Hello Everyone! 

In the first half of December, Zoho CRM rolled out auto-invite for portals, smarter CPQ with Zia suggestions and price rules, and Query Workbench for faster query building. We also highlight other noteworthy conversations you shouldn’t miss.

Product Updates:

Auto-Invite Users to Portals Based on Conditions

Automatically grant portal access in Zoho CRM by triggering invites when predefined conditions are met. Customize invitation languages based on customer location or preferences, with optional checks like subscription status, and track failures with detailed logs to resolve invite issues quickly. Read the full post to see how this simplifies portal onboarding at scale.

CPQ Gets Smarter with Zia Suggestions and Enhanced Price Rules

Zoho CRM CPQ now leverages Zia to recommend Product Configurator rules by spotting frequently used product combinations in past quotes. This helps sales teams quote faster and more accurately while reducing manual setup and ensuring pricing applies only to the right line items. Admins can review, refine, or activate AI-generated suggestions as sales patterns change. Read the full post to see how these updates bring smarter quoting and greater control.

Query Workbench Brings a Faster Way to Build Queries in Zoho CRM

Zoho CRM introduces Query Workbench, a unified interface that lets developers build, execute, and validate queries, all in one workspace without switching panels. With instant query execution, response previews, and a cleaner guided layout, users can reduce errors, work faster, and gain confidence while building complex queries. The Workbench enhances the classic query experience and lays the foundation for upcoming support for external databases and cloud data sources. Check out the post to see what’s next with expanded data sources and other enhancements.

Quick Wins:

Handling Duplicate Account Names with Variations

@Dale Wilson needed a way to prevent duplicate customer records in Zoho CRM when names differed only by suffixed like LTD or PLC. @Bhoomi Joshi suggested using a validation rule with a Function or Client Script to check the base name and alert users if a duplicate exists. The solution worked perfectly, keeping Dale's customer records clean and consistent. Check out the post to see how this logic can be implemented in your CRM.

Lead Reports Made Complete: Including Converted Leads

@Sahal Akel asked how to include converted leads in Lead reports. @Ishwarya SG explained how to build a single report by combining filters for both converted and non-converted leads using an OR condition. This straightforward setup helps teams get a complete view of their lead data in one place. Check the full conversation in the post to know more.

HTML Tags Showing in Report Exports

@Marshall raised an issue where HTML tags appeared in exported reports when Notes included rich text formatting. @Ishwarya SG clarified that reports now support exporting rich text as plain text for Excel and CSV, and shared how to enable this option. This is a helpful reference for teams working with formatted notes and report exports. Check the post to see where to turn on this setting.

Kaizen:

Kaizen #219: Getting Started with Webhooks in Zoho CRM

This Kaizen post explains how Webhooks in Zoho CRM enable real-time data sharing with external systems using workflows. Using a high-value lead validation use case, it walks through configuring webhooks via the UI and APIs, covering headers, body formats, and HTTP methods. The post shows how CRM data is pushed instantly when conditions are met. Read the full post to see the step-by-step setup and what’s coming next in Part 2.

Kaizen #220: Managing and Testing Webhooks with Zoho CRM APIs

This follow-up Kaizen explores managing Webhooks using GET, PUT, and DELETE APIs, and shows how to associate them with workflow rules. It demonstrates end-to-end testing by triggering a webhook through record creation and validating real-time data delivery to an external system. A practical continuation of Part 1, focused on control, updates, and live execution. Read the post to see each step in action.

And that’s a wrap for this fortnight’s Zoho CRM Community Digest. Caught something cool we missed? Or have a favorite from this edition?

Drop it in the comments! We’d love to hear from you. We’ll be back in two weeks with more updates and community gems. Until then, stay tuned!