Zoho Developer Community Monthly Digest - September 2023

Zoho Developer Community Monthly Digest - September 2023



Hello everyone!

As we step into the crisp and colorful month of October, it's time to take a step back to reflect on the fantastic month of September. In this month's issue, we have curated exciting updates, insightful articles, interesting community discussions, and helpful resources to keep you at the forefront of the Zoho Developer Community. Let's dive right in!

One of the major developments in the Developer Community arena is the newly revamped Zoho Developer Community website, where we've consolidated all the resources from the developer community learning series into a centralized hub for your convenient access. Consider bookmarking this site to stay informed about the latest updates in the developer community.

International Programmers' Day

September is special for us tech enthusiasts, as it hosts a significant day that celebrates something near and dear to our hearts - International Programmers' Day!

Zoho Creator Developers' Summit

At Zoho, we celebrated Programmers in style by hosting the Zoho Creator Developers' Meetup in our Chennai HQ. This meetup left a profound impact on all who attended. Developers were treated to a deep dive into the world of low-code development, gaining insights from our Developer Community members and Zoho Creator Champions @Deepa Govind and @Radha R. This celebration empowered developers with both knowledge and valuable connections poised to drive innovation.

Developers' Ask Me Anything

We organized an exclusive AMA session on LinkedIn to commemorate International Programmers' Day, featuring our CEO Sridhar Vembu. He provided detailed and insightful answers to a wide range of questions on all things technology and low-code development. Watch the enlightening conversation here.

Upcoming Events

Here are the exciting events lined up for the community in the coming weeks:
  1. Zobot 101: In this five-part online webinar series that started on August 24, learn all about Zobot – Zoho SalesIQ's AI -powered chatbot builder platform – and explore the ways to leverage its capabilities effectively for your business. For registration and more details, click here.

  2. Zoho Developer Hangout 10: Our Developer Community member, @Anonymous User - CRM Engineer at Vaspian - will delve into error handling in Deluge, debugging and testing on October 17. He will also discuss best practices when using services such as Zoho Catalyst, GCP, AWS, and other serverless functions with an API. To register and know more about this meetup, click here.

  3. Zoho Cliq for Developers 101: Zoho Cliq for Developers 101 is a three-part webinar series starting October 19, curated to provide a comprehensive understanding of Zoho Cliq's Development platform and its various components such as slash commands, bots, widgets, and more. Click here for registration and more details.

  4. Creator Tech Connect Series: Creator's tech connect series would comprise of technical sessions that provide immersive training on the key essentials and technical nuances of building a solution in Zoho Creator. This is a great opportunity for our developer community to stay informed about Creator's new feature releases, product roadmap, best practices to follow while scripting in deluge, new deluge concepts, cloud functions and the most awaited feature "Canvas Builder." Click here for more information. 

    Date: October 12th, 2023

    Topic: Technical Series - Cloud Functions in Zoho Creator

    APAC & ANZ - 11 AM to 12 PM IST - Registration Link

    Americas & EMEA - 9 PM to 10 PM IST - Registration Link

  5. Creator Learning Table Series: This series is designed to provide users with valuable insights and knowledge about Creator's capabilities in various business use cases and applications. This year we've adopted the "12 Months, 12 Industries" concept. Each month, we will focus on a specific industry, illustrating its unique processes with real-time business scenarios and how to make best use of Creator for that industry.

Date: October 5th, 2023

Topic: Learning Table Series For Insurance 

APAC & ANZ - 11 AM to 12 PM IST - Registration Link

Americas & EMEA - 9 PM to 10 PM IST - Registration Link

September Highlights

Besides International Programmers' Day celebrations, September also brought forth other notable events.


Zoho in Sync with Apple's Latest Updates

Zoho is always quick to embrace latest Apple tech in our Mobile apps, making it a breeze for our users to manage their businesses on their devices. Discover our latest and high-quality updates here.

Zoho Developer Hangout - Episode 9

Our community member @Anonymous User, Developer and Zoho Team Lead at AspenTech CRM, shared expert tips on Client Script implementation in Zoho CRM. Client Script is a dynamic feature introduced within Zoho CRM designed to achieve and extend real-time business cases through customization. 

Zobot 101

In the third session of the Zobot 101 series, @Anonymous User, Founder & CEO of Spikra - Zoho's Premium Partner, graciously shared her bot-building journey. She provided valuable insights into the do's and don'ts, shared best practices, some handy hacks, and expertly addressed all questions, aiding the community to kick-start their own Zobot journeys.

Community Discussions

Zoho Developer Forum

  • Discussions about the implementation of Client Scripts are continuing within the Zoho CRM Developer Series: Client Script announcement post. This post serves as a valuable resource for developers who are exploring Client Scripts in Zoho CRM.

