Function #41: Sync Associated Subforms!

Function #41: Sync Associated Subforms!



Welcome back everyone!

The last custom function showed how to update a Contact with Product details from it's Related list in Deals. This week, let's look at a function that lets you update subform records in two modules simultaneously when one of them is updated.

Business scenario

Let's look at how subform helps in an education institution that has deployed Zoho CRM. National Public School, Austin (made up, of course!) has set up Zoho CRM and it follows the same relationship pattern of "Students", "Teachers", "Courses", "Timings"(assume that the said names are Modules in the CRM). Let's say there are 10 students, 3 teachers, 6 classes and 8 hours per day. All these are all interlinked.

Sales data is no different. They are often updated in different modules, such as "Contacts", "Deals", "Products", etc. Hence, it becomes necessary to have many-to-many record associations.Subforms in Zoho CRM helps enable association of multiple data records across modules.

The function for this week lets users sync two subforms in the Accounts module, such that if one subform is updated, the other one gets updated too. Let's say there are two branches for a particular organization. Instead of having the entire organization's info in a single Account record, it's smarter to create multiple Accounts for branches. Hence, you need to associate the Main branch with a sub-branch as well as the sub-branches themselves.

In this function, assume 2 Accounts records, A and B, have subforms each. Every time a row (Account B) is added to subform on account A, the function adds a new subform row (Account A) to the subform on Account B. In other words, when a new branch is opened, the records of the main branch and the other branches are updated. In addition, the information about the rest of the branches are updated in the subform under the new branch.

Getting started with the custom function

  1. Go to Setup > Automation > Actions > Functions > Configure Function > Write your own.
  2. Provide a name for the function. For example: "Auto-Subform updates". Add a description (optional).
  3. Copy the code given below.
  4. Click “Edit arguments”.
  5. Enter the name as “acctId” and select the value as “Account Id”.
  6. Click Save&Execute Script to check the code.
  7. Save the function.

The Code:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

acctDetails = zoho.crm.getRecordById("Accounts", input.acctId.toLong());
subformDetails = ifnull(acctDetails.get("Related_Accounts"),"");
count = 1;
sub_forms = List();
for each form in subformDetails
{
if ( count == 1)
{
formacctname = form.get("Related_Account").get("name");
formacctId = form.get("Related_Account").get("id");
info "formacctId:" +formacctId ;
formaccttype = ifnull(form.get("Related_Account_Type"),"");
formacctdesc = ifnull(form.get("Description"),"");
subform = Map();
subform.put("Related_Account",input.acctId);
sub_forms.add(subform);
}
count = count + 1;
}
formacctDetails = zoho.crm.getRecordById("Accounts", formacctId.toLong());
formsubformDetails = ifnull(formacctDetails.get("Related_Accounts"),"");
for each forms in formsubformDetails
{
info "formsId:" + forms.get("Related_Account").get("id");
subform1 = map();
subform1.put("Related_Account",forms.get("Related_Account").get("id"));
subform1.put("Related_Account_Type", ifnull(forms.get("Related_Account_Type"),""));
subform1.put("Description",ifnull(forms.get("Description"),""));
sub_forms.add(subform1);
}
parammap = Map();
parammap.put("Related_Accounts",sub_forms);
update = zoho.crm.update("Accounts",formacctId.toLong(),parammap);
info parammap;
info update;

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note:

  • The code given above works only for V2 version of Zoho APIs. Please note that the code WILL NOT work for Version 1.0 APIs.
  • Use the function in a Workflow Rule, to automate the process of update.

Found this useful? Try it out and let me know how it works! If you have questions, do not hesitate to ask! Share this with your team if you find it useful. Do check out other custom functions shared in this series here.

See you all next week with another interesting custom function. Ciao!




      • Sticky Posts

      • Function #41: Sync Associated Subforms!

        Welcome back everyone! The last custom function showed how to update a Contact with Product details from it's Related list in Deals. This week, let's look at a function that lets you update subform records in two modules simultaneously when one of them is updated. Business scenario Let's look at how subform helps in an education institution that has deployed Zoho CRM. National Public School, Austin (made up, of course!) has set up Zoho CRM and it follows the same relationship pattern of "Students",

        • Recent Topics

        • Standard Payment Term is not pulled from account to quotation

          Hey Team There seems to be something off. I do have "Net 30" as my default payment term in Zoho Books for my customers. If, from the customer overview or quote section, I create a new Quotation, the payment terms field stays blank and doesn't get the

        • Manage your invoices from Bigin's mobile app (iOS)

          Hello everyone! We're happy to announce that users can now integrate Zoho Books with the latest version of Bigin's iOS app. Zoho Books can be integrated with Bigin only via the web application. Users can view the Zoho Books tab in the detail pages of

