Automation Series: Auto-create Dependent Task on Status Change

Automation Series: Auto-create Dependent Task on Status Change

In Zoho Projects, you can automatically create and assign a dependent task when a task’s status is updated. This helps teams stay aligned, ensures reviews happen on time, and reduces manual effort.

In this post, we’ll walk through an easy setup using a Custom Function scripted in Deluge.

Use-case

In a scenario where an auditor schedules a task that requires a compliance review, once the task status is updated from Scheduled, a Dependent task is automatically created and assigned to the Compliance team. All related attachments are carried forward, ensuring the auditors and reviewers have full overview and can proceed without manual coordination.

To configure this flow,

1. Navigate to the upper-right corner of the page and click  → Developer Space → Connections → Create Connection using the following scopes:
  1. ZohoProjects.portals.READ
  2. ZohoProjects.portals.ALL
  3. ZohoProjects.projects.READ
  4. ZohoProjects.tasks.CREATE
  5. ZohoProjects.tasks.UPDATE
  6. ZohoProjects.tasks.READ
  7. WorkDrive.workspace.ALL
  8. WorkDrive.files.ALL
  9. ZohoProjects.documents.READ
  10. ZohoProjects.documents.CREATE


2. Navigate to  → Developer Space → Custom Functions. Under the Task tab, create a new custom function and add the following Deluge script.
Notes
Ensure that the portal URL aligns with your data centre. If not, the function may not execute as expected. Also, make sure the specified team is associated with the project; otherwise, the task assignment will fail.
  1. // TODO : Replace Dependency Type here with "FS, SS, SF, FF"
  2. // scopes: ZohoProjects.portals.READ, ZohoProjects.portals.CREATE, ZohoProjects.projects.READ, ZohoProjects.tasks.CREATE, ZohoProjects.tasks.UPDATE, ZohoProjects.tasks.READ, WorkDrive.workspace.ALL, WorkDrive.files.ALL, ZohoProjects.documents.READ, ZohoProjects.documents.CREATE.
  3. // get team id
  4. endPoint = "https://projects.zoho.in/restapi/portal/";
  5. endPointV3 = "https://projects.zoho.in/api/v3/portal/";
  6. getTaskStatusTimeline = invokeurl
  7. [
  8. url :endPointV3 + portalId + "/projects/" + projectId + "/tasks/" + taskId + "/status-timeline"
  9. type :GET
  10. connection:"connectionprojects"
  11. ];
  12. size = getTaskStatusTimeline.size() - 1;
  13. oldStatusName = getTaskStatusTimeline.get(size).get("previous_status").get("name");
  14. if(oldStatusName.containsIgnoreCase("Scheduled"))
  15. {
  16. teamName = "Compliance Team";
  17. userGroupsResponse = invokeurl
  18. [
  19. url :endPoint + portalId + "/projects/" + projectId + "/usergroups/"
  20. type :GET
  21. connection:"connectionprojects"
  22. ];
  23. teams = userGroupsResponse.get("userGroups");
  24. for each team in teams
  25. {
  26. if(team.get("groupObj").get("group_name").containsIgnoreCase(teamName))
  27. {
  28. teamId = team.get("groupObj").get("group_id");
  29. }
  30. }
  31. teamIds = List();
  32. teamIds.add(teamId);
  33. dependencyType = "FS";
  34. //Create Tasks parameters
  35. values_map = Map();
  36. values_map.put("name","Compliance Audit Verification");
  37. values_map.put("description"," Review task created for the Security and Compliance team to validate requirements, assess risks, and confirm adherence to defined standards. Attachments from the originating task are included for reference.");
  38. values_map.put("associated_teams",teamIds);
  39. //Invoke Create Task
  40. createTaskResponse = zoho.projects.create(portalId,projectId,"tasks",values_map,"connectionprojects");
  41. // Get TaskId From Task response
  42. if(createTaskResponse != null && createTaskResponse.get("tasks") != null)
  43. {
  44. taskInfo = createTaskResponse.get("tasks").get(0);
  45. newTaskId = taskInfo.get("id_string");
  46. // copy attachments to new task
  47. getAttachmentsResponse = invokeurl
  48. [
  49. url :endPointV3 + portalId + "/projects/" + projectId + "/attachments?entity_type=task&entity_id=" + taskId
  50. type :GET
  51. connection:"connectionprojects"
  52. ];
  53. if(getAttachmentsResponse.get("attachment").size() > 0)
  54. {
  55. taskAttachments = getAttachmentsResponse.get("attachment");
  56. for each attachment in taskAttachments
  57. {
  58. associateParam = Map();
  59. associateParam.put("entity_type","task");
  60. associateParam.put("entity_id",newTaskId);
  61. associateToTaskComment = invokeurl
  62. [
  63. url :endPointV3 + portalId + "/projects/" + projectId + "/attachments/" + attachment.get("attachment_id")
  64. type :POST
  65. parameters:associateParam
  66. connection:"connectionprojects"
  67. ];
  68. }
  69. }
  70. //Add Dependancy Between Tasks Parameter
  71. dependencyParam = Map();
  72. dependencyParam.put("taskid",newTaskId);
  73. dependencyParam.put("predids",taskId);
  74. dependencyParam.put("projId",projectId);
  75. dependencyParam.put("toupdate","dependencyset");
  76. dependencyParam.put("childprojId",projectId);
  77. dependencyParam.put("dependencytype",dependencyType);
  78. // invoke task dependency Api
  79. dependency = invokeurl
  80. [
  81. url :endPoint + portalId + "/projects/" + projectId + "/taskdependency/"
  82. type :POST
  83. parameters:dependencyParam
  84. connection:"connectionprojects"
  85. ];
  86. info dependency;
  87. info "-------------------------------------";
  88. }
  89. }
  90. return "success";
Info
Customise the task name and description in lines 36 and 37 as needed, then save the function.

