Zoho Creator Upcoming Updates — February 2023

Zoho Creator Upcoming Updates — February 2023

Hello all!

A very happy new year to all of you! We're back with the very first monthly update of the year! Your support has made Creator's journey in 2022 both momentous and remarkable, and we'll be striving hard to make sure 2023 is even more incredible. Moreover, we're overwhelmed by your response to our brand new Product Roadmap page—thank you so much!

We'd like to welcome you to the new year with a slew of crucial updates:
  • Blueprint Deluge tasks
  • Inactive accounts deletion
  • Old [C4] payment deprecation
  • Upgrading to new sharing for user and customer portals
  • Dynamically embed components in pages
  • Import data to reports via permalink
  • Parent window navigation for widgets
  • AI-model assistant to create apps from files
  • OpenAPI specification
- - - - - - - - - -

Blueprint Deluge tasks
 
We thought a rendezvous between two major Zoho Creator features—Deluge and Blueprint—would open up infinite possibilities. So we pulled up our socks to get working and came up with two new Deluge tasks related to blueprints. 
  1. thisapp.blueprint.executeTransition - This is a task that will let you execute a transition and move a record from one stage to another. This task is handy when you need to perform bulk actions on a large number of records.
  2. thisapp.blueprint.changeStage - This task will let you move from one stage to another stage without having to execute a transition. Moreover, this task will be applicable in a bidirectional way, meaning that you can use it to move to a stage that is present before or after the current stage in the blueprint.
Crucially, we've also managed to overcome the limitation which prevented records manipulated using Deluge from being a part of any Blueprints. Going forward, even records added/updated using Deluge tasks can partake in the blueprint process.

How do I benefit?
The ability to work with blueprint workflows using Deluge programming will help vastly improve the automation of business processes.
 
Applicable for: C5, C6
Availability: All DCs
Released on: 08-Feb-23
 
Note: Blueprint Deluge tasks will be rolled out in a phased manner. Initially, they will be available only for new signups, but then later will be rolled out for all.
 
- - - - - - - - - -
 
Inactive accounts deletion
 
In order to enhance performance, preserve security, reduce data retention, and safeguard the privacy of Creator users, we've decided to make the hard choice to delete inactive accounts. While we're sad to see some people leave Creator, we also see this as an opportunity to improve the performance of those who choose to stay with us. Any account that hasn't been accessed for 180 days will be considered as inactive and marked for deletion.
 
How will it work?
  1. After prolonged inactivity, an account will be listed for deletion.
    Note: Only inactive accounts with a free, expired, or unpaid subscription will be considered.
  2. The account admin will be informed via email of the impending deletion. Multiple reminders will follow.
  3. Finally, on a predetermined and well-publicized date, the account will be deleted.
  4. If the admin changes their mind and wants to retain their account, they can do so at any time before the deletion deadline, simply by clicking the Reactivate account button in the emails they've received.
How do I benefit?
Once this entire process is complete, the load on our systems will be reduced considerably, and we'll be able to reuse resources to serve you better. And finally, we're making rapid progress towards our ultimate aim of making Zoho Creator the fastest low-code development platform available.
 
Applicable for: C5
Availability: All DCs
Released on: 09-March-23
 
- - - - - - - - - -
 
Old [C4] payment deprecation
 
Creator vets will remember that you used to be able to configure payments from within Form properties in C4. While it worked well, we came up with something even better in C5—Payment workflows.
 
Upon its launch, we began a process of slowly consolidating all payments under Workflows. Then, awhile later, we deprecated support for the creation of new payments from form properties. But, by popular request, we allowed existing payment configurations to continue functioning as before.
 
Although old C4 payments were permanently disabled, the payment field was retained to store the payment configuration and its associated data. However, old C4 payment configurations will soon reach their end of life.
 
What should I do?
  1. Go to Form -> Form properties.
  2. Then navigate to the Payment section.
    i. If a payment configuration is present, then click the Delete icon.
    ii. If the payment configuration was removed earlier, then the payment field alone will be present. In this case, click Delete old payment.
    iii. If you don't see anything under the payment section, then you don't need to do anything. You're already good to go.
 
