Zoho Creator Upcoming Updates — February 2023

Zoho Creator Upcoming Updates — February 2023

Hello all!

A very happy new year to all of you! We're back with the very first monthly update of the year! Your support has made Creator's journey in 2022 both momentous and remarkable, and we'll be striving hard to make sure 2023 is even more incredible. Moreover, we're overwhelmed by your response to our brand new Product Roadmap page—thank you so much!

We'd like to welcome you to the new year with a slew of crucial updates:
  • Blueprint Deluge tasks
  • Inactive accounts deletion
  • Old [C4] payment deprecation
  • Upgrading to new sharing for user and customer portals
  • Dynamically embed components in pages
  • Import data to reports via permalink
  • Parent window navigation for widgets
  • AI-model assistant to create apps from files
  • OpenAPI specification
- - - - - - - - - -

Blueprint Deluge tasks
 
We thought a rendezvous between two major Zoho Creator features—Deluge and Blueprint—would open up infinite possibilities. So we pulled up our socks to get working and came up with two new Deluge tasks related to blueprints. 
  1. thisapp.blueprint.executeTransition - This is a task that will let you execute a transition and move a record from one stage to another. This task is handy when you need to perform bulk actions on a large number of records.
  2. thisapp.blueprint.changeStage - This task will let you move from one stage to another stage without having to execute a transition. Moreover, this task will be applicable in a bidirectional way, meaning that you can use it to move to a stage that is present before or after the current stage in the blueprint.
Crucially, we've also managed to overcome the limitation which prevented records manipulated using Deluge from being a part of any Blueprints. Going forward, even records added/updated using Deluge tasks can partake in the blueprint process.

How do I benefit?
The ability to work with blueprint workflows using Deluge programming will help vastly improve the automation of business processes.
 
Applicable for: C5, C6
Availability: All DCs
Released on: 08-Feb-23
 
Note: Blueprint Deluge tasks will be rolled out in a phased manner. Initially, they will be available only for new signups, but then later will be rolled out for all.
 
- - - - - - - - - -
 
Inactive accounts deletion
 
In order to enhance performance, preserve security, reduce data retention, and safeguard the privacy of Creator users, we've decided to make the hard choice to delete inactive accounts. While we're sad to see some people leave Creator, we also see this as an opportunity to improve the performance of those who choose to stay with us. Any account that hasn't been accessed for 180 days will be considered as inactive and marked for deletion.
 
How will it work?
  1. After prolonged inactivity, an account will be listed for deletion.
    Note: Only inactive accounts with a free, expired, or unpaid subscription will be considered.
  2. The account admin will be informed via email of the impending deletion. Multiple reminders will follow.
  3. Finally, on a predetermined and well-publicized date, the account will be deleted.
  4. If the admin changes their mind and wants to retain their account, they can do so at any time before the deletion deadline, simply by clicking the Reactivate account button in the emails they've received.
How do I benefit?
Once this entire process is complete, the load on our systems will be reduced considerably, and we'll be able to reuse resources to serve you better. And finally, we're making rapid progress towards our ultimate aim of making Zoho Creator the fastest low-code development platform available.
 
Applicable for: C5
Availability: All DCs
Released on: 09-March-23
 
- - - - - - - - - -
 
Old [C4] payment deprecation
 
Creator vets will remember that you used to be able to configure payments from within Form properties in C4. While it worked well, we came up with something even better in C5—Payment workflows.
 
Upon its launch, we began a process of slowly consolidating all payments under Workflows. Then, awhile later, we deprecated support for the creation of new payments from form properties. But, by popular request, we allowed existing payment configurations to continue functioning as before.
 
Although old C4 payments were permanently disabled, the payment field was retained to store the payment configuration and its associated data. However, old C4 payment configurations will soon reach their end of life.
 
What should I do?
  1. Go to Form -> Form properties.
  2. Then navigate to the Payment section.
    i. If a payment configuration is present, then click the Delete icon.
    ii. If the payment configuration was removed earlier, then the payment field alone will be present. In this case, click Delete old payment.
    iii. If you don't see anything under the payment section, then you don't need to do anything. You're already good to go.
 
How do I benefit?
Shifting to payment workflows will enable you to collect payments by integrating with a large number of payment gateways. Additionally, any application which still has old payment configurations cannot become part of Environments. You don't want to miss out on that functionality!
 
Applicable for: C5, C6 users who are using the old payment method
Availability: All DCs
 
- - - - - - - - - -

Upgrading to new sharing for Users and Customer portal 

A small but significant percentage of Creator users continue to stick with the old sharing setup for users and customer portals. All good things come to an end, but this time around they'll be superseded by something vastly superior. The new sharing model brings with it massive upgrades—customizable permissions, field permissions, the ability to restrict visibility, and much more—to the process of sharing with users and customers. We're sure that you'll love the upgrade!
 
