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 :
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".

- inputs = List();
- 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"});
- 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"});
- 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"});
- 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.
- emailIdList = list();
- successlist = list();
- failedlist = list();
- try
- {
- info form;
- formValues = form.get("values");
- columnName = formValues.get("headername");
- headerName = formValues.get("headername");
- if(formValues.get("import_Type").get("value") == "zohosheet")
- {
- url = formValues.get("url");
- spreadSheetId = url.getPrefix("?").getSuffix("open/");
- sheetName = url.getSuffix("?").getPrefix("&").getSuffix("=");
- worksheetname = sheetName.replaceAll(" ","%20");
- columnName = columnName.replaceAll(" ","%20");
- allDatas = list();
- params = Map();
- params.put("column_names",columnName);
- params.put("method","worksheet.records.fetch");
- params.put("worksheet_id",sheetName + "#");
- sheetDetails = invokeurl
- [
- url :"https://sheet.zoho"+environment.get("tld")+"/api/v2/" + spreadSheetId
- type :GET
- parameters:params
- connection:"addbulkusers"
- ];
- info sheetDetails;
- if(sheetDetails.get("status") == "success" && sheetDetails.get("records").size() <= 1000)
- {
- allDatas.addAll(sheetDetails.get("records"));
- }
- else if(sheetDetails.get("status") == "success" && sheetDetails.get("records").size() > 1000)
- {
- return {"type":"form_error","text":"I can only able to add 1000 user. Kindly try passing with 1000 records in the sheet!!!"};
- }
- else
- {
- return {"type":"form_error","text":"I can't find any email ids. Kindly re-check the column name and header row!!!"};
- }
- info "allData: " + allDatas.size();
- if(allDatas.size() > 1000)
- {
- return {"type":"form_error","text":"I can only able to add 1000 user. Kindly try passing with 1000 records in the sheet!!!"};
- }
- for each data in allDatas
- {
- if(data.get(formValues.get("headername")) == null)
- {
- return {"type":"form_error","text":"I can't find any email ids. Kindly re-check the column name and header row!!!"};
- }
- emailIdList.add(data.get(formValues.get("headername")));
- if(emailIdList.size() == 100)
- {
- channelID = formValues.get("channels").get("id");
- params = {"email_ids":emailIdList};
- info "Params: " + params;
- addUsers = invokeurl
- [
- url :environment.get("base_url") + "/api/v2/channels/" + channelID + "/members"
- type :POST
- parameters:params.toString()
- detailed:true
- connection:"addbulkusers"
- ];
- info "Adduser: " + addUsers;
- if(addUsers.get("responseCode") == "204")
- {
- successlist.addAll(emailIdList);
- }
- else
- {
- failedlist.addAll(emailIdList);
- }
- info "100: " + emailIdList.size();
- emailIdList = list();
- }
- }
- if(emailIdList.size() > 0)
- {
- channelID = formValues.get("channels").get("id");
- params = {"email_ids":emailIdList};
- info "Params: " + params;
- addUsers = invokeurl
- [
- url :environment.get("base_url") + "/api/v2/channels/" + channelID + "/members"
- type :POST
- parameters:params.toString()
- detailed:true
- connection:"addbulkusers"
- ];
- info "Adduser: " + addUsers;
- if(addUsers.get("responseCode") == "204")
- {
- successlist.addAll(emailIdList);
- }
- else
- {
- failedlist.addAll(emailIdList);
- }
- info "Email id: " + emailIdList;
- }
- info "Successlist: " + successlist;
- info "Failedlist: " + failedlist;
- if(successlist.size() > 0 && failedlist.size() > 0)
- {
- postMessage = {"text":"Successfully added " + successlist.size() + " member(s) and failed for " + failedlist.size() + " Member(s)"};
- }
- else if(successlist.size() > 0 && !failedlist.size() > 0)
