Tip #1 Automating online sales order to invoice conversions in Zoho Inventory

Tip #1 Automating online sales order to invoice conversions in Zoho Inventory


Hello,
 
Hope the day is treating you well.
We've been getting more than a few requests from online sellers who use Zoho Inventory to help them automate invoice generation for all online orders that drop into Zoho Inventory automatically from a sales channel or a shopping cart that they have integrated. Are you an online seller like them? Then we've got some exciting news for you. You can do it with the help of a few simple things that we'll see here today.

So how do we go about this?
If you have integrated online sales channels like Amazon, Etsy and Ebay or a shopping cart like Shopify to Zoho Inventory, then you will be aware of sales orders being automatically generated inside of Zoho Inventory whenever your online customers buy something from you through these integrated channels. Since invoices are generated and automatically sent to your clients by the channel, you have little need of the invoices inside of Zoho Inventory apart from accounting purposes. Depending on the amount of online orders you get per day, it can get tricky to convert these orders into invoices manually. So we are going to automate this part for you with the help of a simple custom function. 
 
Wondering what custom functions are? They are one of the automation tools at your disposal inside of Zoho Inventory and can be accessed inside of Settings. To know more about custom functions in general, please refer to our help document.
 
Now let's see how we can write one to automatically convert all online sales orders into invoices as soon as they are generated within Zoho Inventory. 
 
Log in to your Zoho account and click on this link to generate an Auth Token which is required to make this work.
 
1) Open your Zoho Inventory organization.
2) Navigate to Settings using the gear icon from the top-right corner.
3) Select Automation from the sidebar. Click on the +New Workflow Rule button that is found at the top-right corner.
4) Out of the four tabs within Automation, select Custom Functions.
5) Now let's add a name for this workflow rule. (Note: Name cannot contain spaces)
6) The module to be chosen is Sales Orders.
7) Add a description if you need one.
8) Now, the workflow type is going to be Event Based.
9) And for the trigger, choose the option - "When a Sales Order is" "Created".
10) In the deluge pane, copy and paste the following code snippet:
 
salesorderID = salesorder.get("salesorder_id");
salesorderdate = salesorder.get("date").toDate();
organizationID = organization.get("organization_id");
authtoken = "
Copy and Paste your auth token in place of this text";
sal = invokeurl
[
url :"
https://inventory.zoho.com/api/v1/salesorders/" + salesorderID + "?authtoken=" + authtoken + "&organization_id=" + organizationID
type :GET
];
temp = sal.get("salesorder");
// info temp;
new = temp.get("sales_channel");
if(!new.equalsIgnoreCase("direct_sales"))
{
bson = Map();
customerID = salesorder.get("customer_id").toString();
salesoderdate = salesorder.get("date").toDate();
//invoice_number = salesorder.get("salesorder_number").replaceFirst("SO","INV");
//bson.put("invoice_number",);
bson.put("customer_id",customerID);
bson.put("date",salesorder.get("date"));
lineItems = salesorder.get("line_items").toList();
newLineItems = List();
for each lineItem in lineItems
{
lineItemMap = Map();
solineitemID = lineItem.get("line_item_id");
lineItemMap.put("salesorder_item_id",solineitemID);
id = lineItem.get("item_id");
lineItemMap.put("item_id",id);
des = lineItem.get("description");
lineItemMap.put("description",des);
wh = lineItem.get("warehouse_id");
lineItemMap.put("warehouse_id",wh);
quantity = lineItem.get("quantity");
lineItemMap.put("quantity",quantity);
r = lineItem.get("rate");
lineItemMap.put("rate",r);
d = lineItem.get("discount");
lineItemMap.put("discount",d);
tidd = lineItem.get("tax_id");
lineItemMap.put("tax_id",tidd);
tex = lineItem.get("tax_exemption_code");
lineItemMap.put("tax_exemption_code",tex);
newLineItems.add(lineItemMap);
}
bson.put("line_items",newLineItems);
if(temp.get("is_taxable").equalsIgnoreCase("true"))
{
bson.put("tax_id",temp.get("tax_id"));
}
else
{
bson.put("tax_exemption_id",temp.get("tax_exemption_id"));
bson.put("tax_authority_id",temp.get("tax_authority_id"));
}
response = zoho.inventory.createRecord("Invoices",organizationID,bson);
info bson;
info response.toMap().get("message");
inv = response.get("invoice");
info inv.get("invoice_id");
//marking as sent//
invoiceID = inv.get("invoice_id");
invoicedate = inv.get("date").toDate();
respond = invokeurl
[
url :"
https://inventory.zoho.com/api/v1/invoices/" + invoiceID + "/status/sent?authtoken=" + authtoken + "&organization_id=" + organizationID
type :POST
];
info respond.toMap().get("message");
}
else
{
info "Order is not from a Marketplace";
}
 
11) Before you save, you are required to copy and paste your auth token inside the quotes in the 4th line that says: authtoken = "Copy and Paste your auth token in place of this text";
Note: The auth token is a critical piece of information that helps the system identify you, so keep yours safe and confidential. Do not share it with anyone, not even with folks from Zoho.
12) Now, hit Save to finish.
 
