Rate >= 5))";
        $bodyWrapper->setSelectQuery($selectQuery);
        $response = $queryOperations->getRecords($bodyWrapper);
         //Add your code to handle the response received in $response. To know more, refer to this sample code.
    }
}
GetRecords::initialize();
GetRecords::getRecords1();
?>


Note : 
Use the following formats for Date and DateTime fields.
Date : YYYY-MM-DD (eg: 2023-01-01)
DateTime : YYYY-MMDDTHH:mm:ss+/HH:mm (eg: 2023-05-03T20:39:19+05:30)

IV. Boolean

= is the only supported operator for Boolean Fields. You should provide the value as either true or false.

<?php

use com\zoho\crm\api\query\BodyWrapper;
use com\zoho\crm\api\query\QueryOperations;
require_once "vendor/autoload.php";

class GetRecords
{
    public static function initialize()
    {
        // add initialisation code
         // refer to this post for details and examples 
    }
    public static function getRecords1()
    {
        $queryOperations = new QueryOperations();
        $bodyWrapper = new BodyWrapper();
       $selectQuery = "select Product_Name, Product_Code from Products where Product_Active = 'true'";
        $bodyWrapper->setSelectQuery($selectQuery);
        $response = $queryOperations->getRecords($bodyWrapper);
        //Add your code to handle the response received in $response. To know more, refer to this sample code.
    }
}
GetRecords::initialize();
GetRecords::getRecords1();
?>

Aggregate Function Support 

Aggregate functions in COQL allow you to perform calculations on groups of records in a module. The available aggregate functions are SUM, MIN, MAX, AVG, and COUNT.
  • SUM is used to sum up the values of an aggregate field in a module.
  • MAX is used to find the largest value of a field in a module.
  • MIN is used to find the smallest value of a field in a module.]
  • AVG is used to find the average value of a field in a module.
  • COUNT is used to count the number of records in a module satisfying a certain criteria.
This feature allows users to perform complex queries on their data and get insights that would not be possible with simple SELECT queries. For example, you could use aggregate functions to find the total revenue generated by all leads in a month, or the average age of all customers in a region.

<?php

use com\zoho\crm\api\query\BodyWrapper;
use com\zoho\crm\api\query\QueryOperations;
require_once "vendor/autoload.php";

class GetRecords
{
    public static function initialize()
    {
        // add initialisation code
         // refer to this post for details and examples 
    }
    public static function getRecords1()
    {
        $queryOperations = new QueryOperations();
        $bodyWrapper = new BodyWrapper();
       $selectQuery = "SELECT MIN(Amount), MAX(Amount) FROM Deals WHERE Stage = 'Closed Won'";
        $bodyWrapper->setSelectQuery($selectQuery);
        $response = $queryOperations->getRecords($bodyWrapper);
        //Add your code to handle the response received in $response. To know more, refer to this sample code.
    }
}
GetRecords::initialize();
GetRecords::getRecords1();
?>

This query will return the minimum and maximum deal amounts for all deals that have been closed won.

In this guide, we've explored how to use the Query API within Zoho CRM using PHP SDK effectively. By employing COQL, you can create intricate queries to extract specific data from modules, apply various operators, and even utilize aggregate functions for deeper insights. Whether you're seeking lead details, complex filters, or aggregate calculations, Query API empowers you to interact with your CRM data seamlessly. 

If you have any queries, let us know the comments below, or send an email to support@zohocrm.com. We would love to hear from you. Your commitment to Kaizen drives us forward!!

Stay tuned for more useful posts in the series! 


    Access your files securely from anywhere

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






                              Zoho Developer Community




                                                    • Desk Community Learning Series


                                                    • Digest


                                                    • Functions


                                                    • Meetups


                                                    • Kbase


                                                    • Resources


                                                    • Glossary


                                                    • Desk Marketplace


                                                    • MVP Corner


                                                    • Word of the Day


                                                    • Ask the Experts



                                                              • Sticky Posts

                                                              • Kaizen #198: Using Client Script for Custom Validation in Blueprint

                                                                Nearing 200th Kaizen Post – 1 More to the Big Two-Oh-Oh! Do you have any questions, suggestions, or topics you would like us to cover in future posts? Your insights and suggestions help us shape future content and make this series better for everyone.
                                                              • Kaizen #226: Using ZRC in Client Script

