Upcoming updates - Mar 2019 - part 1

Upcoming updates - Mar 2019 - part 1

Hello App Creators, 

Continuing with our recent post on Feb-2019's updates, we're here with a few more updates for you.

In the coming days of March, 2019, the Zoho Creator team will be rolling out the following feature updates:
  • Zia-powered smart data import

  • Auto-refresh of related elements in pages

  • Ability to drill down data points in pivot charts
  • 
Application of field-level permissions when viewing related data
  • 
Domain restriction

In addition to our changelog, we'll leave a comment below as each of these updates are rolled out.

- - - - - -

Zia-powered smart data import

Applicable to : Zoho Creator 5

This improvement will bring you: 
  • Data cleansing capabilities powered by Zia — Zoho's AI assistant for business
  • Support for importing subform, name, and address data
  • An import interface that enables a spreadsheet app-like experience
Note: These improvements will be available during app creation and not when you create a form by importing a file.

Zia-powered data cleansing capabilities

Before you upload your file and create an app, it's a best practice to tweak the data in it so that it fits the model of tables in a relational database. To assist here, the new Zia-powered import interface will enable you to:
  • Filter the data in a sheet. Only the filtered data will be imported into the application.
  • Find & Replace data
  • Perform data-cleansing operations in the sheets, which are grouped under the Refine Data option:
    • Fix inconsistent spellings
    • Fix missing values
    • Split the data in a column into two by defining their delimiter
    • Merge columns
    • Explore the frequency distribution of values in a column


Importing subform data

Before you upload your file, you'll have to ensure that the main or parent form data and subform data are in separate sheets.

In the import interface, checking a sheet's Make it as subform checkbox is how you'll define that it contains subform data. Upon doing so, you'll have to:
  1. Select the sheet that contains its parent data. This'll become the parent or main form after the import operation. Let's call this the "parent sheet".
  2. Select the column in the "parent sheet" that identifies each row uniquely.
  3. Select the column that's the parent row identifier in the current sheet (which you're marking as subform)


Importing name and address data

You'll be able to map the Name or Address field to a column via its Field type option.

Name/address data can be present in a single column or span multiple columns. When it spans multiple columns, you'll be able to map the name subfields (Prefix, First Name, Last Name, Suffix) and address subfields (Address Line 1, Address Line 2, etc.) to the respective columns in the sheet.



Spreadsheet app-like import interface

Currently upon importing, the sheets in your file are displayed as collapsible sections that show you a preview of the data in them. They'll now be displayed as tabs — like sheets in a spreadsheet. In addition to the existing abilities of renaming and selecting/deselecting sheets, you'll be able to:
  • View the data in all the rows in the sheets
  • Sort the data in your sheets. (This sorting won't be applied in the app you create. It's only to let you view the data in the required order.)
  • Delete rows
  • Undo and redo actions


- - - - - -

Auto-refresh of related elements in pages

Applicable to : Zoho Creator 5

A common usage of pages is to build Dashboards that display key performance indices (KPIs). A common requirement in business and productivity apps is for the dashboards to show the latest data. This was so far being achieved via workflows by reloading the page after a record was created, updated, and deleted.

We've stepped up in this regard — page elements corresponding to an embedded form will automatically be refreshed when your users create, update, and delete records in that form. Things to note:
  • The elements that will be refreshed are panels, charts, reports (except pivot reports)
  • The create, update, and delete operations must happen from the same window. Opening the form (from the page) in a pop-up or new window will not auto-refresh the related elements in that page.


- - - - - -

Ability to drill down data points in pivot charts

Applicable to : Zoho Creator 5 and  accounts using  New UI

The ability to drill down data points in pivot charts enables users to visualize the underlying data points as a new chart. We'll be adding this ability to the View underlying data property of pivot charts:
  • This property will be renamed as View underlying data and drill down
  • Upon checking this, your users will additionally see the Drill Down option, clicking which will enable them to visualize the underlying data points as a new chart

- - - - - -

Application of field-level permissions when viewing related data

Applicable to : Zoho Creator 5 and accounts using  New UI

Currently field-level permissions aren't strictly enforced when users view related data — data fetched via lookup and subform. After this is fixed:
  • In the quick view of a report, users will be able to view only those related fields that they have permission for
  • In the detail view of a report, users will be able to view a related data block only when they have permission to view data in the corresponding form. Also, they'll be able to view only those fields of the related form that they have permission for.

