Kaizen 215 - Workflow APIs - Part 3
Welcome back to another week of Kaizen!
Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve joined Zylker Cloud Services as they review and improve their workflows. In Part 1, we discovered and audited their sprawling workflow landscape. In Part 2, we learned how to use the Configuration API to understand valid triggers and actions, preventing errors before they happen.
Now, it is time to take action. Zylker has identified the "VP Alert - High Value Deal" workflow as a prime candidate for an update. It is old, has never run, and its logic might be too narrow. We will also explore how to create a new workflow from scratch to handle a new business requirement.
STEP 5: Update an Existing Workflow
From our audit in Step 2, we know that the existing ‘VP Alert - High Value Deal’ workflow (id: 4876876000016390024) hadn’t triggered even once. The original $50,000 threshold missed many valuable deals. Most winning opportunities actually land above $30,000. It has never executed, suggesting the criteria are too strict.
Let us use the Update Workflow Rule API to fix it. We'll change the criteria to trigger for deals greater than or equal to $30,000 and add an additional email notification.
What you can and cannot update
When working with the Update Workflow Rule API, not every field in a workflow is open for modification. Think of it like editing an existing automation blueprint. Some foundations are fixed, while others are flexible.
You can update:
Name and Description
Trigger : You can update triggers, but only within the same trigger type. For example, you can change a Record Action trigger from create to edit, but not from a Record Action trigger to a Score-based trigger. For more details on this, please refer to our detailed help documentation here.
Conditions and Criteria : add, remove, or refine them.
Actions : add new ones, remove existing ones, or update their configuration.
Status : activate or deactivate a workflow rule.
What cannot be updated
There are a few key restrictions to remember:
You cannot change the module associated with the workflow.
You cannot switch trigger categories (e.g., from Record Action to Email Trigger).
You cannot retain unsupported actions when changing to a trigger that doesn’t support them. For instance, if you change a trigger from Edit to Delete, but keep an Assign Owner action, the update will fail, because “Assign Owner” isn’t valid for Delete triggers.
Updating an existing workflow is not about replacing everything. it is about editing precisely what needs to change.
Here is how to do it:
Fetch the workflow details using the Get Workflow Rule API. This gives the full structure, including condition IDs, action IDs, and trigger details.
Identify what needs to change.
In this case, to fix the “VP Alert - High Value Deal” workflow, we can update the Workflow rule to:
lower the threshold to $300,000
change the comparator to greater_than.
To make the workflow more useful, Zylker has also decided to add a few new actions.
But before doing that, the developers needed to confirm which actions are supported for this workflow’s trigger type. That is where last week’s Configuration API comes in handy. Since we already know this is a Record Action trigger (create_or_edit), we can refer to the configuration response we explored in Part 2 to see which actions are valid.
{ "api_name": "create_or_edit", "deprecated": false, "name": "CreateorEdit", "scheduled_actions_supported": true, "actions": [ "field_updates", "assign_owner", "add_tags", "remove_tags", "email_notifications", "tasks", "create_record", "create_connected_record", "add_meeting", "webhooks", "functions", "circuits", "flow" ] }, |
The response clearly shows that email notifications, field updates, and tags are all supported for this trigger type. With that confidence, in addition to updating the condition, we can also add a 'Priority' tag to those records that trigger the Workflow. This makes the workflow more visible and actionable across the sales hierarchy.
Sample Request:
PUT {{api-domain}}/crm/v8/settings/automation/workflow_rules/4876876000016390024
{ "workflow_rules": [ { "description": "Notify sales leadership and track strategic opportunities", "name": "VP Alert - High Value Deal.", "conditions": [ { "sequence_number": 1, "criteria_details": { "criteria": { "group_operator": "AND", "group": [ { "comparator": "greater_than", // change in comparator operator "field": { "api_name": "Amount" }, "value": "300000" // Lowered threshold }, { "comparator": "equal", "field": { "api_name": "Stage" }, "value": "Negotiation/Review" } ] } }, "instant_actions": { "actions": [ { "type": "add_tags", "module": "Deals", "details": { "tags": [ { "name": "Priority" } ], "overwrite": true } } ] }, "id": "4876876000016390025" // id of the condition to be updated } ] } ] } |
After this update, the workflow now triggers for any deal worth more than $300,000 in the Negotiation/Review stage. Apart from sending the email notifications and adding the follow up task, it also tags these deals as Priority.
