Proposal: Actionable API Error Messages to Reduce Support Ticket Volume

Proposal: Actionable API Error Messages to Reduce Support Ticket Volume

I've encountered a long-standing frustration with how Zoho Creator's API communicates errors to developers, and I'm hoping the Zoho team can address this in a future update. This issue has persisted for over 9 years based on community discussions, and despite multiple forum posts, developers are still left guessing what went wrong.

The Issue
When API calls fail, Zoho Creator returns error responses that are often cryptic and lack actionable context. Consider this actual error response: 
{
    "code": 2945,
    "description": "LESS_THAN_MIN_OCCURANCE"
}
This tells the developer almost nothing:
  • Which parameter is missing or invalid?
  • What is the "minimum occurrence" that wasn't met?
  • What value was expected vs. what was received?
  • Is this an authentication issue, a payload issue, or something else entirely?
The Problem: Error Code 2945 Means Everything (and Nothing)
A review of the official Status Codes documentation reveals that error code 2945 is a catch-all that can mean completely different things:
HTTP Status Code Description Actual Meaning
404 NOT FOUND 2945 ERROR Invalid OAuth scope
403 FORBIDDEN 2945 <method> is not valid Wrong HTTP method for endpoint
401 AUTH ERROR 2945 Invalid input for '%s' key Parameter value not allowed
400 BAD REQUEST 2945 LESS_THAN_MIN_OCCURANCE Required parameter missing?
400 BAD REQUEST 2945 EXTRA_KEY_FOUND_IN_JSON Unexpected key in payload
400 BAD REQUEST 2945 INVALID_TICKET Authentication token issue
400 BAD REQUEST 2945 PATTERN_NOT_MATCHED Value format validation failed
The same error code (2945) can indicate: authentication failures, missing parameters, extra parameters, wrong HTTP methods, invalid OAuth scopes, or format validation errors. This makes debugging incredibly difficult.
Cross-Product Asymmetry: Zoho Analytics Does This Better
Here's where it gets frustrating: Zoho Analytics already provides better error context for the exact same error type. Compare the responses:
Zoho Creator Response Zoho Analytics Response 
{
  "code": 2945,
  "description": "LESS_THAN_MIN_OCCURANCE"
}
❌ Missing:
  • Which parameter?
  • What was expected?
  • How to fix it?
 
{
  "status": "failure",
  "summary": "LESS_THAN_MIN_OCCURANCE",
  "data": {
    "errorCode": 8504,
    "errorMessage": "The parameter CONFIG 
    is not proper (Has not been sent or 
    is less than required count)"
  }
}
✓ Includes:
  • Parameter name (CONFIG)
  • Specific error code (8504)
  • Actionable message
This isn't a feature request—it's a request for product parity. The infrastructure to provide meaningful error context clearly exists within Zoho's ecosystem. Zoho Creator should match what Zoho Analytics already delivers.
The "Email Support" Pattern Defeats Forum Purpose
Adding to this frustration is the recurring pattern in community forums where the standard response to API errors is "Please email support@zohocreator.com with your request details."
As another community member aptly noted:
"Why have community forums if people are directed to email support? The purpose of a public forum is to resolve the issue once, then share for all future people who encounter that issue."
While I appreciate the recent response acknowledging that "sharing API request details publicly carries security risks"—this is valid for account-specific debugging—the underlying problem is that error messages are cryptic in the first place.
If the API returned actionable error messages, developers wouldn't need to contact support for basic troubleshooting. The forum would then serve its true purpose: documenting solutions for common issues.
What Developers Need
Every API error response should answer three questions:
# Question Current Response What's Needed
1 What went wrong? LESS_THAN_MIN_OCCURANCE "Required parameter missing"
2 Where is the problem? (not provided) "Parameter: CONFIG"
3 How do I fix it? (not provided) "Include CONFIG in request body"
What Should Happen Instead
Proposed Solution 1: Enhanced Error Response Structure
Adopt the richer error format already used by Zoho Analytics:
{
    "status": "failure",
    "summary": "LESS_THAN_MIN_OCCURANCE",
    "data": {
        "errorCode": 2945,
        "errorMessage": "The parameter 'fieldName' is required but was not provided",
        "field": "fieldName",
        "expectedType": "string",
        "documentation": "https://www.zoho.com/creator/help/api/v2.1/add-records.html"
    }
}
Proposed Solution 2: Unique Error Codes
Stop reusing error code 2945 for unrelated issues. Each distinct error condition should have its own code:
2945 → Invalid OAuth scope
2946 → Required parameter missing
2947 → Unexpected key in JSON payload
2948 → Invalid HTTP method
2949 → Pattern validation failed
Proposed Solution 3: Fix the Typo
While we're at it: LESS_THAN_MIN_OCCURANCE should be LESS_THAN_MIN_OCCURRENCE. This typo has persisted for nearly a decade and appears across multiple Zoho products. Small details matter in professional APIs.
Real-World Impact
This limitation affects any developer:
  • Building integrations — Debugging API failures becomes a guessing game
  • Using Deluge's invokeUrl — External API calls return cryptic errors to handle
  • Working with webhooks — Silent failures are impossible to diagnose
  • Training new team members — Onboarding takes longer when errors don't explain themselves
  • Supporting production systems — Incident response is delayed while developers hunt for root causes