- - - - - -

Domain restriction

Applicable to : All

Enterprise-grade applications, especially those that handle and store sensitive data, face a variety of threats. It therefore becomes essential to ensure that an email address from an external domain does not even get added as a User or Developer in such applications.

Welcome Domain Restriction. This feature will ensure the above said. Things to note:
  • Domain restriction will be available at the app level
  • You'll be able to enable this only when your Zoho account is based on your own domain

- - - - - -

We hope you found this post informative. Let us know what you think about these updates by commenting below.

Best, 
Lakshman | Zoho Creator


    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



                                                            • Sticky Posts

                                                            • Introducing Zoho Creator's 2025 Release Projection 2

                                                              Hello Creators! I'm Prakash, from the Creator product management team, and today I'm delighted to unveil our next set of features as part of Release Projection 2 for 2025. With thoughtful analysis and planning, we've curated powerful new capabilities
                                                            • Zoho Creator - 2023 Release Projection 1

                                                              Hello everyone! A very Happy New Year to you and your family. Hope you're all good and having a great time using Zoho Creator to make your lives easier and your businesses prosper. 2022 was an action-packed year for us at Creator, and we hope to continue
                                                            • Zoho Creator User Group meetups in a city near you! - Oct - Nov, 2023

                                                              Greetings from the Zoho Creator team! We're hosting a series of Zoho Creator meetups in various cities across the globe, and we'd love to meet you there! Our meetups are a great opportunity to network with industry peers, exchange ideas and best practices,
                                                            • Zoho Creator - 2023 Release Projection 2

                                                              Hello everyone! Time truly flies when you're having an incredible journey, and today we mark the completion of an eventful and action-packed six months. It feels like just yesterday when we embarked on this adventure together with the launch of our new
                                                            • Upcoming Updates - August 2022

                                                              Hi all, Greetings from the Zoho Creator team! Today we've got news for you on some exciting updates. And rest assured— there’s more to come! In this post, we'll be going over the upcoming features and improvements for this month as mentioned below. A


                                                            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

                                                                                                              • Work Type - Limitation

                                                                                                                Hello, I'm setting up work types and have noticed, a limitation on the parts area to 10 lines. Can this be increased to 20 or greater? In addition to this, when I attempt to add the work type to a work order, the correct labour hours doesn't flow through.
                                                                                                              • Module Customisation - Lookup function not available

                                                                                                                Good evening, Within my business, I can have multiple customers, who have multiple mobile assets. When I set these assets up, I enter information such as vehicle registration, Vehicle identification number (VIN), Unit number, YOM, in addition to others.
                                                                                                              • Emails sent through Bigin are not posting in IMAP Sent folder

                                                                                                                I have set up my email to work from within Bigin using IMAP.  I am using IMAP so I can sync my email across multiple devices - phone / laptop / desktop / iPad / etc.  I want all my emails to populate my email client (outlook & iphone email) whether or
                                                                                                              • Turning the page for Zoho SalesIQ: 2025 to 2026

                                                                                                                As we wrap up 2025, we would like to take a moment to reflect on what we set out to achieve this year, what we’ve delivered, and where we’re headed next. What we focused on in 2025 This year was all about strengthening the core of engagement and AI, making
                                                                                                              • Stage-probability mapping feature in custom module

                                                                                                                Hi, I'm building a custom module for manage projects. I would like to implement the stage-probability feature that Potentials has. Is this possible?
                                                                                                              • Temporary Outage in Zoho Cliq Affecting US Users – July 23, 2025

                                                                                                                We experienced a service disruption in Zoho Cliq that impacted core functionality for users in the US region. The issue occurred between Jul 23, 2025, 06:54:00 PM IST and 07:13:13 PM IST, lasting approximately 19 minutes. To restore service stability,
                                                                                                              • Why Sharing Rules do Not support relative date comparison???

                                                                                                                I am creating a Sharing Rule and simply want to share where "Last Day of Coverage" (Date field) is Greater than TODAY (Starting Tomorrow). However, sharing rules don't have the option to compare a date field to a relative date (like today), only to Static
                                                                                                              • Zoho Cliq not working on airplanes

                                                                                                                Hi, My team and I have been having this constant issue of cliq not working when connected to an airplane's wifi. Is there a reason for this? We have tried on different Airlines and it doesn't work on any of them. We need assistance here since we are constantly
                                                                                                              • Problem with Workdrive folders

                                                                                                                I'm having a problem a problem accessing files in a Zoho work drive folder when using the Zoho writer app. The problem folder appears grayed out in the Zoho work drive window in both the online and writer application. However I can open the folder in
                                                                                                              • Send Supervisor Rule Emails Within Ticket Context in Zoho Desk

