Actions APIs - Field Updates

Actions APIs - Field Updates




Hello all!!
Welcome back to a fresh Kaizen week.
In the previous weeks, we covered Workflow Rules APIs, Actions APIs - Email Notification APIs, and Tasks Update APIs.
This week, we will continue with another Actions API - the Field Update API in Zoho CRM.

Field Updates in Zoho CRM

The Field Update option helps you automatically update specific field values in records when the associated workflow rule is triggered.

Note: Field Updates can also be used in Blueprint and Approval Processes, but in this post, we will focus only on Field Updates used with Workflow Rules in Zoho CRM.
When multiple leads enter Zoho CRM each day, from small to large industries, the Sales team manages all these entries inside a module. Every single lead is important for a company, whether it comes from a small or large industry. High-profit leads should not be missed and must be treated with high priority, frequent follow-ups, and faster actions to convert them into won deals.

High-profit deals without Field Update

There are chances of missing or failing to prioritize high-profit deals when all entries are cluttered inside the same module. This leads to manual mistakes and confusion for the Sales team. It becomes manual work, which increases the possibility of missing high-profit Leads.

High-profit deals with Field Update

A Field Update + Workflow Rule can solve these issues by creating an automated process. This avoids manual intervention and reduces errors.

Use case
Zylker, an IT solutions provider, wants to give high-priority attention to leads coming from large industries or leads that have a high lead score, especially when the Lead Status is Not Contacted.
Whenever a lead has a Lead Score ≥ 80 and is Not Contacted, the system should automatically update a field called Profit Category and set it to High Profit.

Why Lead Score for our use case?
Lead Score shows how active and interested a lead is. A score of 80 or above means the lead is highly engaged and more likely to convert. This makes it a dependable way to identify important leads that need quick attention.

Scenario
Whenever a lead meets the following conditions:
  1. Lead Score ≥ 80
  2. Lead Status = Not Contacted
The system should automatically update the Profit Category field to High Profit, and add a Contact Immediately tag. This helps the Sales team quickly identify high-profit records even when many records are cluttered in the module.

This can be achieved using a Field Update combined with a Workflow Rule.

Why not just use a Custom View?

A custom view can filter and display leads that meet these conditions, but it still depends on the Sales team to open the view and take action. In a busy Leads module, important leads can be missed or delayed. Also, if you want to perform dependent actions, you will need to create and schedule a custom function manually.
With a Workflow and Field Update, the system emails and also trigger many other actions like Field Update, Webhooks, and so on to your executives about these leads automatically. In our case, the Profit Category and tag are updated the moment the lead meets the condition, making high-profit leads stand out everywhere in CRM - without relying on manual checks or someone remembering to look at a view.

Profit Category mapping based on Lead Score

Profit Category is a custom picklist field in the Leads module.

The following table shows how Zylker classifies profit categories based on Lead Score:

Lead Score

Profit Category

20-40

Minimal Profit

40-60

Average Profit

60-80

Good Profit

80+

    High Profit


In this use case, we focus only on the High Profit category.
Let us now see how to enable a Field Update in Zoho CRM through the UI.

Creating a Field Update via UI

To create a Field Update in Zoho CRM, follow the steps below:
  1. Go to Setup > Automation > Actions > Field Updates.
  2. Click Create Field Update.
  3. Enter the Name of the field update.
  4. Select the Module.
  5. Choose the Field that should be updated.
  6. Provide the value to be updated that must be applied.
  7. Save the Field Update.
Field Update Configuration
In this use case, a Field Update is created to modify the Profit Category field when the workflow rule is triggered.

Field Update Details:
  1. Name: Profit Category
  2. Module: Leads
  3. Field to Update: Profit Category
  4. New Value: High Profit
This Field Update will be used as an action inside the workflow rule.
How to create the workflow for this use case and associate this Field Update with the workflow has been covered in the following section of this post.