How do I benefit?
Shifting to payment workflows will enable you to collect payments by integrating with a large number of payment gateways. Additionally, any application which still has old payment configurations cannot become part of Environments. You don't want to miss out on that functionality!
 
Applicable for: C5, C6 users who are using the old payment method
Availability: All DCs
 
- - - - - - - - - -

Upgrading to new sharing for Users and Customer portal 

A small but significant percentage of Creator users continue to stick with the old sharing setup for users and customer portals. All good things come to an end, but this time around they'll be superseded by something vastly superior. The new sharing model brings with it massive upgrades—customizable permissions, field permissions, the ability to restrict visibility, and much more—to the process of sharing with users and customers. We're sure that you'll love the upgrade!
 
We realize that this could be a big change for some of you, though. With that in mind, we came up with a pretty helpful Upgrade wizard to assist you with the upgrading process. The upgrade wizard will give you a detailed preview of how the user and customer portal permissions and other configurations will be mapped after the upgrade.
 
How do I upgrade?
  1. Visit the Updates section under Account Setup and choose the Users and Customer Portal upgrade.
  2. In the upgrade wizard, select the application which should be upgraded to the new sharing.
  3. A preview of how the permissions will look after upgrading to the new sharing will be displayed.
  4. After carefully reviewing the permissions, you can finalize the upgrade.
 
How do I benefit?
  • The new sharing setup comes with the benefit of better-structured access control policies using permissions and roles.
  • Permission to access, view, edit, delete, import, and export records can be set as part of the new sharing process.
  • Getting the new sharing setup for user and customer portal is a mandatory prerequisite to upgrading to C6, the most powerful and innovative version of Creator yet.
  • You (already are and) will continue missing out on exciting updates by sticking with the old sharing setup. We intend to focus our developmental resources only on the new sharing version.
Applicable for: C5 users who are using the old sharing model
Availability: All DCs
 
- - - - - - - - - -
 
Dynamically embed components in pages

Currently, you can embed other Creator components (like forms, reports, etc.) in a page. Now we're taking it up a notch by opening up the possibility of embedding Creator components in a page as: 
  • Popup windows
  • Embed containers within the same page (both as HTML and iframe)
  • <div> containers
What do I need to do?
Just use the new zc_LoadIn page parameter to dynamically embed components into pages.
 
How do I benefit?
Apart from allowing you new ways to embed components into a page, the other advantage of this parameter is that now the page can show dynamic real-time values, without having to refresh the entire page. With the older fixed embed, you needed to refresh the page to get updated data.
 
Applicable for: C5, C6
Availability: All DCs
Released on: 06-Feb-23

- - - - - - - - - -

Import data to reports via permalink
 
We'll be launching standardized functionality-based URLs that'll allow your users to import data directly to reports. Save your users' time, as they'll no longer need to go to that particular report to upload data.
 
How will it work?
The import permalink will have the following pattern:
https://<base_url>/<account_owner_name>/<application_name>/report/<report_link_name>/import

Use it anywhere in any component to quickly direct the user to the import interface.
 
How do I benefit?
This standalone import permalink can provide you with innumerable ways to enable users to upload data to reports. Apart from saving them the hassle, the permalink can be added to other components, like pages, forms, workflows, and more.
 
Applicable for: C5, C6
Availability: All DCs
Released on: 06-Feb-23
- - - - - - - - - -
 
Parent window navigation for widgets

As you're probably aware, Widgets help you build components that aren't always possible using Creator's built-in functionalities. But, due to certain restrictions, you couldn't execute actions from widgets to their parent window (creatorapp.zoho.com). Annoying, right?
 
To overcome this limitation, we've come up with a new method, navigateparentURL(), which will ‌allow you to execute an action in the parent window from the child window itself. This method can handle the open, back, reload, close, and close all actions.
 
How will it work?
Just use the navigateparentURL() method present under the ‌ZOHO.CREATOR.UTIL with JavaScript functions. The action that's required to be performed (back, close, etc) should be passed as a param.
 
Syntax:
var param = {
action:${ACTIONVALUE}
url: ${URL}
window: ${WINDOWTYPE}
}
ZOHO.CREATOR.UTIL.navigateParentURL(param)
 
How do I benefit?
With the new method, you can provide a powerful yet greatly simplified experience to your users, with the help of UI buttons which perform actions in the parent window.
 
