Kaizen 179: Choosing between ZDK CLI and Web UI : When to Use Each

Kaizen 179: Choosing between ZDK CLI and Web UI : When to Use Each


Hello everyone, 
Welcome back! ZDK CLI uses commands to manipulate with Zoho CRM metadata from a terminal.  While Zoho CRM Web UI remains the primary tool for manipulating Zoho CRM metadata like creating modules, configuring fields/layouts etc., using ZDK CLI has its own advantages.  In this post, we will explore scenarios where each option excels, empowering developers and administrators to make informed decisions as per their requirements. Let's dive in!

Smith, a consultant at TechSolutions Inc. (a Zoho CRM Partner), is enhancing the Deals module for Springfield University, to align it with their admissions workflow. Springfield University is using customized Zoho CRM  for  learning management system (LMS). The Deals module now tracks student enrollment stages ( "Application Received," "Scholarship Review," and "Admission Offer Sent") instead of the sales pipeline. To support this, Smith needs to add a custom field like “Financial Aid Status” to the Deals module. 

Should he use Zoho CRM UI or ZDK CLI?

 For simple changes like adding this field, Smith would use the Zoho CRM UI—it’s faster. But this raises the question-

When does a customization demand use of ZDK CLI?

The answer becomes clear with Smith’s next project: customizing Zoho CRM for Brookside University. He has to create customizations for Student Management, Course Management, Admissions, Finances, etc., which takes days or even weeks. If Smith were to use the Zoho CRM UI , he has to navigate through multiple tabs in the setup and creates them one by one. When his customization is done in the sandbox, he completes testing it and deploys it to the sandbox environment.  Smith designs a Student Dashboard Widget that displays a student’s academic progress, attendance, extracurricular activities, and advisor notes in one place. For creating the widget, he uses the ZET CLI tool in terminal and after development he packages it separately and upload it to Zoho CRM. 

If Smith opts for ZDK CLI to build the customizations, he can create modules, fields, layouts, roles, and profiles directly from the terminal. He can use ZET commands in ZDK CLI project directory for developing the widget and can add the widget to the Zoho CRM through ZDK CLI.

By leveraging ZDK CLI alongside Version Control Systems like Git or Mercurial, Smith along with his team mates ensures every customization is traceable. Git logs resolve disputes like “Who modified the Admissions pipeline?”. Using ZDK CLI with VCS facilitates team collaboration. One team member can build up on another team member's work.

Riding on the success wave of Brookside University’s LMS integration, Smith’s firm, TechSolutions Inc., now needs to replicate the same Zoho CRM customization for their next project. Without ZDK CLI, Smith would have to do it all over again: manually rebuilding every module, field, and widget through the UI.

With ZDK CLI, the effort required is minimal.
  • Using zdk org:export command, Smith can export the metadata of Brookside University. 
  • He can use the exported files and "tweak" them to suit the needs of his new project.
  • Using zdk org:push  command, he can deploy the refined configuration to the new environment.
ZDK CLI transforms CRM customization from a manual process into a repeatable strategy—ensuring TechSolutions Inc.’s  growth.

When to Use ZDK CLI 

  • Bulk Metadata Management: You can use ZDK CLI to pull the metadata from one organization which has metadata customizations for LMS, make minor changes, and deploy it for a different CRM organization which needs customizations for the same.
  • Version Control of metadata changes: With ZDK CLI you can use Version Control Systems like  Git/Mercurial to track and manage metadata changes made by different team members, clearly showing who made updates and when, enabling transparency. This also makes it easy to revert changes if issues arise.
  • Collaboration - Reuse Components: Using ZDK CLI you can easily export your local metadata changes with zdk org:export, which creates a zip file of the the crm directory in your local ZDK CLI project. You can share this zip file with your fellow developers to collaborate seamlessly by building on each other’s work. You can also achieve the same using VCS. Checkout our previous Kaizen post on using ZDK CLI with git: Leveraging ZDK CLI with VCS to reuse components across different Zoho CRM org. 
  • Widget Development: You can create and update widgets via CLI commands.You can use ZET commands in ZDK CLI project directory and widgets can be added to your organization from the terminal itself without the need of packaging the widget.
  • Automate commands: You can automate ZDK CLI commands using scripts, reducing manual intervention. Take a look at this Kaizen post where we discuss a shell script designed to automate the process of pushing locally modified metadata along with conflict management.
  • Conflict Resolution:  Conflict resolution in ZDK CLI guarantees that changes done does not get accidentally overwritten.  Resolve merge conflicts with zdk org:pull:resolve, which opens a browser-based diff editor to reconcile code differences.