- {
- postMessage = {"text":"Successfully added " + successlist.size() + " member(s)"};
- }
- else if(!successlist.size() > 0 && failedlist.size() > 0)
- {
- postMessage = {"text":"Adding members in channel failed for " + failedlist.size() + " member(s)"};
- }
- info zoho.cliq.postToChat(chat.get("id"),postMessage);
- }
- else
- {
- csvFile = formValues.get("csvFile");
- csvFile = csvFile.getfilecontent();
- allDatas = csvFile.toList("\n");
- i = 0;
- indexValue = 0;
- indexBoolean = false;
- for each data in allDatas
- {
- if(i == 0)
- {
- headers = data.toList(",");
- for each header in headers
- {
- info header;
- if(headerName == header)
- {
- indexBoolean = true;
- indexValue = headers.indexOf(headerName);
- }
- }
- if(indexBoolean == false)
- {
- return {"type":"form_error","text":"I can't find any email ids. Kindly re-check the column name and header row!!!"};
- }
- }
- else
- {
- emailIdList.add(data.get(indexValue));
- }
- i = i + 1;
- if(emailIdList.size() == 100)
- {
- channelID = formValues.get("channels").get("id");
- params = {"email_ids":emailIdList};
- info "Params: " + params;
- addUsers = invokeurl
- [
- url :environment.get("base_url") + "/api/v2/channels/" + channelID + "/members"
- type :POST
- parameters:params.toString()
- detailed:true
- connection:"addbulkusers"
- ];
- info "Adduser: " + addUsers;
- if(addUsers.get("responseCode") == "204")
- {
- successlist.addAll(emailIdList);
- }
- else
- {
- failedlist.addAll(emailIdList);
- }
- info "100: " + emailIdList.size();
- emailIdList = list();
- }
- }
- if(emailIdList.size() > 0)
- {
- channelID = formValues.get("channels").get("id");
- params = {"email_ids":emailIdList};
- info "Params: " + params;
- addUsers = invokeurl
- [
- url :environment.get("base_url") + "/api/v2/channels/" + channelID + "/members"
- type :POST
- parameters:params.toString()
- detailed:true
- connection:"addbulkusers"
- ];
- info "Adduser: " + addUsers;
- if(addUsers.get("responseCode") == "204")
- {
- successlist.addAll(emailIdList);
- }
- else
- {
- failedlist.addAll(emailIdList);
- }
- }
- info "Successlist: " + successlist;
- info "Failedlist: " + failedlist;
- if(successlist.size() > 0 && failedlist.size() > 0)
- {
- postMessage = {"text":"Successfully added " + successlist.size() + " member(s) and failed for " + failedlist.size() + " Member(s)"};
- }
- else if(successlist.size() > 0 && !failedlist.size() > 0)
- {
- postMessage = {"text":"Successfully added " + successlist.size() + " member(s)"};
- }
- else if(!successlist.size() > 0 && failedlist.size() > 0)
- {
- postMessage = {"text":"Adding members in channel failed for " + failedlist.size() + " member(s)"};
- }
- info zoho.cliq.postToChat(chat.get("id"),postMessage);
- }
- }
- catch (e)
- {
- info e;
- return {"type":"form_error","text":"I can't find any email ids. Kindly re-check the column name and header row!!!"};
- }
- 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.
- targetName = target.get("name");
- info targetName;
- inputValues = form.get("values");
- info inputValues;
- actions = list();
- if(targetName.containsIgnoreCase("import_Type"))
- {
- fieldValue = inputValues.get("import_Type").get("value");
- info fieldValue;
- if(fieldValue == "csv")
- {
- actions.add({"type":"add_after","name":"import_Type","input":{"label":"CSV File","name":"csvFile","placeholder":"Please upload a zCSV File","mandatory":true,"type":"file"}});
- actions.add({"type":"remove","name":"url"});
- }
- else if(fieldValue == "zohosheet")
- {
- 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"}});
- actions.add({"type":"remove","name":"csvFile"});
- }
- }
- 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.
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