Leverage layout rules to customize workflow

Leverage layout rules to customize workflow

Layout rules in Zoho Sprints primarily aim to customize the field layout of your creation forms to meet complex requirements. But it doesn't stop there. Its customization can push the boundaries of how your fields behave, how data is gathered, how processes are branched out, and how workflow is channeled.

Based on conditions, you can tailor field behavior, direct the life cycle of an item, mandate specific actions, restrict the field options, or auto-assign users. The possibilities are aplenty.

We've tried to provide a few sample scenarios that help you automate your data collection and progress tracking flow. If you have any specific requirements, please state them in the comments, and we'll find out if layout rules can help you.

Use case 1: Restricting item statuses based on work item types

With layout rules, each item type can have its own workflow. This means it can have its own unique set of statuses that align with its specific lifecycle.

Let's assume you have three item types: Bug, Story, and Task.
Each type follows its own lifecycle, represented by the following statuses.
  • Bug goes through the To Do, In Progress, Bug Fixing, Bug Testing, and Done statuses.
  • Story has To Do, Ideation, In Progress, Development, Review, and Done.
  • And Task moves through a simple To Do, In Progress, and Done.
To align with these flows, certain statuses should not be available to specific item types. For instance, a story or a task should not be moved to the Bug Fixing status. Similarly, a bug or a task should not be moved to the Development status.

To enforce this, we can create layout rules that control which statuses are available based on the item type.

So, we'll create three conditions with each item type as the primary field.
  • If the item type is Bug, specify the condition with the trigger action to restrict the status pick list to To Do, In Progress, Bug Fixing, Bug Testing, and Done.
  • If the item type is Story, specify the condition with the trigger action to restrict the status pick list to To Do, Ideation, In Progress, Development, Review, and Done.
  • If the item type is Task, specify the condition with the trigger action to restrict the status pick list to To Do, In Progress, and Done.
Together, these conditions control the status progression for each item type. So, when you create a bug, it will only progress into the statuses that belong to the Bug lifecycle.


Use Case 2: Restricting future statuses based on the item's current status

When your team requires a pre-defined strict workflow where an item can be moved from a specific status to only a few statuses, layout rules can help implement this. For example, an item in the Bug Fixing status should only move to Bug Testing, and no other status. This way, each status controls the next status in the workflow.

To ensure this, create layout rules specifying conditions for each of the item status:
  • If the status is To do, specify the condition with the trigger action to restrict the status pick list to In progress and Rejected.
  • If the status is In progress, specify the condition with the trigger action to restrict the status pick list to In progress and Development.
  • If the status is Development, specify the condition with the trigger action to restrict the status pick list to Review Level 1.
  • If the status is Review Level 1, specify the condition with the trigger action to restrict the status pick list to Reopen and Review Level 2.
  • If the status is Reopen, specify the condition with the trigger action to restrict the status pick list to In progress.

Use case 3: Making a field mandatory based on item status or item type

Let's assume you want a field to be made mandatory only when the item is moved to one particular status. Which implies the field will remain non-mandatory during other statuses and will be mandatory only at that particular status. So, the progress to that status must be allowed only when the mandatory field is updated.

For instance, when an item is moved to the Done status, the Approver field must become mandatory to record completion approval. To ensure that this process is executed, you can create a layout rule where the primary field is the Status Name. If the status field is updated to Done, specify the condition with the trigger action to set the Approver field as mandatory.



Use case 4: Showing or hiding a section or field based on item types

Layout rules enable you to show or hide fields or sections based on item type conditions.

Let's say a section with fields related to a new feature should only be visible when the item type is New Feature.

Similarly, when the item type is Security Issue, the section with fields related to Security issue must be visible.

To achieve this, create a layout rule with Item Type as the primary field.
  • Create a condition for the New Feature item type with a trigger action to show the New Feature Details section.
  • Create a condition for the Security Issue item type with a trigger action to show the Security Issue Details section.

Use case 5: Selecting specific assignees for item types and priorities

Layout rules can help you assign users based on the item type and priority. Let's say your team has a group of developers with varied levels of experience and expertise. You want to assign the high priority items to a more experienced member like John, while assigning low priority items to a novice like Peter.

If the item type is Bug and the priority level is Critical, you can assign the bug to John. If the priority level is High, it goes to Peter.