Best Practices

  • Use ZDK CLI for development in sandbox environments and the Web UI for minor fixes and to deploy it to Production environment.
  • Pull configurations via CLI (zdk org:pull) before major edits to maintain a backup.
  • For developing widgets zet commands along with ZDK CLI commands in the terminal.
  • Refrain from making simultaneous changes via Web UI and ZDK CLI to prevent conflicts.
  • If you are unfamiliar with a command, use zdk help command for to check the description of the command.
  • Though ZDK CLI lacks the visual simplicity of the Web UI, pairing it with IDEs like VSCode improves its usability.

Notes
For the current beta release, ZDK CLI will exclusively be available for Sandbox environment and will not be operational in Production environments. 

We hope you found this post useful. We will meet you next week with another interesting topic!
If you have any questions, let us know in the comment section.

Happy Customizing!





    • Sticky Posts

    • Kaizen #198: Using Client Script for Custom Validation in Blueprint

      Nearing 200th Kaizen Post – 1 More to the Big Two-Oh-Oh! Do you have any questions, suggestions, or topics you would like us to cover in future posts? Your insights and suggestions help us shape future content and make this series better for everyone.

    • 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

    • Kaizen #222 - Client Script Support for Notes Related List

      Hello everyone! Welcome to another week of Kaizen. The final Kaizen post of the year 2025 is here! With the new Client Script support for the Notes Related List, you can validate, enrich, and manage notes across modules. In this post, we’ll explore how

    • Kaizen #217 - Actions APIs : Tasks

      Welcome to another week of Kaizen! In last week's post we discussed Email Notifications APIs which act as the link between your Workflow automations and you. We have discussed how Zylker Cloud Services uses Email Notifications API in their custom dashboard.

    • Kaizen #216 - Actions APIs : Email Notifications

      Welcome to another week of Kaizen! For the last three weeks, we have been discussing Zylker's workflows. We successfully updated a dormant workflow, built a new one from the ground up and more. But our work is not finished—these automated processes are

    • Recent Topics

    • Adding non-Indian billing address for my Zoho subscription

      Hey Need help with adding a non-Indian billing address for my Zoho subscription, trying to edit the address to my Singapore registered company. Won't let me change the country. Would appreciate the help. Regards, Rishabh

    • How to create one ZohoCRM organisation out of a multi-organization?

      Hi, we have a multi-org including two different Zoho CRM organizations for two companies using respectively EUR and USD as default currency. I was wondering if there is any easy way to merge the two organizations into just one, so that users may access

    • Gray screen while signing documents

      We are all getting a "gray" screen when trying to sign documents in Zoho sign. Anyone else having issues?

    • Projects custom colors replaced by default orange

      Since yesterday, projects uploaded to Zoho, to which I had assigned a custom color, have lost the customization and reverted to the default color (orange). Has anyone else had the same problem? If so, how did you resolve it?

