Seamless Round-Trip Navigation for Related Blocks (Detail View)
As highlighted previously in this post (and here, here, here, and here), we still lack a fundamental capability for seamless navigation in Related Blocks. The popup that appears when adding a related record doesn't exist for viewing/editing existing records, and there's no URL pattern to open a detail view within report context. This creates unnecessary friction, and I'm hoping the Zoho team can address this in a future update.
The Core Limitation
When viewing a record's Detail View, Zoho Creator allows you to display related child records in a Related Block. Developers can create clickable links to these child records using URL formula fields (set to display as HTML) or RTF fields populated via workflow. Using
zc_NextUrl, it's possible to redirect users back to a filtered report or a direct detail view URL.
The problem: Direct detail view URLs open as standalone pages outside any report context—there's no "back" button, no way to close the detail view and return to the report listing. Whether you redirect to a filtered report (requiring an extra click) or to a direct detail view URL (losing navigation context), neither option provides a seamless round-trip experience.
Note: This refers specifically to Related Blocks in Detail Views (parent-child relationships at the Report level), not Subforms within a Form.
| Expected Behavior | Current Zoho Creator Behavior | User Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Click on related record → Opens record's Detail View | Possible via URL formula (HTML) or RTF workarounds | ⚠ Requires workaround setup |
| After editing → Redirect back to filtered report | Possible using dynamic zc_NextUrl |
⚠ Returns to report, not detail view |
| After editing → Return to parent's Detail View open | No URL pattern to open detail view within report context | ✗ Broken UX: Redirects to list, user must find and reopen parent record |
| Direct URL to open record's detail view | Possible, but opens as standalone page outside report | ✗ No "back" navigation, loses report context |
| Open child in popup (stay on parent) | Works for ADDING records, but not for viewing/editing existing ones | ✗ Inconsistent behavior between add vs view/edit |
Current Workarounds (All Suboptimal)
To achieve what should be native functionality, developers must resort to complex workarounds. Frustratingly, the popup behavior that works perfectly when adding a related record doesn't exist for viewing/editing existing records:
| Workaround Approach | Implementation | Problems | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| zc_NextUrl → Filtered Report | Use zc_NextUrl to redirect back to a report filtered to the parent record |
- ✓ Returns user to correct report showing parent - ✓ Report context and navigation preserved - ✗ Detail view is NOT open on return - ✗ User must click again to open detail view |
⚠ Extra click required |
| zc_NextUrl → Direct Detail View URL | Use zc_NextUrl to redirect to the parent record's direct detail view URL |
- ✓ Opens parent's detail view directly - ✗ Opens OUTSIDE report context - ✗ No "back" button or report navigation - ✗ User is stranded on isolated page |
⚠ Loses navigation context |
| URL Formula Field (Display as HTML) | Create a formula field with direct URL, set to display as HTML to render as clickable link |
- ✓ Can navigate TO the child record - ✓ Can use zc_NextUrl for return - ✗ Same limitations as above for return navigation |
⚠ Return options both flawed |
| RTF Field with On Success Code | Use Rich Text Format field populated via workflow to create clickable link |
- ✓ Can navigate TO the child record - ✓ Can use zc_NextUrl for return - ✗ Same limitations as above for return navigation - ✗ Extra workflow scripting required |
⚠ Return options both flawed |
| Replace Related Block with Embedded Report | Use a Page with an embedded/filtered report instead of native Related Block |
- Loses native Detail View layout - Requires custom Page development - More complex maintenance - Loses summary layout formatting |
⚠ Functional but high effort |
| JavaScript Widget | Build a complete custom widget to replace Related Block functionality |
- Requires significant development effort - Must rebuild all Related Block features - Maintenance overhead - May not match native styling |
✗ Overkill for basic navigation |
The Core Problem: Detail View Opens Outside Report Context
While a direct URL to a record's detail view exists, it opens as a standalone page outside of any report context. This means:
- ✓ You CAN open a detail view directly via URL
- ✗ But it's NOT within a report—there's no "back" button to return
- ✗ User is stranded on an isolated page with no navigation context
- ✗ Using
zc_NextUrlto this standalone URL still leaves user outside report context
The inconsistency: When adding a related record through the detail view, Zoho Creator already opens a popup that preserves the parent context. This same behavior simply doesn't exist for viewing or editing existing records.
