Kaizen #178 - Filters & Criteria in Zoho CRM APIs

Kaizen #178 - Filters & Criteria in Zoho CRM APIs


Hey everyone, and welcome back to another week of Kaizen!

Ever felt overwhelmed by the sheer volume of data in your Zoho CRM? Sifting through countless records to find exactly what you need, or to operate on specific records that meet a certain criteria, can indeed be a real time-sink. Fortunately, Zoho CRM provides powerful filtering capabilities through its APIs to streamline this process.

What is criteria or filter?

In Zoho CRM APIs, criteria refer to the conditions applied to filter records when making API requests. These conditions can be simple (single condition) or complex (multiple conditions) and are specified using various comparators.

Depending on the API type and request method, the filter can be provided either:
  • As a query parameter (filters) – Used in GET requests.
  • As an input key in the request body (criteria)– Used in POST and PUT requests   

Where is "filters" used in Zoho CRM APIs?

The filters parameter is supported across multiple Zoho CRM API endpoints, including but not limited to:

Where is "criteria" used in Zoho CRM APIs?

The criteria key is supported across multiple Zoho CRM API endpoints, including but not limited to:
The filters parameter and criteria key are supported across multiple Zoho CRM API endpoints. Refer to our API help documentation for individual APIs to check if these options are available. Check the Parameters section for filters and the Input JSON section for criteria
 in the API's help documentation.

Constructing a criteria or a filter

Zoho CRM APIs use JSON-based criteria/filters expressions, which consist of:
  • Field API Name – The field to filter (e.g., Email, Created_Time, Status).
  • Comparator – The operator defining how the field should be compared (equals, greater_than, etc.).
  • Value – The specific value to compare against.

Single Condition

A single condition is structured as follows:
{
  "field": {
    "api_name": "Post_Number"
  },
  "comparator": "greater_than",
  "value": 1
}

Here,
  • field specifies the API name of the field to be filtered.
  • comparator indicates the type of comparison to be made (e.g., greater_than).
  • value is the value against which the field is compared.

Multiple Conditions

When multiple conditions are required, they can be grouped using the logical operators "and" or "or". Here’s the syntax of how to structure multiple conditions:
{
  "group_operator": "or",
  "group": [
    {
      "field": {
        "api_name": "Post_Number"
      },
      "comparator": "greater_than",
      "value": 1
    },
    {
      "field": {
        "api_name": "Pre_Number"
      },
      "comparator": "greater_than",
      "value": 1
    }
  ]
}

Here,
  • group_operator can be "and" or "or". It defines how the conditions within the group array are evaluated. "and" means all conditions must be true, while "or" means at least one condition must be true.
  • group
     contains an array of condition objects, each with its own field, comparator, and value.
Following is an example for a criteria with more than two conditions:
{
  "criterion": {
    "group_operator": "and",
    "group": [
      {
        "field": {
          "api_name": "Post_Number"
        },
        "comparator": "greater_than",
        "value": 1
      },
      {
        "group_operator": "or",
        "group": [
          {
            "field": {
              "api_name": "Pre_Number"
            },
            "comparator": "greater_than",
            "value": 1
          },
          {
            "field": {
              "api_name": "Status"
            },
            "comparator": "equals",
            "value": "Active"
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Supported Comparators for Different Field Types

The available comparators depend on the field type. The following table outlines the supported comparators for different field types:

Field Type
Supported Comparators
Example
text/ textarea
equal, not_equal, contains, not_contains , starts_with, ends_with
{
   "comparator": "equal",
   "field": {
       "api_name": "text"
   },
   "value": "zoho"

