Automation#36: Auto-create time-entry after performing the Blueprint transition

Hello Everyone,

This week’s edition focuses on configuring a custom function within Zoho Desk to streamline time tracking within the Blueprint. In this case, we create a custom field, and request the agent to enter the spending time within the single line field and then move to the next status within the blueprint. This entry updates under the Time Entry tab within the ticket.

Businesses rely on automated time entry to track time, but certain workflows require manual input. For example, ZylkerTechFix, a company specializing in hardware servicing and repairs, needed a precise way to log time spent on servicing devices across departments.

After an initial assessment, the support team transfers the ticket to the Engineering team. The time taken for servicing varied based on the complexity of the issue. To ensure accurate tracking, agents were required to manually log the time spent at this stage. A custom single line field was added to capture this information, and the organization flow was integrated into a Blueprint, making it seamless for agents and transparent for customers.

Let's go through setting up a Blueprint with a custom function that allows agents to manually log the time spent in a specific status once they've completed the process. This helps track time at each stage, improving efficiency and customer communication.

Prerequisites

Create a connection

  1.1 Go to Setup(S) and choose Connections under Developer Space.
  1.2 Click Create Connection.
  1.3 Select Zoho Desk under Default Services.
  1.4 Set the connection name as desk_connection.

  1.5 Under Choose Scopes, choose the below scope values:

Desk.tickets.READ

Desk.tickets.UPDATE

  1.6 Click Create and Connect.
  1.7 Click Connect.
  1.8 Choose the Zoho Desk's organization to connect with Deluge, and click Submit.
  1.9 Click Accept.

Connection is created successfully.

Create a custom single-line field

a. Navigate to Setup >> Customization >> Layouts and Fields.

b. Select Tickets module and the Department in which you will configure the Blueprint.

c. Click on the layout. Add single line field which has the field value length of 255. Give the Name – Spending Time.

This single line field is  for the agent to manually enter the time taken to handle this ticket. Enter the time in this format HH:MM:SS (eg: 02:15:30)  .

Configure Custom Function within the Blueprint

Create a Blueprint with the required transitions for your process.

1. To create a Blueprint, go to Setup >> Automation >> Blueprint. 
2. Choose the department (the same department where you created the custom field) and click on Create Blueprint.
3. Give a desired name under Blueprint Name and description.
4. Choose Tickets under the module and let the Field be Status.
5. Add Criteria as Specific records/All records as required.
6. Add Advanced configuration as required.
7. Click Next.
8. Drag and drop the required States for your organization flow. Connect the different states  
9. Click on the + icon between the states to add a transition. Give a Name and Description for the transition.
10. Click Add transition

Within Transitions

11. Under Before, add the Agents whom you would like to give access to the Blueprint.

12. Add Transition Owner from a Different Department, Choose Department and Criteria if required.
13. Under During, click on Add Operations >> Fields >> choose Spending Time.  This will be marked validation and Mandatory.
14. Under After, click on New next to custom functions.

15. Under Configure Custom Function, enter Name and Description.

16. In the script window, insert the Custom Function given below:

1. // ----<<<< User Inputs >>>>----
2. // --- Replace ".com" with appropriate domain extension based on customer's location/DC ---
3. deskURL = "https://desk.zoho.com";
4. customFieldAPIName = "cf_"; // Replace the custom field API Name
5. orgId = "";// Replace the org ID
6. // ----<<<< Initial Configs >>>>----
7. logs = Map();
8. logs.insert("ticketId":ticketId,"timeEntryValue":timeEntryValue);
9. //---------------------------
10. try
11. {
12. // --- Perform the time calculation tasks ---
13. executedTime = toText(now,"yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ss.SSS'Z'","GMT");
14. timeEntryValueList = timeEntryValue.toList(":");
15. logs.insert("timeEntryValueList":timeEntryValueList);
16. secondsSpent = timeEntryValueList.get(0).toNumber() * 3600 + timeEntryValueList.get(1).toNumber() * 60 + timeEntryValueList.get(2).toNumber();
17. logs.insert("secondsSpent":secondsSpent);
18. getHistory = invokeurl
19. [
20. url :deskURL + "/api/v1/tickets/" + ticketId + "/history?operationName=Blueprints_History"
21. type :GET
22. connection:"desk_connection"
23. ];
24. agentId = getHistory.get(0).get("agentId");
25. logs.insert("getHistory":getHistory);
26. createTimeEntry = invokeurl
27. [
28. url :deskURL + "/api/v1/tickets/" + ticketId + "/timeEntry"
29. type :POST
30. parameters:{"executedTime":executedTime,"secondsSpent":secondsSpent,"ownerId":agentId} + ""
31. connection:"desk_connection"
32. ];
33. logs.insert("createTimeEntryApiResponse":createTimeEntry);
34. update = zoho.desk.update(orgId,"tickets",ticketId,{"cf":{customFieldAPIName:""}});
35.     logs.insert("Update":update);
36. }
37. catch (errorInfo)
38. {
39. logs.insert("errorInfo":errorInfo);
40. }
41. info "logs: \n" + logs;
42. if(logs.containKey("errorInfo"))
43. {
44. throws "Error happen in the CF execution";
45. }

17. Click on the Edit Arguments in the script editer window, give a desired Method Name. Map the arguments as below:
       17.1 In the Argument Name field, type ticketId and select Ticket Id in the Tickets Section.