Edit vs Add:
To edit an existing condition or action, include its existing id in your update payload. Zoho CRM will recognize it as an update to that object.
To add a new condition or action, simply omit the id. CRM treats any object without an ID as a new addition.
STEP 6: Create a new Workflow Rule
With the “VP Alert - High Value Deal” workflow now fixed and performing as expected, Zylker’s sales team quickly began to see results.
But their sales team noticed that deals often stall after proposals are sent, with no systematic follow-up. Zylker has hence refined the requirements for a new Workflow.
They want to automatically trigger follow-up actions when a high-value deal (above ₹30,000) is marked “Closed Lost” due to pricing reasons. This workflow must ensure that every lost opportunity is reviewed, tagged, and re-engaged after a cooling-off period. To achieve this, they want to create a workflow to be triggered whenever a deal’s Stage is updated to Closed Lost. It must perform the following actions:
Add tags Lost due to Pricing and Re-engagement Pending.
Send an email alert to the Sales team, with the details of the failed Deal, so they can look into the reasons.
After 30 business days, automatically create another “Lost Deal - Feedback” task to remind the owner to re-contact the customer for feedback, and for future opportunities.
Before proceeding, Zylker makes an API call to the Workflow Configuration endpoint. This ensures that their chosen trigger type and actions are supported. From the response snippet below, it is clear that a field_update trigger supports scheduled actions and the required action types.
{ "api_name": "field_update", "deprecated": false, "name": "FieldUpdate", "scheduled_actions_supported": true, "actions": [ "field_updates", "assign_owner", "add_tags", "remove_tags", "email_notifications", "tasks", "create_record", "create_connected_record", "add_meeting", "webhooks", "functions", "circuits", "flow" ] } |
With these details validated, we can now move on to adding a new workflow for Zylker using the Create Workflow Rule API request.
Understanding the input JSON structure
Every workflow definition follows the same hierarchy - defining when the rule runs, what conditions it checks, and which actions it performs.
The top-level input object contains a workflow_rules array. You must include just one workflow rule object per request. Each workflow rule defines its name, trigger type, and one or more condition blocks, each with its own criteria and actions.
Here is a breakdown of what is inside a single workflow rule:
{ "workflow_rules": [ { "name": "VP Alert - High Value Deal.", //name of the workflow rule "description": "Notify leadership when high-value deals are lost due to pricing.", "module": { "api_name": "Deals" }, //module to which the workflow applies "execute_when": { ... }, //trigger configuration (e.g., on record edit, field update, etc.) "conditions": [ { "sequence_number": 1, // order of execution. this is the first condition "criteria_details": { ... }, // condition logic (criteria group) "instant_actions": { "actions": [ ... ] }, //instant actions executed instantly cheduled_actions": [ // schedules actions executed after a delay { "execute_after": { ... }, // delay period for the scheduled action "actions": [ ... ] } ] }, { "sequence_number": 2, // second condition "criteria_details": { ... }, "instant_actions": { "actions": [ ... ] } } ] } ] } |
Associative vs. Non-Associative Actions
Every workflow rule performs one or more actions like sending an email, creating a task, or updating a field, etc. These actions fall into two broad categories: associative and non-associative.
Type | Description | Example Actions |
Non- Associative Actions | These are defined inside the workflow rule itself. They do not need to exist beforehand. You can configure their details directly within the workflow payload. | Create record, schedule a call, add a meeting, convert records, social actions, create record on email received, assign owner, |
Associative Actions | These are reusable actions created separately in CRM and referenced by their IDs. They can be used across multiple workflows and other automation tools. | Field updates, Email notifications, tasks, Webhooks, Add/Remove tags |
When you create or update a workflow via API, the associative actions require you to pass their existing action IDs. These IDs can be fetched using the corresponding Actions APIs : Field Updates, Email Notifications, Webhooks, and Tasks. In the coming weeks of Kaizen, we will take a closer look at each of these Actions APIs. We will see how to create, manage, and delete them within your workflow automation strategy.