To meet this requirement, you can create a layout rule with Item Type as the primary field.
  • Create a condition for the item type Bug with a subcondition where the priority level is Critical and the trigger action has the Set Field Value Assignee as John.
  • For the same condition, add a subcondition where the priority level is High and the trigger action has the Set Field Value Assignee as Peter.
Similarly, say you want the Task item type with a medium priority level to go to Helen, and a low priority level should go to James.
  • Create a condition for the item type Task with a subcondition where the priority level is Medium and the trigger action has the Set Field Value Assignee as Helen.
  • For the same condition, add a subcondition where the priority level is Low and the trigger action has the Set Field Value Assignee as James.


These are just a few examples of how layout rules can streamline your project management. Do you have any particular scenario that needs resolution? Please share it with us.

Thanks,
Zoho Sprints Team
    • Sticky Posts

    • Tip #28 - Plan less and deliver more using WIP limit in Zoho Sprints

      Hello, It's been a while since we met with a quick, interesting tip. As the saying goes, "Too much of anything is good for nothing", today the focus is on delivering your outcomes with the right amount of planning. Your plan should be practical, calculative, and achievable for driving a qualitative success.    Laura's plan   Laura has a habit of planning her project deliverables before assigning work to her team-mates. Once the plan is finalized, she schedules a general meeting with her team and
    • Tip # 3- Working on the Scrum board

      Continuing from our Tip #2 on leading to a sprint, let's see how to manage the work items on the Scrum board.  Once you start the sprint your work items are automatically displayed on the Scrum board where you will actually manage the work items. It is a snapshot of the backlog items identified for the current sprint.    The layout of the Scrum board Simply put, the scrum board is just like a physical board with sticky notes on which the work items of the active sprint are displayed.  The scrum board
    • Tip#2- Leading you to a Sprint

      Product Backlog After the user stories are written and finalized, they are sorted to create the Product Backlog for the project during the Backlog Grooming meeting. This is a master list of all the work items that have been identified for the project and sorted by priority. Requirements are not constant during this period.The Product Backlog is dynamic and is an ongoing process. Every user story in the Product Backlog is customer centric. The Product Backlog includes: User centric stories based on
    • Tip #1- Why swimlanes?

      Lanes define a clear path to reach your destination. In Agile, swimlane is one such concept that sets a simple and clear process of the work that you do.   The concept of swimlane can be related to the pool, where the swimmers gather in their respective lanes to start off. Similar to the pool, work items are grouped in different categories. Each category is referred as a lane and is displayed in horizontal format. Swimlanes are effective in categorizing the work items with respective to specific
      • Recent Topics

      • Rich-text fields in Zoho CRM

        Hello everyone, We're thrilled to announce an important enhancement that will significantly enhance the readability and formatting capabilities of your information: rich text options for multi-line fields. With this update, you can now enjoy a more versatile
      • Introducing the Reviews sub-module in Zoho Recruit

        Across every recruitment process, candidates are assessed by multiple stakeholders—recruiters, interviewers, hiring managers, and clients. These evaluations influence hiring decisions, yet they often exist in silos across assessments, emails, or interview
      • We need customizable sub-form layouts

        Currently, we can arrange sub-form fields only in a single row. The single row layout means salespeople must horizontally scroll to uncover information. As a result, salespeople cannot see all of the relevant information simultaneously.  The administrator
      • Fetch function not working for CRM Contacts

        I've created a flow that checks if a contact exists in CRM (based on form input), and if it does, then it updates one of the fields for the contact. In my test, the fetch function correctly identifies that a contact exists (based on email address), but
      • How to add a discount (percent %) field?

