Kaizen #57 - Mass Update API in Zoho CRM

Kaizen #57 - Mass Update API in Zoho CRM

Hello everyone!

Welcome back to yet another post in the Kaizen series.
This week, we will discuss the Mass Update API in Zoho CRM.

In this post, we will cover the following:
1. Introduction
2. Mass Update Records API 
3. Schedule Update and Get Status
4. Common errors pertaining to the Mass Update API
5. FAQs regarding the Mass Update API

1. Introduction

Generally, there can be cases where you might need to update the same field for multiple/all records in a module. To avoid the tediousness of the task, Zoho CRM offers Mass Update API to update the values of specific fields in multiple records in a module. The request requires field API names, record IDs, the custom view ID, and territory ID as input depending on the type of mass update you intend to perform. 

Mass Update can occur in 2 different ways:
a. Scheduler Type: When you specify the custom view ID and the territory ID, a job gets scheduled in the background. In the response, the system returns a "job_id" which you can use to get the status of the same. Use this job_id in the GET request to get the result. In this type of mass update, You can update a maximum of 50,000 records in a single request.

b. Non-Scheduler Type: When you specify the record IDs, the system updates the records instantly. You can update a maximum of 500 records in a single API call in this type of mass update. 

Modules supporting Mass Update APIs:
Leads, Accounts, Contacts, Deals, Campaigns, Activities, Solutions, Products, Vendors, Price Books, Quotes, Sales Orders, Purchase Orders, Invoices, and Custom.

2. Mass Update Records API

Request URL: {{api-domain}}/crm/v2/{module_api_name}/actions/mass_update

Scope Required: 
ZohoCRM.mass_update.{module_name}.UPDATE

Request JSON keys:
Key
Data Type
Description
Mandatory
cvid
string
The custom view ID whose records you want to mass update
Mandatory when you want to mass update custom view fields.
over_write

boolean
Used when updating a multi-select picklist field. Providing true will overwrite the already present value while the default false value will add the value to the pick list
Optional
territory
JSON Object
Used to update the records in a territory.
Mandatory when you update territory fields.
ids
JSON Array
Specify the IDs of the records you want to mass update. A maximum of 500 IDs can be specified in the request.
Mandatory when records are updated by IDs.

Sample Request:
{{api-domain}}/crm/v2/Leads/actions/mass_update

Sample Response:


3. Schedule Update and Get Status

Let us see how to schedule a mass update by custom view ID and check it's status:

i. Schedule mass update using 'cvid' and retrieve the 'job_id'.

Sample Request: 
{{api-domain}}/crm/v2/Leads/actions/mass_update

Sample Response:

From the response, you can see that the mass update is scheduled and the job_id to check status is 3719520000001274002

ii. Check status of the scheduled Mass Update

Request URL: 
{{api-domain}}/crm/v2/{module_api_name}/actions/mass_update?job_id={job_id}

Scope Required:
ZohoCRM.mass_update.{module_name}.READ

Note: job_id is the only mandatory parameter that must be passed to obtain the status of the process. 

Sample Request: 
{{api-domain}}/crm/v2/Leads/actions/mass_update?job_id=3719520000001251XXX

Sample Response:
i. Response right after the mass update is scheduled. The status in the response is SCHEDULED.


ii. Response once the schedule is completed. The status in the response is COMPLETED.


Response JSON Keys
Key
Description
Status
Indicates the status of mass update. Possible values are COMPLETED, SCHEDULED, RUNNING, and FAILED.
Failed_Count
Specifies the number of records that failed to be mass updated.
Updated_Count
Specifies the number of records that were successfully mass updated.
Not_Updated_Count
Specifies the number of records that are not updated yet.
Total_Count
Specifies the total number of records that were scheduled to be mass updated