Replace "connectionprojects" with your Zoho Projects connection name in lines 10, 21, 51, and 84 of the deluge.

3. Add the below arguments during configuration.



After mapping the arguments, save the function and enter the Task ID when prompted. This custom function will execute automatically whenever an issue status changes from Scheduled, creating the dependent task as defined in the workflow rule.

4. After saving the custom function, Navigate to  → Automation → Workflow Rules → Projects Tab → New Workflow Rule with the below settings.

5. Configure the workflow to trigger Based on User Action when a task is Updated, and associate the custom function to execute automatically on the status change.



With this automation in place, tasks are triggered automatically, dependencies are assigned, and supporting attachments are transferred ensuring hand-offs without manual effort.

If you have any questions, feel free to drop a comment below or reach out to us at support@zohoprojects.com.


      • Sticky Posts

      • CodeX Scripts for Enforcing Custom Project Logic

        Every organization has a defined way of executing projects. There are clear expectations around how tasks should move, when projects should progress, and which actions require validation. When these rules are consistently followed, projects remain structured

      • Automation Series: Auto-create Dependent Task on Status Change

        In Zoho Projects, you can automatically create and assign a dependent task when a task’s status is updated. This helps teams stay aligned, ensures reviews happen on time, and reduces manual effort. In this post, we’ll walk through an easy setup using

      • Time Log Reminder

        Tracking the time spent on tasks and issues is one of the most important functions of a timesheet. However, users may forget to update the time logs because they have their own goals to achieve. But, time logs must be updated at regular intervals to keep

      • Introducing the Zoho Projects Learning Space

        Every product has its learning curve, and sometimes having a guided path makes the learning experience smoother. With that goal, we introduce a dedicated learning space for Zoho Projects, a platform where you can explore lessons, learn at your own pace,

      • Update on V2 API End-of-Life Timeline

        Dear Users, Earlier this year, we shared the launch of the V3 APIs and requested users to migrate from the older V2 APIs by December 2025. We have received valuable feedback from our users and partners regarding their migration timelines. We are happy

        • Recent Topics

        • Where is the scheduled report in New UI?

          Hi Team, Seems there is not such a field in New UI, hence I have to switch to old UI to handle request..

        • Building a Simple Raspberry Pi + Keypad IoT PoC with Zoho Flow

          I want to share a simple IoT PoC I recently built that connects a Raspberry Pi to Zoho Flow and Zoho Creator. The goal was to send PIN input data from a hardware keypad to Zoho and trigger a servo and buzzer for visual/audible feedback. This can serve

        • Enable integration of CRM CPQ functionality for ZohoOne customers using Zoho Finance application

          Hi there. I can't believe I'm needing to launch this idea as I would have thought this was a little obvious. Following a number of conversations with the technical team it's become evident that the CPQ functionality within CRM cannot integrate with Zoho

        • What's New in Zoho Billing | January 2026

          Excited about the latest enhancements in Zoho Billing? Our January updates bring an intelligent AI assistant, smarter subscription management, and improved tax compliance, saving you time and reducing manual work. Dive into the details below to see how

        • Darshan Hiranandani : How many participants can join a Zoho Meeting at once?

          Hi everyone, I'm Darshan Hiranandani, trying to find out the maximum number of participants that can join a Zoho Meeting at once. Has anyone here used Zoho Meeting for larger groups and can share their experience or knowledge about the participant limit?