What's needed: Either (1) extend the popup behavior to view/edit, or (2) provide a URL parameter (e.g.,
&view_mode=detail) that opens the detail view within report context.Example: The Add vs. View/Edit Inconsistency
Consider a common business scenario—viewing a Customer record with their related Orders:
Note: If the diagram below doesn't display correctly in your browser, the key point is illustrated in the comparison between [+ Add Order] (which opens a popup preserving context) vs. [Edit] existing record (which navigates away, losing context).
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ CUSTOMER DETAIL VIEW (within Customers_Report context) │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Name: Acme Corporation │
│ Email: contact@acme.com [Close] ← Returns to report │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ RELATED ORDERS [+ Add Order] │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│
│ │ Order # │ Date │ Amount │ Status │ Link ││
│ │ ORD-002 │ 2024-02-20 │ $3,500 │ Pending │ [Edit] ←─┼┼─ User clicks
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘│ existing record
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│ │
│ [+ Add Order] │ [Edit] existing
▼ ▼
┌─────────────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────────────┐
│ ✓ POPUP APPEARS │ │ ✗ FULL PAGE NAVIGATION │
│ (Parent preserved!) │ │ (Context lost!) │
├─────────────────────────┤ ├─────────────────────────┤
│ New Order Form │ │ Must use zc_NextUrl │
│ [Save] [Cancel] │ │ with flawed options... │
│ │ │ │
│ ✓ Close → back to │ │ A. Filtered report │
│ parent detail view │ │ (extra click) │
│ │ │ B. Direct detail URL │
│ WHY DOESN'T THIS │ │ (no navigation) │
│ WORK FOR EDIT TOO? │ │ │
└─────────────────────────┘ └─────────────────────────┘What Should Happen Instead
Proposed Solutions (Either Would Solve This):
Option 1: Extend Existing Popup Behavior to View/Edit
When adding a related record through the detail view, Zoho Creator already opens a popup that keeps the parent context intact. Simply extend this same behavior to viewing and editing existing records in the Related Block:
Current behavior:
[+ Add Related Record] → Opens popup → Parent detail view preserved ✓
Requested extension:
[Click existing record to view/edit] → Opens popup → Parent detail view preserved ✓
// The infrastructure already exists - just needs to be applied to view/edit!Option 2: URL Parameter to Open Detail View Within Report Context
Provide a URL parameter that can be appended to a report URL to auto-open a specific record in its detail view context:
// Proposed URL parameter - opens detail view WITHIN the report
#Report:Customers_Report?record_id=12345&view_mode=detail
// Used with zc_NextUrl for seamless return navigation
edit_url = child_edit_url + "&zc_NextUrl=" + encodeUrl(parent_detail_view_in_report_url);
// After save, user returns to parent's detail view WITH report context
// User can click "back" or close detail view to see report listing
Either solution would achieve Contextual Persistence. Option 1 may be simpler since the popup infrastructure already exists. Option 2 would provide more flexibility for developers building custom navigation flows.
Related Issues
This limitation compounds other navigation frustrations in Zoho Creator:
- Set custom function to open detail view of a record
- Record detail view in page
- Direct URL to view record
Real-World Impact
This limitation affects virtually any application with parent-child relationships:
- CRM systems – Viewing a Contact's related Cases, Opportunities, or Activities
- Project management – Viewing a Project's related Tasks or Milestones
- Order management – Viewing a Customer's related Orders or Invoices
- Inventory systems – Viewing a Product's related Stock Movements or Purchase Orders
- HR applications – Viewing an Employee's related Leave Requests or Performance Reviews
User Experience Impact: Developers must choose between two poor experiences: (A) extra clicks to reopen detail views, or (B) stranding users on pages with no navigation back. Neither option provides the seamless round-trip navigation users expect from a modern database application.