                                                                Hello everyone! Welcome to another week of Kaizen. In today's post, lets see what is ZRC (Zoho Request Client) and how we can use ZRC methods in Client Script to get inputs from a Salesperson and update the Lead status with a single button click. In this
                                                              • Kaizen #222 - Client Script Support for Notes Related List

                                                                Hello everyone! Welcome to another week of Kaizen. The final Kaizen post of the year 2025 is here! With the new Client Script support for the Notes Related List, you can validate, enrich, and manage notes across modules. In this post, we’ll explore how
                                                              • Kaizen #217 - Actions APIs : Tasks

                                                                Welcome to another week of Kaizen! In last week's post we discussed Email Notifications APIs which act as the link between your Workflow automations and you. We have discussed how Zylker Cloud Services uses Email Notifications API in their custom dashboard.
                                                              • Kaizen #216 - Actions APIs : Email Notifications

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


                                                              Manage your brands on social media



                                                                    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

                                                                                                                • Can i connect 2 instagram accounts to 1 brand?

                                                                                                                  Can i connect 2 instagram accounts to 1 brand? Or Do i need to create 2 brands for that? also under what subscription package will this apply?
                                                                                                                • Zoho Forms - Improved Sub-Forms

                                                                                                                  Hi Forms team, I'm helping a client move from JotForms to Zoho Forms and I've found another opportunity for improvement. In the below screenshot, JotForm left and Zoho Forms right. The Zoho Forms Sub-Form is quite a poor visually. There is no way to make
                                                                                                                • What's New in Zoho Billing | Q3 2025

                                                                                                                  Hello everyone, We are excited to share the latest set of updates and enhancements made to Zoho Billing in Q3 2025. From the latest GST updates to multi-level discounting, Zia-powered report summaries, and customizable web forms, these updates are designed
                                                                                                                • How to Delete Personal Account Linked with My Mobile Number in past or by someone else

                                                                                                                  How to Delete Account Created with My Mobile Number in past or by someone else This is creating issues in making or sync with my credentials mobile and email address..
                                                                                                                • WhatsApp Business Calling API

                                                                                                                  Dear Zoho SalesIQ Team, I would like to request a feature that allows users to call WhatsApp numbers directly via Zoho SalesIQ. This integration would enable sending and receiving calls to and from WhatsApp numbers over the internet, without the need
                                                                                                                • Marketer's Space - Going beyond basics: Smarter ecommerce marketing with Zoho Campaigns

                                                                                                                  Hello Marketers, Welcome back to this week's Marketer's Space. In the last post, we discussed the basics of email marketing and how to get started with email marketing in ecommerce. In this part, we'll dive much deeper into some other advanced features
                                                                                                                • Connecting two modules - phone number

                                                                                                                  Hi, I’d like some guidance on setting up an automation in Zoho CRM that links records between the Leads module and a custom module called Customer_Records whenever the phone numbers match. Here’s what I’m trying to achieve: When a new Lead is created
                                                                                                                • Zoho Marketing Automation 2.0 - Landing Page function not working

                                                                                                                  Dear Zoho Team, I am working on implementing Zoho Marketing Automation 2.0, and am now looking into the section "Lead Generation". If I open the "Landing Pages" section, I immediately get an Error code: Error: internal error occurred. Can you help me
                                                                                                                • Unable to use Sign "You have entereed some invalid characters"

                                                                                                                  Unable to use Sign "You have entered some invalid characters" I do not see any invalid characters. The text in "Leave a Note" is plain text which I entered directly into the field. See attached screenshot
                                                                                                                • cannot login from outlook on mobile

                                                                                                                  Hi there,   I tried to set up my email accounts on my iphone using outlook, but it always return email address and password error. Please find the attachment for the screenshot. I am pretty sure that I typed in the correct email address and password and the imap has been enabled from zoho admin account. I can configure the email address on iphone default mail service as well as outlook on pc, the problem only occurs on the outlook app on mobile. I do need to use this app instead of the iphone default
                                                                                                                • Elevate your CX delivery using CommandCenter 2.0: Simplified builder; seamless orchestration

                                                                                                                  Most businesses want to create memorable customer experiences—but they often find it hard to keep them smooth, especially as they grow. To achieve a state of flow across their processes, teams often stitch together a series of automations using Workflow
                                                                                                                • Messages not displayed from personal LinkedIn profile