UI - Field Update Creation View

Creating a Field Update via API

You can create a Field Update using the Create Field Update API available from Zoho CRM API version 8.
Request URL:  {{api-domain}}/crm/v8/settings/automation/field_updates
Request Method: POST
Input JSON


{
    "field_updates": [
        {
            "name": "Profit Category ",
            "module": {
                "api_name": "Leads",
                "id": "5725767000000002175"
            },
            "type": "static",
            "feature_type": "workflow",
            "field": {
                "api_name": "Profit_Category",
                "id": "5725767000008570298"
            },
            "value": "High Profit"
        }
    ]
}


Keys explanation

                         Key

                        Explanation

field_updates

 

Holds all details to create a field update.

name

Field Update name

module

Specify the module details

module.api_name

Represents the module API name. In our case, it is "Leads" module.

module.id

Represents the System ID for the module

type

Represents the Update type. Usually “static” for fixed-value updates.

feature_type

Represents that this Field Update is for workflow Rules.

field

Represents which field should be updated.

field.api_name

Represents the field API name.

field.id

Represents the unique ID of the field.

value

The value to be updated


Sample Response

{
    "field_updates": [
        {
            "code": "SUCCESS",
            "details": {
                "id": "5725767000008604002"
            },
            "message": "field update deleted successfully",
            "status": "success"
        }
    ]
}



A note on the unique ID

You can add:
  1. You need this ID to retrieve, update, and delete the Field Update later.

Retrieve your Field Update

You can retrieve a Field Update by using the Get Field Update API. It lists all available Field Update actions available in your org.

Request URL:  {{api-domain}}/crm/v8/settings/automation/field_updates/5725767000008604002
Request Method: GET

Sample Response:
Below is the sample response returned by Zoho CRM.

{
    "field_updates": [
        {
            "created_time": "2025-11-15T07:57:39-08:00",
            "update_type": null,
            "lock_status": {
                "locked": false
            },
            "apply_assignment_threshold": false,
            "editable": true,
            "module": {
                "api_name": "Leads",
                "id": "5725767000000002175"
            },
            "related_module": null,
            "deletable": true,
            "source": "crm",
            "type": "static",
            "created_by": {
                "name": "Patricia Boyle",
                "id": "5725767000000411001"
            },
            "notify": false,
            "feature_type": "workflow",
            "modified_time": "2025-11-15T07:57:39-08:00",
            "field": {
                "api_name": "Profit_Category",
                "id": "5725767000008570298"
            },
            "dependent_fields": null,
            "associated": false,
            "related_records": null,
            "name": "Profit Category Leads",
            "modified_by": {
                "name": "Patricia Boyle",
                "id": "5725767000000411001"
            },
            "id": "5725767000008604002",
            "value": "High Profit"
        }
    ]
}


Note: This API helps you fetch all the details of a specific Field Update using its unique ID. Also, you can create a workflow and associate the created Field Update action using its unique ID.

Workflow Rule Configuration 

Trigger:
  1. When a Lead is created or edited.
Condition:
  1. Lead Score is greater than or equal to 80.
  2. Lead Status is currently Not Contacted.
Actions:
  1. Associate the created Field Update action: High Profit
  2. Add a Contact Immediately tag to the record.

Workflow Rule and Field Update action via UI

Configuring Workflow and associating the Field Update action

Workflow Rule and Field Update action via API
Create a Workflow:
You can use the Configure Workflow Rule API to create a workflow.

Associate the Field Update:

You can associate the Field Update action with the workflow by using the unique ID of the Field Update.
Retrieve the Field Update ID using the Get Field Updates API.

Request URL:  {{api-domain}}/crm/v8/settings/automation/workflow_rules
Request Method: POST

Sample Input:

{
    "workflow_rules": [
        {
          .
          .
          .

            "execute_when": {
                "details": {
                    "trigger_module": {
                        "api_name": "Leads",
                        "id": "5725767000000002175"
                    },
                },
                "type": "create_or_edit"
            },
            "module": {
                "api_name": "Leads",
                "id": "5725767000000002175"
            },
            "conditions": [
                {
                    "instant_actions": {
                        "actions": [
                            {
                               
                                "name": "Profit Category",
                                "details": {
                                    "module": {
                                        "api_name": "Leads",
                                        "id": "5725767000000002175"
                                    }
                                },
                                "id": "5725767000008604002",   //associating the created Field Update with the Workflow.
                                "type": "field_updates"
                            },
                            {
                                "name": "High Priority Deal",
                                "details": {
                                    "module": {
                                        "api_name": "Leads",
                                        "id": "5725767000000002175"
                                    },
                                    "over_write": false,
                                    "tags": [
                                        {
                                            "name": "High Priority Deal",
                                            "id": "5725767000008570458",
                                            "color_code": "#63C57E"
                                        }
                                    ]
                                },
                                "id": "5725767000008570470",
                                "type": "add_tags"
                            }
                        ]
                    },
                    "criteria": {
                        "group_operator": "AND",
                        "group": [
                            {
                                "comparator": "greater_equal",
                                "field": {
                                    "api_name": "Entity_Scores__s.Score", //Lead Score's API name
                                    "id": "5725767000002324045" 
                                },
                                "type": "value",
                                "value": "80"
                            },
                            {
                                "comparator": "contains",
                                "field": {
                                    "api_name": "Lead_Status",
                                    "id": "5725767000000002611"
                                },
                                "type": "value",
                                "value": "Not Contacted"
                            }
                        ]
                    }
                }
            ]
            .
            .
            .
        }
    ]
}


