Overview | Online help | Zoho Sigma

About Sigma

As your company grows, you add new processes and hire more people. Managing that growth across many separate tools becomes slow, and onboarding people to each app takes time. Sigma helps you bring these capabilities together in one place.
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Sigma is an extension development platform. Use it to build and host extensions for Zoho applications. An extension is an add-on that expands what a service can do. You build extensions with standard web technologies, including HTML, JavaScript, and CSS, and use Sigma functions to handle server-side operations. You can also connect Zoho apps to each other and to third-party apps.
When you cannot find an app or extension that fits your needs, build a custom one with Sigma. Every extension you publish adds to a growing ecosystem of apps.
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You can also build widgets with Sigma. A widget is a small interface element that shows information or adds functionality inside a Zoho service. Zoho CRM and Zoho Creator widgets run on Sigma.
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Zoho Marketplace is the single storefront for Zoho extensions. Publish your extensions for free or list them for a price. Anyone can install public extensions from Zoho Marketplace.

Advantages of using Sigma  

  • Build in a cloud editor, with no local setup.
  • Collaborate with multiple developers on the same extension.
  • Develop with familiar web technologies: HTML, JavaScript, and CSS.
  • Test your extension directly in the editor.
  • Work from the command line with the Sigma command-line interface (CLI) when you prefer your own tools.

Extension types   

Native extensions  

Native extensions add bundles of custom features to a single service. You build and host them on Sigma.
For example, a Zoho Desk team has many overdue, unassigned tickets and needs to know which to resolve first. A developer builds a native extension that ranks tickets by priority, creation date, escalation status, and how often the issue recurs. Once built and bundled, the developer can sell this solution to other Zoho Desk users as an extension.

Third-party integration extensions  

Third-party integration extensions connect your service to external services such as Google and Zendesk. You build and host them outside Sigma.
Data moves securely between your service and the third-party application using OAuth 2.0, a standard that authorizes access without sharing passwords. A connector sets up the link between the two services. You can also add Sigma components, such as functions, triggers, and events, to handle data within your service.

Extension availability   

Public extensions  

Public extensions reach a wide audience. Anyone who visits Zoho Marketplace can install them.

Private extensions  

Private extensions reach a limited audience. Only users who have the extension's direct URL can access them.

Supported services   

You can currently build extensions for Zoho CRM, Zoho Projects, Zoho Desk, Zoho Mail, Zoho Recruit, ServiceDesk Plus Cloud, Zoho Creator, Zoho Books, Zoho Inventory, Zoho Billing, and Zoho Sprints. Each section below links to that service's help documentation, along with any forum posts and webinars available for it.

Zoho CRM  

Zoho CRM is customer relationship management software. It brings your sales, marketing, and customer support activities together and aligns your process, policy, and people on one platform.

Notes

You can create Zoho CRM extensions only in the US data center (DC). Users can install them from all DCs.

For more information, see the Zoho CRM extensions help document.

Forum posts

Webinars


Zoho Projects  

Zoho Projects is cloud-based project management software. It helps you plan projects, track work, and collaborate with your team to meet goals on time, wherever your team works.

For more information, see the Zoho Projects extensions help document.

Forum posts

Webinars


Zoho Desk  

Zoho Desk is help desk software that keeps the focus on your customers. You can assign, track, and set notifications on support tickets, and tailor the help desk to your company's needs.

For more information, see the Zoho Desk extensions help document.

Forum posts

Webinars


Zoho Mail  

Zoho Mail is a secure email platform for professional communication inside and outside your organization. The suite includes email, calendar, contacts, tasks, notes, and more.

For more information, see the Zoho Mail extensions help document.


Zoho Recruit  

Zoho Recruit brings your entire recruitment process onto one platform, so you spend less time organizing hiring activities.

Notes
You can create Zoho Recruit extensions only in the US data center (DC). Users can install them from all DCs.

For more information, see the Zoho Recruit extensions help document.


ServiceDesk Plus Cloud  

ServiceDesk Plus Cloud is a help desk solution delivered as software as a service (SaaS), with built-in asset, purchase, and contract management. Organizations worldwide use it to automate and streamline their IT. Use Sigma to build extensions that add more capabilities.

For more information, see the ServiceDesk Plus Cloud extensions help document.

For guidance, see Best practices for building extensions in ServiceDesk Plus Cloud.


Zoho Creator  

Zoho Creator is a low-code platform for building custom web and mobile apps faster, with minimal hand-coding. Use Sigma to build extensions for Zoho Creator.

For more information, see the Zoho Creator extensions help document.

For more information on using Marketplace, see Marketplace in Zoho Creator.


Zoho Books  

Zoho Books is cloud-based accounting software that handles your accounting needs. Use Sigma to build extensions for custom accounting requirements.

For more information, see the Zoho Books extensions help document.

Forum posts

Webinars


Zoho Inventory  

Zoho Inventory is a cloud-based application for managing your organization's inventory. Use Sigma to build custom extensions that fit your inventory needs.

For more information, see the Zoho Inventory extensions help document.


Zoho Billing  

Zoho Billing is an end-to-end billing solution for every business model. Use Sigma's cloud platform to build extensions for Zoho Billing.

For more information, see the Zoho Billing extensions help document.


Zoho Sprints  

Zoho Sprints is an Agile project management tool. It supports Scrum and Kanban, so teams plan work, track progress, and deliver in short cycles or a continuous flow. Use Sigma to build extensions that connect Zoho Sprints with the other tools your team relies on.

For more information, see the Zoho Sprints extension developer guide.

Forum posts