June wrapped up with a meaningful activity sharing update, two community threads on retrieving emails before user deletion and passing Kiosk screen fields to functions that saved people a lot of back and forth, and two AI-powered Kaizens that are genuinely worth building. Let's get into it!

Ever shared a parent record with someone and realized they could only see the open tasks and pending meetings, but none of the history that led to that point? That gap is now closed. Tasks, Meetings, and Calls can be shared directly as standalone records, and when you share a parent record, closed activities come along with it automatically without needing to re-share existing data. This feature is currently rolling out in phases, starting with accounts in the JP and AU data centers.

@Mark Bowen needed to free up a CRM license by deleting a user but didn't want to lose their email history attached to various contacts. @Sunderjan Siddharth shared the critical step: before deactivating, go to Setup > Security Control > Zoho Mail add-on users, find the user, and run the Backup Emails option. Skip this step, and those emails disappear from contact-related lists permanently.

Automated CRM backup storage has been one of the most requested features in the community for years, and the native solution is finally almost here. But while you wait, @kidswhodo shared a working approach using Zoho DataPrep to periodically sync CRM data to external cloud storage on a schedule. @Sunderjan confirmed it's a viable workaround, with one caveat: DataPrep doesn't back up CRM attachments and files.

Moving Beyond Paper Forms for Field Teams
@Manish Arora wanted to eliminate double data entry for his client's field sales team, who were filling physical paper forms on-site and then re-entering the data into CRM separately. @Max Tyack shared a simple fix using Zoho Forms that handles it end-to-end. By integrating the two, data routes instantly to CRM, and a polished PDF of the entry is automatically generated and attached to the record on the spot. A video walkthrough is linked in the thread if you want to see exactly how it's done.

Passing Kiosk Screen Fields Directly to a Deluge Function

@Basil Kezios was building a Kiosk to create Vendor records from user input, but hit a wall. The Function action only showed CurrentRecord, GetRecords, and CreatedRecords as options, making it look like you always need an existing record before a function can run. Spoiler: you don't. @Ponns clarified that Record Type is only for linking function logs to a record, not for passing arguments. Leave it as None, map your screen fields directly, and the function executes without any record context needed.

By the time most sales teams find out about an abandoned checkout, the moment has passed. This Kaizen builds a real-time alert system using Stripe, Zoho CRM Functions, Sales Signals, and Widgets that notifies the record owner the instant a high-value checkout session expires without a purchase. Clicking the Signal opens a widget showing the cart value, checkout timeline, and the abandoned products with direct links to their CRM records, allowing your team can reach out while purchase intent is still fresh. The system even pushes real-time notifications straight to the Zoho CRM mobile app, ensuring your reps never miss a high-ticket rescue opportunity when away from their desks.

A lead sends an email saying "Can we schedule a demo?" and it gets buried under hundreds of others. By the time someone responds, they've already moved to a competitor. This Kaizen builds an automated intent detection system using Zia Assistant API, Workflow, and Deluge that analyzes every incoming lead email in real time. When Zia detects genuine purchase intent, it instantly triggers a sequence of five automated actions: marking the lead as hot, creating a high-priority follow-up task, adding an internal note, alerting the record owner, and sending an instant customer acknowledgement reply so your team can capitalize on the interest while it is fresh.

That's June Part 1 wrapped up!

Got a favorite from this edition or something we missed? Drop it in the comments, we'd love to hear from you. Part 2 is on the way!