Building extensions #5: Creating custom connections for extensions

Building extensions #5: Creating custom connections for extensions

In our previous post, we discussed the significance of connections, identified their types, developed a predefined connection, and demonstrated how it can be integrated with Zoho Books using an example. In this post, we'll walk through the process of creating a custom connection using an example.

Custom connections facilitate the integration of applications with Zoho Books by aiding in configuring the required application's connection manually by providing application-specific details. Let's go over the steps involved in configuring custom connections in detail using a use case scenario.

Use case

Let's say an organization uses Zoho Books to manage its financial operations. To improve sales for the organization, one must contact and communicate with multiple clients, as well as check in with vendors on a regular basis to remain up to date on new products on the market, take demos, and assess whether the products need to be brought into the organization.

In these cases, it is best to schedule appointments with clients and vendors in order to conduct business in an organized manner. This can be easily performed by integrating an appointment scheduling software so appointments can be scheduled with a click.

For our demo purpose, let's consider Zoho Bookings as the appointment scheduling software. Since it is not available under the default list of services in predefined connections, let's create a custom connection to achieve this.

Steps to create a custom connection
  • Go to Sigma and access your workspace.
  • Enter the developer portal of the Zoho Books extension you're creating a connection for.
  • Navigate to the Build section and click Connections.
   
  • Click New Connection to create a new connection.
NotesNote: Alternatively, you can use the View All option under a connection type to see all the services under that particular connection type and begin creating connections.
     
  • Choose Custom Services and click Create Service.
   
  • Provide the details of the service.
➤ Enter a name for the service, and the service link name will be immediately filled in.
➤ Choose the authentication type that corresponds to the authentication mechanism supported by the service for which you are building the connection. These details will be available as part of the service's API documentation. For our example, we'll use OAuth2, because Zoho Bookings supports it as an authentication mechanism.         
  
➤ The remaining fields to be configured for the service differ based on the authentication type used. In our case, the parameter type is Header, and the grant type is Authorization Code.
   
➤ Please refer to the table below for the values that need to be configured in the remaining fields.
Note: Register the service in the Zoho Developer API console to get the client credentials.
  • Finally, click the Create Service button.
  
  • The service is created successfully. Click Create Connection to create a connection for this service.
  • Provide the connection details, select the scope, and click Create and Connect.
 
  • Proceed with the flow to accept the scopes and authorize the connection.
 

The connection is now authorized, and you'll be directed to the connection details page. This page will also contain sample code in both Deluge and JSON formats that can be used to utilize this connection as part of your extension components. Depending on which component you want to invoke the connection in, you can use the appropriate sample code format.

Additionally, a predefined connection for Zoho Books is created to perform operations on Zoho Books data to implement our use case. Get more information on predefined connections in our previous post.

Now, in accordance with our use case, let's create a custom button that includes this connection to schedule appointments (in Zoho Bookings) with clients and vendors using Zoho Bookings with a single click (from Zoho Books).
We require two custom fields for our logic, one for setting the meeting start time with the client or vendor, and the other to display the Bookings appointment calendar link once the meeting is scheduled.
  • Create custom fields for the Customers and Vendors module by selecting Preferences > Customers and Vendors > Field Customization > New Custom Field.
 
  • Next, create a custom button and include the logic to schedule an appointment.
  • Create a custom button for the Customers and Vendors module by selecting Preferences > Customers and Vendors > Custom Buttons > New.
InfoBook meeting custom button function Deluge code - Please find code snippet as an attachment in the post
  • In the above code, the Get Contacts API of Zoho Books is invoked through the InvokeURL method using the predefined connection to get the contact/customer details for whom the appointment has to be scheduled in Zoho Bookings. Refer to this post to get complete details on the parameters required to call the InvokeURL method.
  • From the API response, the required details are fetched from which the start time (custom field data) is formatted to the way required by the Zoho Bookings API.
  • Next, the Zoho Bookings API to get the service ID and staff ID are invoked consecutively through the InvokeURL method using the custom connection created.
  • The Book appointment API is used to schedule the appointment using the service ID, the staff ID obtained from the Zoho Bookings API, and customer details obtained previously via the Zoho Books API.
  • Finally, using the update contact Zoho Books API, the Zoho Bookings calendar URL is updated in the custom field created to display the calendar booking URL.
We've now completed the extension setup for our use case.

After testing and publishing the extension, as per our use case, you can book a meeting for a Zoho Books customer through Zoho Bookings and have your Zoho Bookings calendar reflected inside Zoho Books as well.

z
This is an example demonstration of the benefits of using a custom connection in a Zoho Books extension. This is a versatile use case that may even be used to schedule an internal meeting with your Zoho Books teammates who are working on a project. Similarly, this use case can be enhanced and implemented based on your needs.

We hope you found this information useful. Keep following us for more tips.

