Leverage layout rules to customize workflow

Layout rules in Zoho Sprints primarily aim to customize the field layout of your creation forms to meet complex requirements. But it doesn't stop there. Its customization can push the boundaries of how your fields behave, how data is gathered, how processes are branched out, and how workflow is channeled.

Based on conditions, you can tailor field behavior, direct the life cycle of an item, mandate specific actions, restrict the field options, or auto-assign users. The possibilities are aplenty.

We've tried to provide a few sample scenarios that help you automate your data collection and progress tracking flow. If you have any specific requirements, please state them in the comments, and we'll find out if layout rules can help you.

Use case 1: Restricting item statuses based on work item types

With layout rules, each item type can have its own workflow. This means it can have its own unique set of statuses that align with its specific lifecycle.

Let's assume you have three item types: Bug, Story, and Task.

Each type follows its own lifecycle, represented by the following statuses.

• Bug goes through the To Do, In Progress, Bug Fixing, Bug Testing, and Done statuses.
  
• Story has To Do, Ideation, In Progress, Development, Review, and Done.
  
• And Task moves through a simple To Do, In Progress, and Done.
  

To align with these flows, certain statuses should not be available to specific item types. For instance, a story or a task should not be moved to the Bug Fixing status. Similarly, a bug or a task should not be moved to the Development status.

To enforce this, we can create layout rules that control which statuses are available based on the item type.

So, we'll create three conditions with each item type as the primary field.

• If the item type is Bug, specify the condition with the trigger action to restrict the status pick list to To Do, In Progress, Bug Fixing, Bug Testing, and Done.
  
• If the item type is Story, specify the condition with the trigger action to restrict the status pick list to To Do, Ideation, In Progress, Development, Review, and Done.
  
• If the item type is Task, specify the condition with the trigger action to restrict the status pick list to To Do, In Progress, and Done.
  

Together, these conditions control the status progression for each item type. So, when you create a bug, it will only progress into the statuses that belong to the Bug lifecycle.

Use Case 2: Restricting future statuses based on the item's current status

When your team requires a pre-defined strict workflow where an item can be moved from a specific status to only a few statuses, layout rules can help implement this. For example, an item in the Bug Fixing status should only move to Bug Testing, and no other status. This way, each status controls the next status in the workflow.

To ensure this, create layout rules specifying conditions for each of the item status:

• If the status is To do, specify the condition with the trigger action to restrict the status pick list to In progress and Rejected.
  
• If the status is In progress, specify the condition with the trigger action to restrict the status pick list to In progress and Development.
  
• If the status is Development, specify the condition with the trigger action to restrict the status pick list to Review Level 1.
  
• If the status is Review Level 1, specify the condition with the trigger action to restrict the status pick list to Reopen and Review Level 2.
  
• If the status is Reopen, specify the condition with the trigger action to restrict the status pick list to In progress.
  

Use case 3: Making a field mandatory based on item status or item type

Let's assume you want a field to be made mandatory only when the item is moved to one particular status. Which implies the field will remain non-mandatory during other statuses and will be mandatory only at that particular status. So, the progress to that status must be allowed only when the mandatory field is updated.

For instance, when an item is moved to the Done status, the Approver field must become mandatory to record completion approval. To ensure that this process is executed, you can create a layout rule where the primary field is the Status Name. If the status field is updated to Done, specify the condition with the trigger action to set the Approver field as mandatory.

Use case 4: Showing or hiding a section or field based on item types

Layout rules enable you to show or hide fields or sections based on item type conditions.

Let's say a section with fields related to a new feature should only be visible when the item type is New Feature.

Similarly, when the item type is Security Issue, the section with fields related to Security issue must be visible.

To achieve this, create a layout rule with Item Type as the primary field.

• Create a condition for the New Feature item type with a trigger action to show the New Feature Details section.
  
• Create a condition for the Security Issue item type with a trigger action to show the Security Issue Details section.
  