Sample Request:
POST {{api-domain}}/crm/v8/settings/automation/workflow_rules
{ "workflow_rules": [ { "execute_when": { "details": { "trigger_module": { "api_name": "Deals", "id": "4876876000000002181" }, "criteria": { "comparator": "equal", "field": { "api_name": "Stage", "id": "4876876000000002565" }, "type": "value", "value": "Closed Lost" }, "repeat": false, "match_all": false }, "type": "field_update" }, "module": { "api_name": "Deals", "id": "4876876000000002181" }, "description": "Triggers tasks, tags, and follow-up reminders for high-value deals lost due to pricing", "name": "Lost Deal due to Pricing - Follow Up", "conditions": [ { "sequence_number": 1, "instant_actions": { "actions": [ { "name": "Lost Deal - Feedback", "id": "4876876000016794047", "type": "tasks" }, { "details": { "module": { "api_name": "Deals", "id": "4876876000000002181" }, "over_write": false, "tags": [ { "name": "Lost due to Pricing", "id": "4876876000016794071", "color_code": "#658BA8" }, { "name": "Re-engagement pending", "id": "4876876000016794075", "color_code": "#879BFC" } ] }, "type": "add_tags" }, { "name": "Deal Lost Alert", "id": "4876876000016794062", "type": "email_notifications" } ] }, "scheduled_actions": [ { "execute_after": { "period": "business_days", "unit": 30 }, "actions": [ { "name": "Lost Deal - Feedback", "id": "4876876000016794047", "type": "tasks" } ] } ], "criteria_details": { "criteria": { "group_operator": "AND", "group": [ { "comparator": "greater_equal", "field": { "api_name": "Amount", "id": "4876876000000002557" }, "type": "value", "value": "30000" }, { "comparator": "equal", "field": { "api_name": "Reason_For_Loss__s", "id": "4876876000002440001" }, "type": "value", "value": "Price" } ] } } } ] } ] } |
The execute_when defines when the workflow should fire.
type = field_update means this rule runs when a field’s value changes.
criteria : Stage = Closed Lost so the rule triggers whenever the Stage field is updated to Closed Lost.
repeat = false ensures it will not trigger multiple times for the same record.
In simple terms: “Whenever a deal is marked as Closed Lost, run this workflow.” The criteria_details section refines the trigger. The workflow only runs when the Amount ≥ ₹30,000 AND Reason for Loss = Price.
The instant_actions section inside the conditions array has the actions to be executed immediately when the criteria are met.
Add Tags : labels the record for easy filtering and reporting.
Send Email Alert : notifies the sales team instantly about the lost deal.
The scheduled_actions defines what happens after some time has passed. In this case, after 30 business days. Here, the workflow automatically creates a “Lost Deal - Feedback” task, reminding the deal owner to follow up with the customer to get feedback, and for future opportunities.
- The Amount is greater than or equal to ₹30,000, and
The Reason for Loss is “Price.”
By combining these elements, this workflow achieves a full closed-loop follow-up system.
Conclusion:
Zylker’s updated and new workflows make their automation smarter and more responsive. They are now able to spot key deals and ensure lost opportunities are revisited.
We hope you are now well on your way to mastering Workflow APIs. Share your thoughts in the comments or write to us at support@zohocrm.com.