       17.2 In the Argument Name field, type timeEntryValue and select Spending Time in the Tickets Section. Click Done.

NOTE

a. In Line 3, replace .com in the address with .in/.eu/.ca based on your DC.

b. In Line 4, enter the API name of the custom field.
To fetch the API name, go to Setup (S) → Customization → Layouts and Fields. Select the department for which you've configured this blueprint under Tickets module. Select the layout, click on the gear icon(Field settings) of the custom field and select Edit properties. Copy the API name under Edit field and paste it in line 4 of the code.   

c. In Line 5, enter the Org ID. Go to Setup >> Developer Space >> APIs. Under API Plan Details, you will fine the metric Org ID and its Values. Copy the value and paste it in line 3.  

18. Click on Save & Complete Blueprint.

19. Click Yes, Proceed. 
Your configuration is complete.

In the ticket, when the agent chooses to move to the next transition, the spending time values has to be entered by the agent in the format HH:MM:SS. Once the value is entered, the ticket proceeds to the next transition.

You can utilize the custom field "Spending Time" across multiple transitions too. Each time a transition occurs, the field resets, allowing users to input the time spent during subsequent transitions.

Please share your thoughts and understanding of how the Blueprint feature has helped your business. If you need help with Blueprints, our mailbox is open to hear you: support@zohodesk.com. 

Until the next post,

Lydia | Zoho Desk 

• Topic Participants

• Lydia | Zoho Desk

  

• Mark

• Shivani | Zoho Desk

  

• Jani Pakisjärvi

• Sticky Posts

• Register for Zoho Desk Beta Community

  With the start of the year, we have decided to take a small step in making the life of our customers a little easier. We now have easy access to all our upcoming features and a faster way to request for beta access. We open betas for some of our features

• Share your Zoho Desk story with us!

  Tell us how you use Zoho Desk for your business and inspire others with your story. Be it a simple workflow rule that helps you navigate complex processes or a macro that saves your team a lot of time; share it here and help the community learn and grow with shared knowledge. 

• Tip #1: Learn to pick the right channels

  Mail, live chat, telephony, social media, web forms—there are so many support channels out there. Trying to pick the right channels to offer your customers can get pretty confusing. Emails are most useful when the customer wants to put things on record. However, escalated or complicated issues should not be resolved over email because it's slow and impersonal.  When you need immediate responses, live chat is more suitable. It's also quick and convenient, so it's the go-to channel for small issues. 

• Welcome to Zoho Desk Community - Say hello here!

  Hello everyone! Though we have been here for a while, it’s time to formally establish the Zoho Desk Community; we’re really happy to have you all here! This can be the place where you take a moment to introduce yourself to the rest of the community. We’d love to hear all about you, what you do, what company or industry you work for, how you use Zoho Desk and anything else that you will like to share! Here’s a little about me. I am Chinmayee. I have been associated with Zoho since 2014. I joined here

• Webinar 1: Blueprint for Customer Service

  With the launch of a host of new features in Zoho Desk, we thought it’ll be great to have a few webinars to help our customers make the most of them. We’re starting off with our most talked about feature, Blueprint in Zoho Desk. You can register for the Blueprint webinar here: The webinar will be delivered by our in-house product experts. This is a good opportunity to ask questions to our experts and understand how Blueprint can help you automate your service processes. We look forward to seeing

• Recent Topics

• New Account, Setting up Domain Question

  Hello, I recently set up a new account with a custom domain. But after paying and setting up my account, it says OpenSRS actually owns the domain, and I have to sign up with them to host my site. But OpenSRS wants to charge me $95, which is ridiculous.

