Kaizen #187 - Building a Timer and Worklog Widget (Part 1)

Kaizen #187 - Building a Timer and Worklog Widget (Part 1)



Howdy Tech Wizards!

Welcome back to a fresh week of Kaizen! 

This time, we are diving into a two-part series where you will learn how to build a Timer and Worklog Widget for Zoho CRM. This widget helps track active work time and log multitasking sessions using Zoho CRM APIs, Client Script, Functions, and Workflows.

Why It Matters?

Zoho CRM effectively captures stage/status transitions, like tracking when a case moves from Open to In Progress or On Hold. However, in dynamic work environments, employees juggle multiple work items and engage in impromptu tasks or conversations. 

Let’s take the On Hold status as an example. 

While it can be used to indicate pauses in progress, it does not always align with real-world workflows. Consider these scenarios:

Not all interruptions justify a status change 

Moving the case to On Hold for every minor detour (to clarify something with a colleague or respond to another emergency work item) would be impractical and could lead to under reporting actual work hours. Over time, this untracked effort adds up, creating a gap in visibility.

Frequent status changes may dilute their meaning 

In many teams, On Hold signifies a legitimate blocker like waiting on customer input or an external dependency. Using it frequently to reflect quick shifts in attention could compromise that clarity. 

A timer widget solves this by:
  • Capturing hands-on work items.
  • Logging context switches (unrelated tasks) with descriptive entries.
  • Feeding structured entries into a custom module for reporting and subform sync.

Business Scenario: IT Service Desk & Ticket Resolution

A tech support team uses the Cases module to resolve customer issues. Some tickets are straightforward; others require follow-ups, escalations, or cross-team coordination. While CRM timestamps (like stage transitions or picklist tracking) track when changes happen, they do not reflect how long someone actively worked on a case.

This Timer Widget can be the ultimate solution to track down the active time spent on each case through out the day.

What are we Building?

By the end of this two-part guide, you will know how to:
  • Build a timer widget to track time per task or any CRM record.
  • Log work sessions into a custom module every time the timer is started/stopped.
  • Automatically populate a subform in the corresponding record module using workflows and Deluge functions.
  • Leverage the Reports module to analyze work patterns, SLA adherence, and productivity trends.
 In Part I, we will focus on:
-> Building and configuring the Timer Widget.
-> Capturing each timed session as a record in a custom module.

Prerequisites

1. Create a Custom Module

Create a custom module named Timer Entries to log work details and generate reports from the Reports module. A new record will be added to this module each time a timer is started.

Set up the following custom fields in the Timer Entries module:

Custom Fields
Data Type
Start Time
DateTime
End Time
DateTime
Total Duration (in mins.)
Formula 
DateBetween(${Timer Entries.Start Time},${Timer Entries.End Time},'Minutes')
Related to Case
Lookup to Cases module
Work Description
Multi Line


2. Add a custom picklist option

Add a custom picklist option called In Progress to the Status picklist field in the Cases module for precisely identifying the status of the cases. 

Follow this Add/Remove Picklist Values help section for more details. 

3. Setup Custom Views for Contextual Filtering

To streamline the widget experience and ensure users only see relevant records to associate while tracking time, set up two smart custom views—one in the Cases module and another in the Timer Entries module. 

Active Cases View (Cases Module)

Create a custom view in the Cases module to list only the active tickets the logged-in user is working on. Use the following criteria tips:
  • Use the Status field to filter records with values like In Progress, On Hold, or Escalated.
  • Use the Case Owner field to show records that are assigned only to the currently logged-in user.
This view powers the drop-down inside the widget where users select the case they want to start the timer for.
Active Timers View (Timer Entries Module)

Set up a second custom view in the Timer Entries module to track entries where the timer has been started but not yet stopped. These represent active timers. Use the following logic for criteria:
  • The End Time field is empty (i.e., timer still running).
  • Timer Entry owner field matches the logged-in user.
This view is used internally by the widget to detect if a timer is already running and update the same entry once the timer is stopped.
Follow the Managing List View help page and use the specifications shown in the following image.

Building the Timer Widget 

Step -1: Review Basics

Refer to our earlier Kaizen on CLI Installation, Creating a Widget Project, and Internal hosting of the same.

