Convert a message on Cliq into a task on Zoho Connect

Convert a message on Cliq into a task on Zoho Connect

Message actions in Cliq are a great way to transform messages in a conversation into actionable work items. In this post, we'll see how to build a custom message action that'll let you add a message as a task to board on Zoho Connect. 

If you haven't created a board in Zoho Connect, then head over to this help document to know how to create one. 

For this example, we've created a board for the Zylker Campaigns team in Zoho Connect. The board has three sections: User Interface, Content Marketing, Customer Support. We'll see how the marketing team discusses about upcoming marketing initiatives and keeps track of tasks in their connect board. 



The workflow behind creating this message action is pretty simple. 

1. Once a user clicks on the Add Connect Task message action, the action's handler is triggered to display a form. 
2. The user fills all the information required. We use the form change handler to modify the form field values based on the users' inputs. For example, display networks that the user is a part of by default and on selecting a specific network, we'll show the list boards that the user is a part of under the selected network. The same applies for sections as well. 
3. On choosing the respective network, board and section, the user can add the task title, description, due date, assignee and more. Note that, the message on which the action was performed will be displayed as the task title by default. This can be modified.
4. On clicking Add Task, the form submit handler is invoked to create a task in Connect with all the provided details. 

Prerequisites
Create a connection between Cliq and Connect: 
You'll need an active connection between Cliq and Connect. To create a connection, 
  1. Click on your display picture. This will open up the user panel. Now, click on Bots & Tools. 
  2. Click on the Connections icon present on the left side menu of the Bots & Tools page. 
  3. Now, click on Create Connection. 
  4. In the Add Connections view, select the Zoho Oauth option. 
  5. Name your connection. For example you can name your connection: zoho_connect or zohoconnect and choose the following scopes: zohopulse.networklist.READ, zohopulse.tasks.READ, zohopulse.tasks.CREATE
  6. Make sure the Use Credentials of Login User option is enabled. 
  7. Click on the Create and Connect button to generate the invoke URL task with the connection name. 
We'll be using this invoke URL task in our code. 

Create a message action 

To create a message action on Cliq, 

  1. Click on your display picture. This will open up the user panel. Now, click on Bots & Tools. 
  2. Click on Message Actions in the left pane.
  3. Click on the Create Message Action button and fill in the required details. 
    Action Name: Provide your message action name. This field is mandatory.
    Hint: Brief explanation about the message action.
    Access Level: Decide who gets to access your message action. Choose between Organization, Team and Private. Default option is Private.
    Choose what kind of messages should have the message action. Options are Text messages, Attachments and Links. For this example, we're choosing messages of the type Text. 
  4. Click on Save & Edit Code. 
Create a form function

To create a form function on Cliq, 

  1. Click on your display picture. This will open up the user panel. Now, click on Bots & Tools.
  2. Click on Functions in the left pane. Click on the Create Function button and fill in the required details. 
  • Name: Give your function name. Ensure to use the same function name in your form's code as well. 
  • Description: Briefly describe how your function works. 
  • Function Type: Choose the component with which the function should be associated. For this example, we're using the function of the type: Form 

Step 1: Configuring the message action handler
The message handler is triggered to return the Create Task form as a response. 