• 【開催報告】東京 Zoho ユーザー交流会 NEXUS vol.1 ～ データドリブン経営・少人数組織のCRM活用・AIエージェントの最前線 ～

  ユーザーの皆さん、こんにちは。 コミュニティグループの中野です。 2026年3月27日（金）、東京・新橋にて「東京 Zoho ユーザー交流会 NEXUS vol.1」が開催されました。 今回は「マーケティング領域のZoho 活用法 × AI」をテーマに、ユーザーさん2名による事例セッション、Zoho 社員によるAIセッションなどを実施しました。 ご参加くださったユーザーの皆さま、ありがとうございました！ この投稿では、当日のセッションの様子や使用した資料を紹介しています。残念ながら当日お越しいただけなかった方も、ぜひチェックしてみてください。

• Monthly Webinar : Getting Started with Zoho LandingPage

  Our monthly Getting Started with Zoho LandingPage webinar is back! If you're building your first page and want a little guidance, this is where to start. Learn how landing pages fit into your strategy, generate leads, and improve conversions. Here’s what

• Mass emails - Allow preview of which emails will receive the email based on the criteria

  Feature request. Please allow us to view and confirm the exact recipients of the mass emails based on the criteria we've chosen before sending. It can be quite sensitive if you send the mass email to some wrong accounts accidently, so it would be great

• Limitation in Dynamic Constant Sum Based on Previous Question Selections in Zoho Survey

  Zoho Survey supports the Constant Sum question type, allowing respondents to distribute a fixed total (such as 100) across a set of options. However, it does not support dynamically populating these options based on selections made in a previous question.

• 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

• sync two zoho crm

  Hello everyone. Is it possible to sync 2 zoho crm? what would be the easiest way? I am thinking of Flow. I have a Custom Module that I would like to share with my client. We both use zoho crm. Regards.

• Showing the map along with mileage expense

  When you use the GPS to track mileage, it shows you the map of the actual path travelled. It would be very useful and practical to save that map with the mileage expense, so that when the report is created, it provides a map of each mileage expense associated

• Import MSG to Yandex Mail Account | Fast & Reliable Solution

  If you are facing problem to import MSG files to Yandex Mail account can be challenging if done manually, especially when handling multiple files. A reliable solution is using the MacGater Mac MSG Converter, which simplifies the entire process with accuracy

• Copy all reports in a folder

  I currently have a database that I need to create multiple charts filtered by market. All of the charts are identical, I just change to of the filters and then I have the next market's set of charts. The only way I've been able to copy charts (reports)

• OpenURL working Intermittently

  Never had this issue before, everything was working fine up to a few days ago. We have a buttons on reports to open forms with pre-filled fields. Now, there are instances where it will throw and error and gives no feedback. What is really strange is not

• Zoho Recruit mailserver get blocked by Microsoft!

  Hi, We have experienced this issue twice now, where Zoho Recruit outbound IP addresses are being blocked by Microsoft. We are confident that Microsoft is the blocking party, as all outbound emails to candidates with @hotmail.com, @live.com, and @outlook.com

• Calculate Hours Minutes Sec in Zoho Creator Using Deluge

  check_In = "8-Aug-2023 10:00:00".toDateTime().toLong(); checkout = "8-Aug-2023 18:00:00".toDateTime().toLong(); //difference = start.timeBetween(end); check_In = "8-Aug-2023 17:56:50".toDateTime().toLong(); checkout = "8-Aug-2023 18:00:00".toDateTime().toLong();

• Build Smarter Apps with AI in Zoho Creator

  Build Smarter Apps with AI in Zoho Creator This is truly the era of AI, and businesses that adapt now will lead tomorrow. Zoho is already moving ahead in this direction, continuously evolving its platform with powerful AI capabilities. With Zoho Creator,

• Zia Dashboard Insights : turn your dashboard into decisions

  When you look at a chart or KPI in a dashboard, you would possibly see something like: Revenue: $2.4M ↓ 18% vs last month. It can be a positive growth or a negative one, or a dip in revenue, a spike in deals, a slowdown in renewals—all you usually see

• Tickets without registration

  Hi, would it be possible to give customers the opportunity to be able to read their tickets without registration?

• Zoho Desk Answer Bot vs. Zia Agents – Knowledge Base & Ticket Access

  Hi everyone, I’m currently evaluating AI options in Zoho Desk and ran into some limitations with the Answer Bot: Answer Bot limitations Only uses Knowledge Base articles No access to tickets Limited control over sources: Either one Help Center or all

• Como estruturar automações eficientes no Zoho Creator

  Como estruturar automações eficientes no Zoho Creator Introdução No contexto de aplicações empresariais, automação não é apenas uma conveniência, é um fator crítico para ganho de produtividade, redução de erros e escalabilidade operacional. O Zoho Creator

• Changing the status of a work-order

  Is there a way to change the status of a work-order?

• Online Payment Fees

  We don't take many online credit card payments so the merchant service provider (PayPal) charges us the 2.9% fee for processing the amount. I would like the ability for the fee to be automatically added to the total amount for "ease of payment". We'd

• What is a realistic turnaround time for account review for ZeptoMail?