Applicable for: C5, C6
Availability: All DCs
Released on: 13-Mar-23
Reference: 
 
- - - - - - - - - -
 
AI-model assistant to create apps from files

Trying to create an app or form by importing a file containing large amounts of data can be a real headache! That's why we've come up with an AI-powered tool to help you achieve data normalization while importing files. Data normalization is the process of breaking down data into smaller tables with a more organized structure.
 
Our AI will quickly analyze the data you're importing and provide you with a list of suggestions to split them into smaller tables along with suitable relationships that can be established by showing you a list of reference forms and lookup fields.
 
What should I do?
  1. In the Import from file window when creating a new application in the wizard, click Restructure table under the Data section.
  2. You'll then be shown a list of suggestions. Choose the most suitable one and, if needed, make any changes as per requirements.
 
How do I benefit?
This features brings order to your disorganized data, segments it in a disciplined fashion, and makes it more suitable for consumption.
 
Applicable for: C5, C6
Availability: All DCs
Released on: 06-Feb-23
 
- - - - - - - - - -
 
OpenAPI specification

As part of our continuing process of standardizing the APIs across our products, Zoho Creator v2 APIs are now defined using OpenAPI specifications. The key advantage of embracing OAS is that it includes a standard and language-agnostic interface for describing APIs in a manner in which they are both machine-readable and interpretable by human readers.
 
How to get them?
  1. Visit the OpenAPI page under the API docs. There, you can download the OAS files as a whole or individually, as per your requirement.
  2. Alternatively, when you visit any individual API page (say Add records, for example) you'll see a Download OAS button. Use it to get the OAS file.
  3. Then use them in Swagger.
 
How do I benefit?
Since OAS is the industry standard, you can steeply reduce the learning curve of APIs. Anyone can easily determine how an API works, as the OAS files contain detailed information about the endpoints, components, and meta information.
 
Applicable for: C5, C6
Availability: All DCs
Released on: 06-Feb-23
 
- - - - - - - - - -
 
We'll notify you as these features are rolled out. In the meantime, let us know what you think about these updates in the comments below!
 
Regards,
Zoho Creator Team

    • Sticky Posts

    • Introducing Zoho Creator's 2025 Release Projection 2

      Hello Creators! I'm Prakash, from the Creator product management team, and today I'm delighted to unveil our next set of features as part of Release Projection 2 for 2025. With thoughtful analysis and planning, we've curated powerful new capabilities

    • Zoho Creator - 2023 Release Projection 1

      Hello everyone! A very Happy New Year to you and your family. Hope you're all good and having a great time using Zoho Creator to make your lives easier and your businesses prosper. 2022 was an action-packed year for us at Creator, and we hope to continue

    • Zoho Creator User Group meetups in a city near you! - Oct - Nov, 2023

      Greetings from the Zoho Creator team! We're hosting a series of Zoho Creator meetups in various cities across the globe, and we'd love to meet you there! Our meetups are a great opportunity to network with industry peers, exchange ideas and best practices,

    • Zoho Creator - 2023 Release Projection 2

      Hello everyone! Time truly flies when you're having an incredible journey, and today we mark the completion of an eventful and action-packed six months. It feels like just yesterday when we embarked on this adventure together with the launch of our new

    • Upcoming Updates - August 2022

      Hi all, Greetings from the Zoho Creator team! Today we've got news for you on some exciting updates. And rest assured— there’s more to come! In this post, we'll be going over the upcoming features and improvements for this month as mentioned below. A

    • Recent Topics

    • Zoho desk desktop application

      does zoho desk has a destop applicaion?

    • ZOHO Work Drive Back Up

      I am looking for a ZOHO Work Drive backup solution. Something that is cloud based. There's lots of these kinds of options for Google Drive and other providers, but I have not seen anything for WorkDrive. Any suggestions?

    • ZOHO Reports - Filter Logic?