  1. messageText = message.get("content").get("text");
  2. getNetworks = invokeurl
  3. [
  4. url :"https://connect.zoho.com/pulse/api/allScopes"
  5. type :GET
  6. connection: "" // Give your connection name
  7. ];
  8. getNetworks = getNetworks.get("allScopes").get("scopes");
  9. netWorkOptions = List();
  10. for each  network in getNetworks
  11. {
  12. networkList = Map();
  13. networkList.put("label",network.get("name"));
  14. networkList.put("value",network.get("id"));
  15. netWorkOptions.add(networkList);
  16. }
  17. inputs = list();
  18. inputs.add({"type":"select","name":"networks","label":"Network","hint":"Select a network","placeholder":"Select a network!","mandatory":true,"value":"","options":netWorkOptions,"trigger_on_change":true});
  19. inputs.add({"type":"select","name":"boards","label":"Boards","hint":"Select a board","placeholder":"Select a board!","mandatory":true,"value":"","options":netWorkOptions,"disabled":"true","trigger_on_change":true});
  20. inputs.add({"type":"select","name":"sections","label":"Section","hint":"Select a section","placeholder":"Select a section!","mandatory":true,"value":"","options":netWorkOptions,"disabled":"true"});
  21. inputs.add({"name":"title","label":"Title","placeholder":messageText,"value":messageText,"hint":"Enter your task name","min_length":"0","max_length":"50","mandatory":true,"type":"text"});
  22. inputs.add({"type":"textarea","name":"note","label":"Description","hint":"Describe your task.","placeholder":"To be done by Tuesday","mandatory":false});
  23. inputs.add({"name":"duedate","label":"Due by","placeholder":"Give your task's due date.","mandatory":false,"type":"date"});
  24. inputs.add({"type":"select","name":"priority","label":"Priority","hint":"Choose your task priority","placeholder":"High","mandatory":true,"value":"High","options":{{"label":"No Priority","value":"None"},{"label":"Low","value":"Low"},{"label":"Medium","value":"Medium"},{"label":"High","value":"High"}}});
  25. addTask = {"name":"addTask","type":"form","title":"Add a task","hint":"Add a task to a board in Zoho Connect. ","button_label":"Add Task","inputs":inputs,"action":{"type":"invoke.function","name":"connectTask"}};
  26. return addTask;





Step 2: Configuring the form change handler

The form change handler will be triggered when the user is filling up the form. The handler is responsible for modifying the form field values based on the user's inputs. 

  1. targetName = target.get("name");
  2. inputValues = form.get("values");
  3. networkID = inputValues.get("networks").get("value");
  4. actions = list();
  5. if(targetName.containsIgnoreCase("networks"))
  6. {
  7. getBoards = invokeurl
  8. [
  9. url :"https://connect.zoho.com/pulse/api/myBoards"
  10. type :GET
  11. parameters:{"scopeID":networkID}
  12. connection:"" // Give your connection name
  13. ];
  14. getBoards = getBoards.get("myBoards").get("boards");
  15. boardOptions = List();
  16. for each  board in getBoards
  17. {
  18. boardList = Map();
  19. boardList.put("label",board.get("name"));
  20. boardList.put("value",board.get("id"));
  21. boardOptions.add(boardList);
  22. }
  23. actions.add({"type":"update","name":"boards","input":{"type":"select","name":"boards","label":"Boards","hint":"Select a board","placeholder":"Select a board!","mandatory":true,"options":boardOptions,"trigger_on_change":true}});
  24. }
  25. else if(targetName.containsIgnoreCase("boards"))
  26. {
  27. boardId = inputValues.get("boards").get("value");
  28. getResponse = invokeurl
  29. [
  30. url :"https://connect.zoho.com/pulse/api/boardSections"
  31. type :GET
  32. parameters:{"scopeID":networkID,"boardId":boardId}
  33. connection:"" // Give your connection name
  34. ];
  35. getSections = getResponse.get("boardSections").get("sections");
  36. sectionOptions = List();
  37. for each  section in getSections
  38. {
  39. sectionList = Map();
  40. sectionList.put("label",section.get("name"));
  41. sectionList.put("value",section.get("id").toString());
  42. sectionOptions.add(sectionList);
  43. }
  44. getMembers = getResponse.get("boardSections").get("members");
  45. if(getMembers.isempty() == false)
  46. {
  47. boardMembers = List();
  48. for each  member in getMembers
  49. {
  50. memberList = Map();
  51. memberList.put("label",member.get("name"));
  52. memberList.put("value",member.get("zuid"));
  53. boardMembers.add(memberList);
  54. }
  55. actions.add({"type":"update","name":"sections","input":{"type":"select","name":"sections","label":"Section","hint":"Select a section","placeholder":"Select a section!","mandatory":true,"options":sectionOptions}});
  56. actions.add({"type":"add_after","name":"duedate","input":{"type":"select","name":"members","multiple":true,"label":"Assignees","hint":"Add assignees","placeholder":"Assign task to a member","mandatory":false,"options":boardMembers}});
  57. }
  58. else
  59. {
  60. actions.add({"type":"update","name":"sections","input":{"type":"select","name":"sections","label":"Section","hint":"Select a section","placeholder":"Select a section!","mandatory":true,"options":sectionOptions}});
  61. }
  62. }
  63. return {"type":"form_modification","actions":actions};