                                                                                                                  Hello. I connected both our company profile and my personal profile to Zoho social. I do see all messages from our company page but none from my private page. not even the profile is being added on top to to switch between company or private profile,
                                                                                                                • "Performed changes in the query is not allowed due to following reason" when adding columns or reordering data

                                                                                                                  I'm trying to make changes to a query but every time i try to save it i get this error message. I'm not touching the data it's flagging. All I've tried to do is reorder a couple of fields and add a new one. Why won't it let me do this? It's a core query
                                                                                                                • Onboard new users easily with native screen recording in Zoho Projects Plus

                                                                                                                  Communication involving both visual and audio elements tends to capture more interest among the audience. Whenever we onboard new employees to the organization, the task of engaging them in the induction sessions, and keeping the spark going in their
                                                                                                                • Request to Add Support for PDF Templates and More Flexibility in Email Editor

                                                                                                                  Hi Zoho Campaigns Team, I hope you're doing well. I wanted to share some feedback and request a few improvements in the Email Template feature of Zoho Campaigns. Right now, we can create email templates using the HTML editor, which is helpful. But we’re
                                                                                                                • Can you stop Custom View Cadences from un-enrolling leads?

                                                                                                                  I'm testing Cadences for lead nurture. I have set un-enroll properties to trigger on email bounce/unsubscribe, and do NOT have a view criteria un-enroll trigger. However, help documents say that emails are automatically un-enrolled from a Cadence when
                                                                                                                • Zoho Desk Android and iOS app update: Agent detail overview

                                                                                                                  Hello everyone! We’ve introduced agent detail overview on the Zoho Desk Android and iOS app update. With this feature, you can get a complete view of agent’s tickets, response times, logged hours (for both tickets and activities), customer happiness ratings
                                                                                                                • Blog Widget: Show recent blog posts on my homepage

                                                                                                                  Hey there I am using the Zoho Sites Blog feature. On my homepage, on the bottom I'd like to have a featured content section where I show some of my blog posts (selected, most recent, filtered by category and so on...). It would be nice to have a blog
                                                                                                                • How to iterate through excel data using zoho rpa

                                                                                                                  I wanted to iterate or loop through excel data ( datatable). How can i do that
                                                                                                                • Mass (Pull back) (Close WOs) (Close APs)

                                                                                                                  Hi develop team. Just idea because Zoho FSM is great but its too manual. we have a lot of task to do every day and the system needs to have more features to automatic our tasks. I need to close several WOs, APs and Pull Back per day. Please we need mass
                                                                                                                • Customising Zohidesk portal default widgets

                                                                                                                  Hello, I'm wondering how could I customise the default widgets such as "popular topics", "popular articles" using CSS or to make the tiles at the bottom match the ones that I made in the picture attached. I have made some custom widgets and edited them
                                                                                                                • If there’s a batch at the end, the ‘mark as inactive’ function doesn’t work.

                                                                                                                  when my batch has a date to batch end and I "mark as inactive" he batch does not obey the status and reactivates the batch.
                                                                                                                • Seamless multilingual messaging and tone control in Zia IM Composer

                                                                                                                  Hello everyone! Managing customer conversations across multiple languages can be time-consuming. Using Zia in the Instant Messaging (IM) Composer helps you overcome this by providing tools to translate content, adjust your tone, and refine your messages
                                                                                                                • Advanced Deluge help needed with custom function and COQL limits

                                                                                                                  I have a scheduled function that takes a snapshot of specific metrics and saves them to a custom module. However I'm struggling with the limits of COQL. I attach my full code, but an example of the issues I'm having is that it's erroring with a 'Limit
                                                                                                                • Tip of the Week - Conditional Formatting Chart

                                                                                                                  Conditional formatting allows you to highlight your data series based on a pattern or a trend in your data. This makes it easy for you to identify when your data reaches certain values or when it deviates from the trend.  Zoho Analytics allows you to
                                                                                                                • Zoho Campaign says "null"

                                                                                                                  Here is what I did: 1. Created a list in CRM, made a form to fill information in the list. - This is working fine. 2. Created a flow to connect CRM (chose a the list) and want to add an event in Google Calendar. (Calendar is connected). Problem 1 - When
                                                                                                                • Zoho Learn - AI Translate