      Hi, I need a way to apply filter logics such as ((1 AND 2) OR 3). All I can see as of now is a way to enter different AND filters in the respective filter column. But how can I add an OR filter? Any advice would be highly appreciated. Mark

    • Scanned Doc - selecting Item overwrites Rate

      I have a Vendor Invoice which was uploaded to Documents. I select Add To > New Bill. The OCR is actually quite good, but it is reading an Item Description instead of an Item Number. I remove the description and select the correct Item Number... and it

    • Recruit API search

      Hi all, Attempting to call the search api endpoint from Postman using the word element as mentioned in api docs Search Records - APIs | Online Help - Zoho Recruit When making the call to /v2/Candidates/search?word=Saudi receive response of { "code": "MANDATORY_NOT_FOUND",

    • Saving reading position + Keep screen on

      While Zoho Notebook is excellent for saving and annotating articles, its utility is severely limited by the lack of reading progress synchronization. On the Android app, if a user exits a long note after reading 50%, the app fails to save the position.

    • Multiple Vendor SKUs

      One of the big concerns we have with ZOHO Inventory is lack of Vendor Skus like many other inventory software packages offer. Being able to have multiple vendor skus for the same product would be HUGE! It would populate the appropriate vendor Sku for

    • Zoho LandingPage is integrated with Zoho One!

      Greetings to the Zoho One users out there! We're delighted to let you know that Zoho LandingPage is available in Zoho One too! With Zoho LandingPage, you can host custom-made landing pages, and persuade the visitors to dive deeper by making further clicks,

    • 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

    • How can i resend a campaign to only one of the recipients on the original campaign

      How can i resend a campaign to only one of the recipients on the original campaign ? Sincererly, Mike

    • How to show branch instead of org name on invoice template?

      Not sure why invoices are showing the org name not the branch name? I can insert the branch name using the ${ORGANIZATION.BRANCHNAME} placeholder, but then it isn't bold text anymore. Any other ideas?

    • 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

    • Marketing Automation Requirements Questions

      I would like to set up a multi-email drip campaign- please see the structure below and confirm if I can achieve this set up in Zoho marketing automation. Where applicable, highlight gaps and workarounds. Thanks Drip email campaign- Can I create one drip

    • Zoho CRM for Gmail Extension Not Working in Brave Browser?

      Is anyone able to get the Zoho CRM Chrome Extension working in the Brave browser? They're both built on the Chromium platform and every other Chrome Extension works with the exception of Zoho CRM for Gmail so any ideas here?

    • Sharing URLs and direct access

      Hello, I am storing my team's email signature images on Workdrive. I am creating a public image download share and adding “?directDownload=true” so that the image can be accessed without the Workdrive interface. A few questions: 1) Can we generate friendly

    • how to change the page signers see after signing a document in zoho sign

      Hello, How can I please change the page a signer sees after signing a document in Zoho Sign? I cannot seem to find it. As it is now, it shows a default landing page "return to Zoho Sign Home". Thanks!

    • Question about using custom_fields in Storefront Add-to-Cart API (error 2003 – required details)

      Hi everyone, I’m working with the Zoho Commerce Storefront API, specifically the Add to Cart endpoint: POST /storefront/api/v1/cart According to the documentation, this endpoint supports a custom_fields parameter for adding line-item custom data. I’m

    • Can a project be cloned?

      Good afternoon, greetings. I would like to ask if it's possible to clone a project in Microsoft Project. I found a way to do it using templates, but I'm not sure if there's a direct way to clone a project. Thank you in advance for your attention, and

    • Timesheet Tasks in Zoho Books: associate to service item

      How do we associate a service item to timesheet tasks in Zoho Books? For example: Joe spent 5 hours on project:task1 which is Service Item#1 (Income:Service1). When the invoice is issued thru the Project Invoice section, this is not available. When the

    • Why Sharing Rules do Not support relative date comparison???

      I am creating a Sharing Rule and simply want to share where "Last Day of Coverage" (Date field) is Greater than TODAY (Starting Tomorrow). However, sharing rules don't have the option to compare a date field to a relative date (like today), only to Static

    • Task/Activity indicator in SalesPipeline overview has disappeared

      I Just logged in my ZOHO CRM first 2026 checking my salespipeline overview , Every record card used to show an indication that there was an open task (Yellow if the expiry date was close, red if the expiry date was today and grey when it had expired).

