Overview
Zoho Writer's Zia has become even more powerful with the integration of cutting-edge generative AI, powered by Zoho's own generative AI for content generation. This means that Zia can now provide more advanced writing assistance, such as generating content ideas, suggesting improved sentence structure and vocabulary, and even providing translations. With Writer's user-friendly interface and Ask Zia's easy-to-use prompts, you can create content, respond to emails, and craft pages, modify the entire or a part of your document's content, etc. more efficiently than ever before.

You can choose between Zoho's AI or Open AI to generate content right within your document.
Zia's integration with other Zoho apps, allows you to access information easily and create personalized content. Whether you need to access customer data or reference sales figures to create personalized content, Zia ensures that you have all the information you need at your fingertips.
Highlights
- Available to all users, by default, at no cost.
- Flexibility to choose between Zoho's AI and OpenAI.
- Secure and private as your data stays within Zoho.
How to start using Ask Zia
Zoho's generative AI is enabled for all users by default. You can switch to OpenAI, if you wish to.

Note
- Zoho's generative AI is available at zero cost.
- Your data will not be used to train Zoho's generative AI, ensuring that all your data remains secure and confidential.
Steps to access Ask Zia
You can access Zia in the following ways:
Tools pane
Go to the Tools pane on the left panel and click Ask Zia.
- Ask Zia's magic wand button
Click the magic wand button on the right side of the editor, parallel to where you're currently typing.
- Keyboard shortcut //
Type "//" anywhere in Zoho Writer's editor to summon Ask Zia.
- Right click menu
Select content and open the right-click menu.
Switching to OpenAI
Whenever you wish to, you can switch to using OpenAI for content generation:
- Go to the Writer Admin Panel.
- Go to the Configuration pane and navigate to Connected Apps.
- Configure OpenAI's Writing Assistance. If you are using it for the first time, you need to authorize the OpenAI secret key. Here's how you can authorize it.

Note
If you switch to OpenAI, your user data will be sent to OpenAI servers for processing.
How to authorize the OpenAI secret API key

Please note that the following steps are to be done by the admin of the organization.
- Go to the Admin panel.
- Click on Connected Apps. The list of all the apps connected to your account using APIs can be found here.
- Click on Authorize in the app Zia AI - Writing Assistance.
- Read and consent to the Data Privacy notice.
- Paste your secret API key that you generated from OpenAI.
- Click on Verify Authentication.
- Once the authentication is verified, click Done.
How to update or change the Secret key
- Go to the Admin panel.
- Go to Connected Apps. The list of all the apps connected to your account using APIs can be found here.
- Click on the Manage button in the app Zia AI - Writing Assistance.
- Now simply change the Secret Key and click on Update.
Hide or unhide the in-doc AI assistant (Zia's magic wand)
You can hide or unhide the Ask Zia's magic wand using these steps:
- Click the gear-shaped icon at the top-right corner of the editor. A drop-down menu will appear.
- Go to More Settings.
In the UI Preferences tab, enable or disable "Show Ask Zia & Comment Visual Cues."

Note: You can also hide the placeholder text by toggling off "Show Symbol (/, //, and @) based hints in Editor".
- Even after you hide the Zia wand (icon), you can still summon it from the:
- Tools pane on the left panel.
- Right-click menu on text selection.
- Double slash(//) anywhere in the editor.
Switching back from OpenAI to Zoho's generative AI (Ask Zia)
You can switch back to Zoho's generative AI as you please:
- Go to the Writer Admin Panel.
- Go to the Configuration pane and navigate to Connected Apps.
- Enable Zia AI's Writing Assistance.
How do we use generative AI?
Writer offers the flexibility to use either OpenAI or an open-source AI model.Use cases/ Examples
Here are three key scenarios in which Zia can be of assistance:
- Case 1-To generate content from scratch
- Case 2 - To select part of the content and get suggestions
- Case 3 - To modify, regenerate/rewrite a response
Case 1: To generate content from scratch:
Place the cursor on the document where you want to place the generated content and type double slash "//".
Write a prompt or pick one from the list available.
Example:
Prompt: Write a job description for an accountant job with a minimum of 3 years' experience.
Response: Job Title: Accountant
We are looking for an experienced accountant to join our team. The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 3 years of experience in accounting and possess excellent analytical and communication skills. The successful candidate will be responsible for maintaining accurate financial records and preparing financial reports for our organization.
Responsibilities:
➤ Maintain accurate and complete financial records, including ledgers, journals, and financial statements.
➤ Prepare and analyze financial reports, including income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements.
➤ Ensure compliance with accounting principles and standards, as well as legal and regulatory requirements.
➤ Manage accounts payable and accounts receivable, including invoicing, collections, and payments.
➤ Reconcile bank statements and other financial accounts.
➤ Participate in the budgeting process and provide financial analysis and support to management.
➤ Prepare and file tax returns, as well as assist with audits and other financial reviews.
➤ Provide financial advice and support to other departments within the organization.
Requirements:
➤ Bachelor's degree in accounting or related field.
➤ Minimum of 3 years of experience in accounting.
➤ Strong knowledge of accounting principles and standards.
➤ Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
➤ Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
➤ Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
➤ Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
➤ Proficient in Microsoft Excel and other accounting software.
➤ CPA certification is a plus.
If you meet the above qualifications and are interested in this opportunity, please submit your resume and cover letter for consideration. We offer a competitive salary and benefits package, as well as opportunities for career advancement.
Case 2: To select part of content and get suggestions
Right click on the content, hover on Zia and select the necessary prompt.
Example :
Prompt: <insert gif/image of selecting the content and click "Generate Title with Keyword" > The content was about Renewable Energy in India
Response: Renewable Energy in India: A Bright Future for Solar, Wind, and Hydro-power
Case 3: To modify, regenerate/rewrite a response
- Click on the Wand on the right side of the inserted content/paragraph.
- Select Rewrite/ Write more content/ Shorten this paragraph, etc or even write your own prompt as per requirement. Zia generates another response based on the prompt.
- You can now choose to replace the existing content with the regenerated content or insert it below the existing content, rewrite or discard it.
Example:
Prompt: <insert gif/image of selecting the Wand on the right side of the content and click "Rewrite content">
Response:
FAQ's
- Is Zia an add-on?
No
- Do I have to sign up or send a request to the Zoho team to get Zia?
No
- Is there any user/organization-level usage limit?
No
- How do I get Zia in my product?
Zia is built into the product- Zoho Writer.
- Can I view the conversation history when using Zia?
No
- Can I use Zia to generate/modify images?
No
- How can I request for assistance or support specific to Zia?
Write to support@zohowriter.com