}
email
equal, not_equal, contains, not_contains, starts_with, ends_with
{
   "comparator": "contains",
   "field": {
       "api_name": "Email"
   },
   "value": "patricia"
}
phone
equal, not_equal, contains, not_contains, starts_with, ends_with
{
   "comparator": "equal",
   "field": {
       "api_name": "Phone"
   },
   "value": "9999999999"
}
website
equal, not_equal, contains, not_contains, starts_with, ends_with
{
   "comparator": "contains",
   "field": {
       "api_name": "website"
   },
   "value": "zoho"
}
picklist
equal, not_equal, contains, not_contains, starts_with, ends_with
{
   "comparator": "equal",
   "field": {
       "api_name": "picklist"
   },
   "value": [
       "Cold Call",
        "Call"
   ]
}
multiselectpicklist
equal, not_equal, contains, not_contains, starts_with, ends_with
{
   "comparator": "equal",
   "field": {
       "api_name": "Multi_Select_Picklist"
   },
   "value": [
         "Cold Call",
        "Call"
   ]
}
date
equal, not_equal, less_than, greater_than, between, not_between, less_equal, greater_equal
Example 1:
{
   "comparator": "less_than",
   "field": {
       "api_name": "date"
   },
   "value": "01-01-2025"

}
Example 2:
{
   "comparator": "between",
   "field": {
       "api_name": "date"
   },
   "value": [
          "01-01-2025",
           "02-01-2025",
}
datetime
equal, not_equal, less_than, greater_than, between, not_between, less_equal, greater_equal
{
   "comparator": "equal",
   "field": {
       "api_name": "date"
   },
   "value": "2025-01-01T12:12:06+05:30"
}
autonumber
equal, not_equal, contains, not_contains, starts_with, ends_with
{
   "comparator": "starts_with",
   "field": {
       "api_name": "Auto_Number"
   },
   "value": "A01"
}
integer
equal, not_equal, less_than, less_equal, greater_than, greater_equal, between, not_between
{
   "comparator": "equal",
   "field": {
       "api_name": "integer"
   },
   "value": 4
}
currency
equal, not_equal, contains, not_contains, starts_with, ends_with
{
   "comparator": "equal",
   "field": {
       "api_name": "Currency"
   },
   "value": "INR"
}
double
equal, not_equal, less_than, less_equal, greater_than, greater_equal, between, not_between
{
   "comparator": "equal",
   "field": {
       "api_name": "Double"
   },
   "value": "123"
}
Boolean
equal
{
   "comparator": "equal",
   "field": {
       "api_name": "Boolean"
   },
   "value": true
}
big int
equal, not_equal, less_than, less_equal, greater_than, greater_equal, between, not_between
{
   "comparator": "equal",
   "field": {
       "api_name": "id"
   },
   "value": "1234800023843923"
}
lookup
equal, not_equal, less_than, less_equal, greater_than, greater_equal, between, not_between
{
   "comparator": "equal",
   "field": {
       "api_name": "Lookup.name"
   },
   "value": "Name1"
}
ownerlookup/userlookup
in, not_in 
{
   "comparator": "equal",
   "field": {
       "api_name": "Modified_By",
       "id": "400029000000000479"
   },
   "value": [
       {
           "id": "400029000003984001",
           "name": "User1"
       },
       {
           "id": 400029000003984002,
           "name": "User2"
       }
   ]
}
formula
Comparator will depend on the return type
-



Notes
Note: 
  • Use quotes for strings and picklists; do not use quotes for numbers and boolean values.
  • While Zoho CRM’s filtering capabilities are extensive, certain field types — including subforms, multi-select lookup fields, multi-user lookup fields, and multi-module lookup fields — are not supported in filters and criteria. The above table lists all the supported field types. 

Filtering in COQL Queries

COQL (CRM Object Query Language) provides a structured way to retrieve records from Zoho CRM using SQL-like queries. Unlike the standard API filters discussed above, COQL uses the WHERE clause to define conditions.

Here is a sample COQL query:

{
  "select_query": "SELECT Full_Name, Email FROM Leads WHERE Lead_Status = 'Qualified'"
}

Here, Lead_Status = 'Qualified' acts as the filtering criteria.

