Tip #1 Automating online sales order to invoice conversions in Zoho Inventory

Tip #1 Automating online sales order to invoice conversions in Zoho Inventory


Hello,
 
Hope the day is treating you well.
We've been getting more than a few requests from online sellers who use Zoho Inventory to help them automate invoice generation for all online orders that drop into Zoho Inventory automatically from a sales channel or a shopping cart that they have integrated. Are you an online seller like them? Then we've got some exciting news for you. You can do it with the help of a few simple things that we'll see here today.

So how do we go about this?
If you have integrated online sales channels like Amazon, Etsy and Ebay or a shopping cart like Shopify to Zoho Inventory, then you will be aware of sales orders being automatically generated inside of Zoho Inventory whenever your online customers buy something from you through these integrated channels. Since invoices are generated and automatically sent to your clients by the channel, you have little need of the invoices inside of Zoho Inventory apart from accounting purposes. Depending on the amount of online orders you get per day, it can get tricky to convert these orders into invoices manually. So we are going to automate this part for you with the help of a simple custom function. 
 
Wondering what custom functions are? They are one of the automation tools at your disposal inside of Zoho Inventory and can be accessed inside of Settings. To know more about custom functions in general, please refer to our help document.
 
Now let's see how we can write one to automatically convert all online sales orders into invoices as soon as they are generated within Zoho Inventory. 
 
Log in to your Zoho account and click on this link to generate an Auth Token which is required to make this work.
 
1) Open your Zoho Inventory organization.
2) Navigate to Settings using the gear icon from the top-right corner.
3) Select Automation from the sidebar. Click on the +New Workflow Rule button that is found at the top-right corner.
4) Out of the four tabs within Automation, select Custom Functions.
5) Now let's add a name for this workflow rule. (Note: Name cannot contain spaces)
6) The module to be chosen is Sales Orders.
7) Add a description if you need one.
8) Now, the workflow type is going to be Event Based.
9) And for the trigger, choose the option - "When a Sales Order is" "Created".
10) In the deluge pane, copy and paste the following code snippet:
 
salesorderID = salesorder.get("salesorder_id");
salesorderdate = salesorder.get("date").toDate();
organizationID = organization.get("organization_id");
authtoken = "
Copy and Paste your auth token in place of this text";
sal = invokeurl
[
url :"
https://inventory.zoho.com/api/v1/salesorders/" + salesorderID + "?authtoken=" + authtoken + "&organization_id=" + organizationID
type :GET
];
temp = sal.get("salesorder");
// info temp;
new = temp.get("sales_channel");
if(!new.equalsIgnoreCase("direct_sales"))
{
bson = Map();
customerID = salesorder.get("customer_id").toString();
salesoderdate = salesorder.get("date").toDate();
//invoice_number = salesorder.get("salesorder_number").replaceFirst("SO","INV");
//bson.put("invoice_number",);
bson.put("customer_id",customerID);
bson.put("date",salesorder.get("date"));
lineItems = salesorder.get("line_items").toList();
newLineItems = List();
for each lineItem in lineItems
{
lineItemMap = Map();
solineitemID = lineItem.get("line_item_id");
lineItemMap.put("salesorder_item_id",solineitemID);
id = lineItem.get("item_id");
lineItemMap.put("item_id",id);
des = lineItem.get("description");
lineItemMap.put("description",des);
wh = lineItem.get("warehouse_id");
lineItemMap.put("warehouse_id",wh);
quantity = lineItem.get("quantity");
lineItemMap.put("quantity",quantity);
r = lineItem.get("rate");
lineItemMap.put("rate",r);
d = lineItem.get("discount");
lineItemMap.put("discount",d);
tidd = lineItem.get("tax_id");
lineItemMap.put("tax_id",tidd);
tex = lineItem.get("tax_exemption_code");
lineItemMap.put("tax_exemption_code",tex);
newLineItems.add(lineItemMap);
}
bson.put("line_items",newLineItems);
if(temp.get("is_taxable").equalsIgnoreCase("true"))
{
bson.put("tax_id",temp.get("tax_id"));
}
else
{
bson.put("tax_exemption_id",temp.get("tax_exemption_id"));
bson.put("tax_authority_id",temp.get("tax_authority_id"));
}
response = zoho.inventory.createRecord("Invoices",organizationID,bson);
info bson;
info response.toMap().get("message");
inv = response.get("invoice");
info inv.get("invoice_id");
//marking as sent//
invoiceID = inv.get("invoice_id");
invoicedate = inv.get("date").toDate();
respond = invokeurl
[
url :"
https://inventory.zoho.com/api/v1/invoices/" + invoiceID + "/status/sent?authtoken=" + authtoken + "&organization_id=" + organizationID
type :POST
];
info respond.toMap().get("message");
}
else
{
info "Order is not from a Marketplace";
}
 