For more details on Workflow Rules using APIs, refer to Kaizen #213 - Workflow APIs - Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.


Edit your existing Field Update

You can update an existing Field Update using the Update Field Update API. To update it, use the unique ID of the Field Update in the request URL. Use Get Field Update API to get the required Field Update ID.

Request URL:  {{api-domain}}/crm/v8/settings/automation/field_updates/5725767000008599001
Request Method: PUT

Input JSON

{
    "field_updates": [
        {
            "name": "Profit Category - Updated", //updated the response
            "field": {
                "api_name": "Profit_Category",
                "id": "5725767000008570298"
            },
            "value": "Good Profit" //updated value
        }
    ]
}


Note:
  1. Only the configured modules cannot be updated using the PUT - Field Update API call. The rest of the fields can be updated.
  2. The updated value must be valid for the field type. For example, picklist fields accept only existing picklist options. 
  3. After updating a Field Update, any workflow linked to it will automatically start using the updated configuration.

Delete Your Existing Field Update

You can delete an existing Field Update using the Delete Field Update API. To delete it, you must use the unique ID of the Field Update in the request URL.
 If you do not know the ID, use the Get Field Update API to retrieve it.

Request URL:  {{api-domain}}/crm/v8/settings/automation/field_updates/5725767000008599001
Request Method: DELETE

Sample Response:

{
    "field_updates": [
        {
            "code": "SUCCESS",
            "details": {
                "id": "5725767000008604002"
            },
            "message": "Field update deleted successfully",
            "status": "success"
        }
    ]
}




Note
  1. You cannot delete a Field Update if it is currently associated with any Workflow, Blueprint, or Approval Process. Remove the Field Update from the workflow first, and then try deleting it.

We hope this post helps you understand how to use Field Updates through the Zoho CRM Actions API - Field Update API.


Try it out, and let us know your experience in the comments section or reach out to us at support@zohocrm.com.
Stay tuned for more insights in our upcoming Kaizen posts!

Cheers!




    • Sticky Posts

    • Kaizen #226: Using ZRC in Client Script

      Hello everyone! Welcome to another week of Kaizen. In today's post, lets see what is ZRC (Zoho Request Client) and how we can use ZRC methods in Client Script to get inputs from a Salesperson and update the Lead status with a single button click. In this

    • Kaizen #222 - Client Script Support for Notes Related List

      Hello everyone! Welcome to another week of Kaizen. The final Kaizen post of the year 2025 is here! With the new Client Script support for the Notes Related List, you can validate, enrich, and manage notes across modules. In this post, we’ll explore how

    • 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 are

    • Kaizen #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 achieved

      • Recent Topics

      • Zoho Developer Community Hackathon 2025 is LIVE!

        Hey developers! It’s that time of the year again — the Zoho Developer Community Hackathon 2025 is officially open for registrations! If you’ve been waiting for a chance to stretch your skills, try something new, or finally bring that idea to life, this

      • Converted Leads Not Showing in Lead Reports

        Converted leads are not showing in the Lead reports. How can I make converted leads visible in the report,

      • Text widgets in dashboards

        Having a text widget in a dashboard would help immensely. It would allow adding links to related documents, relevant CRM views, etc. It would allow adding explanations of the data displayed in the other widgets, about how to interpret them or about filtering.

      • [Webinar] Zoho Writer for content creators and publishing houses

        Managing multiple drafts, edits, and client reviews doesn't have to slow you down. Join our upcoming webinar to see how Zoho Writer helps content creators and publishing houses create, edit, and publish seamlessly—all in one place. You'll learn how to:

      • Adding Reports to Portals

        Is there a way to add Reports to portals so only the user can see report templates relevant to them?

      • How to assign one Manual to multiple Spaces?