        • Is there a way to sell in a practical method multiple subscriptions of the same product? i.e. domain names

          In evaluating Zoho Billing, a hurdle to adopting it is that Zoho Billing does not seem designed to support businesses that sell multiple subscriptions of the same product. In our case, we need to sell and manage several domain names per client. Am I right

        • Zoho Writer Frequently not loading

          I've reported this as a problem already but I can't log into my email right now or get onto the main site so you're going to hear about it again here: at least once a week, Zoho Writer will just refuse to load entirely. The main page will load and load

        • Update P_Leave: code: 7052 "Employee_ID": "Enter Employee ID"

          Hi, Zoho People - Update Leaves Can someone assist? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ col = Collection(); col.insert("recordid":id); col.insert("Date_Check_Approval":zoho.currentdate); info zoho.people.update("P_Leave",col.toMap());

        • Zoho Desk Ticket SLA Level

          Hello, we have 2 levels of SLA escalation for our Tickets. Is there a way to display on the ticket information the level of SLA escalation the ticket currently on? I am aware that we can see in the ticket history the level of escalation that has been

        • Can't change form's original name in URL

          Hi all, I have been duplicating + editing forms for jobs regarding the same department to maintain formatting + styling. The issue I've not run into is because I've duplicated it from an existing form, the URL doesn't seem to want to update with the new

        • Can't rename groups on Mac desktop app

          I'm working on an up-to-date Mac with a freshly downloaded Notebook app. I'm trying to rename a group within a notebook. Here I have, left to right, a note, a group, and a note. I select the group. On the top left, I select Action. On the dropdown, "Rename"

        • Custom CSS for Zoho CRM Team Bookings embeded widget

          Hello, we are adding Zoho CRM Team Bookings (crm.zoho.com) in our public website. We know that we can change Theme Color, Font Color and Background Color: Zoho CRM Booking Styling But is it possible to change other CSS attributes e.g. Font Family, like

        • Strange behavior in CRM Number Field – Characters allowed but not "e"?

          Hi everyone, Has anyone faced this strange issue in Zoho CRM? In a Number field, it is possible to type some characters, but the character "e" cannot be entered. This was really surprising to me. Normally, a number field should restrict all characters

        • Best Way to Manage Approvals Within Blueprint Stages?

          Hi, I am working on a requirement involving Blueprint and approval logic in Zoho CRM and would appreciate some guidance. I understand that approval processes do not trigger when a record is currently within a blueprint, which makes it challenging to implement

        • Marketing Tip #25: Grow your social presence with a simple posting routine

          Consistency is one of the biggest growth drivers on social media. Regular content keeps your store visible and helps customers remember you. Even 3–4 posts a week can build momentum over time. The easiest way to stay consistent is to stop trying to create

        • How to add "All Open AND Overdue" back to the Home Page Task Component?

          Hi everyone, I’m looking for a way to restore the Tasks component dropdown list on the Zoho CRM Home Page. Since the recent update to the Task area in my Home Page Classic View, the dropdown options (e.g., My Next 7 Days + Overdue) are too restrictive

        • Duplicate Leads Concerns with Round Robin and Lead Approval Process

          It is great to have the Duplicate Lead Approval Process,  there are a few issues with the process that I would greatly appreciate taken consideration in enhancing. It appears that A Lead comes in Lead owner assigned by the Round Robin Check for Duplicate, If the lead is a Duplicate the Lead owner gets an email of a duplicate needs approval email assign to the approval process      This causes problems, The duplicate approval process is done by a different level person, they do not get the email notification

        • Dashboard target enhancements

          Often individuals in IT are creating dashboards for their sales team. The ability to create a single dashboard that can be used by multiple people is key. A components for a dashboard have the ability to filter by logged in user which is great. However

        • How to update "Lead Status" to more than 100 records

          Hello Zoho CRM, How do I update "Lead Status" to more than 100 records at once? To give you a background, these leads were uploaded or Imported at once but the lead status record was incorrectly chosen. So since there was a way to quickly add records in the system no matter how many they are, we are also wondering if there is a quicker way to update these records to the correct "Lead Status". I hope our concern makes sense and that there will be a fix for it. All the best, Jonathan

        • Finding rhythm through poetry

          Poetry has long been a powerful form of expression, discovery, and reflection. For many, it is a way to pen down their thoughts and experiences. The "poetic license" allows writers to shape their words with rhythm and flow. This year, on World Poetry

        • Bring your own credentials (BYOC) for connections in Zoho Creator

          Hello everyone, We're excited to announce an important step forward in how integrations and authentications work in Zoho Creator. Zoho Creator is a versatile platform for integrations, enabling you to connect with thousands of third-party services using

        • CRM x WorkDrive: File storage for new CRM signups is now powered by WorkDrive

          Availability Editions: All DCs: All Release plan: Released for new signups in all DCs. It will be enabled for existing users in a phased manner in the upcoming months. Help documentation: Documents in Zoho CRM Manage folders in Documents tab Manage files