    • Interview booked through Invite but no Notifications

      We have a workflow that was developed through a developer/partner that was tested and worked. Today, we pushed a candidate through the process and invited them to an in-office interview. They were sent the booking link (as usual and as tested before successfully)

    • Automatiser la gestion des SLA dans Zoho Desk avec Zoho Contracts

      Les équipes du service client s’efforcent d’assurer un support rapide, régulier et fiable pour garantir la satisfaction de chaque client. Les accords de niveau de service (SLA) permettent de clarifier les engagements en définissant les termes et conditions

    • iOS App doesn't refresh for Document Creation

      Hello Zoho team, I have created a workflow to be used on a mobile iOS device which starts in Zoho Creater and ends with a murge and store function that then opens the newly created document within the Zoho Writer app. This process is working great however

    • Uploading a signed template from Sign to Creator

      Good day, Please help me on how to load a signed document back into Creator after the process has been completed in Sign. Below is the code that I am trying, pdfFile = response.toFile("SignedDocument_4901354000000372029.pdf"); info pdfFile; // Attach

    • Zoho DataPrep and File Pattern configuration

      I'm using Zoho data prep to ingest data from One Drive into Zoho Analytics... The pipeline is super simple but I can't any way to get all the files that I need. Basically I need to bring all the files with a certain pattern and for that I'm using a regex

    • Assistance needed: Activation of a domain

      Hello Zoho Support, I purchased the .com domain "primesolva.com" via Zoho 6 days ago. The domain is still pending, and I cannot access the DNS panel to add the TXT verification for domain ownership. Please confirm the registration status and help me activate

    • Operation not permitted

      I am trying to add an email address to the list of user but I am getting error Operation not permitted

    • Request to Permanently Delete Email User (info@mehbobgulf.com ) from Old Organization

      Please permanently delete the user email info@mehbobgulf.com It is still associated with my old Zoho organization. I cannot delete it because it shows ‘You cannot delete email. Zoho host’. I need to use this email in a new Zoho account.”

    • Client host [89.36.170.5] blocked using Spamhaus

      Hello please make make actions for delist ..... "Client host [89.36.170.5] blocked using Spamhaus"

    • Suggestion: Option to Re-run a migration

      As I'm going through a migration process, I like the IMAP migration tool, but it would be better if there were an option to re-run the same migration as configured. There's not even an option to copy/edit one that's already there. Just run if it hasn't

    • Issue with "Add Your Mobile Number"

      Hello, I am trying to sign up for email service for a domain name, and I cannot finish the authentication. When I enter my mobile number, I receive the message "We’re unable to send OTP to this mobile number. Please contact support-as@zohocorp.com". I

    • zoho mail non vérifié

      Bonjour, Il y'a un jour que j'ai acheté un domaine et toute les tentatives pour l'associé a mon compte shopify son vaine. j'ai essayé TXT sans suite après, j'ai essayer avec CNAME sans suite. j'aurais besoin de votre assistance pour associé mon mail.

    • Unable to send message;Reason:553 Relaying disallowed. Invalid Domain

      i have facing the issue "Unable to send message;Reason:553 Relaying disallowed. Invalid Domain" if i verify domain evertthing i did but still face the same error.

    • ZohoMail is so close to being Perfect BUT

      Why don’t you have HILIGHTING???!! I've been trying to find a substitute for Edison Mail but I want & need hilighting (preferably in more than just yellow)! Is this even on your To Do list? I’m so disappointed. 🙄

    • Override Auto Number field?

      We are preparing to migrate from Salesforce. In Salesforce, we auto-generate a unique number on our Opportunities (Potentials). If the Opportunity results in a contract, we use that unique number as the Contract number. There are some situations where

    • Using a third party service provider want to move directly with Zoho

      Hi good day I’m currently using Zoho but I’m using a third party service provider I want to move directly with you guys I’m using Zoho email and invoices and my domain please let me know if it’s possible to move away from the third party provider my email

    • Request for Assistance Regarding Email Sending Issue (554 5.1.8 - Email Outgoing Blocked)

      Dear Zoho Support Team, I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to request assistance with an issue we are currently facing regarding our Zoho Mail account. Our email account, admin@tuyensinhcanuoc.com, is encountering the following error when

    • Zoho Mail API returns empty inbox (0 messages) but webmail shows 37 unread emails

      Hello, I'm experiencing a discrepancy between Zoho Webmail and the Mail API (EU region). **Setup:** - Account: EU datacenter (mail.zoho.eu) - API: Self Client OAuth2 via api-console.zoho.eu - Scopes: ZohoMail.messages.READ, ZohoMail.messages.UPDATE, ZohoMail.folders.READ,