Step 3: Configuring the form submit handler

We'll call the create task API in form submit handler. The submit handler typically receives all the inputs filled by the user and will be triggered on form submission. 

  1. response = Map();
  2. formValues = form.get("values");
  3. scopeID = formValues.get("networks").get("value");
  4. boardId = formValues.get("boards").get("value");
  5. sectionId = formValues.get("sections").get("value");
  6. title = formValues.get("title");
  7. priority_value = formValues.get("priority").get("value");
  8. parameters = {"scopeID":scopeID,"boardId":boardId,"sectionId":sectionId,"title":title,"priority":priority_value};
  9. desc = formValues.get("note");
  10. if(desc != "" && !desc.isEmpty())
  11. {
  12. parameters.put("desc",desc);
  13. }
  14. duedate = formValues.get("duedate");
  15. if(duedate != "" && !duedate.isEmpty())
  16. {
  17. duedate = duedate.toList("-");
  18. eyear = duedate.get(0);
  19. emonth = duedate.get(1);
  20. edate = duedate.get(2);
  21. parameters.put("eyear",eyear);
  22. parameters.put("emonth",emonth);
  23. parameters.put("edate",edate);
  24. }
  25. assignee = formValues.get("members");
  26. if(assignee != {} && !assignee.isEmpty())
  27. {
  28. userIds = list();
  29. for each  assgineeID in assignee
  30. {
  31. userIds.add(assgineeID.get("value"));
  32. }
  33. parameters.put("userIds",userIds.toString());
  34. }
  35. addTask = invokeurl
  36. [
  37. url :"https://connect.zoho.com/pulse/api/addTask"
  38. type :POST
  39. parameters:parameters
  40. connection:"" // Give your connection name
  41. ];
  42. if(addTask.get("addTask").get("stream").isEmpty() == false)
  43. {
  44. taskTitle = "[" + addTask.get("addTask").get("stream").get("task").get("title") + "](" + addTask.get("addTask").get("stream").get("url") + ")";
  45. taskpriority = addTask.get("addTask").get("stream").get("task").get("priority");
  46. tasksection = addTask.get("addTask").get("stream").get("task").get("section").get("name");
  47. taskboard = addTask.get("addTask").get("stream").get("partition").get("name");
  48. response = {"text":"Task added in " + taskboard + ". Take a look at the task details below.","card":{"title":"Task Details","theme":"modern-inline"},"slides":{{"type":"label","title":"Task Details: ","data":{{"Title":taskTitle},{"Priority":taskpriority},{"Section":tasksection},{"Board":taskboard}}}}};
  49. }
  50. return response;






End notes: 

Message actions in Cliq are super versatile like all other Cliq platform components. You can choose to create a message action that's specific to a message type. This example can be customized even to suit messages of the type attachments and links. So go ahead and give it a try! You can download the source code file attached with this post or access this link here: https://workdrive.zohoexternal.com/external/6OxchwzzBCF-J8HFH

Useful Links: 
Zoho Connect Rest API Guide: https://www.zoho.com/connect/api/intro.html


