Kaizen #136 - Zoho CRM Widgets using ReactJS

Kaizen #136 - Zoho CRM Widgets using ReactJS

Hey there! Welcome back to yet another insightful post in our Kaizen series! 

In this post, let's explore how to use ReactJS for Zoho CRM widgets. We will utilize the sample widget from one of our previous posts - Geocoding Leads' Addresses in ZOHO CRM for the demo. 

Prerequisites 

  1. Ensure that you have installed all the necessary components required to use Zoho's CLI. 
  2.  You can use any IDE to code your widget. A few popular suggestions include Visual Studio Code, WebStorm and Atom. Download and install an IDE of your choice to get started. 

Working with ReactJS 

Step 1: Run the following Zoho CLI command to start a new project. 

zet init 

This will display a list of services for creating a project template. Choose Zoho CRM from the list and provide your project name. 

All the files that are necessary for the widget will then be available in the project directory. 

Step 2: To configure this project for ReactJS, install the required dependencies by copying and pasting the following command into your terminal. 

npm install react react-dom react-scripts

These dependencies will be installed only for this project. If you want to develop another ReactJS widget, you should run this command again for that project. 

Step 3: Navigate to the package.json file in the directory and add the following scripts to it. 

"scripts": {
    "start": "react-scripts start",
    "build": "GENERATE_SOURCEMAP=false react-scripts build && rm -rf app && mv build app"
  }

The start script mentioned here is useful during the development stage. On executing the "npm run start" command, it enables you to start the development server for ReactJS and make real-time changes to it. 

Once you have completed the development, all the files that are required for rendering the widget should reside within the /app folder in the project directory. However, in any ReactJS project, when you execute the build command after development, the build files are created under a new folder named build. The build script in package.json file helps in replacing the existing /app folder contents with the files from the /build folder.

Now, add the below key-value pair as we have multiple build static files under the /app folder.  

"homepage": "./"

During production, this property will dictate the system to search for the other static files within the same (/app) folder rather than looking for them in parallel directories. 



Step 4: Establish the /src folder with the required JavaScript and CSS files of your React components.  

To keep this demo simple, we have used the widget code from our previous post "Geocoding Leads' Addresses in ZOHO CRM", which has been modified to React components in the App.js, index.css and index.js files. 

Step 5: Create a /public folder containing static files like homepage (index.html), images and JavaScript library files that are required for the ReactJS project. 
For our use case, we have created only the index.html file.  

Step 6: After completing development, execute the following command to create the production build of your application: 

npm run build

Since we modified the scripts in the package.json during our earlier steps, the production build will be available in the /app folder instead of the /build folder. 



Step 7: To run the project locally, use the following command: 

zet run

Step 8: Validate your ReactJS widget project with the following command: 

zet validate 

This command checks if the project adheres to file and size limitations.

Use the following command to pack your project for uploading it to Zoho CRM.

zet pack 

The ZIP file can be found under the /dist folder of your project. 



Step 9: When uploading the ZIP file to Zoho CRM, remember that for a typical widget, the index page is usually named /widget.html. However, for ReactJS projects, it must be named /index.html. 



Now, let us go check this widget from the Leads detail page for the results. 



Zoho CRM widgets can be built using any of the client-side frameworks and this sample configuration is almost common to most of them.
We hope you found this post useful and engaging! 

If you have any queries, feel free to drop them in the comments section below or reach out to us directly at support@zohocrm.com. We eagerly await your thoughts and feedback on this!

Keep an eye out for future posts packed with similar content!

Cheers!

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

Recommended Reads

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

Join us for our upcoming Zoho CRM Developer Series: Zoho CRM APIs, where you can explore more about Zoho CRM APIs. Register Now!  




        • Recent Topics

        • Problem - cant add Users (i.e. Zoho one / CRM Users) to BCC or CC in email, i.e. Sales orders or Retainers

          I can go to zoho books email templates, and select any email template, and automatically include any Zoho One user, i.e. member of staff. However in the context of sending an email, it will not let us add a member of staff from the user list, instead

        • UK MTD ITSA

          UK Making Tax Digital for Income Tax I have had notice this is to apply from April 2026. What is Zoho doing about this? I will need to start planning to implement this in the next months so need an update as to what I will and will not be able to do in

        • Partial refunds

          I am trying to process refund for a one item invoice, however the refund is partial: i am getting this error while creating credit note, can anyone share some wisdom about this

        • Zoho Books Roadshows are back in the UAE!