        My particular case it’s regarding the “Opportunities” module. I’ve created a subform to calculate the value of the opportunity, and now I’d like to include a discount field in the form of a percentage. However, no matter how or where I add the "percent"
      • Automate Pricebook per Customer

        Example Scenario: I want to create a customer package (Silver Package, Gold Package, Platinum Package) and associated it with a Price Book that contains discounted prices for certain products. When a customer assigned to this Silver Package places an
      • Automate pricebook per customer

        Example Scenario: I want to create a customer package (Silver Package, Gold Package, Platinum Package) and associated it with a Price Book that contains discounted prices for certain products. When a customer assigned to this Silver Package places an
      • Automate pricebook per customer

        Example Scenario: I want to create a customer package (Silver Package, Gold Package, Platinum Package) and associated it with a Price Book that contains discounted prices for certain products. When a customer assigned to this Silver Package places an
      • Client Side Scripts for Meetings Module

        Will zoho please add client side scripting support to the meetings module? Our workflow requires most meeting details have a specific format to work with other software we have. So we rely on a custom function to auto fill certain things. We currently
      • Document Tracking

        Hi all Zoho crmplus user here. I am migrating from hubspot and in Hubspot when my sales team email a document they can see when the client has opened the document and how many minutes they sepend on it. This persists for additional openings and readings
      • Apply partial payments to invoices from the Banking Module

        We need this! Why is this not possible?
      • Setting admin only field values in widget

        Hello If I'm using a Widget addRecord function invoked by a user input (the user has write permission not developer) can he set values to a field that is set to be visible to Admin only?
      • Forecast UI improvements

        Hi I have two improvement requests for the UI in the Forecast function. Can you add the ability to reorganise the Pipeline, Committed and Best Case columns on the Forecast? I thought they were in alphabetical order, so we renamed them so that we could
      • Missing services/ features / buttons

        Hello, 1. I can't locate the DKIM information in ZoHo CRM that I need to add as txt strings to our DNS in GoDaddy. 2. In other activities I cannot locate the 'Help' button for context senstivie help 3. I wish to merge two records into a single record
      • Global Sets for Multi-Select pick lists

        When is this feature coming to Zoho CRM? It would be very useful now we have got used to having it for the normal pick lists.
      • [Free Webinar] Building Data Relationships Using Lookup Fields - Creator Tech Connect

        Hello Everyone! We welcome you all to the upcoming free webinar on the Creator Tech Connect Series. The Creator Tech Connect series is a free monthly webinar that runs for around 45 minutes. It comprises technical sessions in which we delve deep into
      • Staff Tracking in

        Hi , I would like to see what activity my staff does over Zoho CRM and over Zoho Mail . I need to know which deals in CRM haven't been touched or had an activity on by a particular staff member . Basically need to establish what work.gets done by WFH
      • Is there a way to force a page refresh after changing a Subform via Workflow / Function?

        I have a workflow which triggers a function, and in this function i am changing the values of a certain subform. The changed are only visibile when i manually refresh the page and this is a no-no for my use-case. When other workflows, that change certain
      • How to validate Rich Text in Zoho Creator! Urgent!

        Hi members, Recently I just started to use Rich Text field. Now I have a requirement where I need to validate to ensure this Rich Text field must contain a value. Meaning must contain something. I use the below script if(input.Rich_Text == null) { alert
      • Allow non admins to create folders

        I want to allow users in my company to create their own reporting based upon selected Datasources, however they currently can't create folders to save their work in. This can only be done by admins, which seems excessive. Is this possible ?
      • Episode I : Exploring the World of Custom Functions in Zoho Desk

        Hello Again! Welcome to an Automation Adventure in the World of Zoho Desk Join us on a journey to explore how custom functions can enhance and extend the capabilities of Zoho Desk. Automation is everywhere. From robotic arms assembling products on factory
      • Add picklist in subform lookup

        Hello, I am trying to rewrite a script that works on a from as parent form, to the same form when is is a subform. Here is what I did in the form itself : RefCat = Offre_de_produits.distinct(Categorie_OFFRE); clear Categorie_LIGNE; for each Record in
      • Free Webinar - Overview of Zoho Sign and latest updates- May 2025

        Hello there! What's the digital alternative to endless paperwork? Zoho Sign. Designed for digital-first businesses, Zoho Sign is a complete digital signature solution with powerful features and seamless integrations that streamline your entire workflow.
      • Multiple Forecast configurations

        Hi all Is it possible to have multiple Forecast Configurations? That is, not just multiple forecasts, but rather different forecasts assigned to different configurations? The use case here is that we currently have the Forecast module configured for Revenue
      • Discussions from Ask The Experts 19: Inside Zoho Desk Spring Release 2025 : Zia in Focus