    • Tip #56- Accessibility Controls in Zoho Assist: Hearing- 'Insider Insights'

      As we begin the new year, it’s a great time to focus on making our tools more inclusive and accessible for everyone. Remote support often involves long hours in front of screens, varying lighting conditions, and users with diverse accessibility needs.

    • Zoho Desk Android app update: Table view for All Departments view, custom button

      Hello everyone! In the latest version(v2.9.25) of the Zoho Desk Android app update, we have introduced Table view for the 'All Departments' view in the ticket module. We also have supported an option that allows tickets in the Table view to be sorted

    • What's New - December 2025 | Zoho Backstage

      In December, Backstage introduced a focused set of updates that improve how you manage registrations, communicate with attendees, and track participation. These enhancements are designed to give organizers greater flexibility and clearer control across

    • 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.

    • 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

    • Add multiple users to a task

      When I´m assigning a task it is almost always related to more than one person. Practical situation: When a client request some improvement the related department opens the task with the situation and people related to it as the client itself, the salesman

    • A Roundup of Zoho Sprints 2025

    • Sorting Custom Date in API isn't working w pagination limit

      How can we sort a custom field with DATE using pagination? Starting at page=1 then moving to page=2 with a limit of 10 each, its all messed up and even shows some of the same records as page 1? https://www.zohoapis.com/crm/v2/INVOICE_MODULE/search?criteria=(FM_Contact_ID:equals:1234)&sort_by=Invoice_Date&sort_order=desc&per_page=10&page='

    • SAP Business One(B1) integration is now live in Zoho Flow

      We’re excited to share that SAP Business One (B1) is now available in Zoho Flow! This means you can now build workflows that connect SAP B1 with other apps and automate routine processes without relying on custom code. Note: SAP Business One integration

    • Enhancement in Role and Profile mapping of agents in Sandbox

      Hello everyone! We have brought in a modification in the way users are mapped to a particular role and profile in Sandbox. What has changed? When agents are copied from production to Sandbox: If a user's current role and profile is available in Sandbox,

    • The reason I switched away from Zoho Notebook

      My main reason for switching to Zoho was driven by three core principles: moving away from US-based products, keeping my data within India as much as possible, and supporting Indian companies. With that intent, I’ve been actively de-Googling my digital

    • Decimal places settings for exchange rates

      Hello, We are facing issues while matching vendor payments with banking feeds. As we often import products/services exchange rate comes into play. Currently, ZOHO allows only six digits for decimal places. We feel that conversions like JPY to INR require

    • Zoho removed ability to see all Scheduled Reports!

      If you are not the owner of a scheduled report, Zoho recently removed the capability to see each scheduled report. As an admin who relies on seeing all scheduled reports being sent, this is a terrible update. Now I cannot see ANY scheduled reports...even the ones I am being sent!!  This should be a setting for admins to control.  This is a bad update.

    • 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.

    • GCLID and Zoho Bookings

      Is there anyway to embed a Zoho Bookings signup on a landing page and pass the GCLID information? More specifically, can this be done using auto-tagging and not manual tagging the GCLID? I know Zappier has an integration to do this but is there a better

    • Merge Items

      Is there a work around for merging items? We currently have three names for one item, all have had a transaction associated so there is no deleting (just deactivating, which doesn't really help. It still appears so people are continuing to use it). I also can't assign inventory tracking to items used in past transactions, which I don't understand, this is an important feature moving forward.. It would be nice to merge into one item and be able to track inventory. Let me know if this is possible.

    • Create PO from an invoice

      We are a hardware and software sales company which receives orders over the internet. We drop ship most of our products from a warehouse outside of our company. Our orders get sync'd into Zoho from our store via onesaas as invoices. It would be great

    • Blueprint or Validation Rules for Invoices in Zoho Books

      Can I implement Blueprint or Validation Rules for Invoices in Zoho Books? Example, use case could be, Agent confirms from client that payment is done, but bank only syncs transactions tomorrow. in this case, Agent can update invoice status to done, and

    • Resetting auto-number on new year

      Hi everyone! We have an auto-number with prefix "D{YYYY}-", it generates numbers like D2025-1, D2025-2, etc... How can we have it auto-reset at the beginning of the next year, so that it goes to D2026-1? Thanks!

    • Next Page