Getting Started with Zoho CRM Platform
The Zoho CRM Platform is a low-code development suite that empowers developers with Zoho expertise to craft tailored solutions. By utilizing our low-code development tools, developers from diverse industries can design custom solutions that address their business requirements and challenges. This platform allows them to create bespoke solutions, helping them drive innovation, improve efficiency, and enhance their competitiveness.
CRM Extensions vs. Vertical Solutions
Your development journey with Zoho CRM Platform starts with choosing between Zoho CRM Extensions and Vertical Solutions. The choice between these depends on your purpose, target audience, and scope.
Choosing the right platform:
Zoho CRM Extensions:
When to Choose: Select CRM Extensions if your solution is intended to add specific features or functionalities to Zoho CRM, thereby enhancing its existing ecosystem. This is particularly suited for solutions that cater to Zoho CRM users and can be distributed through Zoho Marketplace. Extensions are ideal for adding incremental functionalities or integrating Zoho CRM with external services.
Example Use-Case: To integrate third-party services with Zoho CRM or to add incremental functionality that fits seamlessly within the Zoho CRM framework. For instance, a CRM extension that integrates with popular e-commerce platforms like Shopify or Magento, allowing users to synchronize customer data and orders between Zoho CRM and their online store.
Here is a quick guide to get started:
- Access the Zoho Developer Portal
- Choose Zoho Sigma
- Create Your Extension.
For in-depth information and detailed instructions on building Zoho CRM Extensions, refer to our help guide here.
Vertical Solutions:
When to Choose: Opt for Vertical Solutions when your offering is a comprehensive software solution designed to address industry-specific challenges or serve a distinct market segment. Vertical Solutions provides developers with a powerful toolset to create and distribute custom solutions. Customization involves adapting the solution to industry-specific nuances by incorporating essential modules, fields, and defining workflows and much more.
Example Use-Case: A full-scale solution tailored for a niche market or a particular industry, designed from scratch to solve complex problems or address specific needs. For instance, a complete software solution tailored for healthcare providers, offering functionalities such as patient management, appointment scheduling, electronic health records, and compliance with healthcare regulations.
How to Build Vertical Solutions:
- Access Zoho Developer Portal
- Choose the Vertical Solutions option to begin building your custom solution.
- Build Your Solution: Customize your solution by incorporating industry-specific modules, fields, and workflows.
- Test your solution to ensure it meets industry requirements.
- Publish your Solution.
For detailed instructions and further guidance on building Vertical Solutions, refer to our help pages.
Zoho CRM Platform Components
Components are fundamental building blocks that consist of individual items, configurations, and customizations that collectively serve as the fundamental units of a solution - both Zoho CRM Extensions and Vertical Solutions. These components, such as fields, modules, blueprints, widgets, and templates, work together to create a complete and functional solution.
Component properties define various characteristics and behaviours of each component. A component's properties encompass a range of attributes that define the behaviour, appearance, and functionality of the component. Examples of Component properties include a Field's Label, Tool-tip, Worflow's name, description, actions, etc.,
Packaged Components
Packaged Components refers to the components that are developed, published, and distributed to end users by the developer. The end-users here refers to both the Zoho CRM Extension users and Vertical Solutions' subscribers. These components are deployed either during sign-up/installation or as part of an upgrade.
For example, consider a custom module designed for managing client contracts, created in the developer console and published. When the end-users access it, the module's behavior, including customization options and permissions for editing or removal, adheres to the established packaging guidelines.
Packaging allows developers to distribute these components collectively by publishing them as complete solutions or extensions. This process ensures that each component in the end user's account adheres to the predefined rules for editing and removal. Detailed guidelines on managing these components are outlined in the next section.
Managing Packaged Components
To gain a deeper understanding of how the packaged components can be managed at the developer console and at end user accounts, it is important to understand the key concepts of upgrade types and modify access. These terms clarify how components behave during upgrades and who can modify them post-deployment.