We realize that this could be a big change for some of you, though. With that in mind, we came up with a pretty helpful Upgrade wizard to assist you with the upgrading process. The upgrade wizard will give you a detailed preview of how the user and customer portal permissions and other configurations will be mapped after the upgrade.
 
How do I upgrade?
  1. Visit the Updates section under Account Setup and choose the Users and Customer Portal upgrade.
  2. In the upgrade wizard, select the application which should be upgraded to the new sharing.
  3. A preview of how the permissions will look after upgrading to the new sharing will be displayed.
  4. After carefully reviewing the permissions, you can finalize the upgrade.
 
How do I benefit?
  • The new sharing setup comes with the benefit of better-structured access control policies using permissions and roles.
  • Permission to access, view, edit, delete, import, and export records can be set as part of the new sharing process.
  • Getting the new sharing setup for user and customer portal is a mandatory prerequisite to upgrading to C6, the most powerful and innovative version of Creator yet.
  • You (already are and) will continue missing out on exciting updates by sticking with the old sharing setup. We intend to focus our developmental resources only on the new sharing version.
Applicable for: C5 users who are using the old sharing model
Availability: All DCs
 
- - - - - - - - - -
 
Dynamically embed components in pages

Currently, you can embed other Creator components (like forms, reports, etc.) in a page. Now we're taking it up a notch by opening up the possibility of embedding Creator components in a page as: 
  • Popup windows
  • Embed containers within the same page (both as HTML and iframe)
  • <div> containers
What do I need to do?
Just use the new zc_LoadIn page parameter to dynamically embed components into pages.
 
How do I benefit?
Apart from allowing you new ways to embed components into a page, the other advantage of this parameter is that now the page can show dynamic real-time values, without having to refresh the entire page. With the older fixed embed, you needed to refresh the page to get updated data.
 
Applicable for: C5, C6
Availability: All DCs
Released on: 06-Feb-23

- - - - - - - - - -

Import data to reports via permalink
 
We'll be launching standardized functionality-based URLs that'll allow your users to import data directly to reports. Save your users' time, as they'll no longer need to go to that particular report to upload data.
 
How will it work?
The import permalink will have the following pattern:
https://<base_url>/<account_owner_name>/<application_name>/report/<report_link_name>/import

Use it anywhere in any component to quickly direct the user to the import interface.
 
How do I benefit?
This standalone import permalink can provide you with innumerable ways to enable users to upload data to reports. Apart from saving them the hassle, the permalink can be added to other components, like pages, forms, workflows, and more.
 
Applicable for: C5, C6
Availability: All DCs
Released on: 06-Feb-23
- - - - - - - - - -
 
Parent window navigation for widgets

As you're probably aware, Widgets help you build components that aren't always possible using Creator's built-in functionalities. But, due to certain restrictions, you couldn't execute actions from widgets to their parent window (creatorapp.zoho.com). Annoying, right?
 
To overcome this limitation, we've come up with a new method, navigateparentURL(), which will ‌allow you to execute an action in the parent window from the child window itself. This method can handle the open, back, reload, close, and close all actions.
 
How will it work?
Just use the navigateparentURL() method present under the ‌ZOHO.CREATOR.UTIL with JavaScript functions. The action that's required to be performed (back, close, etc) should be passed as a param.
 
Syntax:
var param = {
action:${ACTIONVALUE}
url: ${URL}
window: ${WINDOWTYPE}
}
ZOHO.CREATOR.UTIL.navigateParentURL(param)
 
How do I benefit?
With the new method, you can provide a powerful yet greatly simplified experience to your users, with the help of UI buttons which perform actions in the parent window.
 
Applicable for: C5, C6
Availability: All DCs
Released on: 13-Mar-23
Reference: 
 
- - - - - - - - - -
 
AI-model assistant to create apps from files

Trying to create an app or form by importing a file containing large amounts of data can be a real headache! That's why we've come up with an AI-powered tool to help you achieve data normalization while importing files. Data normalization is the process of breaking down data into smaller tables with a more organized structure.
 
Our AI will quickly analyze the data you're importing and provide you with a list of suggestions to split them into smaller tables along with suitable relationships that can be established by showing you a list of reference forms and lookup fields.
 
What should I do?
  1. In the Import from file window when creating a new application in the wizard, click Restructure table under the Data section.
  2. You'll then be shown a list of suggestions. Choose the most suitable one and, if needed, make any changes as per requirements.
 