4. Common errors pertaining with the Mass Update APIs and ways to handle them

HTTP Status Code
Error Code
Message
Reason
403
NO_PERMISSION
Field Edit Permission not given
User does not have permission to edit the field
403
NO_PERMISSION
Customview not accessible
Custom view is not accessible to the user of the module
400
NO_RECORDS_FOUND
No record found to update
There are no records in the specified custom view
200
ALREADY_SCHEDULED
Already a Mass Action scheduler is running for the given cvid
The records in the custom view specified are already scheduled for a mass update.
200
LIMIT_EXCEEDED
Record count exceeded
Number of records that can be mass updated has exceeded the maximum allowed limit of 50000
200
RECORD_IN_BLUEPRINT
The record is in blue print
The specified record is in blueprint and user tries to update a blueprint picklist value


5. FAQs regarding Mass Update API

Q. What happens if some record IDs that I provide are invalid?
A: While mass updating records based on their IDs, if some of the record IDs are invalid only those records will not be processed.
Sample Response when one of the ID is invalid:


Q. Can I mass update the email field in the module?
A. No, you cannot mass update Email field. The other fields that cannot be processed for mass update are lookup fields, layout fields, multi line fields, and line items.

Q. Is it possible to mass update the account owner via Zoho CRM API?
A: No, you cannot mass update the account owner via Zoho CRM API. It throws the following error:
{
    "data": [
        {
            "code": "INVALID_DATA",
            "details": {
                "api_name": "Account_Owner"
            },
            "message": "This field cannot be updated in the Mass Update",
            "status": "error"
        }
    ]
}

Q. How to set the scope for custom modules?
A. The process is similar to that of setting scope for any standard module. The scope for Mass Update API is ZohoCRM.mass_update.{module_name}.UPDATE/READ. Hence, for example, if your custom module name is 'Clients', the scope would be 'ZohoCRM.mass_update.Clients.UPDATE/READ

Q. Can I have more than one mass update job for a custom view?
A. No, only one mass update job can happen on a custom view at a given time. An error is thrown with the error code 'ALREADY_SCHEDULED'. 

We hope you found this post useful. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section or reach us out at support@zohocrm.com.

Cheers!









    • Recent Topics

    • Zoho Books | Product updates | February 2026

      Hello users, We’ve rolled out new features and enhancements in Zoho Books. From Advanced Reporting Tags to the ability to mark projects as completed, explore the latest updates designed to improve your bookkeeping experience. Introducing Advanced Reporting
    • Update latitude & longitude address field API

      How do I update the coordinates of an address field from a widget? I can't modify the latitude and longitude of the address field. I think the problem is how I'm writing formdata variable. zoho_init.then(function (data) { var queryParams = ZOHO.CREATOR.UTIL.getQueryParams();
    • Zoho Forms - Feature Request - Past Into Scanning/OCR Field

      Hi Zoho Forms Team, You recently introduced the OCR/Scanning field which I have found great use for with one client who receives work orders as a screenshot from one customer. I want to raise a feature request here which would make that field even more
    • Zoho Forms - Feature Request - Year Field

      Hi Zoho Forms Team, You currently have the following date and time fields: Date Time Date and Time Year and Month It would be useful if you could include a "Year" field For example a recent application I completed said "What year was your house built?"
    • inability to use different primary address on invoice per location

      my company operates in two different locations with different email address. The problems then is the inability to edit the primary to suite the invoice for the second location.
    • Zoho Books - Breaking A Working App

      We've been using Zoho for many years now. Across all apps, entering phone numbers in standard formats was enabled in all apps. These formats are: xxx.yyy.zzzz xxx-yyy-zzzz (xxx) yyy-zzzz and we were able also to add extension numbers in these formats:
    • No Need To Fix Something That Is Working

      Zoho Books is a great financial tool which helps businesses to become more efficient and productive with day-to-day operations. As such, every change, upgrade, improvement needs to be carefully thought before implemented in the software and I'm sure Zoho
    • Use Zoho Creator as a source for merge templates in Zoho Writer

      Hello all! We're excited to share that we've enhanced Zoho Creator's integration with Zoho Writer to make this combination even more powerful. You can now use Zoho Creator as a data source for mail merge templates in Zoho Writer. Making more data from
    • Anyone in Australia using Zoho Books AND has their account with NAB?