SEE ALSO

    • Recent Topics

    • Send emails directly via Cases module

      Greetings all, The ability to send emails from the Cases module, which users have been eagerly anticipating, is now available, just like in the other modules. In Zoho CRM, Cases is a module specifically designed for managing support tickets. If your organization

    • Seeking a WhatsApp Business App (not API) Zoho CRM integration

      We have a business need to integrated WhatsApp Business App (not API) into Zoho CRM to centrally manage communications between our Sales team and Leads & Contact. Is there a reputable integration available for this scenario of ours? Core features we would

    • Zoho Sign 2025–2026: What's new and what's next

      Hello! Every year at Zoho Sign, we work hard to make document signing and agreement execution easy for all users. This year we sat down with our head of product, Mr. Subramanian Thayumanasamy, to discuss what we delivered in 2025 and our goals for 2026.

    • Force mandatory entry on one of two fields on Contacts

      We are finding our users aren't always entering a phone number or email address of a contact.  We would like to make these fields mandatory but realize they won't always have both pieces of information, but should at least have one. Is there a way to make either the Phone number OR Email Address fields mandatory on the Contacts screen.  We want to make sure they fill in at least one of those fields. Is this possible?

    • Removing To or CC Addresses from Desk Ticket

      I was hoping i could find a way to remove unnecessary email addresses from tickets submitted via email. For example, a customer may email the support address AND others who are in the helpdesk notification group, in either the TO or CC address. This results

    • 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.

    • Intergrating multi location Square account with Zoho Books

      Hi, I have one Square account but has multiple locations. I would like to integrate that account and show aggregated sales in zoho books. How can I do that? thanks.

    • Is there a way to configure dark mode for Campaigns emails that go out to customers?

      I've found a lot of information on how to configure dark mode for my (The user) personal Zoho workspace and email, but is there any way to edit dark mode settings on emails that we send out to customers via campaigns?  We sent out a test email the other

    • Can I hide empty Contact fields from view?

      Some contacts have a lot of empty fields, others are mostly filled. Is there a way I can hide/show empty fields without changing the actual Layout? I would like to de-clutter my view, and also be able to add information later as I am able. I would be

    • CRM x WorkDrive: We're rolling out the WorkDrive-powered file storage experience for existing users

      Release plan: Gradual rollout to customers without file storage add-ons, in this order: 1. Standalone CRM 2. CRM Plus and Zoho One DCs: All | Editions: All Available now for: - Standalone CRM accounts in Free and Standard editions without file storage

    • Auto-publish job openings on my Zoho Recruit Careers Website

      I have developed a script using the Zoho Recruit API that successfully inserts new jobOpening records to my Zoho Recruit website, but my goal is to auto-publish to the Careers Website. The jobOpening field data shows two possible candidates to make this

    • Zoho Recruit - Email Relay

      Good day, Has anyone succeeded in setting up an email relay for Office 365? If I add the details from https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/pop-imap-and-smtp-settings-8361e398-8af4-4e97-b147-6c6c4ac95353, I get the connection error. Regards, Eka

    • Credit Card Terminal for Zoho Books

      Hello, Instead of punching the credit card number manually for customer payment, do you have a third-party hardware credit card reader that works with Braintree? Thank You

    • How do you print out the invoices comments

      I have some invoices where i need to print out the comments that show when reminders and etc were sent how do we print those out in Zoho Books.

    • Feature Request: Enable Custom PDF Layout Editor for All Modules (Including Package Slips)

      Hello Zoho Community and Product Team, I am writing to share a suggestion that would significantly enhance the customization capabilities within Zoho Books. We all appreciate the power of the Custom PDF Layouts (the "New" template engine) that allows

    • Need advice for product/item search functionality when adding invoices.

      My client uses "Catalog or Vendor" name and Product code to search for his items. But Zoho only allow to search by product name and SKU when adding items to Invoices/Estimates. Clients product codes are not unique as they may overlap from different catalogs/vendors.

    • How to dynamically pass IDs from one API response to a second API call in Zoho DataPrep?

      Hi Team, I am setting up a global consolidated reporting pipeline in Zoho Analytics (India) using Zoho DataPrep as the ETL engine. I am pulling data from multiple Zoho Books Data Centers (US, Singapore, India) thats why i used the URL Source (OAuth 2.0)

    • Please can the open tasks be shown in each customer account at the top.

      Hi there This has happened before, where the open tasks are no longer visible at the top of the page for each customer in the CRM. They have gone missing previously and were reinstated when I asked so I think it's just after an update that this feature

    • Zoho Recruit -> Exchange Online Relay

      HI! I have tried to connect Recruit to our MS 365 Exchange Online without any luck. I use this guide https://help.zoho.com/portal/en/kb/recruit/outreach/email-relay/articles/email-relay-zoho-recruit#Configuring_Email_Relay_Settings Do anyone have the

    • Feature Request: "Send Invitation" Toggle for Events

      I am writing to request a critical "Quality of Life" update for the Activities module. Currently, adding people to the Participants field in an Event triggers an automatic email invitation/acceptance tracking with no way to opt-out. For general events

    • Account Review Pending - Daily Limit 100

      Hi ZeptoMail Team, I'm writing to request a manual review of my account. I am currently stuck on the 100-email daily limit and cannot purchase credits. Status: My domain is already verified (DKIM/CNAME). Issue: The "Customer Validation" option is no longer

    • Automation Series: Move Tasks to a different Task List on Status Change

      In Zoho Projects, you can automatically move a task from one task list to another when its status is updated. This keeps your tasks organised and ensures better visibility while reducing manual work. For instance, during a product launch, the marketing

    • Introducing Bigin's all new integration with Microsoft Teams

      Picture this: You are on call with your team to discuss some important deals that need to be closed soon. While discussing each deal, your team has to switch back and forth between your Teams account and Bigin account to refer to details about the deal.