Step 2 - Develop the Widget

After initializing your widget project using CLI, implement the timer logic:

Fetching Active Cases

On page load, the populateRecordsDropdown function initiates a Get Records API call to the Cases module, using the Active Cases custom view ID. This fetches all active case records assigned to the logged-in user. 

These records are then listed in a dropdown, allowing users to quickly select the relevant case they are about to work on.

async function populateRecordsDropdown() {
            const recordsDropdown = document.getElementById("moduleRecords");
            recordsDropdown.innerHTML = ""; 

            try {
                const recordsResponse = await ZOHO.CRM.API.getAllRecords({
                    Entity: casesModule,
                    cvid: casesCVID,
                    per_page: 10
                });

                if (recordsResponse.data && recordsResponse.data.length > 0) {
                    recordsResponse.data.forEach(record => {
                        const option = document.createElement("option");
                        option.value = record.id;
                        option.textContent = record.Subject || "Unnamed Record"; 
                        recordsDropdown.appendChild(option);
                    });
                } else {
                    const placeholderOption = document.createElement("option");
                    placeholderOption.value = "";
                    placeholderOption.textContent = "No records found";
                    placeholderOption.disabled = true;
                    placeholderOption.selected = true;
                    recordsDropdown.appendChild(placeholderOption);
                }
            } catch (error) {
                console.error("Error fetching records:", error);
            }
        }

Starting the Timer and Creating an Entry

Once the user starts the timer, The createRecord function triggers a Create Record API call to log the session in the Timer Entries custom module. The record captures the start time and the related case and description (if provided).

Even if no details are entered or case is selected, a timer entry is still created with the start time. This ensures that spontaneous work sessions are tracked and not lost.

async function createRecord(startTime) {
            try {
                const workDescription = document.getElementById("workDescription").value;
                const selectedRecordId = document.getElementById("moduleRecords").value;
                const selectedRecordText = document.getElementById("moduleRecords").options[
                    document.getElementById("moduleRecords").selectedIndex
                ].text;

                const data = {
                    Start_Time: startTime,
                    Owner: currentUserId,
                    Work_Description: workDescription,
                    Related_to_Case: selectedRecordId, 
                    Name: selectedRecordText 
                };

                const response = await ZOHO.CRM.API.insertRecord({
                    Entity: timerModule,
                    APIData: data
                });

                console.log("Start time recorded successfully");
            } catch (error) {
                console.error("Error creating record:", error);
            }
        }


Stopping the Timer and Updating the Entry

When the timer is stopped, the widget uses the Active Timer Entry custom view to locate the most recent Timer Entry record created by the logged-in user that does not have an end time. 

The updateRecord is then triggered to update that active entry using the Update Record API call. It updates the End time of the session and the related case, descriptions, if it was not already provided when the timer was started.

async function updateRecord(endTime) {
            try {
                const workDescription = document.getElementById("workDescription").value;
                const selectedRecordId = document.getElementById("moduleRecords").value;

                const response = await ZOHO.CRM.API.getAllRecords({
                    Entity: timerModule,
                    cvid: timerEntriesCVID,
                    per_page: 1
                });

                const latestRecord = response.data[0];
                if (latestRecord) {
                    const recordId = latestRecord.id;
                    const data = {
                        id: recordId,
                        End_Time: endTime,
                        Work_Description: workDescription,
                        Related_to_Case: selectedRecordId 
                    };

                    await ZOHO.CRM.API.updateRecord({
                        Entity: timerModule,
                        APIData: data,
                        RecordID: recordId
                    });
                    console.log("End time updated successfully");
                }
            } catch (error) {
                console.error("Error updating record:", error);
            }
        }

Step 3 - Validate and Pack the Widget

  • Follow the steps given in the Widget help page to validate and package the widget.
  • Go to Zoho CRM > Setup > Developer Hub > Widgets and click Create New Widget.
  • Fill in the required details as shown in this image and ensure to select Button as the widget type.

Step 4 - Associate it with Flyout

  • Go to Setup > Developer Space > Client Script. Click New Script.
  • Enter a name and description for the script. Choose Command type in Category. 