Additional Reading:
- Workflow APIs - Part 1 - Auditing Workflows
- Workflow APIs - Part 2 - Find out what actions and triggers are supported for each module
Topic Participants
Anu Abraham
Sticky Posts
Kaizen #217 - Actions APIs : Tasks
Welcome to another week of Kaizen! In last week's post we discussed Email Notifications APIs which act as the link between your Workflow automations and you. We have discussed how Zylker Cloud Services uses Email Notifications API in their custom dashboard.Kaizen #216 - Actions APIs : Email Notifications
Welcome to another week of Kaizen! For the last three weeks, we have been discussing Zylker's workflows. We successfully updated a dormant workflow, built a new one from the ground up and more. But our work is not finished—these automated processes areKaizen #152 - Client Script Support for the new Canvas Record Forms
Hello everyone! Have you ever wanted to trigger actions on click of a canvas button, icon, or text mandatory forms in Create/Edit and Clone Pages? Have you ever wanted to control how elements behave on the new Canvas Record Forms? This can be achievedKaizen #142: How to Navigate to Another Page in Zoho CRM using Client Script
Hello everyone! Welcome back to another exciting Kaizen post. In this post, let us see how you can you navigate to different Pages using Client Script. In this Kaizen post, Need to Navigate to different Pages Client Script ZDKs related to navigation A.Kaizen #210 - Answering your Questions | Event Management System using ZDK CLI
Hello Everyone, Welcome back to yet another post in the Kaizen Series! As you already may know, for the Kaizen #200 milestone, we asked for your feedback and many of you suggested topics for us to discuss. We have been writing on these topics over the
Recent Topics
Expose FIFO COGS in Invoice API
Currently, in the Invoice API, the line_items array contains the purchase_rate field. Unfortunately, this purchase_rate field is the Cost Price of the Item, not the FIFO cost journaled into COGS for that sale. There seems to be no current way to get theDrag-and-Drop Customization Interface for Help Center in Zoho Desk
Hi Zoho Desk Team, We hope you're doing well. We’d like to submit a feature request regarding the customization of the Help Center in Zoho Desk. 🔧 Current Limitation: At present, Help Center customization options are quite limited through the Zoho Deskhide resolution from help centre
to my surprise, i just found out that the resolution text is public in the helpcenter, even if 'notify customer' is off. is there a workaround to that? how do others deal with this? How zoho support does this and I don't think its used by Zoho in the first place. the resolution is meant to be private, not publicStop selling out of stock Items.
Hi I have been using Zohobooks for a around 8 month now. I am not involved in selling process but my staff cant stop selling product which they do not hold in stock, this is a big headache for me as physical count never matches what is shown on the books.Importing New Items to be Added to Existing Item Group
How to use the import sheet to import new items to be added to an existing item group. The import gives me an error that the item group name already exists and won't proceed. If it's possible, how should my import spreadsheet should look like?ShipStation and Zoho Inventory
Hello, I am looking to sync zoho inventory with shipstation ZOHO INVENTORY SHIP STATION Sales Order ==> create ORDERS INVOICE <== Shipments What exactly does BETA mean on the Shipstation connector? This is required for me to sign-on in the next month. Thanks in advance for your effortsCondolences and Prayers Following the Ahmedabad Plane Crash
Dear Zoho Team, We were heartbroken to learn about the tragic plane crash that occurred today in Ahmedabad, as reported in the news. On behalf of our entire team, we want to extend our deepest condolences to everyone at Zoho and across India who may haveZoho Developer Community Monthly Digest – May 2025
Hello everyone, Welcome to this month’s Zoho Developer Community Digest! From fresh product insights to hands-on tech sessions and standout community threads, there's plenty here to keep your ideas flowing and your skills sharp. Be sure to explore ourTimesheet in project not visible to invited users.
We are using Zoho Projects and have enabled the client portal so our clients can access both Projects and Timesheets. However, while the client can see the project, no timesheet entries are visible. How can we resolve this issue?Scheduled outbound calls
How do you mark a scheduled outbound call as complete? I see no way to change the status.How to see exact clicked links in CRM from Zoho Campaigns ?
Hi, I'm wondering how I can see the clicked links from an email sent from Campaigns when I'm in a campaign in the CRM module. I can see the number of clicks but I need the sales team to be able to see which link has been clicked by a prospect or contact.Email parser rule will only parse emails with an exact match? What madness is this?