Use case 5: Selecting specific assignees for item types and priorities

Layout rules can help you assign users based on the item type and priority. Let's say your team has a group of developers with varied levels of experience and expertise. You want to assign the high priority items to a more experienced member like John, while assigning low priority items to a novice like Peter.

If the item type is Bug and the priority level is Critical, you can assign the bug to John. If the priority level is High, it goes to Peter.

To meet this requirement, you can create a layout rule with Item Type as the primary field.

• Create a condition for the item type Bug with a subcondition where the priority level is Critical and the trigger action has the Set Field Value Assignee as John.
  
• For the same condition, add a subcondition where the priority level is High and the trigger action has the Set Field Value Assignee as Peter.

Similarly, say you want the Task item type with a medium priority level to go to Helen, and a low priority level should go to James.

• Create a condition for the item type Task with a subcondition where the priority level is Medium and the trigger action has the Set Field Value Assignee as Helen.
  
• For the same condition, add a subcondition where the priority level is Low and the trigger action has the Set Field Value Assignee as James.
  

These are just a few examples of how layout rules can streamline your project management. Do you have any particular scenario that needs resolution? Please share it with us.

Thanks,

Zoho Sprints Team

• Topic Participants

• Neethinila R

  

• Sticky Posts

• Tip #48: An exclusive system for risk management

  Zoho Sprints' risk management feature gives teams a structured, industry-grade system for identifying, quantifying, and mitigating risks to eliminate probable impact. Project or product teams that run on Zoho Sprints might be using sprints, work items,

• Comprehensive guide to add users

  We've received quite a few questions regarding adding users to the Zoho Sprints workspace. So we decided to address it through a comprehensive post covering the locations (modules or tabs) from which you can add your users. Adding users to your workspace

• Leverage layout rules to customize workflow

  Layout rules in Zoho Sprints primarily aim to customize the field layout of your creation forms to meet complex requirements. But it doesn't stop there. Its customization can push the boundaries of how your fields behave, how data is gathered, how processes

• Tip #40 - Control entity and field permissions using profiles

  Building profiles using permission sets equips you with the ability to permit and restrict data access to members belonging to those profiles. Creating different profiles with different combinations of permission sets allows you to set a hierarchical

• Recent Topics

• Automate Backups

  This is a feature request. Consider adding an auto backup feature. Where when you turn it on, it will auto backup on the 15-day schedule. For additional consideration, allow for the export of module data via API calls. Thank you for your consideration.

• Why can't we choose Fixed Asset account for Purchased Items? (eTims issue?)

  Hello, When the company purchase items not for sale and not supposed to be in the inventory stock, like equipment for operational use, there is no way to access the Fixed Asset accounts in the drop down list. Is that an eTims limitation again? Or something

• "Track Inventory for this item" is forced checked by default for goods items (eTims issue?)

  Hello, Since connecting our Zoho books to eTims (Kenya) the "Track Inventory for this item" is forced checked by default (eTims issue?) in the Item creation page for any type of goods. So when purchasing anything that the company does not intend to sale,

• Zoho CRM Functions: Redesigned Interface, Rich Analytics, and Multi-Language Support

  Hello everyone! We have given Functions in Zoho CRM a major overhaul with a new interface that makes it easier to build, organize, monitor, and troubleshoot your functions throughout their lifecycle. As part of this revamp, we have also introduced a unified

• Can you import projects into Zoho Projects yet?

  I see some very old posts asking about importing project records into Zoho Projects. But I can't find anything up to date about the topic. Has this functionality been added? Importing tasks is helpful. But we do have a project where importing projects

• reset password

  Hi I need to reset my password and need help

• Is it possible to set a value to a field based on certain conditions

  Greetings Say i have a field that i want to set its value based on the value of another field.. for example if "number" field has value greater than 10, i want to set my field's value to X. Or if radio group had option 1 selected, then i want to set my

• Native SMS and MMS Channel Support

  89% of US consumers say they prefer to communicate with businesses via SMS / MMS (aka "texting"). (link) Unfortunately, Zoho Desk does not currently support the most popular channel for consumer communications in the United States. For those of us in

• Zoho CRM Layout Rules: Nine New Actions, Profile-Based Execution, and Interactive Preview

  Hello everyone, Availability: This feature is now available for customers in the JP and SA DCs. It is planned to be released for other customers in soon. We’re excited to announce powerful new enhancements to Layout Rules in Zoho CRM - a feature built

• Global Sets for Multi-Select pick lists

  When is this feature coming to Zoho CRM? It would be very useful now we have got used to having it for the normal pick lists.