Henceforth, all your online sales orders that are auto-generated from Amazon, Etsy, Ebay or Shopify will be automatically converted to invoices. And the status of these invoices inside of Zoho Inventory will be Sent. If you wish to auto-generate invoices of Paid status, then it can be made possible with a few changes. You can either experiment that part by yourself or contact us at support@zoho-inventory.com
 
Note: If you need this automation only for one channel, say for Shopify alone and not other channels, then you need to make a few changes to line 13 that originally says - if(!new.equalsIgnoreCase("direct_sales")) to if(new.equalsIgnoreCase("shopify"))
 
Hope this helps you in your online selling endeavors. Oh and by the way, have you ever dabbled with the custom functions module by yourself? You can share your discoveries, questions and suggestions with us anytime. We look forward to hearing from you. (Email us: support@zoho-inventory.com)
 
Until next time.
 
Your everyday end user,
Ajay Aadhithya Chandrasekaran
Zoho Inventory


    Access your files securely from anywhere







                            Zoho Developer Community




                                                  • Desk Community Learning Series


                                                  • Digest


                                                  • Functions


                                                  • Meetups


                                                  • Kbase


                                                  • Resources


                                                  • Glossary


                                                  • Desk Marketplace


                                                  • MVP Corner


                                                  • Word of the Day


                                                  • Ask the Experts





                                                            Manage your brands on social media



                                                                  Zoho TeamInbox Resources



                                                                      Zoho CRM Plus Resources

                                                                        Zoho Books Resources


                                                                          Zoho Subscriptions Resources

                                                                            Zoho Projects Resources


                                                                              Zoho Sprints Resources


                                                                                Qntrl Resources


                                                                                  Zoho Creator Resources



                                                                                      Zoho CRM Resources

                                                                                      • CRM Community Learning Series

                                                                                        CRM Community Learning Series


                                                                                      • Kaizen

                                                                                        Kaizen

                                                                                      • Functions

                                                                                        Functions

                                                                                      • Meetups

                                                                                        Meetups

                                                                                      • Kbase

                                                                                        Kbase

                                                                                      • Resources

                                                                                        Resources

                                                                                      • Digest

                                                                                        Digest

                                                                                      • CRM Marketplace

                                                                                        CRM Marketplace

                                                                                      • MVP Corner

                                                                                        MVP Corner







                                                                                          Design. Discuss. Deliver.

                                                                                          Create visually engaging stories with Zoho Show.

                                                                                          Get Started Now


                                                                                            Zoho Show Resources

                                                                                              Zoho Writer

                                                                                              Get Started. Write Away!

                                                                                              Writer is a powerful online word processor, designed for collaborative work.

                                                                                                Zoho CRM コンテンツ



                                                                                                  Nederlandse Hulpbronnen


                                                                                                      ご検討中の方




                                                                                                              • Recent Topics

                                                                                                              • Zoho desk desktop application

                                                                                                                does zoho desk has a destop applicaion?
                                                                                                              • Tip #54- Exploring the Files Icon in Zoho Assist- 'Insider Insights'

                                                                                                                As we’re already in mid-December, it’s a good time to take a closer look at one of the most useful options in the Zoho Assist remote support dashboard—the Files icon. To get started, log in to Zoho Assist using your credentials. Once you’re in, navigate
                                                                                                              • Tip#47: Estimation planner

                                                                                                                Sprint planning becomes easier, smoother, more collaborative and more accurate with the Estimation Planner extension. Most work items involve multiple users, and each user's role and effort vary. To provide an unbiased and fair estimation point to the
                                                                                                              • Painfully Slow Zoho mail

                                                                                                                Since yesterday Zoho Mail seems to have starting functioning very slowly and having a few bugs. It's slow to open mails, slow to send, slow to change between email accounts. Sometimes clicking on a particular folder (eg Sent folder) stops working and
                                                                                                              • Upcoming update to Google Drive integration in Zoho Creator

                                                                                                                Hello everyone, We're writing to inform you about an upcoming update to how Zoho Creator integrates with Google Drive. In Zoho Creator, during actions like importing files to create an app or attaching files to fields, you can choose files directly from
                                                                                                              • Time Tracking on Iphone doesn't stop

                                                                                                                When I start a time tracking session the timer starts as expected. However when I hit stop, the timer remains on that project. The only buttons available are discard and start. Start runs the timer more and discard says it will throw away the data from
                                                                                                              • Zoho Sign - Zoho CRM extension upgrade

