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
Your bot just got smarter: AI-Powered routing that reads between the lines
What if your bot could tell the difference? Between a visitor who just needs a quick answer, someone actively comparing options, and a frustrated customer one click away from leaving? Most bots can't. They deliver the same response to everyone, missingWeekly Tips : Master Keyboard Shortcuts in Zoho Mail
If you spend a lot of time managing emails, switching between your mouse and keyboard can slow you down. Whether you are replying to clients, organizing your inbox, or searching for messages, every second counts. So, how can you streamline your emailIntroducing custom lookup fields in the Tickets, Contacts, and Accounts modules
Hello all, We are excited to announce a new enhancement that will empower you to further customize the Tickets, Contacts, and Accounts modules. Now, you will be able to create custom lookup fields in your Tickets, Contacts, and Accounts layouts for moreDKIM cannot be enabled for the domain as no verified default selector present
Can't get the DKIM working. May you please check my account (nksy.us) to see what's wrong?Collections Management: #3 Tackling Payment Failures
Sam refreshed the dashboard. "Payment failed". Same customer. Same subscription. This is happening for the third time. He sends a usual email: "Your renewal payment failed again. Could you please check and retry?" A couple of days passed, and there wasHow do I increase the email attachment size in Zoho CRM ?
It looks like I'm limited to 10MB when sending an attachment using the email widget on a record in Zoho CRM. Is there a way to increase the size? Or can I use some other tool? From what I'm reading online, I'm maxed out at 10MB. Any insight would be greatlyZoho sign and creator error message {"code":9043,"error_param":"Checked by","message":"Extra key found","status":"failure"}
Good day, I receive the error message: {"code":9043,"error_param":"Checked by","message":"Extra key found","status":"failure"} when running below code from creator to sign, void TestForSign(int ID) { //Fetch Template Details (Optional, for dynamic mapping)Download a writer template as .docx instead of .pdf.
I have been trying to implement a feature to download a writer template as a .docx and got it working partly but it isn't good. Earlier I checked our code and I saw openurl("https://crm.zoho.com/crm/org121314/specific/Template.do?action=print&step=pdfPreview&id="Allow the usage of Multi-Select fields as the primary field on "Layout Rules"
We want to force our users to enter some explanation strings when a multi-select field has been utilized. I can't understand the reason for the usage restriction of Multi-Select fields as a primary field. This is a simple "Display hidden mandatory fieldExtract Archived Projects using Zoho Projects API
In my organization we archive the projects when they are already completed, charged, invoiced, so that only those that are still pending process remain active. I need to access all projects (active and archived) from an external system, but the API v3Ask the Experts: Five-hour live Q&A session with Zoho WorkDrive product experts
Have questions about WorkDrive 5.0? Let’s talk! We recently launched Zoho WorkDrive 5.0, packed with powerful updates to help your team work smarter, stay secure, and get more value from your business content. From content-centric workflows and AI-poweredFile upload support for subforms
Dear All, Subforms help you add and track data related to your CRM records. We've always supported most of the commonly used field types in subforms, so as to cater to your business requirements. Now we're happy to extend support to file upload fields.Circular record relationship in CRM
Given there is a lookup in custom module Transactions creating a related list on the chosen Contact record. I. e. a lookup field on Transactions module points to Contacts. The related list on a Contact record can thus have have many transaction records.Is it possible to pull the Zoho desk data into Zoho analytics in real time
Hi - I am looking to add more dashboards and reports of Zoho Desk in analytics. I see there is a schedule to pull the data into analytics, but I'm wondering if there is an option to pull the data in real time instead of a specific interval?How to set value of dropdown field to variable
For the life of me, I can't figure out why the following code won't set input.status to the previousSelection. Steps to reproduce: 1. Click input.complete 2. input.status dropdown updates from '1-Backlog' to '4-Done' 3. Click input.complete again to deselect[Product Update] TimeSheets module is now renamed as Time Logs in Zoho Projects.
Dear Zoho Analytics customers, As part of the ongoing enhancements in Zoho Projects, the Timesheets module has been renamed to Time Logs. However, the module name will continue to be displayed as Timesheets in Zoho Analytics until the relevant APIs are[WEBINAR][MEA] Learn how to control your inventory and multi-channel sales with the Zoho Inventory & Zoho Books integration
Hello there, We are hosting an exclusive live webinar tailored for businesses across the Middle East and African countries, where you'll learn how to take full control of your inventory and multi-channel sales while keeping your accounting perfectly inLess clicks, more connection – the usability edge of Zoho Desk
Imagine joining a new workplace, eager to prove your skills, partner with peers, learn new tools, and build a strong foundation for your career. The standards you've set could drive pressure into your head. You now discover the organization is using ZohoTip #3 Automating total item weight calculation for your sales orders in Zoho Inventory
Hello, Hope the day is treating you well. Last week, we saw how we could automate the calculation of total shipping charges from numerous shipments for your sales orders and invoices. This week, we will see how you can automate the calculation of total item weight for your sales orders. How does this work? First, you are required to capture the weight of all your items using a custom field. And when you create a sales order, you can either have the system display the individual weights for you orWhy Format section gets disabled when we create Merge Template over PDF
I need some assistance I have a Client who is going to give certificates to users who passes his exam. So, I am using mail merge but in ZOHO writer after I upload the PDF and create merge Template over PDF the format Section gets disabled. My problemHow to calculate separate totals for Product Line Items filtered by category in Quotes?