    • ShipStation and Zoho Inventory

      Hello, I am looking to sync zoho inventory with shipstation ZOHO INVENTORY           SHIP STATION Sales Order  ==>  create ORDERS INVOICE  <==    Shipments What exactly does BETA mean on the Shipstation connector?  This is required for me to sign-on in the next month. Thanks in advance for your efforts

    • E

      We are trying to add our Zoho Form embed in our Elementor Page Builder. After adding Zoho Forms widget in elementor page builder it’s displaying in backend page builder but it’s giving 403 error while trying to save, as it’s not reflecting in front end.

    • Connecting Zoho Inventory to ShipStation

      we are looking for someone to help connect via API shipStation with Zoho inventory. Any ideas? Thanks. Uri

    • custom module import.

      Is there a way to import data into a custom module? Thanks Rudy

    • HEIC File Type Viewer

      Hi, It would be nice to be able to click on the images in the All Entries/Reports Tables which are HEIC the same as JPG, PNG, etc. so they open in a viewer from Zoho or the Attachment Service, today HEIC requires you to download each image and open it

    • 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)

    • Building Toppings #4 - Setting up and using connections in Bigin toppings

      When building a topping to extend Bigin's functionality and connect it with third-party applications, creating and handling connections is an important step. Connections provide a secure way for your topping to authenticate and communicate with other

    • Need code format to specify default values

      Can someone please direct me to the code syntax or the proper translation per the instructions circled below. These instructions don't seem correct.

    • AI Interview Insights: Turn Recorded Interviews into Quick Transcripts & Summaries

      Evaluating interviews shouldn’t require replaying long recordings or taking manual notes. With AI Interview Insights, you can now review complete transcripts and AI-generated summaries of your One-way (Recorded) interviews right inside Zoho Recruit. This

    • Record payment: Payment Mode vs. Deposit To and how to "connect" them!?

      How do we set up that when we choose:  "Payment Mode"= Cash, then "Deposit to" is automatically set to Petty Cash, and if we choose  "Payment Mode"= Check, then "Deposit to" is automatically set to Undeposited Checks, and if we choose  "Payment Mode"=

    • Grouping Undeposited Funds to Move to other accounts

      In the bank option it would be nice to check what transactions in undeposited funds I want to move to other accounts. Then while checking this it can accumulate totals and created whats essentially a deposit slip. Once the transaction is moved it should

    • Facing email delivery issues? Verify your domain's DNS records

      Have you ever wondered why your legitimate emails are landing in the recipient’s spam folder? Or been surprised to see emails sent from your registered domain getting rejected by recipient email servers? Why does this happen? In most cases, this happens

    • Order of Departments in Help Desk

      In the end user portal, , the departments are sorted by the date of creation of the department (or perhaps their id). Is there a way to choose the display order of the departments or at least to be able to sort them alphabetically?

    • COGS - Account showing negetive

      I have multiple COGS account and in these all there is one account is negetive so suggest why it is showing negetive value.?

    • Create CRM Deal from Books Quote and Auto Update Deal Stage

      I want to set up an automation where, whenever a Quote is created in Zoho Books, a Deal is automatically created in Zoho CRM with the Quote amount, customer details, and some custom fields from Zoho Books. Additionally, when the Sales Order is converted

    • %PaymentLink%

      Does not work. Software creates a BAD link. ....and yes payment options are turned on. Link on the invoice pdf once opened will work but this template is a joke.

    • Google Photos

      I am hoping that my question already has a fix. I current have Google synced accounts that I want to get away from. One in particular on is Google photos. Is there any software, or 3rd parties that I can join to back my photos up straight to specifically designated file in the ZOHO cloud that's tied to Docs? Please advise... Mike 

    • Zoho Books Items Categorisation/Grouping/Folder

      Is there a way to do items categorisation? a folder structure? Product Type A - Option 1/2/3 Product Type B - Option 1/2/3 Current problem : I have more than 50 items on the list, its hard for team to navigate.

    • Next Page