• How to add line breaks in formula with Concat?

  I am trying to combine different fields with a formula field, but want to add line breaks.  I.e. the current code looks like:  Concat(${Contacts.Company_Name}, ' ' ,${Contacts.First_Name}, ' ' ,${Contacts.Last_Name}) And the result should be:  John Doe

• Introducing spam detection for webforms: An additional layer of protection to keep your Zoho CRM clean and secure

  Greetings all, One of the most highly anticipated feature launches—Spam Detection in webforms—has finally arrived! Webforms are a vital tool for record generation, but they're also vulnerable to submissions from unauthenticated or malicious sources, which

• Is Zoho Assist Secure Connect even practical for 1 person shop?

  I was gun ho with Zoho Assist to replace my existing Remote Access product I have been using but I need to implement MFA on each unattended connection. Right now each of these connections in my other product has a rotating token that I have enter off

• Join the Zoho Desk Virtual Classroom Training (VCRT)

  Hello everyone, Have you heard about Zoho's Virtual Classroom Training (VCRT)? Zoho Desk's Virtual Classroom Training offers end-to-end training for Zoho Desk users. Join the VCRT and get hands-on guidance for setting up Zoho Desk and getting your business

• Zoho CRM's revamped timeline view now extends to 3 years and support notes, filters, and email statuses

  Editions: All DCs: All Release plan: These enhancements are being rolled out to customers in a phased manner. They will be available to most organizations by the end of May. For organizations with huge volumes of data, they will be available by the end

• Zoho Mail App Unable to connect to server

  Hi all, For the last two weeks, my Zoho Mail App on my iPhone which has worked fine up to this point has been unable to connect to the mail server. I can't access my emails even though I will get notification banners on the screen saying that they have been received. I can open Safari on my phone and then log in that way. This issue happens when I'm connected to wifi and on my phone data.  I've tried deleting the app several times and reinstalling, and have updated to the latest version. But it still

• Specific ListView Canvas on Canvas Home Page Always Loads Most Recent ListView, Not the One Specified

  I had mentioned this to ZOHO, but I mainly wanted to see if others in the Community are also facing this problem. I created a Canvas ListView for a Custom Module, and then created a Canvas Home page (technically on a tab item, but I'm not sure if that

• Add the Zoom Option to the Camera

  Hi, I use the ZOHO Forms Camera so I can manage metadata, compression, etc. but this doesnt have the zoom parameter activated, so when we have photos in a tight space and want to use 0.5 for example, we can't, can this be enabled please. Thanks Dan

• Manage booking pages from your Android phone

  Hello everyone! We are happy to announce that users can now add and manage booking pages from their Bigin Android app. It is a multi-step form that users can create for purposes like booking appointments, scheduling calls or meetings, conducting webinars,

• New UI - Color Preference Not Saving Permanently

  Small, not very urgent problem I'd like to share regarding the new UI theme color. I've changed my theme preference to the default blue color around 20 times by now. It always reverts to a green color theme. I've followed the instructions of changing

• 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

• Unbundle feature for composite items

  We receive composite items from our vendors and sell them either individually or create other composite items out of them. So, there is a lot of bundling and unbundling involved with our composite items. Previously, this feature was supported in form

• Inventory Barcode Creation - Add Picture of Item

  Hi I am trying to set up bar code labels and include a picture of the item on the label - any idea on how to add that field to the barcode generator?