Developer Impact: What should be 5 minutes of debugging (read error, fix parameter) becomes hours of trial-and-error or waiting for support responses. This directly impacts delivery timelines and client satisfaction.

Request to Zoho Team

Can this be addressed in a future update?

The current implementation forces developers to choose between:

1. Trial and Error
Guess what the cryptic error means and iterate until something works 		2. Contact Support
Wait for email responses for issues that actionable error messages would resolve instantly

We shouldn't have to make this choice—especially when Zoho Analytics already demonstrates the solution.

Community Input Requested: Has anyone else struggled with debugging these cryptic error codes? What workarounds have you developed? I'd be interested to hear if others have found ways to get more meaningful error context.


      • Recent Topics

      • Automation#35 : Auto-Add Comments under the Owner's Name in Tickets via Macros

        Hello Everyone, This week's custom function provides simple steps to configure a Macro for adding comments to tickets with the name of the Comment owner. When managing tickets, you can use the Comment feature to communicate internally with your team and

      • Automation#36: Auto-create time-entry after performing the Blueprint transition

        Hello Everyone, This week’s edition focuses on configuring a custom function within Zoho Desk to streamline time tracking within the Blueprint. In this case, we create a custom field, and request the agent to enter the spending time within the single

      • Automation#33: Automate Splitting Names for Existing Contact Records

        An organized directory – who doesn't love one? Previously, we explored how to split contact names into First Name and Last Name for new contacts in Zoho Desk. But what about existing contacts already in your database? This week, we bring you a custom

      • import data from Apollo.ai into zoho crm via zoho flow

        I might be asking this question in the wrong forum. We use Apollo.ai to find potential new leads for our business, there are around 10000 leads that we have initially found. We have an Apollo.ai account but just to do searches, we dont use it as a crm.

      • Workqueue

        I really like the idea of the Workqueue generally - it will be really useful. What it seems to lack however, is the ability to customise it properly. I want to be able to show a custom view rather than just "My Leads" and "Leads Assigned in Last 3 hours".

      • Webform & spam

        Hi, We set up 2 webform on our website, fowarding the content to Zoho CRM. Since it has been opened up, we are getting lot of spam message (for now about 20 a day). To lower the amount of false new leads we added the captcha field and new enquieries are

      • Zoho CRM Web form page URL

        Hi there, I am getting quite a bit of spam through my Zoho CRM Web form and want to restrict the URLs it is submittable from. I can see that I can add Location URLs but I need to be able to just add a domain so can I enter mydomain.com/* to cover all

      • Receiving too many Spam Leads. Why?

