
Looking for more ideas? Please check out (and follow) our Kiosk Studio Session posts in the Zoho community!
Session #1 covers how to view customers from the same industry.
Session #2 covers how to build a call script kiosk.
Session #3 looks at streamlining appointments.
Session #4 shows how kiosks can simplify sales for bank employees.
Session #5 helps you review loan applications quickly.
Session #6 packs an entire service request workflow into a single kiosk.
Session #7 helps you create your own convert feature.
Session #8 covers viewing subform entries (like invoiced items) without opening a record.
You can build kiosks to cover multiple use cases, but in the end, they are all made up of a few basic elements that are added, configured, and connected in multiple ways.
These basic elements are:
- Screen
- Decision
- Action
Let's look at them one by one.
Screen
A screen presents the user with display text, fields, data from the CRM, data collected from previous screens, and buttons to pick the next step. Each button represents a branch in the kiosk's flow. The data entered in the fields of a screen and the data pulled in from the CRM will be available for use in subsequent screens. This is how a screen will look to CRM users:
The elements available to build a screen are:
Display elements
Text
As the name suggests, this is used to display text to the user. You can use this to instruct the user, warn them, give them feedback, make them aware of the importance of some fields, let them know whom to contact, and so on.
Queries
With query-enabled kiosks, users can access relevant data and receive automated responses. It can be used to retrieve any data into your CRM account using API or COQL including data from your third party services. They can be used in the Screen and Decision components.
GetRecords
Pull in a record or multiple records from the CRM and display them to the user. You can pick a parent module, or select a parent record and pick its child module. Then, you can set the criteria for the records to be fetched, decide how these records should be sorted, and so on.
You can learn more about GetRecords in the Data in kiosks section of this document.
Zia Insights
The Zia Insights component lets you display insights generated by Zia for a particular record. The following components are supported in Kiosks:
- Field prediction

- Competitor mentions

- Churn prediction

- Next best experience

- Zia score

- Recommendation

- Similarity recommender

- Best time

Fields
These are used to collect different kinds of data from users, or to display previously collected data or data from the CRM. These fields are not CRM fields. This gives you greater flexibility when it comes to collecting and presenting data in the kiosk. The field types and their attributes are shown below:
Field type | Merge from module | Mark as mandatory | Show tool tip | Read only | Others |
Single line | Yes | Yes | Yes | If Merge from module is enabled | |
Multi-line | Yes | Yes | Yes | If Merge from module is enabled | |
Phone | Yes | Yes | Yes | If Merge from module is enabled | |
Number | Yes | Yes | Yes | If Merge from module is enabled | Maximum digits allowed |
Currency | Yes | Yes | Yes | If Merge from module is enabled | Maximum digits allowed, Number of decimal places, Rounding option |
Checkbox | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Enable by Default |
Email | Yes | Yes | Yes | If Merge from module is enabled | |
Date | Yes | Yes | Yes | If Merge from module is enabled | |
Date/ Time | Yes | Yes | Yes | If Merge from module is enabled | |
Picklist | No | Yes | Yes | No | Picklist type (local or Global set) |
Multi-Select | No | Yes | Yes | No | |
User | No | Yes | Yes | No | |
File Upload | No | No | Yes | No | Upload multiple files |
Decimal | Yes | Yes | Yes | If Merge from module is enabled | |
Percentage | Yes | Yes | Yes | If Merge from module is enabled | |
URL | Yes | Yes | Yes | If Merge from module is enabled | |
A screen contains buttons. You can choose the button label and the button style. The buttons will be displayed from right to left on the screen. Each button will create a corresponding branch in a kiosk's flow.
Note
- You can add a maximum of 20 fields in a screen.
- You can add a maximum of four buttons per screen.
- The display elements and fields can be rearranged.
Screen Field
The screen field component lets you display data collected in previous screens' fields. This can be used whenever you want to present this data to the user for reference.
Decision
A decision component is used to create branches in the kiosk's flow based on existing CRM data or the data in the previous screen fields. It is a counterpart to the buttons on screens. Both dictate the branch of the flow that is to be executed but decision components do this automatically based on data. A criteria is specified to decide the branch that the flow should take. There will always be a default path in case the criteria for the other paths are not satisfied.
Action
Actions are crucial, as they link the data in the screens with the rest of the CRM. Actions added in a branch of the kiosk will be automatically executed if the user's actions lead down that branch. When you create an action, you can make use of the data gathered in the previous screens. For example, the details entered by the user in previous screens can be used as values for a function's arguments. The different actions available include :
- Field Update,
- Assign Owner,
- Tag < Assigning Tags or Removing Tags,
- Email Notifications,
- Activities < Add Task, Schedule a Call, or Add Meeting,
- Create records < Predefined Configuration or Via User Input,
- Convert,
- Webhooks,
- Functions,
- Open Record,
- Open Link
Create Records
> Predefined configuration
Records will be created automatically during the execution of a Kiosk. They require you to add pre-defined values either as static values or data from previous screens. This is ideal for predefined updates or recurring tasks where information is known in advance.
> Via User Input
Admins can choose to allow records to be created during the Kiosk's execution and eliminate the need to replicate, map and merge fields to save time and effort through the use of Quick Create pop-up.
Users can input values in the Quick create layout that would pop-up during execution to create new records in a module. Perfect for real-world scenarios, the exact information needed to create a record only becomes available during the live execution of the Kiosk.
Real-time scenarios
Let's say you run a Kiosk for your sales team. During a call, a customer requests a product demo and shares their availability Or, your support team receives a call and has to log the customer’s issue details or updated contact info. With this feature, the sales rep or support executive can create records instantly while the Kiosk is running, to input the information they get during their call to provide a smooth customer experience.
How does it work?
- While setting up the Kiosk, select Create Record > Via User Input.
- Enter Action Name, then choose the Module and Layout.
- During execution, the Quick Create layout for the selected module appears.
- There is an option to pre-fill frequently used field values during configuration.
- Now, users can enter details directly while the Kiosk is being executed.
- Note: If a user lacks Create permission for a module, this step is skipped, and related values will show as null.
Data in kiosks
While screens can be used to gather data from the user, the power of kiosks comes from the ability to use this data and data from the CRM. You have the following options to pull in data:
CurrentRecords
Kiosks can be accessed from multiple places. Two such places are record-specific:
- The record detail view page and
- The module list view page (for each record).
In these cases, the kiosk can use data from that specific record (called CurrentRecords). In case you access a kiosk from outside a record, the current record will be null.
GetRecords
The GetRecords component is used to fetch one or more records from a CRM module. It can be created and used in screens, decisions, and actions. This component has the following kinds of output:
- Single record output: A single record will be displayed to the user. Its field values can be used in subsequent screens, decision criteria, and actions.
- Multi-record output: Multiple records will be fetched based on the criteria you've chosen.
- With single selection: Though multiple records are fetched, the user will be able to select only one record. Its fields can be used everywhere that the single record output's fields are used.
- With multiple selections: These allow the selection of multiple records. The selected records can be used in decision criteria or in email notification templates (In the email template builder, under Table > GetRecords).
Fetch All Records from a module to your GetRecords Screen : You can now choose to fetch some records or all records from a module to be displayed in your GetRecords Screen. This is useful in scenarios when users need to view or act on a complete set of records in a module rather than on a limited number of them.
We’ve added pagination to the GetRecords screen, making it easier to navigate and locate specific records quickly, even when dealing with large data sets.
Quickly find records in GetRecords screens with this new addition to Kiosk and the GetRecord selection limit from 10 to 100.
Every Kiosk auto-loads the first-screen of GetRecords without the need to manually refresh. When a Kiosk opens with GetRecords on the first screen, records now load instantly, regardless of whether it’s on the Home Page, Canvas, Record Detail View, Blueprint, or a Custom Button.
Merge fields
A merge field is a reference to another field. At the time of accessing a kiosk, this will be replaced with the value for that referred field. In kiosks, a merge field can point to:
- GetRecords' fields (CRM record's fields)
- Previous screen's field
- Current record's fields
- CreatedRecord's fields
- A User module field (for data related to the user who's accessing a kiosk)
- Organization fields
They can be used in the following places:
- Within screens: Enable Merge from module and press # to pick the field.This allows you to do things like customize your instructions (within the text display element on a screen), display CRM field data for reference, and so on.
- Email templates: When you're creating an email template, you can use merge fields to customize your notification.
Queries
Queries in Kiosks help you capture and store data directly in Zoho CRM, enhancing customer engagement and streamlining data collection. It can be used to retrieve any data into your CRM account using API or COQL including data from your third party services. They can be used in the following places :
- Screen : Add a query to your screen to retrieve data inputted in previous screens of your Kiosk.
- Decision : Add a query to your criteria component to make decisions from the data retrieved via queries in your screens. Please note that we can add queries to a criteria of a decision component only if it is retrieved in the previous screen of your Kiosk.
Add queries to your Kiosk Screen
- Click + to add an element.
- Select Screen and click ADD.