  • Create a Flyout and render a widget within it using its details like the API name of the widget, title, size, and animation type. You can get the Widget API name from the widget's detail page. 
let allowedUserEmails = [];
allowedUserEmails.push('user1_email_address');
allowedUserEmails.push('user2_email_address');
allowedUserEmails.push('user3_email_address');
let currentUserEmail = $Crm.user.email;
if (allowedUserEmails.indexOf(currentUserEmail) == -1) {
    ZDK.Client.showMessage('Command access resticted', { type: 'error' });
    return false;
}
ZDK.Client.createFlyout('myFlyout', {header: 'Timer', animation_type: 4, height: '600px', width: '500px', top: '10px', left: '10px', bottom: '10px', right: '10px' });
ZDK.Client.getFlyout('myFlyout').open({ api_name: 'Timer', type: 'widget' });
return true;

Refer to Creating a Client Script help page for more details. 

Try It Out!

A complete working code sample of this widget is attached to this post.

Now, let us see how this Timer widget works:

1. Start the Timer 

Open the widget and select an active case from the dropdown. As soon as you start the timer, a new record will be automatically created in the Timer Entries module to capture the session.

2. Stop the Timer 

When the task is complete, provide a description of the work you have done and stop the timer. The same Timer Entry record (created when the timer was started) will be updated automatically with the end time and your work description.

This forms the foundation for accurate time tracking at the record level. 

In Part 2, we will show how to:

-> Use a workflow and Deluge function to transfer these entries into the Work Log subform inside the relevant Cases record.
-> Use CRM Reports to slice and dice work time for better SLA and productivity insights.

In the meantime, would you like us to address any of your pain-points or have a topic to discuss? Let us know in the comments or reach out to us via support@zohocrm.com.

Until next time, Happy Coding! 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Related Reading

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Idea
Previous Kaizen: Client Script Support for Subforms | Kaizen Collection: Directory


    • 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

    • Zoho Flow Decision Continuing Despite Not Meeting Conditions

      I have a picklist field called Lead Status in the leads module, with the following lead Statuses: New Lead Attempted Contact - 1 Attempted Contact - 2 Attempted Contact - 3 Attempted Contact - 4 Attempted Contact - 5 Attempted Contact - 6 Attempted Contact

    • Tip #55- Accessibility Controls in Zoho Assist: Exploring Vision Settings- 'Insider Insights'

      As we approach the end of the year, it’s a good moment to reflect on how we can make our tools more inclusive and easier to use for everyone. Remote support often involves long hours in front of screens, varied lighting conditions, and users with different

    • Zoho Recruit Slow and Freezing on all screens

      We have had an issue with Zoho Recruit for weeks being extremely slow and at times freezing.  We have 100 mega internet, and I went into each computer and updated the virtual memory so there is more available.  Also restarted all computers daily.  Still having the issues.  Almost unable to work.

    • Credit Management: #2 Configuring Right Payment Terms for Credit Control

      Think about the last time you ordered something online and saw that little note at the checkout, "Pay on Delivery" or "Pay later". It's simple, but it actually sets the tone. As a business owner, you know exactly when payment is expected. Now, imagine

    • Dependent (Conditional) Fields in Zoho Bookings Forms

      Hello Zoho Bookings Team, Greetings, We would like to request the ability to create dependent (conditional) fields in Zoho Bookings registration forms. Current Limitation: There is currently no way to make one field’s available options depend on the value

    • Bug Report: Search fails to find existing notes after Evernote import

      Hello, I recently migrated from Evernote (~2600 notes across 23 notebooks), but the search functionality is currently broken. The Issue: I can manually browse to a specific note and see it exists. However, when I type the exact or partial title of that

    • Marketing Tip #13: Win repeat customers with post-purchase emails

      The relationship with your customer doesn’t end after the sale; that’s when it begins. A thoughtful post-purchase message shows customers you appreciate them, keeps your brand top of mind, and can even lead to another sale. You can thank them, ask for

    • Zoho Form

      I have problem with Zoho Form. One of form i don't received the PDF version. Others okay except this one. W904533

    • Create & Update Zoho Vault Passwords via Zoho Flow

      Hi Zoho Flow / Zoho Vault Team, We’d like to request an enhancement to the Zoho Vault integration in Zoho Flow. Current Limitation: At the moment, Zoho Flow supports only the following selected Zoho Vault actions, such as: Fetch passwords, Share passwords

    • Custom Related List Inside Zoho Books

      Hello, We can create the Related list inside the zoho books by the deluge code, I am sharing the reference code Please have a look may be it will help you. //..........Get Org Details organizationID = organization.get("organization_id"); Recordid = cm_g_a_data.get("module_record_id");