        I am receiving so many junk leads from web forms created by zoho's platform. The junk queries are increasing day by day and are affecting our business. I am continuously following up with zoho team from the past one year but not getting any satisfactory

      • Mail Merge is not working properly as far as the AUTOMATE section is concerned

        Hi there, I created a Mail Merge template for the Deal module. I would like Deal owners to mail merge their Deal records, download the Mail Merge document as a Word doc and make a few changes before sending it to the customer. Thing is, neither the "Merge

      • Canvas Detail View Related List Sorting

        Hello, I am having an issue finding a way to sort a related list within a canvas detail view. I have sorted the related list on the page layout associated with the canvas view, but that does not transfer to the canvas view. What am I missing?

      • project name field issue- n8n

        Hey guys, I have a question. I want to create a new product using the workflow. The problem is with the product name field; I don't know how to fill it in. The workflow starts with retrieving information from the leads table, retrieving links to scrape

      • ME SALE ESTE ERROR: No fue posible enviar el mensaje;Motivo:554 5.1.8 Email Outgoing Blocked

        Ayuda!! Me sale este error al intentar enviar mensajes desde mi correo electronico de Zoho! Tampoco recibo correos pues cuando me envia rebotan. Ayuda, Me urge enviar unos correo importantes!! Quedo atenta MAGDA HERNANDEZ +5731120888408

      • Function #20: Custom calculation in item table of invoices

        When you create an invoice in Zoho Books, the 'Amount' of a line item is typically calculated as the product of the "Quantity" and the "Rate" of the item. For instance, if an item has a sales rate of $50 and a quantity of 5 is sold, then the amount would

      • Critical:- Eneble TDS filing for 26Q from the zoho book

        We currently extract TDS data from Zoho Books and manually input it into a separate TDS software to generate the FUV file and file returns. Previously, while using Tally, we benefited from an integrated feature that seamlessly recorded transactions and

      • How to track repeat customers?

        I own a food business and every order is entered into Zoho with: a unique Customer ID total order amount date of order With this information, I want to be able to see a list of my "best" customers. In other words, descending lists arranged according to:

      • How to hide or archive a blog post temporarily in Zoho commerce website builder?

        I would like to temporarily hide or archive a blog post in zoho commerce website builder so that it doesnt appear on my website till I enable it again. I tried to look for this option but could not find it.  It only allows me to permanently delete a blog

      • Zoho Books - Breaking A Working App

        We've been using Zoho for many years now. Across all apps, entering phone numbers in standard formats was enabled in all apps. These formats are: xxx.yyy.zzzz xxx-yyy-zzzz (xxx) yyy-zzzz and we were able also to add extension numbers in these formats:

      • Automate pushing Zoho CRM backups into Zoho WorkDrive

        Through our Zoho One subscription we have both Zoho CRM and Zoho WorkDrive. We have regular backups setup in Zoho CRM. Once the backup is created, we are notified. Since we want to keep these backups for more than 7 days, we manually download them. They

      • Build data protection into your support

        At Zoho, privacy is our principle. Every Zoho product is built with privacy as the foundation and the finishing touch, guiding every decision we make. Security, privacy, and compliance are woven into the software development lifecycle, starting from how

      • Conditional formatting: before/after "today" not available

        When setting conditional formatting, it only allows me to set a specific calendar date when choosing "Before" or "After" conditions. Typing "today" returns the error "Value must be of type date". Is there a workaround? Thanks for any help!

      • Display Client Name in Zoho Creator Client Portal Dashboard

        Hello Zoho Creator Team, We hope you are doing well. Zoho Creator recently introduced the option to set a client’s display name in the Client Portal settings, which is very helpful for providing a personalized portal experience. However, there is currently

      • Customizable UI components in pages | Theme builder

        Anyone know when these roadmap items are scheduled for release? They were originally scheduled for Q4 2025. https://www.zoho.com/creator/product-roadmap.html

      • Stop the Workarounds: We Need Native Multi-Step Forms

        After over 17 years of community requests, I'm hoping the Zoho team can finally address the lack of native multi-page form support in Zoho Creator. This has been one of the longest-standing feature requests in the community, with threads spanning nearly

      • Amazon.in FBA multiple warehouse integration with Zoho Inventory

        My organisation subscribed to Zoho One looking at the opportunity to integrate Amazon.in with Inventory. But during the configuration, we understood the integration has severe limitations when it involves multiple warehouses in the same Organisation.