- Select Get data via Queries.
- Click New Query.

- Select a query from the list.

- To add a new query, click Add Query and enter the details.
-- Source : Choose the source from where records need to be retrieved. Either from CRM-Module or CRM-COQL. You can even add your own source.

-- Information : Enter the query name; the API name will automatically be filled. Select the module and related module if needed and choose the fields.

-- Criteria : Enter the criteria based on which the records need to be retrieved.

-- Serializer : Serializer lets you modify your response using JavaScript to use it for further processing. Enter the serializer and click Save.

-- Choose to add Advanced conditions and click Next.

- Once your query is selected, click Next. On the next pop-up, Edit the query name and choose the fields to be retrieved.
- Enter record preferences whether to retrieve single records or multiple records.If the user wants to retrieve a single record, then choose the fields to be displayed and click Save.

- If the user wants to fetch multiple records, then they also have to choose Identifiers. Identifiers are unique fields used to identify any data fetched from multiple records.
For instance, if a user has fetched multiple records, we can use identifiers to identify each record/ data. i.e to find out what record is used. User has to choose unique field - It can be Lead ID or S No etc.LeadID is the Identifier to fetch Leads data. Enter a selection limit, choose the identifier, choose fields to display, and click Save.
Add queries to your Kiosk Decision component
- Click + to add an element.
- Select Decision and click Add conditions based on.

- Select Queries from the dropdown.

- Select a Query from the drop-down, select a criteria, and click Done.

Queries Field Limits
Overall, only 100 fields can be displayed in queries. For instance, if a user has used the maximum limit of number fields (40 ) and other fields like Decimal, Percentage and currency fields up to 60, then the user cannot use other fields in the query. The query field type and limits are listed in the table below :
Query Field Types
| Maximum Limit
|
Text Fields
(Single Line, Email, Phone, Multi Line, URL, and Auto-Number)
Multi-line maximum limit is 25
Auto-number maximum limit is 1
|
100
|
Number Fields (digits without decimal)
| 40
|
Decimal, Percentage, Currency Fields
| 60
|
Date Fields
| 50
|
Date/Time Fields
| 50
|
Checkbox
| 80
|
Long Integer Fields
| 35
|
Encrypted Fields
(Encrypted field count is inclusive of Number and Text (Single Line, Email, URL, and Phone) fields)
| 10
|