          Hello there, Business owners and accounting professionals of the UAE, we’re coming to your cities! FTA accredited Zoho Books is now officially one of the Digital Tax Integrators in the UAE. With the newly launched direct VAT filing capabilities, we're

        • New user After moving over from QBO

          New user observations/suggestions. QBO took away a lot of features I was used to with the desktop version. Chaos ensued. Zoho Books has a lot of what I was used to and a bit more. Good deal Some things I have run into and suggest some upgrades. 1: The

        • Sole Trader - Financial Advisor (Appointed Representative) - Paid via Capital Account but no Invoicing...

          Hi. I'm about to venture into a new business after 12 months of intensive learning/exams. A little chuffed if I may say so especially at 52! I really like the look of ZoHo Books for my modest enterprise but I'm in need of some guidance, please. My services

        • Multi-Unit Inventory with Flexible Unit Selection (Purchase in One Unit, Sell in Another)

          We need multi-unit inventory management in Zoho Books with the flexibility to choose units (e.g., Box or Piece) at the time of purchase or sale. For example, if 1 Box = 10 Pieces, we should be able to record purchases in Boxes but sell either in Boxes

        • Disputed Purchase Invoices

          We have recently moved to Zoho Books from Sage. In Sage we were able to post a purchase/vendor invoice but mark it as on dispute. This would usually be a pricing query or if something was damaged. It would show in their ledger, so we could agree their

        • No TDS Deduction

          In some of our case, where we are reselling items at the same rate we purchased. In this scenario, Indian IT Law has a provision to request customer not to deduct TDS if the transaction value is same. TDS is paid by us (intermediary reseller) before we

        • CBSA - GST CHARGES on imports

          Hi there, We have a questions about landed cost categorization. We received a shipment from overseas. CBSA invoiced us for the GST on the items. Now we entered the CBSA-GST as a separate bill and attached it as landed cost to the main invoice based on

        • Zoho Books

          How do I manually insert opening balance?

        • Sales order & purchase order item links for item details

          This is fantastic for checking lots of things, I use it a lot. It would be great to see it extended to invoices & bills On another note, may as well throw in my favourite whinge ..... Wish you guys would get the PO receive differences sorted urgently,

        • Bank charges are applied. Please select a bank account.

          Hello, I'm trying to add bank charges to a customer payment, but I get the error message "Bank charges are applied. Please select a bank account." I found this old thread, where it says that I need to "select a Bank account for the 'Deposit To' dropdown

        • How to add receipts

          How to add receipts

        • Is it really true that I can't set the default 'deposit to' account in 2025?

          I've been using Books for 7 years and the default account has never been a problem. I usually manually reconcile invoices and have never had a thought about which account. It has always been my account. However, I recently noticed that for the past 4

        • Support for auto-upgrade in TrueSync (for Windows)

          WorkDrive TrueSync app now supports auto-upgrading to the latest version for Windows OS. You must manually download and install the TrueSync app version 3.4.0 to avail this feature. Download the latest TrueSync app for Windows (version 3.4.0) Supported

        • WorkDrive API Documentation

          WorkDrive provides users and developers an extensive set of APIs to help integrate functionalities of Zoho WorkDrive with other Zoho applications and third-party tools. We have published the official WorkDrive API Documentation page for all external users.

        • March 15, 2023: Zoho Docs is discontinued

          As of today (March 15, 2023) Zoho Docs is discontinued for all users. We would like to thank our customers for trusting us for so many years! Going forward, we're confident you'll enjoy using Zoho WorkDrive for all your advanced file management and collaboration

        • Introducing WorkDrive 4.0: Enhanced productivity. Advanced data administration. (Phase 1)

          Hello All, We're excited to share the release of WorkDrive 4.0, which includes important new features and enhancements focused primarily on productivity, secure collaboration, data administration, integrations, and user experience. Read the official announcement

        • Ask the Experts: Five-hour live Q&A session with Zoho WorkDrive product experts

          Have questions about WorkDrive 5.0? Let’s talk! We recently launched Zoho WorkDrive 5.0, packed with powerful updates to help your team work smarter, stay secure, and get more value from your business content. From content-centric workflows and AI-powered

        • External download link limit

          Can You please help us to understand this For Zoho WorkDrive external users, the download limit is a maximum of 5 GB total download size and a maximum of 50 first-level files and folders What is the meaning of first level? We are using these files in

        • Dynamically catching new file creations

          I have a team folder with many subfolders, and in those folders we add new documents all the time. I'd like to have a workflow or script to notify me (and then take other actions) when a file is added anywhere in that structure that ends in "summary.txt".

        • Rotate an Image in Workdrive Image Editor

          I don't know if I'm just missing something, but my team needs a way to rotate images in Workdrive and save them at that new orientation. For example one of our ground crew members will take photos of job sites vertically (9:16) on his phone and upload

        • Workflow workdrive rollout

          Hi! When will workflow be rolled out to all users? Thanks.