    • Sticky Posts

    • Customer payment alerts in Zoho Cliq

      For businesses that depend on cash flow, payment updates are essential for operational decision-making and go beyond simple accounting entries. The sales team needs to be notified when invoices are cleared so that upcoming orders can be released. In contrast,

    • Automating Employee Birthday Notifications in Zoho Cliq

      Have you ever missed a birthday and felt like the office Grinch? Fear not, the Cliq Developer Platform has got your back! With Zoho Cliq's Schedulers, you can be the office party-cipant who never forgets a single cake, balloon, or awkward rendition of

    • Accelerate Github code reviews with Zoho Cliq Platform's link handlers

      Code reviews are critical, and they can get buried in conversations or lost when using multiple tools. With the Cliq Platform's link handlers, let's transform shared Github pull request links into interactive, real-time code reviews on channels. Share

    • App Spotlight : PagerDuty for Zoho Cliq

      App Spotlight brings you hand-picked apps to enhance the power of your Zoho apps and tools. Visit the Zoho Marketplace to explore all of our apps, integrations, and extensions. In today's fast-paced world, seizing every moment is essential for operational

    • Automate your status with Cliq Schedulers

      Imagine enjoying your favorite homemade meal during a peaceful lunch break, when suddenly there's a PING! A notification pops up and ruins your moment of zen. Even worse, you might be in a vital product development sprint, only to be derailed by a "quick

      • Recent Topics

      • Another nightmare experience with a "Zoho Partner": Cloud Z Technologies

        I found "CloudZTech" on fiverr and I hired them to do a simple $300-$500 task. They did not deliver on time and I was forced to fire them. You guys must watch out for these fake ZOHO PARTNERS, 99% of them don't have the expertise necessary to help. I

      • Pickup and delivery

        Some of our products are pickup only and some delivery. Is there a way of doing this in commerce. Plus we give volume discount to all customers. We handle this in Books using pricelist and range pricing. Is there a way of doing this within commerce.

      • Unable to change the "credentials of login user" option when creating a connection

        I want to create a new Desk connection where the parameter to use 'credentials of login user' is set to YES. I'm able to create a new connection but am never given the option to change this parameter. Is this a restriction of my user profile, and if so,

      • How can you train the Zia Bot for Desk

        I added the Zia bot to my portal, but it's rarely able to answer questions, even when I have dedicated articles for the question.  How can I best train it? Should I change the title of my articles, add more information inthe body copy?

      • Direct Download Link

        I saw how to share off a document to the public, which is great, but I was also wondering if there is a way to get a direct download link for a zoho doc. I would like to be able to simply send people my documents without them having to find download on the zoho page (not hard, but just for convenience)

      • Form responses to quote process

        Hello, so I am new to Zoho One. I'm fairly confident what I want to do can be done I just need guidance on how to accomplish it. I have a Zoho Form. When a customer fills out the form I want to generate a quote (that I will email to them, I do NOT want

      • IPv6 MX Support in 2025

        There are multiple discussion on this community on IPv6 adjacent issues though the most pressing issue for IPv6 support is not solved yet the support team seems to not understand what is the issue and is steering the conversation to the wrong and misleading

      • Zoho Books Quote - Client cannot accept quote

        We are using the Zoho One plan and some of our clients have reported that they cannot accept the quote when we select their email at the bottom to send the quote to. When trying to accept, the quote prompts a message saying "You are not allowed to accept

      • Reckon Accounts Hosted to Zoho Finance

        Hi Everyone I want to transition from Reckon Accounts Hosted to Zoho Finance, as I have numerous other tasks in Zoho One, and it seems logical to make the move. (Reckon has a QuickBooks back end & is hosted on Assure now, think) I would really like to

      • Flex Your Creativity – A New component to Canvas in Zoho CRM

        Hello Everyone We’re excited to introduce Flex, a new component for Canvas in Zoho CRM! Flex is here to give you greater control over how your data is displayed in your layouts. This component enables responsive layouts that adapt across different screen