        • Systematic SPF alignment issues with Zoho subdomains

          Analysis Period: August 19 - September 1, 2025 PROBLEM SUMMARY Multiple Zoho services are causing systematic SPF authentication failures in DMARC reports from major email providers (Google, Microsoft, Zoho). While emails are successfully delivered due

        • Accessibility controls and multilingual captcha authorization for Help Center users ​

          Hello everyone, As part of our ongoing effort to improve user experience, we are excited about the accessibility controls and predefined accessibility personas added in the Help Center, similar to what is already available in Zoho Desk. Help Center users

        • Zoho Sign + Zoho CRM : la solution pour simplifier vos accords de vente

          La conclusion d’un contrat de vente nécessite de nombreuses étapes : préparation de documents, validations successives et collecte des signatures. Les équipes commerciales passent souvent par plusieurs cycles de collaboration et de révision, tout en assurant

        • Item/service subtotal

          Just discovered & really pleased that we can drag to re-order the line items in Sales orders & Invoices, a very nice feature which doesn't seem to be documented? It would be nice to be able to insert a subtotal as a line item to complete this great feature

        • Send email template "permission denied to access the api"

          Hello, Per the title, I'm trying to send a Zoho CRM Email template based on the advice given here: https://help.zoho.com/portal/en/community/topic/specify-an-email-template-when-sending-emails-in-custom-functions (I'd prefer to send right from Deluge

        • how to Solve Conflict Invoices in Zoho POS

          Hello Team, I am facing a repeated issue in Zoho POS while saving a sale that contains service-based items. My products are intentionally created as Service (Non-Inventory) items because I do not want to track stock for them. However, every time I try

        • Copy, Paste, Highlighted text

          when i copy paste text it gets highlighted. Fix this.  WTF is with this black highlight ? Fix copy pasting. Some people pay for using this mail service. 

        • Pricing Strategies: #6 Common Mistakes while Configuring Pricing

          "Why does this month's billing feel messy again?" That was the exact line Priya muttered while staring at the spreadsheet full of edited pricing, one-off discounts and mismatched subscription details. Her business was growing, but the pricing machine

        • Publish to LinkedIn via API

          Hi, Is it possible to publish a job opening to LinkedIn (paid job slots) if creating a job opening via api / deluge function? Or is the user required to manually publish via the job boards process? Many Thanks Adrian

        • FSM - Associating and selecting Contacts based on Service Addresses

          Hi FSM team, I've come across an FSM limitation I wanted to share for improvement. I'm currently configuring FSM for a client who provides heating system install and maintenance services. The are often sub contracted by building management companies to

        • Do Unpublished Products in Shopify Sync to Zoho POS?

          Will an unpublished product in Shopify sync to Zoho POS? I would like to know how Zoho POS handles products that are in draft/unpublished status in Shopify.

        • Problem in Zoho POS frontend ERP.

          We are facing some difficulties in our billing and inventory processes and require your support to resolve them at the earliest. Customer Advance Payments We receive advance payments from customers for upcoming sales. Please guide us on how to record

        • How to create estimates/Invoices with sub-totals

          Every other accounting package can create estimates and invoices with Sub-totals. How can I do that in ZohoBooks?

        • Categorize Items with Item Headers

          Hello customers, Did you ever want to classify items based on specific categories to help your customers understand your invoice better? With the new Item Header feature, you can easily categorize items in your invoices and estimates and give them a common title.  Item Headers are available in the Invoices, the Recurring Invoices and the Estimates module. It can be carried forward from estimates to invoices at the time of converting the estimates.  To add an item header: Go to the Estimates, Invoices

        • Emails sent through Bigin are not posting in IMAP Sent folder

          I have set up my email to work from within Bigin using IMAP.  I am using IMAP so I can sync my email across multiple devices - phone / laptop / desktop / iPad / etc.  I want all my emails to populate my email client (outlook & iphone email) whether or

        • Discount on the transaction level in POS

          "Is it possible to apply a discount on the total bill before tax in Zoho POS?" I want to apply a discount on the total transaction amount in Zoho POS, but the discount should be calculated before the taxes are applied. Is there an option to do this in

        • Create Tasklist with Tasklist Template using API v3

          In the old API, we could mention the parameter 'task_template_id' when creating a tasklist via API to apply a tasklist template: https://www.zoho.com/projects/help/rest-api/tasklists-api.html#create-tasklist In API v3 there does not seem to be a way to

        • Send Automated WhatsApp Messages and Leverage the Improved WhatsApp Templates

          Greetings, I hope all of you are doing well. We're excited to announce a major upgrade to Bigin's WhatsApp integration that brings more flexibility, interactivity, and automation to your customer messaging. WhatsApp message automation You can now use

        • Jobs at multiple locations

          Hi A lot of times we have same job open at multiple locations. So I would like an option where we can create a job and choose multiple locations. Currently we have to create individual jobs for each location. If we can create one job and mention multiple

        • From Zoho CRM to Paper : Design & Print Data Directly using Canvas Print View

          Hello Everyone, We are excited to announce a new addition to your Canvas in Zoho CRM - Print View. Canvas print view helps you transform your custom CRM layouts into print-ready documents, so you can bring your digital data to the physical world with

        • Tag Adding Option in Kanban Card Customization Bigin CRM Mobile App

          I would like to request an option to add and display tags on Kanban cards in the Bigin CRM mobile app. This feature would make it easier to categorize deals and quickly identify priorities while working on the go.