      Hi I have an account with both NAB and Suncorp. Suncorp transaction come in the next day however NAB transactions take 4-5 business days to appear. eg: A deposit made today in my Suncorp will be imported into Zoho tomorrow. A deposit made today to the NAB account will be imported maybe Saturday (Friday overnight). I have contacted both Zoho and NAB but noone seems to know why. I was just wondering if anyone else in Australia uses NAB and has this issue (or doesn't) maybe we could compare notes and
    • Detailed Balance Sheet for tax preparer

      I'm using the free edition of Zoho Books. My tax preparer is asking for "detailed" Profit & Loss and Balance Sheet reports which include all the activity and transactions within the various categories. The default reports do not include these details.
    • On Edit Validation Blueprint

      Hello, I have a notes field and a signature field. When the Approve button is clicked, the Signature field will appear and must be filled in. When the Reject button is clicked, the Notes field will appear and must be filled in. Question: Blueprint will
    • Zoho Projects - Cloning a task does not trigger task workflow when created

      Hello! I have a Project where my team uses a set of tasks from a tasklist as templates, so we could simply clone it and drag it to another list in kanban view to avoid creating a new one from scratch. The process works well, but after cloning it the new
    • Host Group Appointments Online in Zoho Bookings

      Greetings from the Zoho Bookings team! We’re excited to announce a new enhancement to Group Booking that makes hosting online group events smoother and more professional than ever. You can now conduct online group events with auto-generated meeting links
    • Can't rename groups on Mac desktop app

      I'm working on an up-to-date Mac with a freshly downloaded Notebook app. I'm trying to rename a group within a notebook. Here I have, left to right, a note, a group, and a note. I select the group. On the top left, I select Action. On the dropdown, "Rename"
    • Workdrive Collaboration with an External User

      I would like to know if I can setup a collaboration space with an external user in workdrive or do I need to add them as a user on my system? If I need to add them, can I add them on Workdrive only and give limit access to our space only?
    • Delete button

      Hi, The delete button were hide into the three dot button. Can I display outside? why Zoho make this update?
    • FSM integration with Books

      Hi, I have spent a few months working with FSM and have come across a critical gap in the functionality, which I find almost shocking....either that, or I am an idiot. The lack of bi-directional sync between Books and FSM on Sales Orders/ Work Orders
    • Marketing Tip #23: Help customers with how-to guides and usage tips

      Customers don’t stop needing you after they place an order. Helping customers use your product correctly and confidently can improve satisfaction, reduce returns, and increase repeat purchases. Sharing simple how-to guides, usage tips, or care instructions
    • Powering Customer Support with our women

      In Zoho Desk support, women make up 50% of our team. We see this as one of our strengths, reflecting the spirit of this year’s theme, "Give to Gain". Our women find their balance Women carry many responsibilities — they represent frontline support, lead
    • Function #25: Automatically generate purchase orders from a sales order

      We kicked off the "Function Fridays" series with the goal of helping you automate your everyday accounting tasks. As we delve into today's post, I'm delighted to announce that we're here to present the 25th custom function in this series. While it is
    • Looking for Guidance on Building a Zoho Website

      I'm exploring the possibility of building a custom website with specific features using Zoho as an alternative platform. My goal is to create something similar to https://gtasandresapk.com , with the same kind of functionality and user experience. I'd
    • 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 Reports are taking longer time to get refresh

      Hi Team, Since last few days, I'm facing issues in getting updated reports. For eg: right after making an expense entry or even posting a journal, it is taking longer then expected for the updated reports. Refer below: "You are viewing the report that
    • Invalid scope choice: Workdrive integration in CRM

      Bug: There is an invalid option in the permission choices for Workdrive integration in CRM. If the entry "WorkDrive.teamfolder.CREATE" is selected, it will return a message indicating invalid OAuth scope scope does not exist.
    • Sales IQ chat is not working in signed android apk

      I have integrated ZOHO sales IQ support chat and i have followed each step and its working fine in my development build but when i create signed APK for it. Chat does not work in it and showing awaiting for detail. I previously asked the same query but
    • How to add line breaks in zoho.cliq.postToUser(...) message?