                                                                                                                Hi everyone, We've updated Zoho Sign extension for Zoho CRM with significant internal changes. Impact on existing Zoho Sign extension users Users using the extension without customization If you are using the integration without implementing Zoho Sign's
                                                                                                              • Zoho Books blocks invoicing without VeriFactu even though it is not mandatory until 2027

                                                                                                                I would like to highlight a very serious issue in Zoho Books for Spain. 1. The Spanish government has postponed the mandatory start of VeriFactu to January 1st, 2027. This means that during all of 2026 businesses are NOT required to transmit invoices
                                                                                                              • Group by Owner/ Owner Kanban /Group by Custom Field

                                                                                                                Hi, We are missing the option of viewing Tasks grouped by their owner, as it is an essential function for us to manage our employees' working tasks. We find it hard to inspect what are the tasks that our employees are working on.  We are seeking an option
                                                                                                              • Flow using way too many tasks

                                                                                                                I built a flow that is using way too many tasks for what it is doing. I reached out to support a week ago but never heard back so hoping the community can help. Does a filter count as a task? I am seeing tons of records filtered with < 1 Sec Time Taken
                                                                                                              • Regarding the integration of Apollo.io with Zoho crm.

                                                                                                                I have been seeing for the last 3 months that your Apollo.io beta version is available in Zoho Flow, and this application has not gone live yet. We requested this 2 months ago, but you guys said that 'we are working on it,' and when we search on Google
                                                                                                              • Start Workflow from Deluge Script

                                                                                                                I have developed a customized process from our CRM that leverages a deluge script to create a statement of work document. Once the document has been created via the merge and store function, I would like the ability to start a workdrive review & approve
                                                                                                              • Saved Sections?

                                                                                                                In sites editor, the + button reveals options to add a section, element, etc. It includes Saved Sections, but I can find no way to save a section I've already created. Otherwise, is there a way to copy a section from one page to another?
                                                                                                              • Marketer's Space: Unable to select a sender address? Here's the fix

                                                                                                                Hello Marketers, Welcome back to yet another post! So you've added a sender address in Zoho Campaigns and later found that you're not able to select it while creating an email campaign. Has this ever happened to you? If so, don't worry—you're not alone.
                                                                                                              • Loading Project Balances in ZOHO Books for each project

                                                                                                                Hello, What is the best method for loading project balances actual and budget into ZOHO books to provide tracking to our project managers. We have projects and federal awards (also treated as projects) which span multiple years. We are converting from
                                                                                                              • Auto-Invite Users to Portals in Zoho CRM based on Conditions

                                                                                                                Hello Everyone, You can now automate portal invitations in Zoho CRM with the new Auto-Invite users feature in Portal management. No more manually enabling portal access one by one. With this enhancement, you can automatically send invites for users to
                                                                                                              • Scale up your writing style with content analysis tool in Knowledge Base

                                                                                                                Hello everyone, Sometimes writers may have strong knowledge about the subject but may find it challenging to articulate clearly or produce comprehensible, jargon free content. To make the process easier and to ensure consistent, high-quality articles,
                                                                                                              • Zoho Books "Update" Trigger for Zapier?

                                                                                                                Hi Zoho Team, I've been in talks with Zapier about using their services to connect my Zoho Books account to various apps, but I require an additional trigger beyond the "New" trigger. I require an "Update" trigger, which will allow me to filter and create Zaps only when certain conditions are fulfilled on the Zoho Books end before I automate a separate app. Specifically this will help me create invoices in QuickBooks Online only when payments are recorded in Zoho Books, rather than when a new invoice
                                                                                                              • How to prevent editing of closed tickets in Zoho Desk?

                                                                                                                I would like to confirm whether it is possible to completely prevent agents from editing tickets once their status is set to Closed. Is there any configuration, permission, or best practice in Zoho Desk to ensure that closed tickets remain read-only and
                                                                                                              • Zoho Desk Limitations

                                                                                                                Good day, all, I would like to know whether others share my frustration with some of Zoho's limitations. Don't get me wrong, I like Desk (and I also have a subscription for Analytics), I have been with them for close to 10 years, and unfortunately, I
                                                                                                              • New Mandatory One-Click Unsubscribe Link Overshadowing Custom Unsubscribe Link

                                                                                                                I was recently informed by Zoho CRM Support that they are now mandated by the large email service providers like Google and Yahoo to provide a one-click unsubscribe option in the header (not the body) of all mass emails. I have a custom unsubscribe link
                                                                                                              • how to undoreconciled transaction

                                                                                                                how to undo reconciled transaction
                                                                                                              • Can I export all attachments from Zoho CRM?