I finally got myhead around deluge and scripting, but wondered why my parser wasn't working. (https://help.zoho.com/portal/en/community/topic/extract-11-digit-number-in-any-position-from-enail-subject) Problem: There are *zero* characters or phrases thatHow to add a fee based on payment method
I currently accept both ACH payments and credit card. I want to add a 3% fee to a number of my subscription plans if the customer chooses to use a credit card (and not ACH/checking). How do I do this? Is there an in-built feature, or would i have to createCondolences and Prayers Following the Ahmedabad Plane Crash
Dear Zoho Team, We were heartbroken to learn about the tragic plane crash that occurred today in Ahmedabad, as reported in the news. On behalf of our entire team, we want to extend our deepest condolences to everyone at Zoho and across India who may haveCRM Analytics - Elegant Comparator
Anyone noticed a wierd thing on the Elegant Comparator on CRM... Compare Among - Time Period - Last 6 Weeks... only 5 weeks show Compare Among - Time Period - Last 5 Weeks... only 4 weeks show Compare Among - Time Period - Last 4 Weeks... only 3 weeksCopy Templetes from one module to another in Zoho Books.
Hello, I have created a Custom Module in Books for GST Invoice. I can see only 1 Invoice Templete over there. Can we clone or copy Invoices Templetes from Sales Module of Books into Customer Module.Enhancements in Bookings browser extension
Greetings from Zoho Bookings! We're here with another update to make your scheduling even quicker. We have enhanced our browser extension with three significant features: Copy slots to email Gmail integration LinkedIn integration Copy slots to email ThisSome notes are shown as Not Synced
I'm not sure why this happens but it's a weird little bug I noticed. I have two notes I believe that has that weird icon shown in the screenshot that shows that it's not synced even though the notes do sync properly. Manual syncing doesn't remove thePower of Automation :: Auto-Color Tasks in Gantt chart based on values in Picklist field.
Hello Everyone, A Custom function is a user-written set of code to achieve a specific requirement. Set the required conditions needed as when to trigger using the Workflow rules (be it Tasks / Project) and associate the custom function to it. Requirement:-Zoho CRM record in blueprint unable to initiate any form of approval process
My business case As a penetration testing company, we have engagements that need to follow a set path, from “to be scheduled” to “assigned to tester” to “regulatory documents sent” to “testing in progress” to “report delivered”. On this path, a particularEdit Project Number?
Hi all: We just signed up for a trial of zoho one, which includes ZoHo Projects. We've noticed there was a 'dummy project' preloaded in projects to help familiarize yourself with the software. We've created a couple of our own projects now but noticed since the dummy project was preloaded, our projects start with number 2 then 3, sequentially. Since it seems we will be keeping zoho past the trial, If we delete the dummy project, how do we get our own projects renumbered, beginning with 1? We'd likeTip of the Week #57– Reply faster with saved response templates!
Ever find yourself typing out the same email reply over and over again? It's time consuming and eats productive work hours. With shared response templates, you and your team can create pre-composed messages to quickly respond to common queries — savingConnect MySQL database to Zoho sites
Hi! Is there a way to connect a MySql database with Zoho sites. So the user input are stored in and dinamic data is fetched from the database? Regards, MihályWhat’s new in Zoho RPA: Cross-platform automation, OCR, and more!