How do I benefit?
This features brings order to your disorganized data, segments it in a disciplined fashion, and makes it more suitable for consumption.
 
Applicable for: C5, C6
Availability: All DCs
Released on: 06-Feb-23
 
- - - - - - - - - -
 
OpenAPI specification

As part of our continuing process of standardizing the APIs across our products, Zoho Creator v2 APIs are now defined using OpenAPI specifications. The key advantage of embracing OAS is that it includes a standard and language-agnostic interface for describing APIs in a manner in which they are both machine-readable and interpretable by human readers.
 
How to get them?
  1. Visit the OpenAPI page under the API docs. There, you can download the OAS files as a whole or individually, as per your requirement.
  2. Alternatively, when you visit any individual API page (say Add records, for example) you'll see a Download OAS button. Use it to get the OAS file.
  3. Then use them in Swagger.
 
How do I benefit?
Since OAS is the industry standard, you can steeply reduce the learning curve of APIs. Anyone can easily determine how an API works, as the OAS files contain detailed information about the endpoints, components, and meta information.
 
Applicable for: C5, C6
Availability: All DCs
Released on: 06-Feb-23
 
- - - - - - - - - -
 
We'll notify you as these features are rolled out. In the meantime, let us know what you think about these updates in the comments below!
 
Regards,
Zoho Creator Team

    Access your files securely from anywhere







                            Zoho Developer Community





                                                  Use cases

                                                  Make the most of Zoho Desk with the use cases.

                                                   
                                                    

                                                  eBooks

                                                  Download free eBooks and access a range of topics to get deeper insight on successfully using Zoho Desk.

                                                   
                                                    

                                                  Videos

                                                  Watch comprehensive videos on features and other important topics that will help you master Zoho Desk.

                                                   
                                                    

                                                  Webinar

                                                  Sign up for our webinars and learn the Zoho Desk basics, from customization to automation and more

                                                   
                                                    
                                                  • Desk Community Learning Series


                                                  • Meetups


                                                  • Ask the Experts


                                                  • Kbase


                                                  • Resources


                                                  • Glossary


                                                  • Desk Marketplace


                                                  • MVP Corner




                                                            • Sticky Posts

                                                            • 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
                                                            • Introducing Zoho Creator's v2 APIs

                                                              Hello App Creators, Welcome to Zoho Creator's v2 APIs! This post will serve as the central point for migrating implementations of Creator's current APIs (v1) to v2. Improvements that v2 brings OAuth-based authentication, which is more secure than the


                                                            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 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

                                                                                                            • VAT-type Taxes in US Edition?

                                                                                                              I'm located in the US, and I use the Zoho One US edition of Books. We are in the process of registering with Canadian authorities for their GST / HST, which is a VAT-type of scheme. It is not immediately obvious to me how one would deal with input tax
                                                                                                            • 2 users editing the same record - loose changes

                                                                                                              Hello, I'm very new to Zoho so apology if this has been addressed somewhere i can't find. I have noticed the following: If we have 2 users put an inventory item in edit mode at the same time: say user1 click on edit and user2 while user1 is still in edit,
                                                                                                            • Schedule sms to be sent later

                                                                                                              When will you make available an option to send sms's at a later time??? You finaly have this option available on emails, so it will be very useful to have it also with sms. Our sms provider, has already this available but we cannot use it because you
                                                                                                            • Ecommerce integration with prestashop

                                                                                                              Development of campaigns integration with prestahop. When???
                                                                                                            • How to create an article containing images and rich text via the api?

                                                                                                              Hi, I'm trying to migrate our kb articles from our previous helpdesk service, and import them to ZohoDesk. Is there any way to create an article that contains images?  Is it possible to add formatting to articles created via the API? Thanks, Adam.
                                                                                                            • Number of statement execution limit exceeded on deluge scheduled function

                                                                                                              I'm working on a send email functionality in creator that sends out crew work orders at the end of the day each day for the next day. I'm running into the issue that zoho is unable to handle the number of statements that I am doing to be able to successfully
                                                                                                            • Color of Text Box Changes

                                                                                                              Sometimes I find the color of text boxes changed to a different color. This seems to happen when I reopen the same slide deck later. In the image that I am attaching, you see that the colors of the whole "virus," the "irology" part of "virology," and
                                                                                                            • Zoho SignForm In Progress But Cannot Be Completed

                                                                                                              If a person starts signing a document (via SignForm), but closes the window before submitting, Zoho marks the document "in progress", but how do they finish signing it?
                                                                                                            • How to show Assemblies AND component items in a report