      In a CRM function using Deluge I'm sending this message and attempting to add some line breaks but they are ignored. Is there another way to add these breaks? My message: message: New urgent task\nDescription \nThis is a fake description.\n A new line?
    • Project Notifcatiion Emails - Milestone

      Hello: I cannot get myself, or most importantly my portal client user to recieve an email upon completion of a milestone. I have set up our 1st project. I have set up a test client user. (accepted the invitation and is listed in the system as a client
    • Enable Free External Collaboration on Notecards in Zoho Notebook

      Hi Zoho Notebook Team, I would like to suggest a feature enhancement regarding external collaboration in Zoho Notebook. Currently, we can share notes with external users, and they are able to view the content without any issue. However, when these external
    • Problem with CRM Connection not Refreshing Token

      I've setup a connection with Zoom in the CRM. I'm using this connection to automate some registrations, so my team doesn't have to manually create them in both the CRM and Zoom. Connection works great in my function until the token expires. It does not refresh and I have to manually revoke the connection and connect it again. I've chatted with Zoho about this and after emailing me that it couldn't be done I asked for specifics on why and they responded. "The connection is CRM is not a feature to
    • Update Existing Records greyed out in Free Version

      Trying to update records from an Excel sheet, and not getting the option to update. Only option is to add as new accounts. All documentation I can see says update should be an option! Accounts, Leads, Contacts, all the same.
    • emailing estimates

      Shows up in the customer mail logs as sent but nobody is receiving them, even when I send them to myself I don't get them ??? Something wrong with the mail server or my end ?
    • Help with deluge script

      Hi Community, this is my first Deluge script. I've pieced it together from reading various articles I want to use it in a workflow to 1 Convert a lead to a contact 2. Create a record in a custom module Below is what I have got so far but it does not fire
    • How to use OR when filtering using two fields

      I want to create return a list of Account Names by filtering on Field1 = "yes" OR Field 2 = "no" I can't see how to use the OR in the filter.
    • Mobile phone version not working well

      I am working on the Zoho Site Builder. In the preview the desktop version looks okay, but in the mobile phone preview many words are cut off in the weirdest (wrong) way. How can I fix that?
    • Zoho - Please explain difference between Thread view and Conversation view on Ticket

      I have reviewed the help document here but am still not clear on the difference between the two views. As an example, I just had a back and forth on a ticket: - Customer emails support email. - I email back from Desk. - Customer responds back. - I email back from Desk. On the upper left drop down box on the ticket Zoho Desk now says this is "4 Threads" and "4 Conversations" . How is that 4 threads?? By my count it is 1 thread and 4 conversations (assuming by "conversation" Zoho means number of total
    • I need help to take Reports for tickets moved between departments.

      Hi, I need help to take Reports for tickets moved between different departments. Pls guide Shyam
    • Export to excel stored amounts as text instead of numbers or accounting

      Good Afternoon, We have a quarterly billing report that we generate from our Requests. It exports to excel. However if we need to add a formula (something as simple as a sum of the column), it doesn't read the dollar amounts because the export stores
    • Increase Round Robin Scheduler Frequency in Zoho Desk

      Dear Zoho Desk Team, We hope this message finds you well. We would like to request an enhancement to the Round Robin Scheduler in Zoho Desk to better address ticket assignment efficiency. Current Behavior At present, the Round Robin Scheduler operates
    • Automation #6 - Prevent Re-opening of Closed Tickets

      This is a monthly series where we pick some common use cases that have been either discussed or most asked about in our community and explain how they can be achieved using one of the automation capabilities in Zoho Desk. Typically when a customer submits
    • Zoho Desk EU slow/unresponsive

      Has anyone else got issues with ZohoDesk today in the EU? It takes an age to come back and if you do start typing something and try and send or save it looks like it times out. We are also getting this pic. ot I can't see anything on https://status.zoho.eu/
    • Next Page