  • Wondering how to update date/time field with the current time on page load using Client Script? @Anonymous User and @Anonymous User has got you covered in this post.

  • When @Anonymous User encountered difficulties while attempting to set up a custom function to auto update Deal name on create/edit, our MVP @Hugh Marshall identified the problem and provided assistance in resolving it in this post.

  • Take a look at the suggestions and codes shared by @Anonymous User and @Anonymous User to tackle date format discrepancies in @Anonymous User's Client Script use case. 

  • Want to know how to store data between events using Client Script? Check how @Federico got a solution from @Haiku Technical Support.

Developers ZUG Cliq Channel

Note: These conversations are confined to the Developers ZUG Cliq channel members. If you're keen on becoming a part of this space, please fill in this onboarding form to receive your invitation to join the channel.
  • Learn how to add validation to the user field to restrict record ownership to specific users using Client Script in this conversation.

  • Can you use Zoho as an Identity Provider for third-party websites? Explore the possibility in this discussion.

  • Looking for a way to fetch the actual "true available stock" that accounts for committed stock using the Zoho Inventory API? Go through this discussion to find out how.

Resource Spotlight

  • #Simple yet significant pointers - Check out these posts for simple fixes for some common mistakes that are frequently made while building Zoho CRM extensions.
  • Zoho CRM Developer Updates: 
  • Kaizen: This series aims to benefit developers to gain insights into the various developer tools available in CRM.
    • Kaizen #100: A significant landmark calls for a special Q & A post. This post contains responses from our product experts to the queries posed by the community members.
    • Kaizen #101: This post is the extended version of the previous Kaizen post and contains answers to the questions on Assignment Rules and Widgets. 
    • Kaizen #102: To accommodate the myriad of queries, this post is also dedicated to the responses for all the remaining questions posed by the community members.
    • Kaizen #103: This post explores Bulk Write API in detail, and how to implement it using Zoho CRM PHP SDK.
    • Kaizen #104: As a continuation of the previous Kaizen post, this post guides you to create a bulk write job, fetch the job status, and download the results.
    • Kaizen #105: This post discusses Functions, Integration Tasks and API Credits.

Community Spotlight

ZDH Speakers

The contributions of our ZDH presenters have been instrumental in the success of the this segment. We extend our heartfelt appreciation for their efforts.


As a continuation of featuring a ZDH presenter each month, this time, we would like to introduce our second ZDH presenter, Jesus Sosa. Explore this post to discover the knowledge and insights he shared with the community. 

Cliq Contributors

The Developers ZUG Cliq channel has consistently served as the primary hub for community members seeking technical assistance and engaging in savvy discussions. Here are our top contributors who have gone the extra mile to support and assist the Zoho Developer Community:



We want to express our sincere appreciation to all our community contributors. Your commitment, expertise, and the time you invest are invaluable to the community. 


For those who are new to the Zoho Developer Community, check out this post to get started. 

We appreciate you dedicating your time to peruse this month's digest. Make sure to follow the digest each month for the most recent insights and conversations. Stay connected and participate in the forums to be featured in the upcoming month's digest. Wishing you a fantastic month ahead!


Happy coding!

SEE ALSO





        • Recent Topics

        • Product Updates in Zoho Workplace applications | December 2025

          Hello Workplace Community, Let’s take a look at the new features and enhancements that went live across all Workplace applications this December. Zoho Mail Block emails without notifying the sender Block emails without sending a rejection notification

        • Zoho CRM for Gmail Extension Not Working in Brave Browser?

          Is anyone able to get the Zoho CRM Chrome Extension working in the Brave browser? They're both built on the Chromium platform and every other Chrome Extension works with the exception of Zoho CRM for Gmail so any ideas here?

        • Set Frozen Cells in the Report Settings

          Hi, It would be nice to be able to set the frozen cells in the report Settings, and have an option if this is fixed or can be changed after loading (On the next load it still goes back to the Settings). Thanks Dan

        • Microsoft Teams now available as an online meeting provider

          Hello everyone, We're pleased to announce that Zoho CRM now supports Microsoft Teams as an online meeting provider—alongside the other providers already available. Admins can enable Microsoft Teams directly from the Preferences tab under the Meetings

        • Tip of the week #26: Import/ Export calendars in Zoho Calendar.

          Any calendar on the web or calendars that you create in any other calendar application can be imported in to Zoho Calendar. This will help you to add the events from the calendars that you import to your Zoho Calendar. You also have the option to export

        • Add Zoho Forms to Zoho CRM Plus bundle

          Great Zoho apps like CRM and Desk have very limited form builders when it comes to form and field rules, design, integration and deployment options. Many of my clients who use Zoho CRM Plus often hit limitations with the built in forms in CRM or Desk and are then disappointed to hear that they have to additionally pay for Zoho Forms to get all these great forms functionalities. Please consider adding Zoho Forms in the Zoho CRM Plus bundle. Best regards, Mladen Svraka Zoho Certified Consultant and

        • Social icons, open in new tab?