Zoho RPA is now included in Zoho One Zoho RPA is now part of the Zoho One suite, bringing unified automation to your entire business ecosystem. You can now automate UI-based tasks across Zoho apps and third-party systems too. From processing sales ordersNew in CPQ: Create dynamic actions in Product Configurator (PC), clone PCs and Price Rules (PRs)
Configuring product combinations just got enhanced. Zoho CRM's CPQ system now supports dynamic actions based on multiple base products. Additionally, you can now clone configurations for both Product Configurator (PC) and price rules (PRs). Dynamic actionsBeyond Email: #2 Connect better with Contacts
After successfully creating a 'Welcome & Setup' event using the Calendar, Sarah is eager to invite her team members to participate. For a smoother communication experience and easy access, Sarah wants to store their information, ensuring quick referenceIntegrate MS Teams with Zoho CRM for faster collaboration
Availability Editions: Standard and above DCs: All Release status: This feature has been released for all users in all DCs. Help resource: Microsoft Teams integration Hello everyone, We're adding MS Teams to our lineup of CRM chat integrations—Cliq, Slack,Subforms and Reports
I am trying to do a report that shows various data from subforms. eg I want a report that shows what Bill Status are Approved Required. Or show the status of all bills. It doesn't look like Zoho Reports picks up information within reports. Is there anotherPass variables to Zoho Desk via URL to create a fast new ticket landing page
We are integrating our phone system into Zoho Desk. Currently when a helpdesk agent answers the phone, a soft client opens a new tab with zoho desk at the new case page. https://desk.zoho.com/support/companyname/ShowHomePage.do#Cases/new We would like【Zoho CRM】アナリティクス機能のアップデート：ウォーターフォールの導入
ユーザーの皆さま、こんにちは。コミュニティチームの藤澤です。 今回は「Zoho CRM アップデート情報」の中からアナリティクス機能のアップデートをご紹介します。 本記事は、以前紹介された機能に新たに追加された機能です。 以前の記事：https://support.zoho.co.jp/portal/ja/kb/articles/zoho-crm-visualize-your-data-with-a-new-set-of-charts-treemap-butterfly-sankey-and-cluster-charts[Free Webinar] Learning Table Series - Creator for the Finance Industry
Hello Everyone! The Learning Table Series is a free monthly webinar that runs for around 45 minutes. It's offered to our Community users and aims to provide a dynamic learning experience by demonstrating how Creator can be used as a solution for variousWebhook - Configuration failed: 200 response not received for POST request
Hello, I am trying to set up a webhook to connect with an automation software but I receive the following error from Zoho: Configuration failed: 200 response not received for POST request I have tried testing it on webhook.site as well and receive theAutomated Shopify adjustment problem. "An inventory adjustment has been created by the system to set the initial stock from Shopify"
Has anyone noticed issues since the Shopify Sync has been updated recently? If you sync with Shopify, check to see if there are automated adjustments for old products that keep recurring. We have this problem for 6 SKU's that Zoho is doubling the stockBest website platform to sync to Zoho Inventory
Anyone like to suggest the best website platform for syncing to Zoho Inventory? We DO NOT want to sync stock, only orders. Shopify - not an option as we have more than one website and Shopify requires 2 accounts and Zoho will not sync with 2 different accounts. Magento and WooCommerce both sync via Kloudconnectors - does anyone have any experience with this? I have trialled it and there are flaws - eg purchase order numbers are not populated. Discussion welcome!Include product images in data sync between Zoho CRM and Zoho Inventory
Currently the item image does not sync between Zoho CRM and Zoho Inventory when using the internal Zoho sync functionality. This requires users to manually update the item image in Zoho Inventory for products created in CRM and vice versa. Including theShow ordered quantity on packing slips and invoices
Hello Is there any way possible to show the original ordered quantity of an item (as recorded in the sales order) on subsequent package slips and sales invoices, so that these documents can show the customer the ordered qty vs the qty being currentlySearch Zoho Inventory Items module via API
How can I search Zoho Inventory Items by custom fields, categories, etc using the API? This is not documented. Is there an advanced search function like CRM's COQL search available via the Zoho API? If there is an undocumented way to search Items viaHow can I get my images to display correctly on mobile site?
I have just created a site and uploaded images, which look perfect on the desktop version. However when I view the site on my mobile device some of the images are not displaying correctly. They are all blurry. Anyone else experience this?Does Creator support HTMX?
I love the Zoho ecosystem and Zoho Creator does a lot of things really well. However, I'm needing more real-time interactivity in my forms. Is the only option to create a JS widget? How about HTMX?My fix for "This report is not accessible" in published pages
Hi Community, after having the same issue as many others here and going through the community's posts, i found a solution on my own. Again, the quality of support from Zoho is pretty awful: if you cannot help yourself, you're lost. I really like Zoho,Next Page