    • Migrate different zoho subscription to zoho one

      Dear We have different zoho subscription we need to migrate it to zoho one. Currently we are paying for zoho email, zoho expense, zoho payroll etc under different admin We need to move it too zoho one flexlible plan for all my employees

    • Features, Feedback and Votes

      We’re launching the Feedback Forum for our customers. This is 'THE' place where you can add everything you’d like to see in Zoho Books. If you don't find the specific feature you need, simply add it so others can also vote for it. While we cannot promise

    • There Might Be A Glitch in Determining If A String Represents A URL

      I suspect there might be a glitch in determining if a string represents a URL or not. For example, I cannot embed the following URL. Perhaps the exclamation mark or parentheses are the culprit? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_the_Grinch_Stole_Chri

    • Customer Management: #4 Enhance Customer Journey

      When Neha started DefineOps, a growing IT support and consulting firm, most of her work was straightforward. A client would sign up for a free version, decide whether the service works for them, and then either continue or discontinue. Billing was simple,

    • Android app sync problem - multiple devices have same problem

      Hello, I am having a problem with synchronization in the Android app. When I create a drawing, the data does not sync correctly—only a blank note is created without the drawing. I tested this on multiple devices, including phones and tablets, and the

    • Marketing Tip #1: Optimize item titles for SEO

      Your item title is the first thing both Google and shoppers notice. Instead of a generic “Leather Bag,” go for something detailed like “Handcrafted Leather Laptop Bag – Durable & Stylish.” This helps your items rank better in search results and instantly

    • Territory Assignment Issues (Lead to Account + Contact)

      1. Lead → Account & Contact Territory Assignment on Conversion A Lead is automatically assigned one or more territories using a workflow and Lead Assignment Rules. This works as expected, and we are able to assign multiple territories to a Lead automatically.

    • Marketer's Space: Proven tips to improve open rates – Part II

      Hello Marketers! Welcome back to another post in Marketer's Space! We're continuing from where we left off a fortnight ago. We ended the previous post discussing the subject line, and we'll continue from there. Let's dive right in. Pre-header Pre-header

    • SQL Table slowed to a crawl

      Hi all - I seem to have noticed an update. Now whenever I am typing in the script field for the SQL tables there is a huge delay and it is all very slow. This has never been the case for me in over 5 years of using Analytics - I really hope it's fixed

    • Deluge Events/search API works in user environment but not in sandbox – why?

      I am creating an Extension for Zoho CRM using Zoho Sigma Platform I’m using the following Deluge code to search Events in Zoho CRM based on Start_DateTime: criteria = "(Start_DateTime:greater_than:2025-12-20T00:00:00+00:00)"; url = "crm/v8/Events/search?criteria="

    • What are Zoho Meeting capabilities included in Zoho Workplace Standard?

      I am evaluating using Zoho Meeting for my organization, but it is not clear what Zoho Meeting capabilities are already included in Zoho Workplace Standard. - Are meeting recordings included in Workplace Standard? - Can we invite external meeting participants

    • How can I get the participant list of a reoccurring meeting afterwards?

      I'm trying to use the Meeting Participant Report from the API docs but when I call it on a reoccurring meeting it returns that there are no participants because it thinks I'm talking about the meeting in the future. Is there a way to use webhooks or some

    • Function #50: Send Mass emails to your customers

      Hello everyone, and welcome back to our series! We have reached a milestone of 50 Functions, which means that we have automated 50 different tasks in Zoho Books. Every Friday, we have shared a nifty function aimed at either automating a task or streamlining

    • Full Hebrew Language Support for Client-Side Zoho Assist Interface

      Dear Zoho Assist Team, We would like to request an enhancement to Zoho Assist's client-side interface to support full Hebrew language customization, including all popups, notifications, and session-related messages. Current Limitation The Join page allows

    • Add Hebrew & RTL Support to Feedback Widget

      Hello Zoho Desk Team, How are you? We are using Zoho Desk and would like to utilize the Feedback Widget. While Zoho Desk itself supports Hebrew and RTL, the Feedback Widget unfortunately does not. We kindly request that Hebrew and full RTL support be

    • Merge Tickets Directly from Contact Page in Zoho Desk

      Dear Zoho Desk Support Team, We are writing to request a new feature that would allow users to easily merge tickets directly from the contact page in Zoho Desk. Currently, the only option to merge tickets is from the Tickets list view page, which can