11) Before you save, you are required to copy and paste your auth token inside the quotes in the 4th line that says: authtoken = "Copy and Paste your auth token in place of this text";
Note: The auth token is a critical piece of information that helps the system identify you, so keep yours safe and confidential. Do not share it with anyone, not even with folks from Zoho.
12) Now, hit Save to finish.
 
Henceforth, all your online sales orders that are auto-generated from Amazon, Etsy, Ebay or Shopify will be automatically converted to invoices. And the status of these invoices inside of Zoho Inventory will be Sent. If you wish to auto-generate invoices of Paid status, then it can be made possible with a few changes. You can either experiment that part by yourself or contact us at support@zoho-inventory.com
 
Note: If you need this automation only for one channel, say for Shopify alone and not other channels, then you need to make a few changes to line 13 that originally says - if(!new.equalsIgnoreCase("direct_sales")) to if(new.equalsIgnoreCase("shopify"))
 
Hope this helps you in your online selling endeavors. Oh and by the way, have you ever dabbled with the custom functions module by yourself? You can share your discoveries, questions and suggestions with us anytime. We look forward to hearing from you. (Email us: support@zoho-inventory.com)
 
Until next time.
 
Your everyday end user,
Ajay Aadhithya Chandrasekaran
Zoho Inventory




        • Recent Topics

        • Change Invoice Prices for an Effective Date

          Hi, It would be a really good feature to be able to change the prices on invoices/recurring invoices from an effective date in the event of price increases. For instance, I am in the process of increasing prices that will be effective from a specific
        • "Other Current Asset" accounts as "Paid Through" accounts in Expense

          It would be incredibly useful to be able to assign accounts of type Other Current Asset as Paid Through accounts in Expense. Currently, Other Current Liability are permitted as Paid Through Accounts. This makes sense, as Credit Cards are current liabilities.
        • Multi column open text questions that allows respondents to add rows for additional information

          I need to create a question that has 2 columns with open text, but I also need to allow respondents to click a "+" button, or something similar, so that they can add additional information if they choose to. I've tried using the Multiple Textboxes type
        • Bot Filtering & Apple Mail Privacy Protection Compliance in Zoho Campaigns

          Dear Campaigns Users, The wait is over! We’re excited to announce that the enhanced bot filtering feature is now live in Zoho Campaigns. This update brings greater accuracy to your email campaign reports by distinguishing real user engagement from automated
        • Découvrons les détails qui simplifient vos journées de travail avec Trident

          Nous nous installons dans des routines efficaces et rodées avec le temps. Chaque matin, nous ouvrons nos e-mails, passons aux messages, consultons notre agenda, puis attaquons nos tâches. Ce processus nous semble maîtrisé, mais est-il réellement optimisé
        • Issue with Purchase Rate Showing as “0” After Importing Items List

          Dear Zoho Books Support Team, Good day. I’m reaching out regarding an issue I’m facing while importing my items list into Zoho Books. Despite mapping all fields correctly and including the purchase price for each product in my Excel file, the Purchase
        • API for Task Entity in Zoho Books

          I’m working on automating task creation in Zoho Books via a custom button in the Bills Module. The goal is to create a task in the Tasks Module and assign it to the Finance Team, so they can track progress efficiently. While reviewing Zoho Books documentation,
        • create invoice in zoho books from the zoho forms

          Is there a native way to have create invoice in zoho books, when zoho form is completed?
        • Email undelivered

