Configure workflow in Zoho Books with Writer's mail merge

Configure workflow in Zoho Books with Writer's mail merge

Overview   

Use Zoho Writer with Zoho Books to create branded PDFs and automate document generation from your Books data. You can either use the Zoho Writer Templates extension in Zoho Books for one‑click document generation, or configure custom-function workflows that call Writer’s mail merge for advanced automation.

 Prerequisites   

  • Zoho Writer Templates extension installed in Zoho Books (for “Print with Writer Template”).

  • For workflow automation:

    • Ability to create custom functions and connections in Zoho Books.

    • A Zoho Writer merge template with Zoho Books as the data source.

 Steps   

 A. Use Zoho Writer Templates extension (quick setup)   

  1. Install and configure in Zoho Books

    • Install the Zoho Writer Templates extension from Zoho Books Marketplace and configure templates for modules like Invoices, Quotes, and Purchase Orders.

  1. Generate documents

    • Open a record in Zoho Books and click Print with Writer Template to generate a Writer-based PDF using your configured template.

For detailed setup and configuration, see the Zoho Books help article.

 B. Automate merges with custom functions and workflows   

  1. Create a merge template in Writer

    • Create or import a document in Zoho Writer, convert it into a merge template, and add merge fields for data such as customer details, dates, and amounts.

  1. Add a custom function in Zoho Books

    • In Zoho Books, create a custom function that calls Writer’s Merge API using the sample Deluge code provided in the article.

  1. Configure connection and workflow

    • Set up the required connection for Zoho Writer as shown in the guide/video.

    • Attach the custom function to a workflow rule (for example, when an invoice is created or its status changes) so the document is generated automatically.

  1. Extend using Writer Merge API (optional)

    • Use additional merge actions supported by the Writer Merge API for advanced automation scenarios.