1. Upgrade Type
Upgrade Type defines whether the changes made by the developer to the packaged components will be deployed during an upgrade in the end user's accounts or not. Upgrade type can be of two types:
a. Upgradable:
Changes to the packaged components are automatically included in the next version of the solution. These updates are deployed to end-user org(s) during sign-ups/installations or version upgrades.
b. Non-upgradable:
Changes are included in the upgraded version of the solution and are only applied to new sign-ups/installations. Existing users do not receive these updates during an upgrade.
2. Modify Access
Modify Access defines who can modify the specific properties of packaged components or delete them after they have been published and made available to the end-users.
a. Non-Editable:
Non-Editable properties are locked once published and deployed to end-user accounts, preventing any changes by both the developer and the end-user. This restriction is applied specifically to the properties of the component, not the component itself. For instance, the 'Formula Return Type' in a formula field is a non-editable property, meaning it cannot be modified after it has been set and deployed.
b. Developer Only:
Only the developer can modify the properties of the packaged components, while end-users cannot make changes. This ensures that the developer maintains control over the component's properties.
c. Developer and User Editable:
Both the developer and the end-user can edit the component properties. However, changes made by the developer will only be included in new versions for new sign-ups and not retroactively applied to existing user accounts. This will liberalize the ownership of the component, allowing both the developer and the user to modify it as per their respective needs.
Altogether, every packaged component by itself, and its respective properties, will have a defined upgrade type and modify access.
Zoho CRM Training Programs
Learn how to use the best tools for sales force automation and better customer engagement from Zoho's implementation specialists.
Zoho DataPrep Personalized Demo
If you'd like a personalized walk-through of our data preparation tool, please request a demo and we'll be happy to show you how to get the best out of Zoho DataPrep.
- Zoho Workerly Home
- Forums
- Connect With Us:
- Zoho Recruit Home
- Forums
- Connect With Us:
New to Zoho CRM Plus?
Deliver unforgettable customer experiences
New to Zoho CRM Plus?
Deliver unforgettable customer experiences
New to Zoho Marketing Plus?
Everything you need to run your marketing
New to Zoho Marketing Plus?
Everything you need to run your marketing
You are currently viewing the help pages of Qntrl’s earlier version. Click here to view our latest version—Qntrl 3.0's help articles.
New to Zoho Survey?
Zoho Sheet Resources
Zoho Forms Resources
New to Zoho Sign?
Zoho Sign Resources
Sign, Paperless!
New to Zoho TeamInbox?
Zoho TeamInbox Resources
New to Zoho ZeptoMail?
Zoho DataPrep Resources
Design. Discuss. Deliver.
New to Zoho Workerly?
New to Zoho Recruit?
New to Zoho CRM?
New to Zoho Projects?
New to Zoho Sprints?
New to Zoho Assist?
New to Bigin?
Related Articles
Getting started with Zoho CRM Extensions
This guide is designed to help you get started with Zoho Developer Console and complete the basic setup required to build your own extensions. The guide will help you with the following: Accessing the Zoho Developer Console Creating and Managing ...Getting Started
This guide will help you to get started with Zoho Developer, right from signing up as a developer to creating and publishing your first Vertical Solution. Signing up for Zoho Developer To sign up for a free developer account, click on the Start ...Calls in Vertical Solutions
Making and receiving calls are an essential part of a rep's daily activities. They need to track the calls that are made to the customers, schedule calls according to the customer's availability, take down the details of the calls, and make note of ...Webhooks in Vertical Solutions
Webhooks in Vertical Solutions enable integration with external applications by sending real-time web notifications, along with relevant data, whenever specified events occur in the solution. By setting up HTTP URLs and linking them to workflow ...Page Layouts in Vertical Solutions
Page layouts in Vertical solutions allow you to organize the fields, sections and related lists in the record detail page of a module according to your business needs. With our intuitive easier-to-use drag-and-drop editor, you can add, remove, delete ...
New to Zoho LandingPage?
Zoho LandingPage Resources