Request to Zoho Team
Can this be addressed in a future update?
The popup behavior for adding related records already proves this is technically feasible—the infrastructure exists. We just need one of these two solutions to achieve Contextual Persistence:
|
1. Extend Popup to View/Edit Apply the existing "Add" popup behavior to viewing/editing records in Related Blocks |
2. URL Parameter for Detail View Add a parameter like &view_mode=detail to open detail view within report context
|
Either solution would eliminate the current friction where users lose their navigation context or require extra clicks to return to their workflow.
Community Input Requested: Has anyone found an effective workaround that maintains contextual persistence when navigating to/from related records? This has been a long-standing request across multiple community posts, and a native solution would benefit countless Creator developers.
📚 Documentation References:
- Primary: Set Detail View Layout - Related Block Configuration
- Related: openUrl() - Deluge Documentation
- Related: Edit Record Using Record ID
Access your files securely from anywhere
Centralize Knowledge. Transform Learning.
All-in-one knowledge management and training platform for your employees and customers.
New to Zoho Recruit?
Zoho Developer Community
New to Zoho LandingPage?
Zoho LandingPage Resources
New to Zoho Survey?
New to Zoho CRM Plus?
Deliver unforgettable customer experiences
New to Zoho CRM Plus?
Deliver unforgettable customer experiences
New to Zoho Marketing Plus?
Everything you need to run your marketing
New to Zoho Marketing Plus?
Everything you need to run your marketing
New to Bigin?
Topic Participants
Damien Cregan
Immaculate Reshma
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
ZOHO FORMにURL表示ができない
初心者です。 ZOHO FORM で宿泊者名簿を作っています。 ゲストが、URLをクリックするとStripeで支払いができるようにURLを表示をしたいのですが、 上手くできません。 やり方が分かる方、ぜひ教えてください。Custom module - change from autonumber to name
I fear I know the answer to this already, but thought I'd ask the question. I created a custom module and instead of having a name as being the primary field, I changed it to an auto-number. I didn't realise that all searches would only show this reference.No Automatic Spacing on the Notebook App?
When I'm adding to notes on the app, I have to add spaces between words myself, rather than it automatically doing it. All my other apps add spacing, so it must be something with Zoho. Is there a setting I need to change, or something else I can do soHolidays - Cannot Enter Two Holidays on Same Day
I have a fairly common setup, where part-time employees receive 1/2 day's pay on a holiday and full-time employees receive a full day's pay. Historically, I've been able to accommodate this by entering two separate holidays, one that covers full-timeZoho Bookings and Survey Integration through Flow
I am trying to set up flows where once an appointment is marked as completed in Zoho Bookings, the applicable survey form would be sent to the customer. Problem is, I cannot customise flows wherein if Consultation A is completed, Survey Form A would beCampaigns set up and execution assistance
Hello Community, Can someone recommend a professional who can assist with the completion of my set up and deployment of Campaigns? Looking for a person or company that is not going to ask for big dollars up-front without a guarantee of performance toZobot with Plugs
Hello, I am having a problem with Zobot using Plugs. Here is my current flow: When I run the flow, I should immediately see the messages from the initial cards (Send Message cards), then after running the plug, and finally, see the messages after theKaizen #223 - File Manager in CRM Widget Using ZRC Methods
Hello, CRM Wizards! Here is what we are improving this week with Kaizen. we will explore the new ZRC (Zoho Request Client) introduced in Widget SDK v1.5, and learn how to use it to build a Related List Widget that integrates with Zoho WorkDrive. It helpsRemove Powered by Zoho at the footer
Hi, I've read two past tickets regarding this but it seems that the instructions given are outdated. I assume the layout keeps on changing, which makes it frustrating for me to search high and low. Please let me know how exactly do I do this now? ThError AS101 when adding new email alias
Hi, I am trying to add apple@(mydomain).com The error AS101 is shown while I try to add the alias.No Need To Fix Something That Is Working