• Gemini Action - Add "inineData" Support

  Thank you guys for adding a Gemini action. I like Gemini models for the "grunt work" of AI, as they have the cheapest tokens of the trustworthy providers One thing that's missing in the action, though, is the ability to pass file data. If you pass a base64-encoded

• Protect backed up and exported data using password encryption

  Hello everyone, Protecting live data is crucial for any organization or product, as it contains sensitive customer information. However, protecting data does not end within the platform. Backup and export files often contain sensitive information and

• Smarter holiday planning with yearly-specific Holiday Lists

  Hello everyone! Managing holidays and business hours is now easier and more efficient. Holiday Lists now support holidays that fall on different dates every year, while business hours now supports more than one holiday list. This helps businesses manage

• 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

• Best way to setup Inventory bin tracking for products with multiple boxes/crates

  Hi - we need some advice from the community on setting up Items in the Inventory for products with multiple crates. We have large products in our warehouse where the product is delivered as two large (double pallet) crates. We've setup the Items for these

• Cliq iOS can't see shared screen

  Hello, I had this morning a video call with a colleague. She is using Cliq Desktop MacOS and wanted to share her screen with me. I'm on iPad. I noticed, while she shared her screen, I could only see her video, but not the shared screen... Does Cliq iOS is able to display shared screen, or is it somewhere else to be found ? Regards

• not able to access Zoho from home WIFI

  for some reasone i am not able to access Zoho on my laptop or my iphone while i am connected to my home Wifi, i am able to access these sites both on laptop as well as Iphone and associated apps on any other Wifi as well as when I am on my 4G connection

• Five Guided Conversations Updates in Zoho Desk

  Hello everyone, Guided Conversations is getting updates that make it easier to create more inclusive customer experiences, retain important conversation context, customize your widget, keep track of changes, and connect with external services. Here are

• zoho desk

  Hello, Did Zoho Desk have any issues today? Are tickets coming in late? I have an email account linked, and messages seem to be arriving with a delay—some email threads aren't coming through completely, and so on.

• An important update for Zoho Cliq desktop users

  The latest version of the Zoho Cliq desktop app (v1.8.0) will no longer be supported on macOS 10.15 Catalina and earlier versions. This is because the framework we use (Electron) no longer supports some older macOS versions. If you’re using macOS 10.15

• Simplify eSignatures: Automate document workflows with Zoho WorkDrive

  Hello everyone, We’re excited to invite you to our upcoming live webinar, where Zoho WorkDrive and Zoho Sign will come together to show you how to simplify and automate document workflows. From creating and collaborating on documents to approvals, e-signatures,

• Function #7: Fetch a value from Deal in Zoho CRM to the related Estimate in Zoho Books

  We're here with another function for those using the integration with Zoho CRM. You know that potentials can be linked to transactions in Zoho Books. But if you're including additional details about a Deal (potential) in Zoho CRM and you want to inherit

• Turn off workflow Applied pop-up

  hi We are new to Desk. I have a rule to set to "waiting for customer" when agent sends reply. This comes up every time. How to i turn off? Or am i seeing as admin.

• Workflows being applied and the Large unwanted popup

  When a workflow is being applied do to an action, then the Agent is left with a large Window asking if they would like the see the changes this workflow did. Is there any way to disable this prompt from appearing?

• Maintenance notice for Zoho CommunitySpaces US data centers on August 23, 2026

  Dear customers, We have scheduled a maintenance activity for Zoho CommunitySpaces in our United States (US) data centers on August 23, 2026, from 1:30 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. During this 30-minute maintenance window, Zoho CommunitySpaces will be temporarily

• Knowledge base: The nitty-gritty of SEO tags

  A well-optimized knowledge base with great SEO can benefit your company by allowing customers to find help articles and support resources using search engines. This enables customers to quickly and efficiently find the information they need without direct

• zoho desk: Can tickets be created from Microsoft Teams messages?

  I am trying to see if there is a way to integrate Microsoft teams with zohodesk. we have a few customers who prefer to communicate requests through Teams, and it would be great to create tickets when they do.

• Next Page