          Hello, I have two social icons on my footer, Facebook and Psychology Today. Clicking on the Facebook icon opens a new tab, the Psychology Today icon does not. I would like them both to open a new tab. Am I missing a setting somewhere?

        • Real-Time Screen Annotation During Zoho Cliq Screen Sharing

          Hi Zoho Support Team, Hope you're doing well. We’d like to request the addition of real-time screen annotation tools during screen sharing sessions in Zoho Cliq video calls. 🔍 What We're Looking For: The ability for the presenter—and optionally, other

        • Autofill address using smart fields mapped over the pdf document

          Hi, I'm using mail merge to map smart fields onto PDF documents I plan to distribute for signing. I already have a Zoho Sign subscription. When mapping smart fields from the Employee form, I only see the permanent and current addresses which include the

        • How do I cap employee leave accrual

          HI there, How do I cap an employee's leave accrual? The policy is that you accrue 15 days leave annually (1.25 days a month) and once you reach 15 days, you wont accrue more until you take leave. Thank you!

        • Open sub form from a button as a popup form

          Is there a way within a form to use similar code as below to show a button in the form when clicked opens the subform for data to be added to the record being viewed in the form OpenUrl("#Form:<Customer_Delivery_Address>?<Delivery_Address>=" + input.ID,"popup

        • Dont have backup option in setting

          Hi guys. I started using zoho book a week ago. I bought premium package yet I don't have backup option in setting. I hope anyone can help me find a solution. Thanks in advance

        • Making Tags Mandatory

          When creating an expense, is it possible to make the Tags field mandatory?  I see the option in settings to make other fields mandatory, like Merchant, Description, Customer, etc, but nothing about Tags. Thanks! Kevin

        • Is there a plan to integrate zoho voice with zoho books?

          Hello, Is there a plan to integrate zoho voice with zoho books? Right now we are using the Twilio SMS integration into zoho books, but have recently decided to switch to zoho voice for calls and sms. Is there a plan to integrate zoho voice natively into

        • Pass variables to Zoho Desk via URL to create a fast new ticket landing page

          We are integrating our phone system into Zoho Desk. Currently when a helpdesk agent answers the phone, a soft client opens a new tab with zoho desk at the new case page. https://desk.zoho.com/support/companyname/ShowHomePage.do#Cases/new We would like

        • Zoho Books Extension: What Happens If Custom Fields Already Exist?

          When developing Zoho Books extensions, what happens if the target Zoho Books organization already has a custom field with the same API name as one defined in the extension? I’m asking because we originally created an on-Books version of this functionality,

        • Modular Permission Levels

          We need more modular Permissions per module in Books we have 2 use cases that are creating problems We need per module export permission we have a use case where users should be able to view the sales orders but not export it, but they can export other

        • ¡Vuelven los Workshops Certificados de Zoho a España!

          ¡Hola usuarios de Español Zoho Community! Hace ya unos días que hemos dado la bienvenida al 2026, y promete ser un año de lo más emocionante. Y es que nos gustaría haceros nuestro particular regalo de Reyes, aunque lleguemos un poco tarde. 🎁 ¡Nos gustaría

        • Free Webinar on 21 January: Looking back at Zoho Mail in 2025

          Hello Zoho Community! Curious about how Zoho Mail evolved in 2025? Wondering how these updates can make your everyday email work simpler? We’ve got a session you won’t want to miss. In our Zoho Mail 2025 recap webinar, we’ll walk you through the key features

        • Cliq Networks users can see all other network users contact information

          Is there a way to hide user contact information from each user in networks? I would only like the users to see the admin's contact information, not other users. Network users information shared by default

        • Zoho Sheet - Printing - Page Breaks and Printing Customization

          I think the title is descriptive enough in that I cannot find help documentation on a simple task of adding in page brakes for separating pages on print. Thanks

        • Missing the "Find & Merge Duplicates" choice

          Hi, I am missing the "Find & Merge Duplicates" choice. I looked under the "More Actions" menu in Contacts, Accounts, Vendors, and Leads and it is not there. I have full permissions. Please assist me on finding this feature. Thanks!