          GOod Day I am always receiving an uncategorized-bounce to my email. I am not sure why this is happening.
        • Add inventory_valuation_method to items endpooints

          To ensure consistent item creation it would be helpful to have the inventory_valuation_method (FIFO vs WAC) be able to be set at item creation or as an update (consistent with current behavior where it is not allowed for items with existing transactions)
        • Use Zoho to send sales receipts for Gocardless transactions

          I've been using gocardless for years and have d/d mandates set up on there. Each week we get bulk payments from customer d/d's. However, we need to send sales receipts to these customers. So I know I can sync mandates into Zoho, and then I can set up
        • Zoho - Gocardless sales receipts

          I've been using gocardless for years and have d/d mandates set up on there. Each week we get bulk payments from customer d/d's. However, we need to send sales receipts to these customers. So I know I can sync mandates into Zoho, and then I can set up
        • Introducing Rollup summary in Zoho CRM

          ------------------------------------------Moderated on 5th July'23---------------------------------------------- Rollup summary is now available for all organizations in all the DCs. Hello All, We hope you're well! We're here with an exciting update that
        • Introducing Connected Workflows in Zoho CRM for Everyone : Free Your Teams to Focus on What Matters

          Hello Everyone, We’re thrilled to introduce the next big evolution in Zoho CRM for Everyone -- Connected Workflows. This new feature builds on our commitment to deliver a CRM that’s truly inclusive, adaptable, and designed for consistent collaboration
        • Cooling-off Period Just Got Better: More Coverage, More Control

          We’ve enhanced the Cooling-off Period feature in Zoho Recruit to give you more control over repeat applications and referrals. This helps you maintain a cleaner, more efficient recruitment pipeline. With this enhancement, you can: Prevent duplicate candidate
        • Revenue Management: #7 Revenue Recongition in Construction & Real Estate Industry

          If you are in the construction or real estate business, you are used to long project timelines and progressive invoicing to keep up with your billing. But when does revenue get recognized? Will it happen when the contract gets signed? At different milestones
        • TikTok (and other social platform) Messages and comments of the past

          When I link a social channel, Zoho will show in "Inbox", "Messages" and "Contact" sections the interaction done in the past? (comment, messages...)
        • Email Integration - Zoho CRM - OAuth and IMAP

          Hello, We are attempting to integrate our Microsoft 365 email with Zoho CRM. We are using the documentation at Email Configuration for IMAP and POP3 (zoho.com) We use Microsoft 365 and per their recommendations (and requirements) for secure email we have
        • Restrict Employee mail deletion

          Dear Zoho, Is there a way where i can restrict my employees to delete any mails from their account
        • 554 5.1.8 Email Outgoing Blocked.

          Hi guys, I just singed up for mateusz.nowicki@zoho.com mail and I can't send any mails.. Why? Everytime I try to send something I got error like the one in the screenshot. Please, help me.
        • Zoho IP blocked by SpamHaus

          ERROR CODE :550 - 5.7.0 Your server IP address is in the SpamHaus SBL-XBL database, bye
        • File Upload in Creator's Subfrom

          Hello Sir/Madam, Here is a Problem......... Scenario: In CRM One Custom Module (Payments) have one File Upload Field now we have to Upload that File into Creator's Custom Form (Documents) have one Subform (Documents) in Document Upload Field using Deluge
        • Error AS101 when adding new email alias

          Hi, I am trying to add apple@(mydomain).com The error AS101 is shown while I try to add the alias.
        • Trigger workflow base on email clic

          Searching the help and forum, I see that there were workflow trigger rules based on email. But now, I can't find this type of trigger when I create a custom workflow. What I'm looking for would be to automate the sending of an email for a new prospect,
        • Bigin Form Acknowledgement

          How to troubleshoot and find out why form acknowledgement is not sending emails after form submission?
        • Option to Customize Career Site URL Without “/jobs/Careers”

          Dear Zoho Recruit Team, I hope you are doing well. We would like to request an enhancement to the Career Site URL structure in Zoho Recruit. In the old version of the career site, our URL was simply: 👉 https://jobs.domain.com However, after moving to
        • Zoho Mail POP & IMAP Server Details