      • Vendor Assignment issue for staff in User Roales

        there is a limitation in software that we can't assing Vendors to our staff - we can only assign Customers on staff wise!! There is a limitation of this software that in case i want to assign limited vendors to my staff - it's not possible. Either i will

      • Zoho Desk Community Portal Not Displaying Custom Styling Correctly

        Hi Zoho Community, I’m struggling to get a custom community portal in Zoho Desk to display my branding and styling correctly, and I’d love some help troubleshooting this for a client’s support portal. Details: Setup: Zoho Desk (Professional plan, latest

      • Remove or hide default views

        I'm looking to only have the views pertinent to my organization. Is there a way to show only my custom views (or separate them to a different area or something)? If not, this should be a feature as switching from Zendesk we had this option...

      • Wie kann ich einen Nutzer löschen?

        Wir haben Zoho one. Es handelt sich um einen ehemaligen Mitarbeiter.

      • Function #46: Auto generate list of lapsed customers using Custom Button

        Hello everyone, and welcome back to our series! Customer retention is one of the key factors that impact the long-term success and sustainability of a business. High customer retention rates indicate satisfied customers, quality products or services,

      • Before Going To The Qc stage , site ready ness file upload mandtoty how to achive this in the blue print transition

        Before Going To The Qc stage , site ready ness file upload mandtoty how to achive this in the blue print transition Is it possible on click of the predelivery Transition show the alert message if site ready ness file upload empty also not move the stage

      • Announcing new features in Trident for Windows (v.1.28.5.0)

        Hello Community, Trident for Windows is here with exciting new features to help you stay productive and make collaboration simpler. Let’s dive into what’s new! Slash commands are now supported in the Cliq module. You can now use slash commands from the

      • Convert time to string and remove second

        Hello everyone, I have a question that I can't figure out on my own. How to convert time into string (singleline) and remove second. Like HH:mm. If I convert it as below, the result becomes null. Thank you very much. input.Time.tostring("HH:mm") result:

      • Has anyone imported items and included the storage bin?

        We have a large amount of Inventory Items. We would like to import these into Zoho Inventory but while we can import the majority of data, the storage bin refuses to map. Has anyone successfully imported the data and mapped the bin?

      • Terms & Conditions add a rule.

        Hi I'd like to format my T&C's to auto format a Deposit amount based on the Total. "Quotation is valid for 7 days from the date of issue. A 75% deposit ( R .00 )is required to confirm the booking. The remaining balance ( R .00)is due upon project completion.

      • Zoho Inventory Feature Roadmap Visible To All

        Hello, please consider making your feature roadmap visible to us users so that we know what to expect in future. This may appease current users who are seeking clarification on feature implementation dates, so that they can make an informed decision whether

      • send file to ftp or another external service

        i'v created a zoho creator application for take a picture and rename it by phone. Now i need to send Each renamed pictures to my ftp or to specific folder on google drive...then, delete it from creator. (every picture recived it will processed by another program and stored on my Erp) HOW CAN I DO ??

      • Feature Request - Improved booking layouts, specifically for individual booking links

        I would like to see more layout options and specifically to have the meeting description beside the calendar booking function, when sharing booking links to specific consultations/meetings. Below is a screenshot from Calendly. I love this layout and it

      • Set Conditional and Dependent Rules for Issues in Zoho Projects

        An Issue Layout is a customizable form to add and update information about a specific issue. The fields in the issue layout can be changed dynamically based on user requirement using the issue layout rules. Consider a scenario where an electrical fluctuation

      • Accounting on the Go Series-56: e-Way Bill Module in the Mobile App – A Handy Solution for Indian Businesses

        Hello everyone, Managing e-Way bills just got more convenient with the Zoho Books mobile app! For businesses operating under the GST regime, e-Way bills are essential for tracking the movement of goods. Previously, you had to log in to the web app to

      • Copying records from a Custom Module into Deals

        Hello, I recently created a custom module to handle a particular type of order/transaction in our business. Having got this up and running I've realised that it would be much better to use the Deals module with a different layout instead. We've entered

      • Creator App on Mobile - Workflow "On Create / Edit - On Load" not triggered ?