{
  "select_query": "SELECT Full_Name, Email FROM Leads WHERE (Lead_Status = 'Qualified' AND City = 'New York') OR (Industry = 'Software')"
}

The AND and OR operators allow for multiple conditions in the WHERE clause. We have covered COQL API, and all the supported field types and operators in detail in our Kaizen posts. Kindly refer to them for more details.

Criteria in Search API

In Search API, filtering records is done using the criteria (string) input key in the request body. Unlike filters in GET requests or criteria in other APIs, criteria here is a text-based filter expression that follows a specific syntax.

(({api_name}:{operator}:{value})and/or({api_name}:{operator}:{value}))
  • You can combine up to 10 conditions using and or or.
  • Only the equals operator is supported for encrypted fields.
  • When using "equals" in Search API, it behaves like "contains", meaning it fetches records that include the specified value, not just exact matches.
  • If you use parentheses (), commas, or backslashes \ in values, you must escape them properly and encode the value before making the request.
Field Type
Supported Operators
Date, DateTime
equals, not_equal, greater_equal, greater_than, less_equal, less_than, between, in
Integer, Currency, Decimal
equals, not_equal, greater_equal, greater_than, less_equal, less_than, between, in
Boolean
equals, not_equal
textarea
equals, not_equal, starts_with
Lookup (user/owner)
equals, not_equal, in
Picklist, Autonumber
equals, not_equal, in
Text, Email, Phone, Website 
equals, not_equal, starts_with, in
multiselectpicklist
equals, not_equal, in, starts_with.
bigint
equals, not_equal, greater_than, greater_equal, less_than, less_equal, between, in
percent
equals, not_equal, greater_than, greater_equal, less_than, less_equal, between, in
formula
The supported operators of the formula datatype will depend on the return type of the formula


Have questions or use cases to share? Feel free to share them in the comments below or reach out to our support team directly at support@zohocrm.com.

Thank you for joining us this week. Stay tuned for more insights in our upcoming Kaizen posts! Happy Coding!!






        • Recent Topics

        • Automate timeout chat tracking with Workflows in SalesIQ

          With our feature-packed Nova release, Workflows has become one of the most powerful tools in Zoho SalesIQ. They let you automate follow-up actions when key events occur, such as when a chat ends, a visitor leaves a bad/good rating, or a lead is updated.

        • Mass edit / Mass update products

          Hi, Is there any way to mass update or bulk edit product fields in Zoho Inventory?

        • Automatic Verification of IMAP Integration Status

          Our sales staff have their O365 email integrated with CRM, over time this integration requires re-authentication via the UI. I can manually check the integration status by accessing Settings -> Channels -> Email -> Email Sharing -> "Configuration Type"

        • Tip of the Week #68– Share and access files faster with Zoho WorkDrive extension.

          Have you ever wasted time searching for the right file to attach to your emails—or worried whether the right people could access it? Without proper sharing settings, files might end up inaccessible to teammates or, worse, visible to people who shouldn’t

        • CV-Library: The Newest Source Booster in Zoho Recruit!

          We’ve expanded your sourcing toolkit — CV-Library, one of the UK’s largest and most trusted online job boards, is now available as a Source Booster in Zoho Recruit. This gives recruiters instant access to millions of UK-based candidate profiles, all without

        • Zoho AI Translate Task as Rest API

          I cant find any docs on how to use Zoho AI Translate Task from a rest api call https://www.zoho.com/deluge/help/ai-tasks/translate.html I am working on a custom Widget and I dont think I can execute zoho deluge ai translate task from a custom widget.

        • Is there the possibility to book less than 250 customer portal users?

          If you use the Creator, which is included in Zoho ONe, you can create a customer portal and give access to a maximum of 3 external people / customers, right? On the Creator website I saw that you can add 250 users for 100€/month. However, we don't need

        • Display Parts custom fields in the Work Order

          Hello, I see that is it possible to add custom fields in the Parts module. Would it be possible to also add those custom fields in the Work Order Module under Parts? This would be very useful for customer who want to showcase more information about parts.