                                                                                                                  Hi Learn team, I had a situation today where I was providing training to a client team and I had written articles into their Zoho Learn to support their learning. I realised that one of the team members was a non-native English speaker and they were struggling
                                                                                                                • Power of Automation :: Auto-Sync Custom Date Field Between Related Tasks via Blueprint Transition

                                                                                                                  Hello Everyone, A custom function is a software code that can be used to automate a process and this allows you to automate a notification, call a webhook, or perform logic immediately after a workflow rule is triggered. This feature helps to automate
                                                                                                                • Introducing auto-upgrade in Zoho LandingPage

                                                                                                                  Hi everyone, We’re excited to share an upcoming update to help you get the most out of your landing pages — the auto-upgrade option, launching on October 22, 2025. Your landing pages are designed to bring in leads, and we want to make sure you never miss
                                                                                                                • Webhook Authentication Key

                                                                                                                  As Google Ads' lead form extension does not integrate with Zoho CRM at the moment other than Zapier. I want to use the Zoho Flow webhook feature to send leads to Zoho CRM. Meaning creating a flow in Zoho Flow that triggers based on Webhook and then webhook
                                                                                                                • Workdrive comment links stopped working.

                                                                                                                  I have marked a PDF file with 95 comments, they have worked for a while. When i clicked on them they brought me to the correct page and showed me the outline that i had drew on the plans. The comments included the page number of the outline, but now it
                                                                                                                • How to Bulk-Update Sales Orders in CRM

                                                                                                                  Hi - I need to bulk update existing sales orders with dates from our ERP of when the sales orders were created. I made a date field on the Sales Order module where I want to insert that data. I can't Mass Update because I am not updating the fields to
                                                                                                                • Zoho ToDo in Cliq

                                                                                                                  Our organization utilizes Zoho ToDo in the Zoho Mail Desktop app. Is there a way for these to show up in Cliq Desktop app as well?
                                                                                                                • 【Zoho CRM】サンドボックス機能のアップデート:カスタムビューが利用可能になりました。

                                                                                                                  ユーザーの皆さま、こんにちは。コミュニティチームの中野です。 今回は「Zoho CRM アップデート情報」の中から、サンドボックス機能のアップデートをご紹介します。 目次 1. カスタムビューとは 2. 今回の機能アップデートについて 1. カスタムビューとは カスタムビューは、ユーザーが設定した条件に基づいてデータをフィルタリング・整理し、 重要な情報へ効率的にアクセスできるようにする機能です。 「過去15日間の見込み客」や「受注間近の商談」、「特定の優先度レベルが設定された案件」など 条件を指定してわずか数クリックで設定できます。
                                                                                                                • Changing an agents email address

                                                                                                                  How do you change an agent's email address? I keep getting a red circle even though I am an admin. And on one of my agents he has two email addresses? How is that possible?
                                                                                                                • Zoho CRM - Potentials Tab

                                                                                                                  Hi! When I create a Deal (Potentials tab) the header looks like this: After a refresh on the page it looks like this: What should I do so that it is displayed like in the second pic without refresh? Also I have a user that as of recently, cannot see this
                                                                                                                • Unable to create embed code for resource of workdrive using API

                                                                                                                  Hello Team, I am trying to create embed code for a resource using workdrive api in powershell, however facing some issues with injecting data in body. Followed Doc: https://workdrive.zoho.com/apidocs/v1/filefoldersharing/shareeveryone Please help, below
                                                                                                                • Feature Request - Insert URL Links in Folders

                                                                                                                  I would love to see the ability to create simple URL links with titles in WorkDrive. or perhaps a WorkDrive extension to allow it. Example use case: A team is working on a project and there is project folder in WordDrive. The team uses LucidChart to create
                                                                                                                • not able to convert pdf to jpg and other forms and vice versa.

                                                                                                                  i want to change my pdf to jpg, word, etc and some times jpg to pdf. i don't know how to do in this.
                                                                                                                • Enable / show scroll bar when Mega Menu is opened

                                                                                                                  Hey there I am using the mega menu add-on and experience a "flicker" whenever the mega menu opens. The reason is, that the scrollbar, which has a width of a few pixels, stops showing when the mega menu opens. As the scrollbar disappears the whole page
                                                                                                                • Next Page