        Hello everyone, We had insightful discussions in both the sessions of Ask the Experts(ATE) 19, diving deep into engaging conversations around Zia and the spring release. Your enthusiastic participation and thought-provoking questions brought the sessions
      • Basic campaign set-up

        I have been trying hard to get Zoho CRM and Zoho Mail connected, but somewhere I seem to have wires loose in my brain. I'm not winning. Could anyone just show me (1) how to set up a scheduled email campaign (test to only six internal staff), (2) how to
      • Add template Categories Qoutes sendmale

        Is there other way to add other template categories in sendmail qoute?
      • What’s New in Zoho Inventory | April 2025

        Hello users, April has been a big month in Zoho Inventory! We’ve rolled out powerful new features to help you streamline production, optimise stock management, and tailor your workflows. While several updates bring helpful enhancements, three major additions
      • Remote Control Functionality During Screen Sharing in Zoho Cliq

        Hello Zoho Cliq Team, We would like to request the addition of remote control functionality during screen sharing sessions in Zoho Cliq. Currently, while screen sharing in Cliq is very useful, it lacks the ability for another participant to take control
      • Report categories not appearing in pie chart

        I have created a simple report to display all of the accounts in our CRM in a certain region, broken down by their 'account type' field. I have displayed this data as a donut chart Highlighted in red in the top left, you can see there are a total of 968
      • Asking for the implementation roadmap or step-by-step guide

        Hello everyone, I'm a freelancer who's been hired to implement Zoho CRM for a client, and I want to make sure I approach this correctly. Could someone kindly share a comprehensive implementation roadmap or step-by-step guide that covers all the essential
      • Recurring Events Not Appearing in "My Events" and therefore not syncing with Google Apps

        We use the Google Sync functionality for our events, and it appears to have been working fine except: I've created a set of recurring events that I noticed were missing from my Google Apps calendar. Upon further research, it appears this is occurring
      • Custom Function to Format Phone / Mobile numbers in Australian Standard format

        So I got sick of phone numbers being formatted incorrectly and Zoho not doing anything to standardise phone numbers to meet E.164 formats. So I went and coded my own function to fix this. And figured I'd share with the community This is specifically for
      • Sort By Date - Deluge

        I have the following code, which normally works to sort calls by created time. Every once in a while, it doesn't work and something sneaks through in the wrong order and I can't figure out why. calls = zoho.crm.searchRecords("Calls","(Owner:equals:" +
      • Automatic needs analysis for the Deals module

        Good day, I need to get the following functionality in the Deals module: 1. add a Analysis of Customer Needs (ACN) to each transaction 2. the ACN must have a unique number, preferably automatic 3. the ACN must link to the Deal 4. the ACN is completed
      • Color of Text Box Changes

        Sometimes I find the color of text boxes changed to a different color. This seems to happen when I reopen the same slide deck later. In the image that I am attaching, you see that the colors of the whole "virus," the "irology" part of "virology," and
      • Community Digest Noviembre 2024 - Todas las novedades en Español Zoho Community

        ¡Hola, Español Zoho Community! Wow, ya termina el año, ¡gracias a vuestra participación se nos ha pasado volando! Por eso mismo estamos preparando sorpresas para todos los que participáis en la Español Zoho Community para el próximo año, ¡estad atentos
      • Odd differential in Accounting and Physical Stock

        Hi there, Around six months ago we noticed that there was an error in one of our product's stock values. Despite seemingly having no outwards requests unfufilled for this item (I.E, no stock committed any longer at the moment), Accounting Stock is -1
      • Footer in PDF template doesn't stay at the bottom of the page

        When setting up a PDF template there is an option for a header / footer. The header stays at the top of the page however the footer does not. It appears the footer actually serves no purpose as it seems to rise up to underneath the header (see image). Is there a way to lock the footer to the bottom of the page? Otherwise what is the point of it? Image demonstrating what I mean. https://ibb.co/cJY1xZ4
      • Integración Books para cumplir la ley Crea y Crece y Ley Antifraude (VeriFactu)

        Hola: En principio, en julio de 2025, entra en vigor la ley Crea y Crece y Ley Antifraude (VeriFactu). ¿Sabéis si Zoho va a cumplir con la ley para cumplir con la facturación electrónica conectada a Hacienda? Gracias
      • Next Page