        • Unable to edit Saved Estimates

          We are facing issue with editing the price or discount for a saved estimate for nearly 1 week.

        • Translation Blueprint & Picklists with Custom Values

          Hello everyone, I downloaded the translation file and I'm not finding the blueprint transitions. Does this means that the transitions cannot be translated? Also, the picklist values to be translated in the document are not the same that are actually used the in module. For exemple, for my lead module, the picklist values for Lead Status are : Not-contacted, contacted, junk and lost lead. In the translation document (English to French), this is what I see: PicklistValues.Leads.Lead_Status.Contact

        • How to create a custom sales signal?

          I want to create a custom sales signal for a custom module. is it possible to create one? If anyone know please let me know

        • Only show products in offers based on lead source

          We work with several lead sources, each with their own products and different pricing. For example, one product might have two or three different prices. Sometimes, when creating a quote, the wrong product is accidentally selected. Is there a way to only

        • Narrative 7 - The importance of data sharing

          Behind the scenes of a successful ticketing system - BTS Series Narrative 7 - The importance of data sharing Definition Data sharing requires a commitment to preserving the integrity and dependability of shared data throughout its entire lifecycle. This

        • TrueSync regularly filling up my local disk

          Seems that WorkDrive's TrueSync randomly starts filling up my local hard drive space. None of the folders have been set as "Make Offline" but still it seems to randomly start making file offline. The settings of the app is so minimal and is of no real

        • Check out in Meetings

          Why there is no check out in Meetings of Zoho CRM, very difficult to track

        • Issue with Zoho Projet

          Zoho Project on all the cellphones of my customer is crashing. He has mixed brands (Samsung and Pixel). Everything is fine on website and mobile website. Could not reproduce the issue in workshop using Samsung/Pixel/iPhone Uninstallation of Zoho Project

        • SecurePass email English language issue -- please hire someone to correct the English language issues sprinkled throughout your interface

          I wrote previously about some incorrect English in your SecurePass offering. After about six months it was corrected. I have never revoked permission before today and just discovered another language mistake that was not corrected. When you revoke a SecurePass

        • Published Components

          @zoho team, Checking if we can add a password for the public links as we have non-licensed users

        • Zoho Creator customer portal users

          Hi, I'm in a Zoho One subscription with our company. I'm running a project now that involves creating a Zoho Creater application and using the Zoho Creator Customer Portal.  At most we need 25 customer portal users. In our Zoho One plan we only get 3

        • Please Enable Snippets for Agents Adding Comments

          Snippets and templates are currently enabled for agents when they use the reply functionality. There is currently no way to add a template or snippets when an agent comments. This is really weird. Our agents don't use the reply functionality, only the

        • Tip of the Week - Extracting Data from JSON Columns

          Let's say you are importing a CSV or Excel file into Zoho Analytics. What if the file contains a few columns in JSON format? This is where Zoho DataPrep, embedded right within Zoho Analytics, comes in handy. This week's tip explains how to extract data

        • Deluge UI Updates

          Are there any updates planned for the Deluge UI in Zoho Desk? It feels quite dated and lack-lustre after you've spent some time in the CRM Deluge UI.

        • Zia Agents - Follow Ups

          It would be nice to have Zia Agents do follow ups. A lot of times agents are trying to schedule things with users and they say "can we set your printer up tomorrow?" and the user never says anything. A way to have a personalized reminder to the user automatically

        • Hide Agents name in Ticket Responses in "My Area"

          We were able to hide the agents name in the emails, however, the customer is able to see which agent has responded to a ticket in the thread of emails by going into their Help Center thread. Is there any way we can hide that information?