                                                                                                                Dear Zoho Desk Team, I hope this message finds you well. Currently, emails sent via Supervisor Rules in Zoho Desk are sent outside of the ticket context. As a result, if a client replies to such emails, their response creates a new ticket instead of appending
                                                                                                              • Multi-currency and Products

                                                                                                                One of the main reasons I have gone down the Zoho route is because I need multi-currency support.  However, I find that products can only be priced in the home currency, We sell to the US and UK.  However, we maintain different price lists for each. 
                                                                                                              • Create an Eye-Catching Announcement Widget for Your Help Center

                                                                                                                Hello Everyone! In this week’s edition, let’s explore how to keep your customers updated with exciting news in the Help Center. See how ZylkerMobile wowed their customers by bringing updates right to their portal. ZylkerMobile, the renowned brand for
                                                                                                              • Send Whatsapp with API including custom placeholders

                                                                                                                Is is possible to initiate a session on whatsapp IM channel with a template that includes params (placeholders) that are passed on the API call? This is very usefull to send a Utility message for a transactional notification including an order number
                                                                                                              • Customer Management: #6 Common Mistakes in Customer Handling

                                                                                                                Managing customers doesn't usually fall apart overnight. More often, slight gaps in the process slowly become bigger problems. Incidents like missed follow-ups, billing confusion, and unhappy customers will lead to revenue loss. Many businesses don't
                                                                                                              • Zoho Desk iOS app update: UI enhancement of picklist and multi picklist fields

                                                                                                                Hello everyone! We have enhanced the UI of the picklist and multiselect picklist fields on the Zoho Desk iOS app to provide a more refined, efficient, and user-friendly experience. We have now supported an option to Search within the picklist and multiselect
                                                                                                              • Zoho Desk iOS app update: Revamped scribbles with Apple pencil kit

                                                                                                                Hello everyone! We’re excited to introduce a revamped Scribble experience, rebuilt from the ground up using Apple PencilKit for smooth strokes, proper scaling, and seamless image uploads. Please update the app to the latest version directly from the App
                                                                                                              • Zoho Desk Android app update: Norwegian language support

                                                                                                                Hello everyone! In the most recent Android version of the Zoho Desk app update, we have brought in support to access the app in Norwegian language. We have introduced the Norwegian language on the IM module of the Zoho Desk app as well. Please update
                                                                                                              • Is it possible to roll up all Contact emails to the Account view?

                                                                                                                Is there a way to track all emails associated with an Account in one single view? Currently, email history is visible when opening an individual Contact record. However, since multiple Contacts are often associated with a single Account, it would be beneficial
                                                                                                              • Function #53: Transaction Level Profitability for Invoices

                                                                                                                Hello everyone, and welcome back to our series! We have previously provided custom functions for calculating the profitability of a quote and a sales order. There may be instances where the invoice may differ from its corresponding quote or sales order.
                                                                                                              • Payment Vouchers

                                                                                                                Is there any Payment Vouchers in Zoho? How can we create payment for non-trade vendors, i.e. professional fees, rent, and payment to commissioner income tax?
                                                                                                              • API in E-Invoice/GST portal

                                                                                                                Hi, Do I have to change the api in gst/e-invoice portal as I use zoho e books for my e-invoicing. If yes, please confirm the process.
                                                                                                              • When I click on PDF/PRINT it makes the invoice half size

                                                                                                                When I click PDF / Print for my invoice in Zoho Books, the generated PDF appears at half size — everything is scaled down, including the logo, text, and layout. The content does not fill the page as it should. Could someone advise what causes Zoho Books
                                                                                                              • Search by contain letter in a column

                                                                                                                Hello, everyone I need a filter function that searches by letter in a cell, and it should be a macro. To clarify further, if I have a column with several names and I chose a search cell and what I want is search by a single letter, for example, "a" then
                                                                                                              • Archiving Contacts

                                                                                                                How do I archive a list of contacts, or individual contacts?
                                                                                                              • Enrich your contact and company details automatically using the Data Enrichment topping

                                                                                                                Greetings, I hope you're all doing well. We're happy to announce the latest topping we've added to Bigin: The Data Enrichment topping, powered by WebAmigo. This topping helps you automatically enhance your contact and company records in Bigin. By leveraging
                                                                                                              • Easier onboarding for new users with stage descriptions

                                                                                                                Greetings, I hope all of you are doing well. We're happy to announce a recent enhancement we've made to Bigin. You can now add descriptions to the stages in your pipeline. Previously, when creating a pipeline, you could only add stages. With this update,
                                                                                                              • Zoho Books Invoices Templates

                                                                                                                It would be really helpful to have more advanced features to customise the invoice templates in Zoho Books. Especially I´m thinking of the spacing of the different parts of the invoice (Address line etc.). If you have a sender and receiver address in
                                                                                                              • Can add a colum to the left of the item in Zoho Books?