        • Project Management Bulletin: March, 2026

          We are passionate about equipping our users with efficient solutions that help them run their businesses successfully. Our collective efforts over the past 2 years have culminated in the launch of Sprints 3.0— built with reliable features, impactful integrations,

        • Composite items inside of composite items; bill of materials needed

          Hi Zoho and Everyone, I am evaluating whether Zoho Inventory will work for my small business. I grow and harvest herbs and spices but also get from wholesalers. I use all these items to make herbal teas, but also sell them as individual items on my Shopify store and Etsy. I discovered the composite item bundling and am wondering if I could get some assistance since there is no bill of materials: Our herbal company's best selling tea is a sleepytime tea. Sleepytime Tea can be purchased in three weights

        • Automation Series: Sync Task Status with Zoho Desk Tickets

          In Zoho Projects, you can automatically close and reopen an associated Zoho Desk ticket when the status of a task is changed. This syncs the current state of the task with the support ticket without manual updates. For instance, a support team handling

        • Auto-Generate Line Numbers in Item Table Using HTML & CSS Counters (Zoho Books & Zoho Inventory Custom Templates)

          <div> <style> /* Start counter from 0 inside tbody */ tbody#lineitem { counter-reset: rowNumber; } /* Increment counter for each row */ tbody#lineitem tr { counter-increment: rowNumber; } /* Show counter value in first column */ tbody#lineitem tr td:first-child::before

        • Does zoho inventory need Enterprise or Premium subsrciption to make Widgets.

          We have Zoho One Enterprise and yet we can't create widgets on inventory.

        • Introducing Radio Buttons and Numeric Range Sliders in Zoho CRM

          Release update: Currently out for CN, JP, AU and CA DCs (Free and standard editions). For other DCs, this will be released by mid-March. Hello everyone, We are pleased to share with you that Zoho CRM's Layout Editor now includes two new field formats—

        • New UI for Writer - Disappointed

          I've been enjoying Zoho Writer as a new user for about 6 months, and I really like it. One of my favorite things about it is the menu bar, which you can hide or leave out while still seeing most of your page because it is off to the left. I think this

        • Zoho CAMPAIGNS working hours

          Hi I use Campaigns Automation workflows to automate follow-ups to my Leads. I discovered this weekend that emails are being sent out on Sundays. How do I limit my Campaigns outgoing emails to business working hours? This is very important! Thanks, D

        • Depositing funds to account

          Hello, I have been using Quickbooks for many years but am considering moving to Zoho Books so I am currently running through various workflows and am working on the Invoicing aspect. In QB, the process is to create an invoice, receive payment and then

        • Create Receipt of a Donation (not a sale)

          We are a non-profit organization that receives general donations. How do I create a receipt of payment for the donor and categorize the payment as a Gift? I tried the method of creating an invoice; however that automatically created a "Sales" transaction

        • Function #2: Create a Deal in Zoho CRM when an Estimate is created in Zoho Books

          For those who use Zoho CRM integrated with Zoho Books, here's a nifty function that helps you optimize your sales process by adding a Deal in Zoho CRM whenever an estimate is created in Zoho Books. Custom Function: To create the custom function, go to

        • New Custom View -Sorting the Custom fields

          While creating a New Custom View in invoice , Customers, Bills ,expense etc , the sorting of custom fields are not available , a query function "order by / sort by  " may also be included in  Define new criteria module  which will be more beneficial to

        • Grouping Undeposited Funds to Move to other accounts

          In the bank option it would be nice to check what transactions in undeposited funds I want to move to other accounts. Then while checking this it can accumulate totals and created whats essentially a deposit slip. Once the transaction is moved it should

        • Sync your CRM Tasks with Zoho Projects

          Zoho Projects integration with Zoho CRM helps you manage your tasks more efficiently. You can create all project related activities right inside your CRM using this integration. Create new portal or associate an existing portal, add projects to the portal,

        • Zoho CRM strips whitespace in text fields

          When editing field text with multiple spaces: CRM - both UI and API trim / compress the whitespace to a single space when saving: Is this known / expected / documented behaviour?

        • WorkDrive API returning empty response even after placing file in Team Folder

          Hi everyone, I am trying to fetch a file from Zoho WorkDrive using a Deluge standalone function in Zoho People. The API call executes successfully using a configured connection, but the response is coming back empty. I have verified the following: The

        • Custom Button makes scroll bar go down in report

          I have a report with a Custom button called Completed. A colleague mentionned to me that when he pressed this custom button it scrolled down the page which is annoying since he want to stay at the same space on the repoort. There is no reload linked to

        • Quickbooks Integrations Stopped Working

          All of our Quickbooks integrations have stopped working. I am checking in to see if: a) this is a known issue b) if anyone else is having this issue. As usual, Zoho support is unavailable.

        • Next Page