        • OAuth integration issues

          I'm experiencing persistent OAuth errors when trying to connect Make with Zoho API. I've tried multiple approaches but keep encountering the following issues: First error: 'Invalid Redirect Uri - Redirect URI passed does not match with the one configured'

        • Marketing Tip #16: Ideal sizes and formats for adding images to your online store

          Images can make (or break) your storefront experience. When your banners and product photos follow the right sizes and aspect ratios, your store looks cleaner, loads faster, and feels more trustworthy—especially on mobile. Here are recommended image sizes

        • Improve WhatsApp Module in Zoho CRM

          The current WhatsApp module UI in Zoho CRM feels cluttered and complex, especially when handling high volumes of conversations. It would be great to enhance the WhatsApp module UI/UX by adopting a clean and simplified interface similar to Bigin CRM’s

        • Blueprint transitions on locked records

          We use the ability to automatically lock records (quotes, sales orders, etc.) based on criteria, such as stage. For instance, if a quote has been sent to a client, the quote is then locked for further edits. Our ideal quote stage process is: Draft>Sent>Won.

        • Enhance productivity with the revamped Zoho Sheet View

          Hello folks, For some time now, you've been able to use the Zoho Sheet View to quickly edit multiple records or to insert a batch of new records. Its tabular interface allows users to engage in these tasks productively. Despite this, the existing Sheet

        • No OR Filter for Views with a Related Modules Criteria

          We would like to create a Deal View where the User can see all their deals. For that, we would need an OR to connect the criteria. One of the Fields is a "multiselect User", these (Related Modules Criteria) can only be Filter with an AND. Even between

        • Good news! Calendar in Zoho CRM gets a face lift

          Dear Customers, We are delighted to unveil the revamped calendar UI in Zoho CRM. With a complete visual overhaul aligned with CRM for Everyone, the calendar now offers a more intuitive and flexible scheduling experience. What’s new? Distinguish activities

        • Chat to Lead

          Can I convert a Chat to a Lead?

        • Limit maximum entries for subform - depending on fields entry

          Hi Zoho! I have a form with a subform in it. I'd like to have limitation for the row number depending on an entry in a drop-down field in the main form (If the field in the main form is marked "Answer1" - Limit the entries to 1 row, if the field is "Answer2" to have 2 rows limitation, "Answer3" = no limitation at all) Can this be done? Thanks Ravid

        • Save HTML Snippet Page as PDF with Dynamic Data in Zoho Creator (Working Solution)

          Hi Zoho Creator Community 👋, I faced a common challenge while working with HTML Snippet Pages — I needed to generate a PDF with dynamic data and save it back into the record automatically. Here’s the working solution that might help others. Use Case

        • Make Camera Overlay & Recording Controls Visible in All Screen-Sharing Options

          Hi Zoho WorkDrive Team, Hope you are doing well. We would like to request an improvement to the screen-recording experience in Zoho WorkDrive. Current Limitation: At the moment the recording controls are visible only inside the Zoho WorkDrive tab. When

        • Write-Off multiple invoices and tax calculation

          Good evening, I have many invoices which are long overdue and I do not expect them to be paid. I believe I should write them off. I did some tests and I have some questions:  - I cannot find a way to write off several invoices together. How can I do that,

        • Rebranding Options for Zoho One

          We need the addition of rebranding and white-labeling settings directly within the Zoho One Admin Panel. This feature should allow organizations to customize the unified portal with their own logo, brand colors, and custom domain mapping (e.g., portal.company.com).

        • Tip #57- Accessibility Controls in Zoho Assist: Mobility- 'Insider Insights'

          Remote support should be easy to navigate for everyone. For users with mobility-related accessibility needs, long sessions and complex navigation can be challenging. Zoho Assist’s Mobility Accessibility Controls simplify interaction through keyboard-based

        • Total Cost in reports showing zero

          The image below shows my issue. The column Total Cost should show the cost to our company based on hours logged and the employee's rate. For instance, if the person working on Subtask 1 is paid 20/hr, then Total Cost should display $160 ($20x8 logged

        • To print Multiple delivery notes in batches

          In Zoho Books, we can print a Delivery Note from an Invoice using the Print Delivery Note option, but it is non-editable and always prints all line items from the invoice. Our requirement is to deliver invoiced items in batches and print delivery notes

        • Invoices not arriving and mail server settings

          I am having an issue where some clients are not receiving invoices. I have configured Zoho Books to send on my behalf and configured the appropriate SPF, DKIM and DMARC settings on my mail server and tested these as working. I get the CC'd copies so I

        • UPLOAD A CREATED PDF AUTOMATICALLY

          Using the html header pdf+print button, I have managed to find a way to have a user create a pdf using entered form data. Using the schedule button, I can have a "file uploaded" pdf mailed to someone as an attachment. The missing piece is to be able to add the pdf, created in that html page to a file upload field automatically? Right now one has to save it to computer and then upload it in a FILE UPLOAD FIELD. Any help would appreciated !  

        • Next Page