        Hello, I have two spaces, one called tech knowledge and the other one called HR knowledge. I have a manual that is called HR tech. I want to assign this manual to HR knowledge and tech knowledge. How should I do that?

      • Introducing VeriFactu Support in Zoho Books

        Hello users, Spain has introduced the VeriFactu system under Real Decreto 1007/2023 to ensure integrity, traceability, and anti-fraud compliance in e-invoicing. Starting January 1, 2026, all B2B invoices must be reported to Agencia Estatal de Administración

      • How can I assign courses to Spaces?

        How can I make courses show up here in this space?:

      • When will Zoho Learn be able to support SCORM files on the mobile app?

        When I click the SCORM content, I just get a message saying it's not possible yet. Yet implies that it will be coming soon. All I'm asking for is a realistic timeline so I know whether or not to invest my time in using it. If it will be soon, then I will

      • Announcing new features in Trident for Windows (v.1.35.6.0)

        Hello Community! Trident for Windows just got better with an update that makes working with your emails even more efficient. Let’s dive into what’s new! Work with PST files more efficiently. You can now do more than just view mounted PST files. You can

      • Marketing Tip #9: Track your traffic sources

        Not all marketing channels work equally well. Knowing whether your visitors come from Google, Instagram, or email helps you focus on what actually drives sales. Try this today: Check your Zoho Commerce reports or connect Zoho PageSense to see your top

      • Google Analytics import data inaccurate (as of October 11, 2025)

        We have Zoho Analytics connected to GA4 to import daily event data. This has been running without issue for a couple of years. However, a month ago we started noticing discrepancies. All data until October 10 lines up perfectly - October 11 onward is

      • Prevent accidental duplicate entry of Customer Ordersome

        Zoho Support has confirmed that Zoho currently does not have any method (using Deluge, flow or any other method) to alert a user when a sales order has been entered twice using the same customer reference number (i.e. a duplicate). Most ERP platforms

      • Zoho Books | Product updates | November 2025

        Hello users, We’ve rolled out new features and enhancements in Zoho Books. From translating email notification templates to the new transaction locking restrictions, explore the updates designed to enhance your bookkeeping experience. Making Tax Digital

      • Insert Image into Notebook page

        Prior to today, I could add images to my notebook pages. Today when I tried to do this I got an error message that said something like, "There's been a problem on our end. Try again later." So, I've tried all the ways I know how, but I can't insert an

      • 【開催報告】名古屋 ユーザー交流会 Vol.2 2025/11/21 Zoho Analytics / Inventory で実現する在庫の"未来予測"

        ユーザーの皆さま、こんにちは。コミュニティチームの中野です。 11/21(金)に名古屋 ユーザー交流会 を開催しました。 本投稿では、当日実施したセッションの様子及び投影資料をお届けします。 会場にて参加できなかった皆さまも、ぜひご参照ください。 （Zoho 社員セッションの登壇資料については、11/28(金)開催の東京回の開催報告で共有いたします） 今年2回目の開催となる名古屋 ユーザー交流会では、株式会社エンツナクリエイト 野末さんによる Zoho Analytics / Inventory

      • Is there a way to automatically add Secondary Contacts (CCs) when creating a new ticket for specific customers?

        Some of our customers want multiple contacts to receive all notifications from our support team. Is there a way to automatically add secondary contacts to a ticket when our support team opens a new ticket and associates it with an account? This would

      • Improved RingCentral Integration

        We’d like to request an enhancement to the current RingCentral integration with Zoho. RingCentral now automatically generates call transcripts and AI-based call summaries (AI Notes) for each call, which are extremely helpful for support and sales teams.

      • Edit Pinned Comments in Zoho Desk

        It's great that private comments can now be pinned to the top of the ticket but what would be extremely helpful would be to allow for the pinned comment to be edited vs. having to find the comment in the ticket to edit it.

      • Updating Secondary Contact (CCs)

        We use Zoho Forms to capture the user request and integrated with Zoho Desk to raise tickets. Active Microsoft login is captured in our Zoho forms and registered as Primary contact in Zoho desk ticket. We also an have an option to raise ticket on behalf

      • blank page after login

        blank page after logging into my email account Thanks you

      • WriterTh

        After every space Writer goes to capital letters mode in my Android tablet. The cap mode stays till the second letter is typed in the word then it comes to normal mode.