    • Different languages for users

      Hello, Do you plan to enable individual users to select their languages for interface? Currently language can be changed for everyone - it looks like a settings for a whole portal, which is not good when you are working internationally. Best regards,

    • 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

    • 2025年 Zoho コミュニティ 活動の振り返り 🎉

      ユーザーの皆さん、こんにちは！コミュニティチームの中野です。 2025年も多くの学びと出会いがあったZoho コミュニティ。 本記事では今年の活動を振り返りながら、フォーラムの投稿・参加者の皆さん・イベントのハイライトをご紹介していきます。 目次 フォーラム：注目の投稿 フォーラム：多くの貢献をしてくださった方々 ユーザー交流会振り返り ワークアウト振り返り その他のトピックス 1. フォーラム：注目の投稿 本フォーラムでは様々な議論と知識の共有が行われました。 ユーザーの皆さんが日々の業務で直面する課題を投稿し、経験豊富なユーザーさん達が実践的な解決策を提供してくださいました。

    • Customer Management: #3 Giving Customers Control & Privilege

      Rio, the founder of RenoTech Solutions, a fast-growing digital service company, found itself juggling a dozen different services for its clients. They handled one-time setup fees, recurring monthly invoices, and custom milestone-based billing for projects.

    • Can I use a Standalone CRM Function as the Callback URL For Async Export Data API?

      I am creating an export job using this API https://www.zoho.com/analytics/api/v2/bulk-api/export-data-async/create-export/view-id.html There is a "callbackUrl" key in the CONFIG object. I tried copying the URL for a standalone function in CRM which can

    • Add RTL (Right-to-Left) Text Direction Support Across All Zoho Learn Editing Interfaces

      Hi Zoho Learn Team, Hope you're doing well. We would like to request an important enhancement to Zoho Learn regarding support for right-to-left (RTL) languages such as Hebrew and Arabic. 🔹 Current Issue While the Knowledge Base Article editor provides

    • Add Hebrew Support for Meeting Transcripts Provided by ZIA in Zoho Cliq

      Hi Zoho Cliq Team, Hope you're doing well. We would like to request the addition of Hebrew language support for the Meeting Transcript and Summary feature in Zoho Cliq. Currently the transcript and summary feature is available for recorded meetings and

    • Remote Control Functionality During Screen Sharing in Zoho Cliq

      Hello Zoho Cliq Team, We would like to request the addition of remote control functionality during screen sharing sessions in Zoho Cliq. Currently, while screen sharing in Cliq is very useful, it lacks the ability for another participant to take control

    • Centralized Organization Information Management in Zoho One

      Dear Zoho One Support, I'm writing to propose a feature that would significantly improve the user experience and streamline data management within Zoho One. Current Challenge: Currently, managing organization information across various Zoho One apps requires

    • Enhance Zoho One Conditional Assignment to Fully Reassign App Settings When Changing Departments

      Hi Zoho Team, We’d like to submit a feature request regarding the current behavior of Zoho One’s conditional assignment logic when moving a user between departments. 🔧 Current Limitation As it stands, Zoho One’s conditional assignment does not remove

    • Ability to Filter Alias Mailboxes in Zoho Recruit

      Dear Zoho Recruit Team, I hope you are doing well. We would like to request a feature enhancement regarding the handling of alias mailboxes in Zoho Recruit. Currently, when we connect an alias mailbox (e.g., jobs@domain.com) from our Zoho One account

    • Automatic Department and Employee Sync Between Zoho One and Zoho People

      Dear Zoho Support, I'm writing to propose a valuable feature request that would streamline data management and improve user experience within the Zoho ecosystem: automatic synchronization between departments and employees in Zoho One and Zoho People.

    • Prefered Bin Missing in android APP

      Andoroid app dosent show preferred bin in the picklist. The workaround support reccomend is to use the computre to create the picklist. it shuld be information to be shown aas basic for the pciker.

    • Open Sans Font in Zoho Books is not Open Sans.

      Font choice in customising PDF Templates is very limited, we cannot upload custom fonts, and to make things worse, the font names are not accurate. I selected Open Sans, and thought the system was bugging, but no, Open Sans is not Open Sans. The real

    • Next Page