                                                                                                                Can I export all attachments from Zoho CRM?
                                                                                                              • Exciting Updates to the Kiosk Studio Feature in Zoho CRM!

                                                                                                                Hello Everyone, We are here again with a series of new enhancements to Kiosk Studio, designed to elevate your experience and bring even greater efficiency to your business processes. These updates build upon our ongoing commitment to making Kiosk a powerful
                                                                                                              • Change eMail Template for Event-Invitations

                                                                                                                Hello ZOHO-CRM Team How I can change the eMail Template for Event-Invitations? I work with the German Version of the Free Version. I know how I can modify eMail alerts or Signature Templates, but where I can other eMails modify you send out? Thank you for your answer. Regards, Juerg
                                                                                                              • Right-Click Pipeline to Open in New Tab

                                                                                                                Please add the ability to right-click on a pipeline to open it in a new tab
                                                                                                              • Service Title in Service Report Template Builder

                                                                                                                I am currently working on the Service Report Template Builder in Zoho FSM. I have created three separate service report templates for different workflows: Preventive Maintenance Report Requested Service Report Installation Report My issue is that I cannot
                                                                                                              • Zoho Sign for Zoho Projects

                                                                                                                Documents authorization and validation with signature is now easier in project management with Zoho Projects' Zoho Sign extension. Sign documents or send them for signatures directly from tasks and issues using Zoho Sign extension in Zoho Projects. Extension
                                                                                                              • Deluge Learning Series – Best Practices in Deluge | December 2025

                                                                                                                We’re excited to bring you the next session of the Deluge Learning Series, focused entirely on writing cleaner, faster, and more reliable Deluge code. In this edition, we’ll dive deep into the essential best practices every Deluge developer should follow
                                                                                                              • Associate a Contact to a Campaign using deluge?

                                                                                                                If I want to add one record to another related list, which zoho function do I use? zoho.updateRelatedRecord is not it I don't think.  I simply want to take a "Contact" and associate it to a "Campaign" using deluge.  Can anyone help? contactId = 5122008000000796037;
                                                                                                              • Add "Groups" above "Users" in the Zoho Forms Left Menu

                                                                                                                Hi, We have Groups but you have to go to a Form and Share or use the Directory App to manage them, please add "Groups" above "Users" in the Zoho Forms Left Menu so you can manage them in 1 place within Zoho Forms too. Thanks Dan
                                                                                                              • Zoho Books | Product updates | October 2025

                                                                                                                Hello users, We’ve rolled out new features and enhancements in Zoho Books. From iOS 26 updates to viewing reports as charts, explore the updates designed to enhance your bookkeeping experience. Zoho Books Updates for Apple Devices At WWDC 2025, Apple
                                                                                                              • Adding Taxes to paid consultations in Zoho Bookings

                                                                                                                I created a 'paid' consultation under Zoho Booking and integrated it with payment gateways for online/instant payment before a booking is done. How can I add 'taxes' to the price of consultation? I can add taxes to other Zoho apps (liks Books, Checkout,
                                                                                                              • Zoho CRM Reports Module on Mobil App

                                                                                                                I have the mobile app and the reports module doesn't appear in the sidebar for some reason. I saw a Youtube video where the user had the Reports module on mobile. Is there a setting to show it on mobile? Thanks.
                                                                                                              • Inquiry on Help Centre Tab Customisation

                                                                                                                Hi Zoho team, I’m wondering if it’s possible to further customise the Help Center tabs, specifically the descriptions under Knowledge Base, Community, and Tickets. While the current setup allows customising tab names, being able to tailor the descriptions
                                                                                                              • Passing a form object to a function

                                                                                                                Suppose I have a sort_order field in multiple tables and I want to increment it by +1 onCreate of a new record. Is there a way to pass the form object as an argument into the function to keep things DRY? The following function from Zia works, but I'd
                                                                                                              • Can you copy and paste a page within a form?

                                                                                                                I have been looking at trying to copy/duplicate a whole page within a form. I can't see how I can do this without having to add all the data in again. This is very time consuming. Any help would be great.
                                                                                                              • SMS to customers from within Bigin

                                                                                                                Hi All, Is there anyone else crying out for Bigin SMS capability to send an SMS to customers directly from the Bigin interface? We have inbuilt telephony already with call recordings which works well. What's lacking is the ability to send and receive
                                                                                                              • Unable to sort as Descending order

                                                                                                                Trying to change the sort order for a lookup field (checkboxes) from Ascending to Descending and keep getting an error in Deluge that the order must be Ascending Did anyone ran into this? Thanks Eyal
                                                                                                              • How do I copy an email message to one or more other folders?

                                                                                                                I can move a message to another folder using the "move to" option but I can't figure out how to copy a message. 
                                                                                                              • Next Page