Zoho Books is a great financial tool which helps businesses to become more efficient and productive with day-to-day operations. As such, every change, upgrade, improvement needs to be carefully thought before implemented in the software and I'm sure ZohoUsing email "importance" as workflow-criteria
I'd like to set up a workflow that triggers if an incoming email has been flagged as "high importance" but I'm not seeing any way to do that. Hopefully I'm just missing something obvious...?This domain is not allowed to add. Please contact support-as@zohocorp.com for further details
I am trying to setup the free version of Zoho Mail. When I tried to add my domain, theselfreunion.com I got the error message that is the subject of this Topic. I've read your other community forum topics, and this is NOT a free domain. So what is theWhat is Resolution Time in Business Hours
HI, What is the formula used to find the total time spent by an agent on a particular ticket? How is Resolution Time in Business Hours calculated in Zohodesk? As we need to find out the time spent on the ticket's solution by an agent we seek your assistanceCheck & Unchecked Task Segregation in Export
It must have a feature to represent checked and unchecked tasks as [ ] and [✅] respectively when exporting it to Arratai or WhatsApp ; as Keep Notes by Google contains…WorkDrive Download Issue
My client has been sending me files via WorkDrive, which generally has worked fine. Recently files won't download at all. If you try and individually select and download a file, a popup will appear in the bottom right saying it's preparing and then itResolution Time Report
From data to decisions: A deep dive into ticketing system reports What are time-based reports? Time-based reports are valuable tools that help us understand how well things are going by breaking down key metrics over specific periods. By tracking, measuring,Support Custom Background in Zoho Cliq Video Calls and Meetings
Hello Zoho Cliq Team, We hope you are doing well. We would like to request an enhancement to the video background capabilities in Zoho Cliq, specifically the ability to upload and use custom backgrounds. Current Limitation At present, Zoho Cliq allowsAdd RTL (Right-to-Left) Text Direction Button in Zoho Cliq
Greetings Zoho Team, We would like to request the addition of an RTL (Right-to-Left) text direction button in Zoho Cliq, similar to what is already available in other Zoho apps like Zoho Desk. Currently, while using Zoho Cliq with the English interface,Enable Backgrounds and Video Filters for 1:1 Cliq Calls Across All Zoho Entry
Hello Zoho Cliq Team, We hope you are doing well. We would like to request an enhancement related specifically to 1:1 video calls in Zoho Cliq. Current Behavior Zoho Cliq currently provides background and video filter options in the following scenarios:Zoho Flow: Stripe a Zoho Marketing Automation
Hola! Quiero hacer un flujo con Zoho Flow, para que cuando se haga un pago en Stripe, añada el lead en Zoho Marketing Automation. Lo he configurado, configurando el disparador como "Payment created" y mapeando el campo de Stripe "Receipt email address".Need Customer Item Inward Module along with QC
Need Customer Item Inward Module along with QC 1. Using Transfer Orders hit the item balance sheet 2. Items without inventory it becomes difficult for tracking purpose. 3. Custom Modules become tedious to capture multiple items, item subforms are notLESS_THAN_MIN_OCCURANCE - code 2945
Hi I'm trying to post a customer record to creator API and getting this error message. So cryptic. Can someone please help? Thanks VarunZoho email
I need a list of email addresses of all contacts on my zohoShift-Centric View for Assigning and Managing Shifts in Zoho People
Hello Zoho People Product Team, Greetings and hope you are doing well. This feature request is related to Zoho People - please don't move it to zoho one! We would like to submit a feature request regarding the shift assignment and management view in ZohoIntroducing parent-child ticketing in Zoho Desk [Early access]
Hello Zoho Desk users! We have introduced the parent-child ticketing system to help customer service teams ensure efficient resolution of issues involving multiple, related tickets. You can now combine repetitive and interconnected tickets into parent-childcant upload images in signature- urgent help needed. ta!
