Bulk user onboarding for Cliq Channels in a jiffy

As developers, we frequently switch between coding, debugging, and optimizing tasks. The last thing we want is to be burdened by manual user management. Adding users one by one to a channel is tedious and prone to errors, taking up more time than we could devote to actual development. 

Let's explore how to create a custom workflow using Cliq's platform components to streamline the process of bulk-adding users to a channel via a Zoho Sheet or CSV file. This approach facilitates a smooth onboarding experience without the need for manual effort.

---

Pre-requisite :

Before beginning to script the code below, we must create a connection with Zoho Cliq. Once a connection is created and connected, you can use it in Deluge integration tasks and invoke URL scripts to access data from the required service.

Create a Zoho Oauth default connection with any unique name and the scopes -  ZohoCliq.Channels.All and ZohoSheet.dataApi.ALL

Refer to the below links to learn more :

• Connections in Cliq
  
• Zoho Cliq REST API Documentation
  

---

Step 1  : Creation of slash command

• After a successful login in Cliq, hover to the top right corner and click your profile. Post clicking, navigate to Bots & Tools > Commands.
  
• At your right, click the button - Create Command.
  
• To know more about slash commands and their purposes, refer to Introduction to slash commands.
  
• Create a slash command using your preferred name. Specify the following details: the command name, a hint (to give users an idea of what the command is for), and the access level.
  
• Finally, click "Save & edit code".
  

1. inputs = List();
2. inputs.add({"name":"channels","label":"Pick a channel","placeholder":"Choose a channel where you need to add members","max_selections":"1","multiple":false,"mandatory":true,"type":"native_select","data_source":"channels"});
3. inputs.add({"name":"headername","label":"Header name","placeholder":"Email ID","hint":"In which the Email ID is present","min_length":"0","max_length":"25","mandatory":true,"type":"text"});
4. inputs.add({"type":"radio","label":"Import type","name":"import_Type","hint":"Choose a type that you need to import users","options":[{"label":"CSV","value":"csv"},{"label":"Zoho sheet","value":"zohosheet"}],"trigger_on_change":"true"});
5. return {"name":"addbulkuser","type":"form","title":"Add bulk users","hint":"To add maximum of upto 1000 users in a channel.","button_label":"Add Users","inputs":inputs,"action":{"type":"invoke.function","name":"addbulkusers"};

Step 2  : Scripting form function

• We need to create a function for the form that manages submission responses, including the Zoho Sheet link or CSV file, the name of the column containing the email addresses, and the channel details where users should be added in bulk.
  
• Hover to the top right corner and click your profile. After clicking, navigate to Bots & Tools > Functions.
  
• To your right, click the Create Function button.
  
• Name the function "addbulkusers," provide a description as desired, and select "form" as the function type. Then, click "Save and edit code," and paste the following code.
  