        • Sync desktop folders instantly with WorkDrive TrueSync (Beta)

          Keeping your important files backed up and accessible has never been easier! With WorkDrive desktop app (TrueSync), you can now automatically sync specific desktop folders to WorkDrive Web, ensuring seamless, real-time updates across devices. Important:

        • 🚀 WorkDrive 5.0: Evolving from a file sharing app to an intelligent content management platform: Phase 2

          Hello everyone, WorkDrive's primary focus has always been to provide an intelligent and secure content management platform, simplify collaboration, and be the central repository of files for all Zoho apps. In our previous announcement, we unveiled the

        • Join our live webinar: Explore the WorkDrive TrueSync application!

          Hello everyone, We are thrilled to invite you to a live webinar focused on mastering the WorkDrive TrueSync application. Discover how to seamlessly sync your content between the cloud and your computer, ensuring smooth and efficient file management. Our

        • Creating and managing a Team Folder using WorkDrive TrueSync

          Hello everyone, Are you tired of constantly switching between your Desktop TrueSync app and the WorkDrive web app to create and manage Team Folders? We’ve made things easier for you. You can now create and manage Team Folders directly within the TrueSync

        • Live webinar: Getting the most out of WorkDrive in Zoho Workplace

          Hello everyone, We’re excited to invite you to our upcoming live webinar, where we’ll explore how to maximize your use of WorkDrive as part of the Zoho Workplace bundle. This is a fantastic opportunity to elevate your productivity and streamline your

        • Live webinar: Mastering data migration, organization, and team collaboration

          Hello everyone, We’re excited to invite you to our upcoming live webinar! Discover how to seamlessly migrate your data, optimize file organization, and boost team collaboration using Zoho WorkDrive’s powerful features. This is a fantastic opportunity

        • Edit images seamlessly with WorkDrive's built-in Image Editor

          Are you tired of switching between multiple tools just to make simple edits to your images? We understand the hassle, which is why Zoho WorkDrive now comes with a built-in image editing tool, powered by Zoho Annotator. This tool allows you to edit images

        • Supercharge your email workflow with WorkDrive's add-in for Microsoft Outlook

          Consider this: You’re handling a critical project, and your inbox is packed with important attachments, email threads, and client communications. The back-and-forth routine of downloading files to your computer, uploading them to WorkDrive, and manually

        • Secure and promote your content with Custom Watermarking

          Imagine this: You’re a professional photographer who regularly shares your work online with potential clients and collaborators. Recently, you notice that some of your images have been reposted without any credit or permission. This not only impacts your

        • Live webinar: Explore WorkDrive's seamless integrations with key Zoho apps

          Hello everyone, We’re excited to invite you to our upcoming live webinar, where we'll delve into the seamless integration of WorkDrive with other key Zoho applications! This is a fantastic opportunity to enhance your productivity and streamline your workflows

        • Join us in Singapore for the Zoho WorkDrive User Group meetup!

          Hello, everyone! Exciting news! We'll be hosting an upcoming Zoho WorkDrive user group meetup in the beautiful city of Singapore this November. At this Zoho User Group meetup, we'll guide you through ways to use WorkDrive as a platform and build custom

        • WorkDrive TrueSync now supports ARM64-based Windows devices!

          We’re excited to announce that the Zoho WorkDrive TrueSync app now fully supports Windows devices with ARM64 architecture! Whether you're working on an ARM-based device or an x64 processor, you can now enjoy the same seamless file synchronization experience

        • Live webinar: 2024 recap of Zoho WorkDrive

          Hello everyone, We’re excited to invite you to our year-end live webinar! This session will take you through the transformative features and updates we’ve introduced in Zoho WorkDrive this year, helping you streamline document management like never before.

        • Option to Disable Download for Documents Shared via Permalink

          Dear Zoho Writer Team, Currently, when sharing a Writer document using the regular permalink (Collaborators with external users), there is no option to restrict the ability to download the document. While the external share link allows such restrictions,

        • Live Webinar: Optimizing back-office operations in the manufacturing industry to maximize profitability

          Hello everyone, We’re excited to invite you to our upcoming live webinar on February 6! Discover how Zoho WorkDrive can help manufacturing businesses optimize back-office operations, improve efficiency, and boost profitability. Our product experts will

        • Important update for WorkDrive TrueSync users in China Data Center (CN DC) & Chinese language users in other DCs

          Dear WorkDrive TrueSync users, We recently identified an issue affecting users who have set their WorkDrive TrueSync app language to Chinese (Simplified/Traditional). During the auto-update process, the app would not restart automatically and unexpectedly

        • Next Page