    • Scaling the customer journey: What's new in CommandCenter

      Dear Customers, The last time we connected about CommandCenter, it was about the tool's new controls and revamped UI. Personally, the overhaul of the UI from the last update, still excites me. Today, we're here with news about its scalability and added

    • Adjusting Physical Inventory

      Not getting very far with support on this one, they say they are going to fix it but nothings happened since November. Please give this a thumbs up if you would like to see this feature or comment if you have some insight. Use Case: Inventory set to be

    • Dynamic Remaining Quantity in Lookup During Allocation

      Hi everyone, From what I understand in Zoho Creator, lookup fields only display the stored value from the source record and do not dynamically update while a form is being filled. Because of this, showing a real-time updated remaining quantity inside

    • Is it possible to use HTML formatting in SMS messages sent from Zoho?

      Hi everyone, I have a question regarding sending SMS from Zoho When we send emails from Zoho, we can include HTML code to format the message (like adding links, styling, etc.). Is it possible to do something similar when sending SMS messages through Zoho

    • Important update: Migrate to the new SalesIQ live chat widget before April 14, 2026

      This is a final reminder to migrate to the new SalesIQ Live Chat Widget before April 14, 2026. The old live chat widget will be deprecated after this date. To continue providing a faster and more engaging chat experience, we recommend upgrading to the

    • If your IM chats aren’t auto-assigning, here’s what to check

      Hey everyone! We’ve been seeing quite a few questions around Instant Messaging (IM) Chat Routing in Zoho Desk, especially around how it actually behaves in real time. So I thought I’d share a practical breakdown of what’s happening behind the scenes.

    • connect zoho creator with google drive

      Hello everyone, I need to connect to a folder drive. The idea, is that google drive loads a text document with some data, I must read that text document to be able to autofill a form that I have in zoho creator with that data. I also attach PDFs and place

    • Uploaded files are not included when using "Include user submitted data" in Email Notification

      In Send Email notification workflow in Zoho Creator, there is an option called "Include user submitted data" which allows the email to contain all the form submission details. However, when this option is enabled, files or images uploaded through File

    • Extend Zoho Canvas Customization to Zoho Creator Forms and Reports

      Currently, Zoho Canvas allows users to design and customize the UI of Zoho CRM modules with a much better visual experience. This helps organizations create cleaner layouts, improve usability, and design interfaces that match their workflows. However,

    • Kanban View for Projects.

      At our organization, we describe active projects with various statuses like "In Proofing" or "Printing" or "Mailing". In the Projects view, one can set these project statuses by selecting from the appropriate drop-down. While this works, it's difficult to view and comprehend the progress of all of your projects relative to each other in a table. Creating a Kanban view for projects where I can move them from one status to another allows me to see where each project is in the order of our workflow.

    • Option to Automatically Publish Job Openings to the Career Website via API or Workflow

      Currently, when creating Job Openings using the Zoho Recruit API, the records are successfully inserted into the system. However, there is no way to automatically publish these Job Openings to the Career Website. In the Job Opening field data, there are

    • Request to Customize Module Bar Placement in New Zoho CRM UI

      Hello Support and Zoho Community, I've been exploring the new UI of Zoho CRM "For Everyone" and have noticed a potential concern for my users. We are accustomed to having the module names displayed across the top, which made navigation more intuitive

    • Button ''I'm Interested'' won't translate

      Since our main platform is in French, I would like to get this ''I'm Interested'' button translated to French ''Je suis intéressé''. We managed to translate the whole carreer site in French, except the button. How come ? We have a standard subscription,

    • Feature request - image resizing on sales orders

      I need to be able to show the items on the sales orders, currently the item image shows really small and no way to resize it, need the ability to make the image larger to showcase the product on the pdfs

    • ZOHO.CRM.UI.Record.open not working properly

      I have a Zoho CRM Widget and in it I have a block where it will open the blocks Meeting like below block.addEventListener("click", () => { ZOHO.CRM.UI.Record.open({ Entity: "Events", RecordID: meeting.id }).catch(err => { console.error("Open record failed:",

    • "Unlink" Advance from Bill without Deleting the Payment Record

      I am writing to highlight a significant workflow issue in Zoho Books (India Edition) regarding Vendor Advances and Bills. The Scenario: I recorded an Advance Payment to a vendor. I matched/reconciled this payment in the Banking module. I received a Bill

    • Email Parser Not Extracting Fields Correctly with Certain Label Formats

      I’ve been testing the Email Parser functionality in Zoho CRM to automatically extract data from incoming emails and map it to CRM fields. During testing, I noticed that parsing sometimes fails when the email contains field labels formatted like this:

    • Next Page