1. emailIdList = list();
2. successlist = list();
3. failedlist = list();
4. try 
5. {
6. info form;
7. formValues = form.get("values");
8. columnName = formValues.get("headername");
9. headerName = formValues.get("headername");
10. if(formValues.get("import_Type").get("value") == "zohosheet")
11. {
12. url = formValues.get("url");
13. spreadSheetId = url.getPrefix("?").getSuffix("open/");
14. sheetName = url.getSuffix("?").getPrefix("&").getSuffix("=");
15. worksheetname = sheetName.replaceAll(" ","%20");
16. columnName = columnName.replaceAll(" ","%20");
17. allDatas = list();
18. params = Map();
19. params.put("column_names",columnName);
20. params.put("method","worksheet.records.fetch");
21. params.put("worksheet_id",sheetName + "#");
22. sheetDetails = invokeurl
23. [
24. url :"https://sheet.zoho"+environment.get("tld")+"/api/v2/" + spreadSheetId
25. type :GET
26. parameters:params
27. connection:"addbulkusers"
28. ];
29. info sheetDetails;
30. if(sheetDetails.get("status") == "success" && sheetDetails.get("records").size() <= 1000)
31. {
32. allDatas.addAll(sheetDetails.get("records"));
33. }
34. else if(sheetDetails.get("status") == "success" && sheetDetails.get("records").size() > 1000)
35. {
36. return {"type":"form_error","text":"I can only able to add 1000 user. Kindly try passing with 1000 records in the sheet!!!"};
37. }
38. else
39. {
40. return {"type":"form_error","text":"I can't find any email ids. Kindly re-check the column name and header row!!!"};
41. }
42. info "allData: " + allDatas.size();
43. if(allDatas.size() > 1000)
44. {
45. return {"type":"form_error","text":"I can only able to add 1000 user. Kindly try passing with 1000 records in the sheet!!!"};
46. }
47. for each  data in allDatas
48. {
49. if(data.get(formValues.get("headername")) == null)
50. {
51. return {"type":"form_error","text":"I can't find any email ids. Kindly re-check the column name and header row!!!"};
52. }
53. emailIdList.add(data.get(formValues.get("headername")));
54. if(emailIdList.size() == 100)
55. {
56. channelID = formValues.get("channels").get("id");
57. params = {"email_ids":emailIdList};
58. info "Params: " + params;
59. addUsers = invokeurl
60. [
61. url :environment.get("base_url") + "/api/v2/channels/" + channelID + "/members"
62. type :POST
63. parameters:params.toString()
64. detailed:true
65. connection:"addbulkusers"
66. ];
67. info "Adduser: " + addUsers;
68. if(addUsers.get("responseCode") == "204")
69. {
70. successlist.addAll(emailIdList);
71. }
72. else
73. {
74. failedlist.addAll(emailIdList);
75. }
76. info "100: " + emailIdList.size();
77. emailIdList = list();
78. }
79. }
80. if(emailIdList.size() > 0)
81. {
82. channelID = formValues.get("channels").get("id");
83. params = {"email_ids":emailIdList};
84. info "Params: " + params;
85. addUsers = invokeurl
86. [
87. url :environment.get("base_url") + "/api/v2/channels/" + channelID + "/members"
88. type :POST
89. parameters:params.toString()
90. detailed:true
91. connection:"addbulkusers"
92. ];
93. info "Adduser: " + addUsers;
94. if(addUsers.get("responseCode") == "204")
95. {
96. successlist.addAll(emailIdList);
97. }
98. else
99. {
100. failedlist.addAll(emailIdList);
101. }
102. info "Email id: " + emailIdList;
103. }
104. info "Successlist: " + successlist;
105. info "Failedlist: " + failedlist;
106. if(successlist.size() > 0 && failedlist.size() > 0)
107. {
108. postMessage = {"text":"Successfully added " + successlist.size() + " member(s) and failed for " + failedlist.size() + " Member(s)"};
109. }
110. else if(successlist.size() > 0 && !failedlist.size() > 0)
111. {
112. postMessage = {"text":"Successfully added " + successlist.size() + " member(s)"};
113. }
114. else if(!successlist.size() > 0 && failedlist.size() > 0)
115. {
116. postMessage = {"text":"Adding members in channel failed for " + failedlist.size() + " member(s)"};
117. }
118. info zoho.cliq.postToChat(chat.get("id"),postMessage);
119. }
120. else
121. {
122. csvFile = formValues.get("csvFile");
123. csvFile = csvFile.getfilecontent();
124. allDatas = csvFile.toList("\n");
125. i = 0;
126. indexValue = 0;
127. indexBoolean = false;
128. for each  data in allDatas
129. {
130. if(i == 0)
131. {
132. headers = data.toList(",");
133. for each  header in headers
134. {
135. info header;
136. if(headerName == header)
137. {
138. indexBoolean = true;
139. indexValue = headers.indexOf(headerName);
140. }
141. }
142. if(indexBoolean == false)
143. {
144. return {"type":"form_error","text":"I can't find any email ids. Kindly re-check the column name and header row!!!"};
145. }
146. }
147. else 
148.             {
149. emailIdList.add(data.get(indexValue));
150.             }
151. i = i + 1;
152. if(emailIdList.size() == 100)
153. {
154. channelID = formValues.get("channels").get("id");
155. params = {"email_ids":emailIdList};
156. info "Params: " + params;
157. addUsers = invokeurl
158. [
159. url :environment.get("base_url") + "/api/v2/channels/" + channelID + "/members"
160. type :POST
161. parameters:params.toString()
162. detailed:true
163. connection:"addbulkusers"
164. ];
165. info "Adduser: " + addUsers;
166. if(addUsers.get("responseCode") == "204")
167. {
168. successlist.addAll(emailIdList);
169. }
170. else
171. {
172. failedlist.addAll(emailIdList);
173. }
174. info "100: " + emailIdList.size();
175. emailIdList = list();
176. }
177. }
178. if(emailIdList.size() > 0)
179. {
180. channelID = formValues.get("channels").get("id");
181. params = {"email_ids":emailIdList};
182. info "Params: " + params;
183. addUsers = invokeurl
184. [
185. url :environment.get("base_url") + "/api/v2/channels/" + channelID + "/members"
186. type :POST
187. parameters:params.toString()
188. detailed:true
189. connection:"addbulkusers"
190. ];
191. info "Adduser: " + addUsers;
192. if(addUsers.get("responseCode") == "204")
193. {
194. successlist.addAll(emailIdList);
195. }
196. else
197. {
198. failedlist.addAll(emailIdList);
199. }
200. }
201. info "Successlist: " + successlist;
202. info "Failedlist: " + failedlist;
203. if(successlist.size() > 0 && failedlist.size() > 0)
204. {
205. postMessage = {"text":"Successfully added " + successlist.size() + " member(s) and failed for " + failedlist.size() + " Member(s)"};
206. }
207. else if(successlist.size() > 0 && !failedlist.size() > 0)
208. {
209. postMessage = {"text":"Successfully added " + successlist.size() + " member(s)"};
210. }
211. else if(!successlist.size() > 0 && failedlist.size() > 0)
212. {
213. postMessage = {"text":"Adding members in channel failed for " + failedlist.size() + " member(s)"};
214. }
215. info zoho.cliq.postToChat(chat.get("id"),postMessage);
216. }
217. }
218. catch (e)
219. {
220. info e;
221. return {"type":"form_error","text":"I can't find any email ids. Kindly re-check the column name and header row!!!"};
222. }
223. return Map();

