Build smarter workflows using Zia utilities(AI actions)
Overview
Zia can help you get started with building your workflows. To make your workflows even more powerful, you can use Zia utilities(AI actions). These actions help you analyse, generate, and enhance data across workflows — from text generation to sentiment analysis and contextual responses. You can add these AI actions as steps within your workflows, just like any other app actions.
How to configure AI actions
- Select and configure the trigger for your flow.
- In the Builder, navigate to AI → Zia Utilities from the left panel.
- Drag and drop the desired AI action from the available options.
-
Provide the input data (from a trigger or previous action) and configure output fields for mapping.
Note: You can use multiple AI actions to perform advanced operations — for example, summarizing a conversation, then extracting keywords from the summary.
List of available AI actions
|
Action Name |
Description |
Example business use case |
|
Complete phrase |
Completes the provided phrase. |
A customer service chatbot auto-completes “Track my…” → “…order status.” |
|
Conversation summary |
Generates a summary of the conversation. |
A sales manager reviews summaries of multiple client calls. |
|
Extract keywords |
Extracts keywords from the provided content. |
A marketing team extracts keywords from customer reviews. |
|
Find conversation tone |
Finds the tone of the provided conversation. |
A support team flags frustrated customers for quick resolution. |
|
Generate Q and A |
Generates questions and answers based on the provided content. |
An HR team builds an internal FAQ bot from the employee handbook. |
|
Generate checklist |
Generates checklists based on the provided content. |
A project manager turns meeting notes into a task checklist. |
|
Generate customized response |
Generates customized response for the provided prompt. |
A chatbot personalises replies to questions like “Do you have this shirt in medium size?” |
|
Generate email |
Generates an email based on the provided content. |
A sales rep generates outreach emails for multiple leads. |
|
Generate email reply |
Generates an email reply. |
A support team auto-replies to order confirmation inquiries. |
|
Generate essay |
Generates an essay. |
A consulting firm drafts the first version of client reports. |
|
Generate headline |
Generates a headline for provided content. |
A content team tests multiple headline options for blog posts. |
|
Generate product description |
Generates a description for the product. |
An e-commerce team creates instant listings for new products. |
|
Generate story |
Generates a story. |
A marketing team develops brand origin stories for campaigns. |
|
Generate title |
Generates a title for the provided content. |
A research team auto-generates professional presentation titles. |
|
Generate tweet |
Generates a tweet. |
A social media manager drafts daily campaign tweets. |
|
Label email |
Labels an email based on the content. |
A CEO’s inbox auto-sorts investor emails for visibility. |
|
Punctuate text |
Adds punctuation for the provided content. |
A transcription service polishes meeting transcripts automatically. |
|
Rephrase text |
Rephrases the provided text based on the specified tone. |
A marketing team generates alternate ad copy variations. |
|
Reply to review |
Generates replies for online reviews. |
A hotel chain auto-replies to online guest reviews. |
|
Summarize text |
Generates a summary of the provided content. |
A legal team summarises lengthy contracts for quick review. |
Best practices
- You can use multiple AI actions, such as Summarize text → Extract keywords → Generate headline, within a single workflow to make better use of the actions.
- Make sure to review the AI-generated content before executing your workflows. You can do this by using the Test and Debug option before switching on your workflow.
- Use custom functions when additional formatting or conversions (like plain text to HTML) are required.
Sample use case: Send AI-generated task summaries from Zoho Desk to a Zoho Cliq channel
Whenever a new task is created in Zoho Desk, the flow uses Zia's Summarize text action to condense the task content into three short bullet points (highlighting any dates, deadlines, or priorities), and then posts the summary along with the Task ID into a chosen Zoho Cliq channel. Whenever a new task is created in Zoho Desk, the flow uses Zia's Summarize text action to condense the task content into three short bullet points(highlighting any dates, deadlines, or priorities), and then posts the summary along with the Task ID into a selected Zoho Cliq channel.
Steps to build the workflow
- Click Create Flow, name it (e.g., 'Desk to Cliq – AI'), choose a folder, and click Create.
- Select Zoho Desk as the trigger app and choose the Task created trigger. Connect your Desk account and click Done.
- Navigate to the left panel, switch to the AI tab, expand Zia Utilities, and drag in Summarize text. In the prompt, enter instructions such as:
Summarize the following in exactly 3 concise bullet points, each under 20 words. Highlight any dates, deadlines, or priorities if mentioned.
If none are present, skip that.
Use plain, professional language. - Map the relevant Desk task fields (e.g., Subject, Description) as the input.
- New task received:
-
*Task ID:* ${trigger.id}
-
*Summary:* ${summarizeText.response}
Please review and assign this task at the earliest. - Turn the flow on from the top right of the builder.
- Search for Zoho Cliq in the apps panel and choose Message in channel. Connect your Cliq account, pick the destination channel (e.g., #Task summary), and compose the message using mapped variables:
Why it's useful
-
The team gets instant, scannable updates in Cliq without leaving the channel.
-
Long task descriptions are auto-condensed, saving reading time.
-
Important details like deadlines and priorities are surfaced upfront.
-
Setup takes only a few minutes and works for any Desk department or task type.
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