        • Option to Automatically Update Extensions

          Hello Zoho Desk Team, We recently received an email notifying us about an extension update that must be done manually. We’d like to request a feature that allows extensions to be updated automatically without requiring manual intervention. This would

        • Embed Report with Auto Height

          Hello Developers, When we embed report within Page, we are getting one awesome feature to adjust the report height. "Auto" and "Custom' height. This "Auto" option works well when we have no records. But I want to embed report based on some conditions

        • Zoho Payroll: Product Updates - August 2025

          This month’s updates to Zoho Payroll bring enhanced efficiency and smarter features, simplifying payroll management for users in India, UAE, KSA, and US. Read on to explore how these updates can streamline your workflow. Filter Pay Runs by Type (India,

        • Numerical Rating for Interviewer Assessments

          Introducing Numerical Rating, a powerful new addition to interviewer assessments that brings precision and flexibility to candidate evaluations. ✅ What is Numerical Rating? Numerical Rating lets interviewers assign a score for each question in the assessment,

        • User Tips: Adding Multiple Products (Package) to a Quote v2.0 (with Client Script)

          This solution is an improvement on the original idea which used deluge. My solution was posted in the comments are: https://help.zoho.com/portal/en/community/topic/adding-multiple-products-package-to-a-quote The updated version uses client script instead

        • Are downloadable product available in Zoho Commerce

          Hi all. We're considering switching to Zoho Commerce for our shop, but we sell software and remote services. Is there a features for downloadable products? I can't find any information about this. Thank you very much Alice

        • Need Faster Help? Try Live Chat Support

          Hello there, We understand that sometimes, whether you’re facing an issue, exploring a feature, or need quick clarification, sending an email and waiting for a response just doesn’t cut it. You need answers, and you need them now. That’s exactly why we

        • Custom image for each contact using merge tag

          Hi, I'm wondering if it's possible to set up an email campaign to display a different image for each contact using a custom field for the image url. I tried inserting custom html: <img src='$[UD:APP_IMAGE_URL||]$'/> but the editor seemed to reject this and did not actually add anything to the email template. Has anyone got any ideas? cheers, Jeremy

        • Comment Reactions like a Thumbs Up

          Can we please have the ability to emoji react on comments or at the very least, thumbs a comment up? Literally every other project management system out there can support this and it is very much needed to just acknowledge a comment instead of completely

        • Zoho Mail Search Engine Sucks

          Hello There! I really like all the features of Zoho Mail and I believe is way better than Gmail except for the Search Function. I believe Zoho Mail has a very poor search function, if you misspelled a word in the search box, Zoho Mail won't display any

        • Allow Subtasks and Task Lists to have their own Layout

          I'd like to have the ability for subtasks and task lists to have their own layout.  A subtask for us doesn't require all the fields that a parent task has.  The subtask seems cluttered with all the extra fields. Within a project Task List had different purposes.  I'd like the task layout to be different for some task lists.

        • How to update Customers in Zoho Books through Zoho Flow?

          Updating customers in Zoho Flow using a "update customer" action is deleting contact persons in Zoho Books.

        • Conect chat of salesiq with zoho cliq

          Is there any way to answer from zoho cliq  the chat of salesiq initiated by customers?

        • How to transfer credit between customers?

          Hi All, We have a slightly odd situation. It happens that we have two separate customers that are related to each other personally. One customer has an amount of credit, and would like to use that credit to pay the *other* customers invoice. How would

        • Zoho Books Reports: Basic report with total items sold and Cost of goods sold

          How can books show a report with Item Name || Qty Sold || Total Revenue || Total Cost of Goods Sold || Margin I need to factor in also invoices that have been credited where customers returned good. This seems like such a basic report, I'm sure I'm missing

        • The amount entered is more than the balance due for the selected bills."

          Hi Team i am trying to record payments for vendors using API and getting this error in response as { "code": 28011, "message": "The amount entered is more than the balance due for the selected bills." } JSON is prepared according to Documentation and

        • Next Page