          Hello all! We have been receiving a number of requests regarding the errors while configuring or using Zoho Mail account in POP/ IMAP clients. The server details vary based on your account type and the Datacenter in which your account is setup. Ensure
        • Ever since the new Android App udpates notifications are not working

          notifications are not working for the app is its closed I followed the tutuorial to the notificaction fixed and everythig seems to be right but notifications are not workig
        • Zoho Analytics & Zoho Desk - but not all desks

          I have several desks in our company and one of those is used by our HR department. I want to bring through the data to the shared Zoho Analytics workspace - except for the HR desk. Can this be excluded at data import stage ?
        • Incoming Emails Not Showing Up in Zoho Inbox

          Hi - I have my Zoho email account set up to forward a copy of all incoming emails to a secondary Gmail address, whilst retaining the original email in the Zoho inbox. However, all my incoming emails are currently not showing up in my Zoho inbox, so I'm
        • Unable to Create Zoho Booking via the Book Appointment API

          Its giving the below error {     "response": {         "errormessage": "Error setting value for the variable:customer_details\n null",         "status": "Error"     } } Request: POST Url: https://www.zohoapis.in/bookings/v1/json/appointment attached Zoho-oauthtoken
        • SHEET - Send email when a cell changes

          I would like to create a custom function for Zoho Sheet that triggers when a paticular cell changes to a specific value. This would result in sending an email to a recipient (this would be an address that remains the same and included in the script). Example: = IF(N4= "Drafted", <>EmailFunction) 1)     Cell N4 changes to "Drafted" 2)    Email is sent to recipient            or alternatively 3)    Post to chat channel I have found the Custom function editor in Sheet. I am not bad at scripting, but
        • Apply transaction rules to multiple banks

          Is there any way to make transaction rules for one bank apply to other banks? It seems cumbersome to have to re-enter the same date for every account.
        • 【開催報告】 福岡 ユーザー交流会 2025/8/8(金)

          皆さま、こんにちは。コミュニティチームの中野です。 8/8(金)に、福岡 ユーザー交流会を開催しました。 本投稿では、その様子をお届けします。当日の登壇資料などもこちらに共有しますので、参加できなかった皆さまもご参照ください。 今年初の開催となる福岡 ユーザー交流会では、CreativeStudio樂合同会社 前田さんによるZoho CRM / Sign / Survey の事例セッションのほか、 Zoho社員セッションでは、Zoho Forms の活用法を解説。 さらに、「見込み客・顧客データの管理/活用方法」をテーマに参加者同士でZoho
        • no me llegan los correos a Zoho mail

          No puedo recibir correos pero sí enviarlos, ya hice la modificación de MX y la verificación de teléfonos, qué es lo que ocurre? gracias
        • Error: Invalid login: 535 Authentication Failed

          I have used zoho with nodemailer. const transporter = nodemailer.createTransport({ host: 'smtp.zoho.com', port: 465, secure: true, auth: { user: 'example@example.com', pass: 'password' } }); While sending the mail, it shows the following error: Error:
        • Zoho Renewal

          Hello, If I am not going for zoho email renewal. will i get back my free zoho account? and if yes then is it possible to get back my all free user. how many user get back 10 or 25?
        • Not reciving emails

          Apparently i cannot recive emails on my adress contact@sportperformance.ro I can send, but do not recive. The mail i'm trying to send from mybother adress gets sent and doesn't bounce back... but still doesn't get in my inbox. Please advise
        • Not receiving MailChimp verification e-mail

          It seems that their verification e-mails are blocked. I can receive their other e-mails, but not their verification of domain ownership e-mail. I've checked and double checked how I typed the e-mail, using different e-mails (my personal e-mail can receive it), white listing the domain and all that is left is for the IP's to be white listed, but I don't have that power.  If a staff member could take a look at this -> http://mailchimp.com/about/ips/ And perhaps white list them for me, that would be
        • Creating my 2nd email account

          After creating my first email address, I decided to get another email address. I would like to use this new address as the primary address too. I don't know how to set it up there doesn't seem to be an option for that
        • Next Page