Step 3  : Configuring form change handler

• After copying and pasting the code into the form submission handler, navigate to the form change handler for the created form function.
  
• You can find this in the top left corner of the editor, where you will see an arrow next to the form submission handler. Clicking on this arrow will display the form change handler in a dropdown menu.
  
• Click it to edit the code in the form change handler, which is necessary for real-time modifications to a form's structure or behaviour based on user input in a specific field. 
  

1. targetName = target.get("name");
2. info targetName;
3. inputValues = form.get("values");
4. info inputValues;
5. actions = list();
6. if(targetName.containsIgnoreCase("import_Type"))
7. {
8. fieldValue = inputValues.get("import_Type").get("value");
9. info fieldValue;
10. if(fieldValue == "csv")
11. {
12. actions.add({"type":"add_after","name":"import_Type","input":{"label":"CSV File","name":"csvFile","placeholder":"Please upload a zCSV File","mandatory":true,"type":"file"}});
13. actions.add({"type":"remove","name":"url"});
14. }
15. else if(fieldValue == "zohosheet")
16. {
17. actions.add({"type":"add_after","name":"import_Type","input":{"name":"url","label":"Enter the sheet url","placeholder":"https://sheet.zoho.com/sheet/open/6xhgb324f142e91d845e5b4b472f7422379c9","min_length":"0","max_length":"400","mandatory":true,"type":"text","format":"url"}});
18. actions.add({"type":"remove","name":"csvFile"});
19. }
20. }
21. return {"type":"form_modification","actions":actions};
    

Business use cases:

• HR onboarding: Seamlessly add new employees to internal communication channels.
  
