Step 1: Download the agent

1. Sign in to Zoho One, then click the Directory Settings icon  in the top-right corner.
   
2. Click User Management on the left menu.
   
3. Go to Directory Stores, then click Add Directory. 
   
4. Click Add next to CSV-As-A-Source.
   
5. On the Download ZDIC Agent screen: 
   a. Review the listed prerequisites.
   b. Copy the installation key displayed there.
   c. Click Download and wait for the download to complete.
   
   

Step 2: Install the agent

1. Run the downloaded file ZohoDirectory_IdentityConnect.msi to start installation.
   
2. Paste the installation key. Upon successful validation, you'll be redirected automatically to the setup wizard.
   
3. On the Welcome screen, choose your language.
   
4. Read the software license agreement carefully, then accept the terms. Click Continue.
   

   Clicking the URL will not auto-redirect you to the page on some legacy systems. In this case, click 🔗 to copy the URL, then paste it into your browser to read the license agreement.
5. Open the Login URL shown in the installer, in a browser.
   
6. Sign in to your Zoho One admin account, if you haven't already.
   
7. Enter the Verification Code shown in the installer.
   
8. Upon successfully signing in, a confirmation screen with your Zoho account email and display name will appear. Click Next.
   

Step 3: Configure CSV files to sync

1. Enter the path to your CSV folder under CSV folder path. Then,
   i. Check the box Sync all files in the folder to sync everything, or
   ii. Leave it unchecked and enter the specific files under Files to sync as comma-separated values (with or without extensions). Ensure all listed files are valid.
   
2. Click Save and Next.
   

Step 4: Complete installation

1. Click Install to finish setting up the agent. Upon successful installation, the agent starts running.
   
2. After installation, click (the tray icon) to perform the following actions:
   i. Change ownership - Switch the Zoho One admin account linked to the agent in case the original admin leaves your organization or loses file access.
   ii. Manage File Sync - Modify your CSV files sync details here. After making changes, click Update to save them.
   
   
   
3. Return to the Zoho One Directory Settings to complete the remaining setup.
   

Step 5: CSV-As-A-Source integration

1. From the Directory Settings, navigate to CSV-As-A-Source.
   
2. Under User Identifier Field, select a field that uniquely identifies each user.
   

   Once this field is selected and saved, it cannot be modified later. Additionally, the values in this column must not be changed in your CSV file, as doing so can cause duplicate records or syncing issues. For example, changing a user's employee ID creates a duplicate user instead of updating the existing record.
3. Under User Status Field, select a status field that'd mark users as inactive. Then, enter the corresponding inactive state values to map during sync. Use commas in case of multiple values.
   

   Any user whose field matches this value will be deactivated.
4. Click Save and Next.
   
5. Map Zoho Directory fields to your CSV file fields.
   
6. Use the tabs to filter by All Fields, Mapped, or Unmapped fields.
   
7. On the CRITERIA screen, specify which users to include in the sync. 
   i. Select the import type: Based on criteria or All users.
   ii. If using criteria, define the Field, Relationship, and Value.
   iii. Click Save and Next.
8. On the Password Sync screen, enable Sync user passwords securely from CSV-As-A-Source to Zoho if your CSV includes passwords and you want them synced.
   

Step 6: Configure password sync

9. Under Password field, select which CSV column holds each user's password.
   
10. Under Select the hashing algorithm used, choose how the passwords in your CSV are stored (e.g., Plain text or a specific hashing algorithm)
    
    i. If you select Get from CSV field, choose a CSV field that specifies the algorithm. 
    
    ii. If you select Plain text, choose whether to validate the password against your password policy. If the the box is checked, passwords that don't meet policy requirements will not be reset automatically; you'll need to update them manually.
    

    When SHA 512/SHA256/Get from CSV field is selected, passwords will be validated against the organization's policy at first login.
11. Click Save and Next.
    

Step 7: Configure general settings 

12. On the General Settings screen, you can define whether and how to notify users on activities related to the store.
    
13. Under Mail Notification, choose if you want to notify users about activities related to this integration via email.
    
14. Under Password Notification, define how the users newly added to Zoho One during import will gain access. You can choose from one of the options listed below. 
    
    i. Send email OTP to user: Users will receive a one-time password to access the application when logging in the first time, after which they will be forced to set a new password.
    
     ii. Send email OTP to Admin: You can choose one of the admin users to receive a one-time password to activate the user account. The selected admin can communicate this OTP to the user, or reset the password for the user. 
    
    iii. Don't notify anyone: Users added during import will not have access to their account unless an admin manually invites them to join the organization. The user must accept the invite to access their account.
    

    The Password Notification section will display only if you select Notify via mail under the Mail Notification section.
15. Under Status Sync, choose whether changes made to the user status in the custom store should reflect in Zoho One. If you choose to apply the changes to Zoho One, the changes will reflect in the corresponding Zoho One user profiles during the next sync schedule.
    
16. Once done, click Save and Next.      
    

Step 8: Configure scheduled sync 

17. On the Scheduled Sync screen, disable or enable Scheduled sync as required and define how often you want to sync the selected resources from the CSV-As-A-Source to Zoho One.
    Hourly: Set the time interval at which hourly syncing should occur. 
    Daily: Set a particular time at which daily syncing should occur.
    Weekly: Select particular day or days and set time at which weekly syncing should occur.
    Monthly: Select particular date or dates and set time at which monthly syncing should occur. 
18. Once done, click Save and Next.
    
19. The Import Summary page shows how many users have been imported and how many failed. Once you've reviewed them, click Finish.