HI, I have been trying to insert the company logo in the signature. i have tried it several times since yesterday, the longest I waited was 1 hour and 12 minutes for the pop up window to upload a 180 KB .jpg file. what am i doing wrong.. an urgent replyAdd Ticket button in Home view
When I go to the My Tickets or the Knowledge Base view in our Help Centre, the Add Ticket button is available, but not in the Home view. I would really like for it to be displayed in the Home view as well. Is this possible? Thanks.Problem using Zoho Desk API
Goodmorning, I am trying to use the Zoho Desk API to create a dashboard in Grafana, but I am having a problem. Following the instructions in the API documentation, I created the API Console application (server-based application). Then I created the stringAdd zoho calendar to google calendar
Hi I keep seeing instructions on how to sync Zoho CRM calendar with google calendar but no instructions on how to view Zoho calendar in my google calendar.How to print a label from zoho creator app?
Hello, I would like to print a label from zoho creator app record similar to attached one. Size 74mm x 102mm. I tried record template. It leaves plenty of space around the content and also I couldn't set the height of the page. So it is not printing properly. Could someone please direct me to right direction for this requirement?City field suggestion in Zoho Books
Hi team, We are using Customers module in Zoho Books. In the Address section, we want to understand whether the City field can show suggestions while typing using any API or built-in feature. For example, if a user types “Mum”, can the system suggestNon-responsive views in Mobile Browser (iPad)
Has anyone noticed that the creator applications when viewed in a mobile browser (iPad) lost its responsiveness? It now appears very small font size and need to zoom into to read contents. Obviously this make use by field staff quite difficult. This is not at all a good move, as lots of my users are depending on accessing the app in mobile devices (iPads), and very challenging and frustrating.How can I check all announce?
Hiii, May I ask how can I check all the announce based on broadcast date instead of reply date based So that I will not will miss out any new functionWhat are the create bill API line item requiered fields
While the following documentation says that the line items array is requiered it doesn't say what if any files are requiered in the array. Does anyone know? API documentation: https://www.zoho.com/inventory/api/v1/bills/#create-a-bill I'm trying to addThis user is not allowed to add in Zoho. Please contact support-as@zohocorp.com for further details
Hello, Just signed up to ZOHO on a friend's recommendation. Got the TXT part (verified my domain), but whenever I try to add ANY user, I get the error: This user is not allowed to add in Zoho. Please contact support-as@zohocorp.com for further details I have emailed as well and writing here as well because when I searched, I saw many people faced the same issue and instead of email, they got a faster response here. My domain is: raisingreaderspk . com Hope this can be resolved. Thank youCannot connect to imap.zoho.eu on iOS26
Hey, I recently migrated to another iPhone and since then use iOS26. Every since then, I was not able to connect to "imap.zoho.eu" from Apple Mail. I tried deleting the account and adding it again, did not work. I tried creating an app password, didn'tPersonalize your booking pages with Custom CSS
Greetings from the Zoho Bookings team! We’re introducing Custom CSS for Zoho Bookings, designed to give you complete control over the look and feel of your booking pages. With this new feature, you can upload your own CSS file to customize colors, fonts,Marketer's Space: Plan smarter with Zoho Campaigns' Calendar
Hello Marketers, Welcome to another post! Today, we'll talk about a discreet yet significant feature that's neatly tucked inside Zoho Campaigns: the calendar. It might look like an optional but somewhat unnecessary feature that you can use occasionally,User
If user is already part of manage engine endpoint central , what hapens when i try to add them to another Zoho org / directory? Are these users added as external users?Next Page