• Event management: Quickly invite attendees to event-specific channels.
  
• Education platforms: Enroll students in course groups in one go.
  
• Community building: Grow large communities by importing member lists effortlessly.
  

Bottom line

Bulk user addition in Cliq channels through Zoho Sheet or CSV files allows us to eliminate tedious tasks, reduce errors, and manage large-scale data effortlessly. Is onboarding consuming too much of your valuable development time? If so, it might be time to shake things up with a customized workflow!

We're here to help, so don't hesitate to reach out to support@zohocliq.com with any questions or if you need assistance in crafting even more tailored workflows.

• Topic Participants

• Harsha SS

  

• Sticky Posts

• Automating Employee Birthday Notifications in Zoho Cliq

  Have you ever missed a birthday and felt like the office Grinch? Fear not, the Cliq Developer Platform has got your back! With Zoho Cliq's Schedulers, you can be the office party-cipant who never forgets a single cake, balloon, or awkward rendition of

• Automate attendance tracking with Zoho Cliq Developer Platform

  I wish remote work were permanently mandated so we could join work calls from a movie theatre or even while skydiving! But wait, it's time to wake up! The alarm has snoozed twice, and your team has already logged on for the day. Keeping tabs on attendance

• Customer payment alerts in Zoho Cliq

  For businesses that depend on cash flow, payment updates are essential for operational decision-making and go beyond simple accounting entries. The sales team needs to be notified when invoices are cleared so that upcoming orders can be released. In contrast,

• Accelerate Github code reviews with Zoho Cliq Platform's link handlers

  Code reviews are critical, and they can get buried in conversations or lost when using multiple tools. With the Cliq Platform's link handlers, let's transform shared Github pull request links into interactive, real-time code reviews on channels. Share

• App Spotlight : PagerDuty for Zoho Cliq

  App Spotlight brings you hand-picked apps to enhance the power of your Zoho apps and tools. Visit the Zoho Marketplace to explore all of our apps, integrations, and extensions. In today's fast-paced world, seizing every moment is essential for operational

• Recent Topics

• CRM

  Is anyone else experiencing this issue? Our company is not moving out of using Gmail's web app. It just has more features and is a better email program than Zoho Mail. Gmail has an extension (Zoho CRM for Gmail) that we're using but we've found some serious

• Syncing with Google calendar, Tasks and Events

  Is it possible to sync Zoho CRM calendar, task and events with Google Calendar's tasks and events. With the increasing adoption by many major tool suppliers to sync seamlessly with Google's offerings (for instance I use the excellent Any.do task planning

• How can i view "Child" Accounts?

  It can be very useful in our field of business to know the parent-child account relationship. However, there seems to be a shortcoming in the parent account view: no child account list. How can we view the child accounts per each account?

• Easily perform calculations using dates with the new DATEDIF function

  Hey Zoho Writer users! We've enhanced Zoho Writer's formula capabilities with the new DATEDIF function. This allows you to calculate the difference between dates in days, months, and years. Function syntax: =DATEDIF(start_date, end_date, unit) Inputs:

• Adding Comments Using Workflows - How to Change User Attributed

  We have worklflows in Desk where a comment is added to a ticket based on certain criteria. It seems that the comment added is always attributed to the user who last edited the workflow. This does not make sense for us because: - It's misleading to other

• Add Attachment Support to Zoho Flow Mailhook / Email Trigger Module

  Dear Zoho Support Team, We hope you are well. We would like to kindly request a feature enhancement for the Mailhook module in Zoho Flow. Currently, the email trigger in Zoho Flow provides access to the message body, subject, from address, and to address,

• Conect chat of salesiq with zoho cliq

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

• Les dernières avancées en saisie de données et collaboration

  Après une année dédiée à la recherche et au développement, notre équipe est prête à dévoiler des améliorations majeures pour Zoho Sheet. Ces nouveautés seront lancées par étapes afin d’en assurer une prise en main optimale. Nous commençons avec des fonctionnalités