      • Zoho writer unable to merge documents to PDF with basic fonts in Hebrew or fonts from my computer

        I created several forms that will be merged into PDF files through Zoho Writer and I am unable to receive the PDF in the basic fonts of the Hebrew language or in the fonts I have on my computer. The writer exports to PDF an exchange font that looks very

      • I have already created some Bots, Commands, and Widgets in Cliq, but I am still not seeing the “Create Extension” option in my account. Could you please help me enable or access this option?

      • Infinite loop of account verification

        Hi I can't do anything on my zoho account.  I always get this message Hi Sheriffo Ceesay As a security measure, you need to link your phone number with this account and verify it to proceed further. When ever I supply the details, it displays that the number is associated with another account. I don't have any other account on zoho so this is really annoying. 

      • How we cut CRM updates from ~20 minutes down to 2, our real workflow

        Updating the Zoho CRM after every call used to be one of the biggest time sucks for our team. By the time you write your notes, clean them up, fill in the fields, and log everything properly… you’ve easily lost 15–20 minutes per call. We started experimenting

      • Arattai App Features Update

        1. Offline Messaging & Sync Enable users to compose messages without internet and deliver them automatically via peer-to-peer methods (Bluetooth/WiFi Direct) when nearby users are available. This would be a game-changer for rural India with unreliable

      • How to add Product Add-Ons, Mandatory Forms, and Auto-Save Address in Zoho Commerce

        Hi all, I need help setting up several behaviors in Zoho Commerce. I can’t find the correct configuration options, so I want to confirm whether these are supported or if there is a workaround. 1. Product-Specific Add-Ons (Example: GWB Subscription) When

      • Zohomail

        Im trying to setup email address zoho

      • PROBLEMA

        Salve, non riesco a inviare email, e mi esce una tabela errore temporaneo. come posso risolvere il problema ?

      • Forever FREE Business Email with Zoho Mail

        Forever FREE Business Email with Zoho Mail: is it available?

      • Weekly Tips : Make collaboration effortless with Whiteboard in Zoho Mail

        Working with your team often means switching between emails, notes, and other applications just to explain an idea. Maybe you are trying to sketch a layout, plan a workflow, or quickly brainstorm ideas—with text alone, things can get confusing. So how

      • Formula field number of days between 2 dates

        Hi, I want to have a formula field which calculates the following: IF EndDate < TODAY and Oproep is true (this is a checkbox field) than EndDate - StartDate, otherwise TODAY - StartDate It should calculate the number of days How can I write this for

      • 'email address already exists'

        I deleted a user from my organization and want to use the same email address that user had, but the email address seems to still exist somewhere as I get 'email address already exists' when I try and create it. I have deleted the entire organization and

      • ZOHO reporting DKIM entries are not configured, when they have been configured and verified by 3rd parties

        Why is ZOHO reporting to my organisation users the following: "The DKIM entries in your domain's DNS records are not configured. Please contact your administrator for configuring DKIM to ensure optimal RSVP invite delivery." When I have configured the

      • Manage Bookings directly from Zoho Mail

        Greetings from the Zoho Bookings team! We’re introducing the new Zoho Bookings extension for Zoho Mail, designed to help you view appointments, copy time slots and share booking links without leaving your inbox. This integration brings scheduling right

      • My notes from the past 2 months have disappeared

        Hola, necesito ayuda urgente. Hoy, al iniciar sesión en mi Zoho Notebook como todos los días, me llevé una gran sorpresa al descubrir que todas mis notas de los últimos dos meses habían desaparecido. Estas notas son muy importantes para mí, ya que uso

      • How can I load a network into the cliq desktop app?

        I have both the standard cliq log in for my org and I am part of a cliq network. In the browser I can choose which I log in to. However, in teh desktop app if I log in it will alwasy load my org's cliq. Can I switch this to the network I have create

      • Ability to modify what displays in calendar invite?

        I am a long time calendly user and want to make the switch to bookings.  I understand that there is not currently a meets/hangouts integration, is one on the roadmap? Is there anyway I can modify the calendar invite to include the meet link?  I can add it to the emails no problem, but I would also like it to display on their calendar.  Is there some work around I can do to get it on the calendar?  Also am I able to modify the calendar event title?

      • Issue with Booking Confirmation Page Not Displaying, Leading to Customer Anxiety and Unnecessary Support Calls

        I am writing to express my growing concern regarding the confirmation process in Zoho Bookings, particularly the inconsistent display of the confirmation page after a successful payment. As a mobile service provider, I rely on Zoho Bookings platform for

      • Next Page