        • Empowered Custom Views: Cross-Module Criteria Now Supported in Zoho CRM

          Hello everyone, We’re excited to introduce cross-module criteria support in custom views! Custom views provide personalized perspectives on your data and that you can save for future use. You can share these views with all users or specific individuals

        • Associating a Candidate to a Job Listing

          Hello, I am trying to use Zoho Forms embedded on my website for candidates to apply for a job opening. I want the form then to tie directly with zoho recruit and have the candidate be automatically inputed into Recruit as well as associated with the specific

        • Associating a Candidate to a Job Listing

          Hello, I am trying to use Zoho Forms embedded on my website for candidates to apply for a job opening. I want the form then to tie directly with zoho recruit and have the candidate be automatically inputed into Recruit as well as associated with the specific

        • WhatsApp Voice Message Sending Option in Bigin CRM

          I would like to request a feature that allows users to send WhatsApp voice messages directly from Bigin CRM. This would help improve communication efficiency and make it easier for teams to respond quickly to customer inquiries.

        • CRM: hosting a single html file in Zoho and displaying it as a widget

          I have seen that CRM offers the option of uploading a web project to Zoho itself and displaying it as a widget in CRM. The instructions then talk about setting a development environment with Node and developing an application to upload to Zoho. But I

        • How to change position button transtition of Blueprint?

          Hi Everyone, Look at my screenshoot, it is possible move the reject button to the right? I couldn't find that setting in the blueprint. Thank you.

        • Multi file upload

          Hi, I just wonder if one could upload multiple files in one shot, say between one and three files, without adding multiple File Upload fields? Thanks, Alalbany

        • Sorting Descending in a lookup

          I have a case number lookup on multiple forms. I need the most recent added to appear at the top of the lookup or as the list of cases grom it's too much to scroll. Is there a way to have a look up sort descending?

        • Importing customer comments and multiple shipto addresses

          I am evaluating Zoho Books and have most of my data imported with two exceptions: (1) Import customer comments - in my current system I have several comments of different types, and I need to bring these into Zoho. Preferably Books customer records, but

        • Auto-upload Creator Files to WorkDrive

          Hi everyone, I’m working on a workflow that uploads files from Zoho Creator to specific subfolders in Zoho WorkDrive, as illustrated in the attached diagram. My Creator application form has two multi-file upload fields, and I want—on successful form submission—to

        • Asap Widget 2.0

          Where's the documentation for the new ASAP widget? https://www.zoho.com/desk/developers/asap/#introduction this one is outdated How can we dynamically navigate between different views? How can we prefill ticket forms using ASAP 2.0?

        • Can the Trigger be changed?

          I'm afraid I already know the answer, but here goes... After activating a workflow (under Campaigns > Automations), Then later choosing to Edit the workflow, Can the Workflow's Trigger be changed? Currently the entire Trigger section + options are gone

        • Marketer's Space: Proven tips to improve open rates – I

          Hello Marketers! Welcome back to another post in Marketer's Space! In this week's post, we'll discuss the ever-important concept of open rates. This will be a multi-part series, as we have a range of topics to cover. Open rates—which measure the percentage

        • Creating Custom PDF Template from Form

          I am trying to create a custom PDF from form submissions. I have the standard subscription and it indicates that PDF forms are included. I cannot find anywhere to create PDF forms. I try to follow the instructions from here: https://help.zoho.com/portal/en/kb/forms/form-settings/pdf-settings/pdf-editor/articles/creating-your-own-pdf-template#Creating_your_template_from_the_scratch

        • Important Update: Facebook Metrics Deprecation & Impact on Zoho Analytics

          Dear Zoho Analytics users, Facebook has deprecated a set of metrics from the Facebook Pages Insights API, effective November 15, 2025. As a result, these changes will affect any reports and dashboards in Zoho Analytics that rely on Facebook Pages data.

        • Quick Copy Column Name

          Please add the ability to quickly copy the name of a column in a Table or Query View. When you right-click the column there should be an option to copy the name, or if you left-click the column and use the Ctrl+C keyboard shortcut it should copy the

        • 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,

        • Next Page