  On signing up it said 2-3 business days. I am on business-day 6 and have had zero contact of any kind. No follow-up questions, no approval or decline. Attempts to "leave a message" or use the "Contact Us" form have just vanished without a trace. It still

• Zia Agents in Zoho CRM: a better way to set up digital employees

  Hello everyone, If you've been using Zia Agents in Zoho CRM, so far using Connections was the only deployment method you're familiar with. You create an agent in Zia Agents (define its objective, write instructions, use tools, add knowledge base) and

• Bank Feeds

  Since Friday my bank feeds wont work. I have refreshed feeds, deactivate and reactivate and nothing is working

• Logged out

  Hi, just been working on a sheet when a pop up box appeared telling me I'm going to be logged out in x number of seconds and if I reload I may lose any edits, or words to that effect. It did indeed log me out and I did indeed lose my last edits. Any idea

• Zoho API

  I have little experience with API. I'm trying to get a Custom API working with Zoho creator. I have created a Custom API and created an Endpoint URL, but i get a 9400 error code "The provided HTTP method is not valid for this custom API". Based off the

• #157127950

  Where did my initial question go?

• Zoho writer unable to merge documents to PDF with basic fonts in Hebrew or fonts from my computer

  I created several forms that will be merged into PDF files through Zoho Writer and I am unable to receive the PDF in the basic fonts of the Hebrew language or in the fonts I have on my computer. The writer exports to PDF an exchange font that looks very

• How I Implemented Subscription-Based Access Control and Expiry Handling in Zoho Creator

  I recently worked on a use case where users come into the application to request a service, but they should only be able to continue the process after completing a subscription. The challenge was not just controlling access, but also making sure that

• Zoho Forms API

  Is there any way to get all form entry list using API? Looking forward to hear from you

• Zoho Projects : Task should auto-update to 'In Progress' if timer started

  Namaskaram. Right now, if a Task's timer is started, the Task stays in 'Not Started' status. One has to manually update it to 'In Progress'. From a #uxdesign standpoint, it is an unnecessarily two step process to start working on a task. It would be better that, if I start the timer on a task, it should automatically change to 'In Progress' status. Crafted with ❤️ Zoho Gurus | Zoho One Practice Team @ CubeYogi Zoho Authorised Partner | 7+ Yrs | 200+ Projects | 100+ Customers

• Laatste facturen en betalingen niet zichtbaar in mijn account

  Wij gebruiken ZOHO invoice al jaren, maar sinds afgelopen week is mijn laatst verzonden factuur niet zichtbaar in mijn account, en tevens de laatst betaalde facturen zie ik niet. Hoe kan dit? Ik heb de pagina al diverse keren gerefreshed.

• Undelivered Mail uncategorized-bounce errors when sending invoices

  Recently we have been getting Undelivered Mail bounce notification when sending invoices. Reason: uncategorized-bounce Some go through no problem some bounce back. We recently sent 10 invoices, 6 received bounce notifications. After reaching out to the

• Can I import MSG files into Microsoft 365 without Outlook?

  Yes, absolutely. You do not need Outlook installed to import MSG files into Microsoft 365. Aryson MSG file Converter is a dedicated tool that eliminates the Outlook dependency entirely, making the migration process simple and efficient for all users.

• Feature Request - A Way To Search Item Groups

  Hi Inventory Team, I can't find any way to filter or search by fields of Item Groups. It would be great to see that functionality added. I have a use case where a single product might come from 5 or more suppliers and each supplier's item is an Item in

• Zoho Books/Inventory - Update Marketplace Sales Order via API

  Hi everyone, Does anyone know if there is a way to update Sales Orders created from a marketplace intigration (Shopify in this case) via API? I'm trying to cover a scenario where an order is changed on the Shopify end and the changes must be reflected

• Ticket id issues

  When I reply a ticket from desktop, it doesn't have ticket id in the subject and it's great. When I reply a ticket from Zoho desk mobile, Zoho adds ticket id in the subject and I don't want that. Please help in this matter.

• Advanced email configuration - agent's name vs. department name

  We currently have all four Advanced Configuration options turned ON at the Global-level (Channels > Email > Advanced Configuration) - including the "Show Agent name in Ticket replies and outgoing emails" option. We also had that same option turned ON

• Add Bounced as an Email Action / Notification for Bounced Emails

  This is one of the hard requirements for the clients we're servicing. They want to get an internal email notification whenever the email they sent to their contacts have bounced, so that they can look into it and update the email address. Currently, the

• Files Uploaded to Zoho WorkDrive Not Being Indexed by Search Engines

  Hello, I have noticed that the files I upload to Zoho WorkDrive are not being indexed by search engines, including Google. I’d like to understand why this might be happening and what steps I can take to resolve it. Here are the details of my issue: File

• not able to convert pdf to jpg and other forms and vice versa.

  i want to change my pdf to jpg, word, etc and some times jpg to pdf. i don't know how to do in this.

• Next Page