                                                                                                                I would need to add a column to the left of the item column in Books. When i create custom fields, i can only display them to the right of the item.
                                                                                                              • Verifying Zoho Mail Functionality After Switching DNS from Cloudflare to Hosting Provider

                                                                                                                I initially configured my domain's (https://roblaxmod.com/) email with Zoho Mail while using Cloudflare to manage my DNS records (MX, SPF, etc.). All services were working correctly. Recently, I have removed my site from Cloudflare and switched my domain's
                                                                                                              • AI Bot and Advanced Automation for WhatsApp

                                                                                                                Most small businesses "live" on WhatsApp, and while Bigin’s current integration is helpful, users need more automation to keep up with volume. We are requesting features based on our customer Feedbacks AI Bot: For auto-replying to FAQs. Keyword Triggers:
                                                                                                              • Improved Contact Sync flow in Google Integration with Zoho CRM

                                                                                                                Hello Everyone, Your contact sync in Google integration just got revamped! We have redesigned the sync process to give users more control over what data flows into Google and ensure that this data flows effortlessly between Zoho CRM and Google. With this
                                                                                                              • 2025 Ask the Experts sessions wrap-up : Key highlights from the experts

                                                                                                                Here is a rewind journey of our Ask the Experts (ATE) Sessions, where we brought you expert insights and practical best practices together in one place. This recap highlights the key takeaways, learnings, and best practices from all these sessions so
                                                                                                              • New Enhancements to Zoho CRM and Zoho Creator Integration

                                                                                                                Hello Everyone, We’ve rolled out enhancements to the Zoho Creator and Zoho CRM integration to align with recent updates made to the Zoho Creator platform. With enhancements to both the UI and functionality, This update also tightens access control by
                                                                                                              • How to disable the edit option in subform

                                                                                                                How to disable the edit option in subform
                                                                                                              • Power up your Kiosk Studio with Real-Time Data Capture, Client Scripts & More!

                                                                                                                Hello Everyone, We’re thrilled to announce a powerful set of enhancements to Kiosk Studio in Zoho CRM. These new updates give you more flexibility, faster record handling, and real-time data capture, making your Kiosk flows smarter and more efficient
                                                                                                              • Adding non-Indian billing address for my Zoho subscription

                                                                                                                Hey Need help with adding a non-Indian billing address for my Zoho subscription, trying to edit the address to my Singapore registered company. Won't let me change the country. Would appreciate the help. Regards, Rishabh
                                                                                                              • Is it possible to enforce a single default task for all users in a Zoho Projects ?

                                                                                                                In Zoho Projects, the Tasks module provides multiple views, including List, Gantt, and Kanban. Additionally, users can create and switch to their own custom views. During project review meetings, this flexibility creates confusion because different users
                                                                                                              • Move record from one custom module to another custom module

                                                                                                                Is it possible to create a button or custom field that will transfer a record from one custom module to another? I already have the 'Leads' module used for the Sr. Sales department, once the deal is closed they convert it to the 'Accounts' module. I would like to create a 'Convert' button for a custom module ('Locations') for the department that finds locations for each account. Once the location is secured, I want to move the record to another custom module called 'Secured Locations'. It's basically
                                                                                                              • Convert Lead Automation Trigger

                                                                                                                Currently, there is only a convert lead action available in workflow rules and blueprints. Also, there is a Convert Lead button available but it doesn't trigger any automations. Once the lead is converted to a Contact/Account the dataset that can be fetched
                                                                                                              • Notes Not Saving

                                                                                                                Hello,  My notes are continuously not saving.  I make sure to save them, I know the process to save them.  It is not operator error.  I go back into a Leads profile a while later and do not see the previous notes that I have made.  I then have to go back and do unnecessary research that would have been in the notes in the first place.  Not a good experience and it is frustrating.  Slows me down and makes me do unnecessary work.  Please resolve.   As a quick heads up, deleting cookies is not a fix
                                                                                                              • Next Page