      • Feature Request - Set Default Values for Meetings

        Hi Zoho CRM Team, It would be very useful if we could set default values for meeting parameters. For example, if you always wanted Reminder 1 Day before. Currently you need to remember to choose it for every meeting. Also being able to use merge tags

      • Issues with Actions By Zoho Flow

        Hi, I have a workflow that fires when a deal reaches a stage. This then sends out a contract for the client to sign. I have connected this up through Actions by Zoho Flow. Unfortunately this fails to send out. I have tracked it down to the date fields.

      • CRM x WorkDrive: We're rolling out the WorkDrive-powered file storage experience for existing users

        Release plan: Gradual rollout to customers without file storage add-ons, in this order: 1. Standalone CRM 2. CRM Plus and Zoho One DCs: All | Editions: All Available now for: - Standalone CRM accounts in Free and Standard editions without file storage

      • Windows Desktop App - request to add minimization/startup options

        Support Team, Can you submit the following request to your development team? Here is what would be optimal in my opinion from UX perspective: 1) In the "Application Menu", add a menu item to Exit the app, as well as an alt-key shortcut for these menus

      • Ability for admin to access or make changes in zoho form without asking for ownership

        Currently in zoho form only form owner can make the changes in the form and if someone else has to make changes then we have to transfer the ownership to them and even admin also cant access it . So i think admin must have the ability or option to access

      • Locked Out of Super Admin Account

        I'm locked out of my Super Admin account and the external e-mail is no longer associated with it. There seems to be a problem during set up, the system ought to ask to assign a new password instead of using Google accounts. Please help me get back access.

      • Issue with WhatsApp Template Approval and Marketing Message Limit in Zoho Bigin

        We are facing issues while creating and using WhatsApp message templates through Zoho Bigin, and we request your clarification and support regarding the same. 1. Utility Template Approval Issue Until December, we were able to create WhatsApp templates

      • Zoho CRM Calendar View

        Hello Zoho team, We need desperately a calendar view next to list, kandan and other views. I think it should be easy to implement as you already have the logic from Projects and also from Kanban View in CRM. In calendar view when we set it up - we choose

      • Camera

        I can sign on to a meeting and see the other participants, but my screen is dark. The instructions for Zoho "Camera Settings" say "click on lock icon in address bar," but I don't see that icon! Suggestions?

      • What is Workqueue and how to hide it?

        Hi， My CRM suddenly have this "Workqueue", may I ask how to set the permission of this tab?

      • Batch/lot # and Storage bin location

        Hi I want to ask for a feature on Zoho inventory I own a warehouse and I've gone through different management software solutions with no luck until I found Zoho, it has been a game changer for my business with up to the minute information, I'm extremely happy with it. It's almost perfect. And I say Almost because the only thing missing for me (and I'm sure I'm not alone) is the need of being able to identify the lot number of my inventory and where it is located in the warehouse. Due to the nature

      • Adding Sender Address with Basic Plan

        According to the knowledge base, I should be able to add Sender addresses with the Basic Plan. But whenever I try to add an email, it takes me to a search window and I cannot find any emails in the list. Even mine, which is the admin. email.

      • Conditional Field Visibility in Bigin CRM

        I would like to request support for conditional field visibility within Bigin CRM. This feature should allow administrators to configure show/hide rules for fields based on predefined criteria (e.g., field values, picklist selections, stage changes,

      • Bill automation in Zoho Books

        Hi I am looking for 3rd-party options for bill automation in zoho which are economical and preferably have accurate scanning. What options do I have? Zoho's native scanning is a bit pricey

      • Reporting Tags

        We've been using reporting tags for years (before itemizing was available) and now we are finding reporting these tags are impossible to track. Reports have changed in the customization and our columns of reporting tags no longer show up. We do not use

      • Consumption based inventory

        I am currently using Zoho Books for my hospitality business, which includes lodging and restaurant services. We purchase many items in bulk for storage and consumption as needed. I'd like these items to be recorded as inventory when purchased and categorized

      • Next Page