• Rich Text For Notes in Zoho CRM

  Hello everyone, As you know, notes are essential for recording information and ensuring smooth communication across your records. With our latest update, you can now use Rich Text formatting to organize and structure your notes more efficiently. By using

• Implement Meeting Polls in Zoho Bookings

  Dear Zoho Bookings Support Team, We'd like to propose a feature enhancement related to appointment scheduling within Zoho Bookings. Current Functionality: Zoho Bookings excels at streamlining individual appointment scheduling. Users can set availability

• Service Account Admin for API Calls and System Actions

  Hello, I would like to request the addition of a Service Account Admin option in Zoho product. This feature would allow API calls and system actions to be performed on behalf of the system, rather than an active user. Current Issue: At present, API calls

• 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

• How to Customize Task Creation to Send a Custom Alert Using JavaScript in Zoho CRM?

  Hello Zoho CRM Community, I’m looking to customize Zoho CRM to send a custom alert whenever a task is created. I understand that Zoho CRM supports client scripts using JavaScript, and I would like to leverage this feature to implement the alert functionality.

• Send Whatsapp with API including custom placeholders

  Is is possible to initiate a session on whatsapp IM channel with a template that includes params (placeholders) that are passed on the API call? This is very usefull to send a Utility message for a transactional notification including an order number

• Add Israel & Jewish Holidays to Zoho People Holidays Gallery

  Greetings, We hope you are doing well. We are writing to request an enhancement to the Holidays Gallery in Zoho People. Currently, there are several holidays available, but none for Israel and none for Jewish holidays (which are not necessarily the same

• ZO25: The refreshed, more unified, and intelligent OS for business

  Hello all, Greetings from Zoho One! 2025 has been a remarkable year, packed with new features that will take your Zoho One experience to the next level! From sleek, customizable dashboards to an all-new action panel for instant task management, we’ve

• Introducing Multi-Asset Support in Work Orders, Estimates, and Service Appointments

  We’re excited to announce a highly requested enhancement in Zoho FSM — you can now associate multiple assets with Work Orders, Estimates, and Service Appointments. This update brings more clarity, flexibility, and control to your field service operations,

• [Product Update] Locations module migration in Zoho Books integration with Zoho Analytics

  Dear Customers, As Zoho Books are starting to support an advance version of the Branches/Warehouses module called the Locations module, users who choose to migrate to the Locations module in Zoho Books will also be migrated in Zoho Analytics-Zoho Books

• Introducing Schedules for smarter availability management

  Greetings from the Zoho Bookings team! We’re excited to introduce Schedules, a powerful enhancement to manage availability across your workspace. Schedules are reusable working-hour templates that help you define and maintain consistent availability across

• Why Zoho Contracts Prefers Structured Approvals Over Ad-hoc Approvals

  Approvals are one of the most important stages in a contract’s lifecycle. They determine whether a contract moves forward, gets revised, or needs further discussion. The approval process also defines accountability within the organization. Zoho Contracts

• Whatsapp Connection Status still "Pending" after migration

  Hello, I migrated my WhatsApp API to Zoho from another provider a day ago. So far the connection status is still “Pending”. There is a problem? How long does it usually take?

• Kaizen #226: Using ZRC in Client Script

  Hello everyone! Welcome to another week of Kaizen. In today's post, lets see what is ZRC (Zoho Request Client) and how we can use ZRC methods in Client Script to get inputs from a Salesperson and update the Lead status with a single button click. In this

• How to Filter timewise question to check uploaded one month or two months before in these community question ?

  i want to find the question that is asked some month or before any particular year, so how can i filter it ?