                                                                                                              Hi Is there any way in Analytics to create a report that shows the Composite Item AND the Component Items with mapped quantity? It seems that the component item is not exposed in any table that I can find. Also, the same question but for Stock on Hand.....this
                                                                                                            • Mandatory Messages for Specific Members in Zoho Cliq Channels

                                                                                                              Hello Zoho Cliq Team, We hope you're doing well. We would like to request a feature enhancement to Zoho Cliq that would allow marking certain messages in a channel as mandatory for specific members — with built-in tracking and reminders. 🎯 Use Case:
                                                                                                            • Admin Access to Message Read Statistics in Zoho Cliq

                                                                                                              Hello Zoho Cliq Team, We hope you're doing well. We would like to request a feature enhancement that would allow admins or channel owners to view read/unread statistics for messages, even if they were not the original sender. 🎯 Use Case: Currently, in
                                                                                                            • Online Member Visibility in Channels (Similar to WhatsApp Group Presence)

                                                                                                              Hello Zoho Cliq Team, We hope you're doing well. We’d like to request an enhancement to Zoho Cliq’s channel experience by introducing online presence indicators for channel members — similar to how WhatsApp shows how many people in a group are currently
                                                                                                            • Show ticket field in Zoho Desk only if that same field is not empty (API‑created records)

                                                                                                              Zoho Team , We have a ticket workflow where every ticket is created via API based on dynamic logic from an external form. That form has complex logic and already decides what’s relevant to ask, and the API only populates fields in Zoho Desk based on that
                                                                                                            • Multiple Products on Ticket

                                                                                                              Good morning. We will classify all tickets based on the product. Users sometimes send different requests on the same ticket, so we are facing some challenges. Is there a way to add more than one product to the ticket, or is there a way to tie the product
                                                                                                            • Não recebo Email de confirmação e validação de cadastro do PagSeguro

                                                                                                              Olá, utilizei uma das minhas contas de email Zoho para criar um cadastro no PagSeguro, contigo o email com o link de confirmação da conta não chega no meu email Zoho (nem.ma caixa de spam, nem na lixeira, e nem em outras pastas). Outros emails do PagSeguro
                                                                                                            • Does Thrive work with Zoho Billing (Subscriptions)?

                                                                                                              I would like to use Thrive with Zoho Billing Subscriptions but don't see a way to do so. Can someone point me in the right direction? Thank you
                                                                                                            • accounts payable and receivable subaccounts

                                                                                                              How to create accounts payable and receivable subaccounts? Being that I have several clients and in my balance sheet have to specify the accounts of each client and not only appear "accounts receivable or accounts payable" ??
                                                                                                            • DUPLICATING WORKFLOWS IN CREATOR

                                                                                                              Hi all, I want to duplicate and slightly amend 3 workflows in Creator so that I don't have to keep typing in all the rules and properties each time. I can see lots of videos on CRM with the 3 dots at the top of the workflow, but nothing like that in Creator.
                                                                                                            • Add SKU to query options in `items` API endpoint

                                                                                                              It would be very useful to be able to pull items by SKU in the API as this is a commonly used unique ID that tends to be consistent across systems.
                                                                                                            • Estimates and invoices being sent from company-wide address, rather than individual

                                                                                                              In our organization, team members send estimates and invoices through Zoho Books by using the "Send Email" function. However, for certain users, the system defaults to sending estimates and invoices from a shared organizational email address (e.g., company@example.com)
                                                                                                            • Need profit margins for books in estimates & invoice

                                                                                                              https://help.zoho.com/portal/en/community/topic/show-my-cost-or-profit-while-creating-estimate
                                                                                                            • Decimal places settings for exchange rates

                                                                                                              Hello, We are facing issues while matching vendor payments with banking feeds. As we often import products/services exchange rate comes into play. Currently, ZOHO allows only six digits for decimal places. We feel that conversions like JPY to INR require
                                                                                                            • Item Level Notifications

                                                                                                              I need to create a custom workflow based on the creation of an estimate that has a SKU/Item name that matches certain criteria. I can have it generated based on a total amount, but not at the item level. Is this possible?
                                                                                                            • Cannot categorize a bank deposit to an income sub-account

                                                                                                              When I go to categorize a bank deposit, I am not able to see any income sub-accounts. If I set up an income account without a parent, then I am able to categorize a transaction into that account, but as soon as I make it a child account, it disappears
                                                                                                            • ZV Extension passkey changes in v5.7.0

                                                                                                              Has there any changes to the how passkeys are managed in ZV - Chrome extensions v5.7.0? Namely, if the passkeys were already implemented/enforced as 2FA on a certain webpage, but ZV does not track them yet. Would that be the issue for my use case?
                                                                                                            • What's New in Zoho Billing - August 2025

                                                                                                              Hello everyone, We are excited to share the latest updates and enhancements made to Zoho Billing in August 2025 to improve your overall billing management experience. Keep reading to learn more. Notify Customers About Subscriptions via WhatsApp Business
                                                                                                            • How do I get my account id?