        Hi Everyone, I built an application to track assets, which is used both at the office (desktop) an in the field by technicians (mobile app). In the field, technicians open an existing form and add rows to a subform at some point. One field they have to

      • HOW TO VIEW INDIVIDUAL COST OF NEWLY PURCHASED GOODS AFTER ALLOCATING LANDED COSTS

        Hello, I have been able to allocate landed costs to the purchase cost of the new products. however, what i need to see now is the actual cost price (original cost plus landed cost), of only my newly purchased products to enable me set a selling price

      • Custom Function to get custom field of lookup type in Books

        Hi, Here's the situation. In Purchase Order, there is a custom field (lookup) to SO. The requirement is to update to the related SO if PO get updated Right now facing challenge to get the id of custom field (lookup) in PO. Please find below the sample

      • Custom From Address is now Organizational Email

        We're introducing a small yet meaningful change in Zoho Recruit, one that sets the foundation for bigger improvements coming your way. What’s changed? We’ve renamed the Custom From Address to Organizational Email. The new name was chosen to better reflect

      • What's New in Zoho Billing Q2 2025

        Hello everyone, We are excited to share the latest set of updates and enhancements made to Zoho Billing in Q2 2025, ranging from image custom fields to support for new languages. Keep reading to learn more. Upload Images From Your Desktop to Email Notifications

      • Map dependency on Multiselect picklist

        I need help in Zoho CRM. I have 2 multi-select picklists. For example, Picklist A has country names. Picklist B has state names. Now I want to show states on the basis of the selected country from Picklist A. Both are multi-select fields, so the standard

      • Tip of the Week #63 – Keep personal emails out of team view.

        Shared inboxes are great for teamwork—they let everyone stay on the same page, respond faster, and avoid duplicate replies. But not every message needs to be shared with the entire team. Think about those one-on-one chats with a manager, a quick internal

      • Episode III : Powering Automation: Custom Functions in Action

        Hello Everyone, In our previous episodes, we explored custom functions and the Deluge programming language. If you’ve been wondering why the Episode series have been quiet, here’s the reveal! On our community, we've been showcasing custom functions integrated

      • Narrative 2 - Understanding Organizational Departments

        Behind the scenes of a successful ticketing system - BTS Series Narrative 2 - Understanding Organizational Departments A ticketing system's departments are essential because they provide an organized and practical framework for handling and addressing

      • Zoho Projects Plus for the healthcare industry

        The global healthcare industry is complex and diverse; from patient record maintenance, healthcare supply chain, to manufacturing complex medical equipment, the industry functions on many layers. Managing all these layers requires tested out techniques

      • Missing Outlook calendar option in Calendar

        Hi all I don't have an Outlook Calendar option in the Settings > Synchronise settings of Calendar. Any ideas why not?

      • Whats App Automation

        It would be nice to be able to send out an automated whats app message template on moving stages or creation of a ticket (same as you can do for automated emails). Currently only automated emails can be sent. Also, if whats app could be used more effectively

      • Zoho Projects Android app update: Enhanced Documents module within the projects.

        Hello everyone! In the latest Android version(v3.9.35) of the Zoho Projects app update, we have enhanced the documents module within the projects. Now, you can view all the attachments that you have added across the project in tasks, bugs, comments, etc,

      • Lead Source Disappears

        When adding a new lead and saving the page, the page refreshes itself and the lead source field becomes blank. We set the "Lead source" as a required field to see if it would help, but the problem persists and we always have to re-enter the lead sou

      • Next Page