Hello! I'm working with Quotes in Zoho CRM and need help calculating conditional totals for line items. Current setup: I have two tables in my Quote template (Zoho Writer), both displaying Quoted Line Items Table 1 (top): Shows all products where ProductZoho Desk API Documentation missing a required field
We are trying to create a section using this information. Even after preparing everything based on that page, we still get an error. The error we get is this: {"errorCode":"INVALID_DATA","message":"The data is invalid due to validation restrictions","errors":[{"fieldName":"/translations","errorType":"missing","errorMessage":""}]}Fetch Subform values through a lookup of a lookup
Hi, I'm having an issue fetching the values of a subform through a lookup field through another lookup field. The code works perfectly to show me the subform row ID, but the second I try to get any readable data, it says "Error occurred. Please contactTurn Decision Box to a button
Dear all, I need your help on CSS to turn a Decision Box to a Button. I have a Decision Box like: Turn on/off to refresh the information. (on User Input, either True or False, will refresh the information) Now I want to simulate to treat it like a RefreshEmails 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 workersStock Count
The stock count is a nice new feature, but we cannot figure out how to: 1. Use it without assigning to a person, we have a team or one of multiple do stock counts as do most any company. 2. Add any extra fields to what the "counter" sees. The most importantSend Whatsapp message from Whatsapp template with custom variables
Hi, I'm trying to do some basic integration for sending WhatsApp messages from Zoho CRM using Zoho Desk whatsapp templates. When creating new whatsapp template in Zoho Desk we can choose ticket related fields as variables but it's not clear how to useOutgoing blocked: Unusual activity detected.
I just made payment for my Zohomail Today and have been debited so i will like to be Unblocked because this is what it says (Outgoing blocked: Unusual activity detected) Thank you i await your swift responsesIntegrating with My Own Application and ZOHO CRM Simultaneously
I have my own WhatsApp bot that uses my WhatsApp business account. I want to use the same phone number to integrate with ZOHO as well. What is the recommended way to do that? Should I integrate my application with ZOHO, forwarding messages whenever theAccount for Cryptocurrency Holdings in Zoho Books/Custom Currencies?
Hello, I've recently started using Zoho to run my small business and I've really been enjoying all of its features. However, I've been struggling to find a way to account for cryptocurrencies in Zoho Books. My company mines a Cryptocurrency token calledTransferring CRM Attachments to Workdrive
relatedrecords = zoho.crm.getRelatedRecords("Attachments","Conditions",conId); attachid = List(); for each ele in relatedrecords { attachementId = ele.get("id"); attachid.add(attachementId); } for each ele in attachid { counter = 1; downloadFile = invokeurl [ url: "https://www.zohoapis.com/crm/v2/Conditions/" + conId + "/Attachments/" + ele type: GET connection : "work_drive" ]; resp2 = zoho.crm.attachFile("Deals",dealId,downloadFile); resp3 = zoho.workdrive.uploadFile(downloadFile, dealWD, "PlaceHolder"+counter+"",New Customization options in the module builder: Quick Create and Detail view
Hello everyone, We have introduced two new components to the module builder: Quick create and Detail view. The Quick Create Component It is a mini form used to create a record and associate it to the parent record from a lookup field. For example, if you have a Deals lookup in the Contacts module, then you can associate existing deals or create a deal and associate it with the contact. You can customize this Quick Create form by adding standard as well as custom fields. There is no limit to the numberunblock my zoho mail account. outlines@zoho.com
please unblock my zoho mail account, outlines@zoho.comSMTP email sending problem
Hello, I've sent emails before, but you haven't responded. Please respond. My work is being disrupted. I can't send emails via SMTP. Initially, there were no problems, but now I'm constantly receiving 550 bounce errors. I can't use the service I paidMailk 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 receivedForwarder
Hi, I tried to add a forwarder from which emails are sent to my main zoho account email . However, it asks me for a code that should be received at the forwarder email, which is still not activated to send to my zoho emial account. So how can I get theNo chat option
Chat option is not supported.Direct “Add to Google Calendar” Option in Zoho Meeting
Hello Zoho Meeting Team, Hope you are doing well. We would like to request an enhancement related to the “Add to Calendar” functionality in Zoho Meeting. Currently, when we open Zoho Meeting and view our meetings under My Calendar, there is an Add toDKIM cannot be enabled for the domain as no verified default selector present
Hi Support Team, For Domain DKIM record trying to enable status. but showing error "DKIM cannot be enabled for the domain as no verified default selector present" So, please resolve the issue. Thank you.unable to send message reason 554 5.1.8 Email outgoing blocked
unable to send message reason 554 5.1.8 Email outgoing blockedNext Page