                                                                                                              Hello, I followed the instructions to get a list of accounts of the currently authenticated user (which is me, and I am logged in). But when I follow the below instructions I get the following error: ERROR: {"data":{"errorCode":"INVALID_TICKET","moreInfo":"Invalid ticket"},"status":{"code":400,"description":"Invalid Input"}} Instructions that I am following: GET - User account details Purpose The API retrieves the list of accounts of the currently authenticated user.  Request URL  http://mail.zoho.com/api/accounts
                                                                                                            • Why are tasks not showing in Zoho Calendar?

                                                                                                              Hi there, I updated the Zoho calendar preferences for Task records to show on the calendar together with Meetings and Calls - see attached screenshot. Despite of that, Task records still won't show on the calendar. Is there a specific reason why this
                                                                                                            • Zoho Payroll: Product Updates - July 2025

                                                                                                              Over the past month, we've focused on making Zoho Payroll more flexible, compliant, and easier to use—whether you're processing complex payouts, ensuring accurate calculations, or meeting local tax regulations. Here's what's new: One-Time Payments and
                                                                                                            • Discussion for “sub product”, “sub item” or “child products”

                                                                                                              Hello everyone, In some CRM systems, there is the ability to associate products in a hierarchical manner within a quote. For example: Product A: Gold Plan Product B: Setup Product C: Connector Product D: Silver Plan Product B: Setup Product C: Connector
                                                                                                            • Retrieve Accidental Deleted User

                                                                                                              Is there a way to undelete a user who accidentally deleted themselves?
                                                                                                            • Request for Support - CRM Integration Issues

                                                                                                              I’m reaching out to request assistance with the following items: 1. Zoho Forms Integration with Zoho CRM We are currently using Zoho Forms to send the Global Credit Application form to our customers. The intended workflow is for the form submissions to
                                                                                                            • Subform edits don't appear in parent record timeline?

                                                                                                              Is it possible to have subform edits (like add row/delete row) appear in the Timeline for parent records? A user can edit a record, only edit the subform, and it doesn't appear in the timeline. Is there a workaround or way that we can show when a user
                                                                                                            • Knowledge Base Module

                                                                                                              How to enable the knowledge base module in zoho crm account. I saw this module in one crm account but unable to find it other zoho crm account. can anyone know about this?
                                                                                                            • Zoho sign changed Indexing of signing_order

                                                                                                              Because I missed this Announcement (is there even one?): when you work with the indexes of actions > signing_order. Previous those started with 0 now starts with 1. Changed somewhere between 15.07 and 23.07
                                                                                                            • How to Invoice Based on Timesheet Hours Logged on a Zoho FSM Work Order

                                                                                                              Hi everyone, We’re working on optimizing our invoicing process in Zoho FSM, and we’ve run into a bit of a roadblock. Here’s our goal: We want to invoice based on the actual number of hours logged by our technicians on a job, specifically using the timesheets
                                                                                                            • Zoho CRM Community Digest - June 2025 | Part 2

                                                                                                              Welcome back to the Zoho CRM Community Digest! We’re wrapping up June with more fresh updates, smart discussions, and clever workarounds shared by the community. Product Updates: Struggling to keep track of scattered customer interactions? Zoho CRM's
                                                                                                            • Allow Variable Insertion in Prebuilt "Update Record" Action in Schedules

                                                                                                              Hi Zoho Creator Team, Hope you're doing well. We’d like to submit a feature request based on our experience using Zoho Creator schedules to manage workflows integrated with Zoho Desk. We currently have an app where Zoho Desk tickets create records in
                                                                                                            • Rich Text Field Editor in Form Builder is Too Small and Not Resizable

                                                                                                              Hello, I am experiencing a significant usability issue with the rich text field in the Zoho Forms builder. The editor window for this field is fixed-size and extremely small. It does not adapt to the screen size, which makes it very difficult to manage
                                                                                                            • Publicar Formulário

                                                                                                              Obs. Não consigo publicar meus formulários, pesquisei alguns artigos, mas me deixou perdido, fala de campo sensível, não consigo entender o que significa. Segue Imagem do problema. Todo formulário que faço sempre termina assim sem o botão de publicar..
                                                                                                            • Next Page