• Proposal for Creating a Unique "Address" Entity in Zoho FSM

  The "Address" entity is one of the most critical components for a service-oriented company. While homeowners may change and servicing companies may vary, the address itself remains constant. This constancy is essential for subsequent services, as it provides

• Workflow Down/Bug

  We have a workflow that sends an email to one of our internal departments 10 minutes after a record is created in a custom module. The workflow actually works correctly. However, we have now noticed that on January 8, between 3:55 p.m. and 4:33 p.m.,

• Service Locations: Designed for Shared Sites and Changing Customers

  Managing service addresses sounds simple—until it isn’t. Large facilities, shared sites, and frequently changing customers can quickly turn address management into an operational bottleneck. This is where Service Locations deliver clarity and control.

• Can I re-send the Customer Satisfaction Survey after a ticket closure?

  Hello, Some customers does not answer the survey right after closure, is it possible to re-send after a few days or weeks? Best Regards!

• Filter contacts based on selected category in Zoho Desk ticket

  Hello community, I’m setting up the Tickets module in Zoho Desk and I need help implementing the following: When a category is selected in a ticket, I want the Contact field to be filtered so that it only displays contacts that are related to that category.

• Profile Page View Customization

  I need to change the fields, sections from the profile view of an emplyoyee.

• Zoho Desk Android app update: Filter, Sort and Saved filters Enhancements

  Hello everyone! We are excited to introduce the below features on the Android version Zoho Desk mobile app: 1. Filter & Sort support has been introduced for the Contacts and Accounts modules. 2. Sort options is now available in Custom Modules as well.

• Accessing shared mailboxes through Trident (Windows)

  Hi, I have a created a couple of shared mailboxes. The mailboxes are showing up on the browser based Zoho workplace, but I cannot seem to figure out how to access my shared inboxes through Trident (Windows). Am I missing something or is this feature not

• filtering lookup field options based on information in another module.

  In our CRM system. We have the standard Accounts and Deals modules. We would like to introduce the ability to classify Accounts by Sector. Our desired functionality is to have a global list of all sectors that an Account can select, with the ability to

• Service op locatie organiseren met Zoho FSM: waar lopen organisaties tegenaan?

  Bij organisaties met service teams op locatie merken we vaak dat de complexiteit niet zozeer in de planning zelf zit, maar in wat er rond die planning gebeurt. Denk aan opvolging na interventies, consistente servicerapporten, en het bijhouden van installaties

• Introducing Assemblies and Kits in Zoho Inventory

  Hello customers, We’re excited to share a major revamp to Zoho Inventory that brings both clarity and flexibility to your inventory management experience! Presenting Assemblies and Kits We’re thrilled to introduce Assemblies and Kits, which replaces the

• Does the ability exist to make tax on the customer profile mandatory?

  I am reaching out to inquire about the possibility of making the "Customer Tax" field mandatory when creating a new customer in Zoho. We want to ensure that all customers have their tax information recorded to maintain compliance with our internal processes.

• email association with CRM

  Why is it 2024 (almost 2025) and Zoho has not figured out how to integrate email with CRM? It is so inconsistent at associating emails within CRM. I am an attorney. I have clients and work with other attorneys. Attorney John Doe is associated with multiple

• Credit Note for Shipped and Fatoora pushed invoices

  We have shipped a Sales Order and created an Invoice. The Invoice is also pushed to Fatoora Now we need to create a credit note for the invoice When we try it, it says we need to create a Sales Return in the Zoho Books, we have already created a Sales

• FSM - Timesheet entires for Internal Work

  Hi FSM Team, Several of my clients have asked how they can manage internal timesheets within Zoho FSM. Since their technicians already spend most of their day working in FSM, it would be ideal if they could log all working hours directly in the FSM app.

• Add a way of clearing fields values in Flow actions

  It would be great if there was an option to set a field as Null when creating flows. I had an instance today where I just wanted to clear a long integer field in the CRM based on an action in Projects but I had to write a custom function. It would be

• Role Management

  I am creating an analytics dashboard for a company that will be utilized by its various departments such as Finance, Marketing, and HR. My goal is to design the dashboard with separate tabs for each department. Additionally, I plan to implement role-based

• Next Page