Web Tabs | Zoho Vertical Studio Help

Web Tabs

Web Tabs in Vertical Studio enables you to embed contents such as third-party web applications or web pages in your application in the form of module(s). This helps you to offer additional functionalities and resources into the application without switching between different platforms.

You can either add URLs to embed web pages or open them in widgets using connected apps. It is useful for integrating third-party applications like analytical dashboards, reports, and so on. 

For instance, imagine that you are building an Automotive Platform application for a dealership operations team. The sales and service teams need a quick way to open a live vehicle service dashboard from the application without leaving the core workflow. You create a web tab named Service Dashboard and point it to the dashboard page from a connected app. The tab appears as a module-like entry in the application, and users access the external dashboard from a single place. After publishing, subscribers can open the dashboard from their own org without leaving the application context. This keeps operational data close to the records and reduces the time users spend switching between the Vertical Studio application and outside tools.

Web tabs are packagable components. When you publish your application, web tabs created in the Developer Console are included in that version and become available to subscribers during signup or version upgrade, depending on the tab setup and package behavior.

Refer to Managing Web Tabs and Widgets in Web Tab help documents to learn more about its functionality.

Where to access and configure web tabs in the Developer Console

  1. Log in to your Developer Console.
  2. Go to Build > Modules.
  3. Open the Web Tabs section.
  4. Click Create Web Tab.

  5. Enter the tab name, select the tab type, and provide the sandbox URL for the embedded content.
  6. Save the tab and publish the application version.


Packaged Web Tabs 

Packaged Web Tabs are created in the developer console and deployed to subscriber organizations during signup or through upgrades. Any new Web Tab that is created in the developer console will be included in the next version of the application.

To know more about packaging, refer to our guide on Components Packaging in Zoho Vertical Studio.

The following table explains the upgrade behavior of an existing packaged Web Tab already deployed in the subscriber's organization.

Property
Upgrade Type
 Subscriber Modify Access
Tab Name
Upgradable
NO
Web Tab Access
Upgradable
NO
Type
Upgradable
NO
Embedded URL or widget path
Upgradable
NO

Changes and Impacts 

When a packaged Web Tab is modified, published, and pushed as an upgrade, the primary impact is on the interface that subscribers interact with. Changes such as updating the URL, embedding new content, or removing a Web Tab can directly affect how subscribers access and use the embedded resources.  

Ensure to clearly communicate these changes to subscribers to avoid confusion and help them adapt seamlessly to the new interface.

Update web tab content

When you change the embedded URL or widget path in a later app version, existing subscribers receive those changes during upgrade. However, any subscriber-specific access or visibility issue must still be validated in the target org before rollout.

Delete web tab

When a packaged web tab is deleted from the Developer Console, the tab may be removed from subscriber orgs during the next upgrade. This is a destructive change, so confirm whether any subscribers rely on that tab before deleting it.

Troubleshooting web tab issues

Use this checklist when a web tab is missing, blocked, or not loading as expected.

Web tab appears missing or hidden

Check the following before investigating the external page:
  1. The tab is included in the latest published app version.
  2. The tab was saved after any visibility or URL changes.
  3. The relevant profiles and pricing plan include access to the tab.
  4. The tab is not hidden by a visibility or profile rule.
If a tab is visible in the Developer Console but not in subscriber orgs, the underlying issue is often a packaging, pricing-plan, or visibility dependency rather than a broken URL.

Web tab is missing after an upgrade

If a web tab disappears after a version upgrade, confirm the following:
  1. The tab still exists in the updated application version.
  2. The pricing plan or module visibility rules still grant access to that tab.
  3. The tab is not hidden by a profile change, role mismatch, or module dependency.
  4. The subscriber org completed the upgrade and is using the latest package version.
This issue is usually caused by app-state, plan-state, or visibility changes during upgrade rather than by a broken embedded URL.

Web tab loads a blank page or blocked embedded content

If the tab appears but does not render the expected content, confirm the following:
  1. The embedded URL is correct and still resolves to the expected page.
  2. The external page allows iframe embedding or the required browser access.
  3. The page is not being blocked by an outdated endpoint or missing whitelist.
  4. The connected app and sandbox URL still match the app configuration.
This pattern usually indicates a URL, policy, or embed limitation rather than a module-definition problem.

Web tab works in one org but not another

If the tab works in one subscriber org and fails in another, review the following:
  1. The pricing plan differs between the orgs.
  2. One org has a different profile or access setup.
  3. The web tab content depends on a feature or connected app that is not available in the failing org.
  4. The upgrade was not completed or the successful org is on a newer published version.

Environment detection in a web tab fails

If the embedded content behaves differently in test versus production, confirm the following:
  1. The web tab checks the correct environment variable or host before loading the target page.
  2. The sandbox or production URL is not hardcoded in a way that breaks one environment.
  3. The target page can resolve the correct environment-specific credentials and API values.
  4. The app was published after the latest environment detection change.
This is a configuration issue that usually appears when the page logic depends on the wrong environment or on stale runtime values.