Closing the Loop: Why Lookup Asymmetry is Harming Data Integrity in Creator

Closing the Loop: Why Lookup Asymmetry is Harming Data Integrity in Creator

TL;DR: Lookup fields allow users to add new related records inline via the "+" icon, but there's no equivalent ability to edit an existing related record without navigating away and losing form context. Adding a native "Edit" icon—with automatic User Input workflow re-triggering on save—would close this asymmetry and prevent the data quality issues that arise when fixing related records is too disruptive to bother with.
I've discovered a significant gap in how Zoho Creator handles related records through lookup fields, and I'm hoping the Zoho team can address this in a future update. This limitation creates a disjointed user experience that breaks natural workflow patterns.

The Issue
According to Zoho Creator's lookup field functionality, users can add new related records directly through a lookup field—both single-select and multi-select variants support this via the "+" icon. This is an excellent feature that streamlines data entry.
However, there is no equivalent ability to edit an existing related record while adding or editing the parent record. Once a related record exists, users must navigate away from their current form to make changes—breaking their workflow and context.
Example Use Case
Consider a Sales Order form with a lookup field to Clients.
Scenario: While creating a new Sales Order, the user notices the selected Client's phone number is outdated.
Desired behavior:
  • Click an "edit" icon next to the lookup field
  • Update the Client's phone number in a popup/modal
  • Save and return to the Sales Order form with context preserved
  • Continue completing the Sales Order without interruption
Current reality: The user must abandon their partially-completed Sales Order, navigate to the Clients report, find and edit the Client record, then return to create a new Sales Order from scratch—or risk losing unsaved data.
The Problem
Zoho Creator provides asymmetric functionality for related records—you can create but not edit:
Action Single-Select Lookup Multi-Select Lookup
Select existing related record ✓ Yes ✓ Yes
Add new related record ✓ Yes (via + icon) ✓ Yes (via + icon)
Edit selected related record ✗ No ✗ No
View selected record details inline ✗ No ✗ No
The openUrl() Workaround — And Why It Falls Short
Technically, you can use Deluge's openUrl() function to open a related record for editing—either from the User Input of a field or from an anchor tag in an Add Notes field. According to the documentation on editing records via Record ID:
// URL pattern to edit individual records by passing record ID:
// https://<base_url>/<account_owner_name>/<app_link_name>/#Form:<form_link_name>?recLinkID=<record_ID>&viewLinkName=<view_link_name>

// Example: Open related Client record for editing via User Input
client_id = input.Client_Lookup.ID;
edit_url = "#Form:Clients?recLinkID=" + client_id + "&viewLinkName=Clients_Report&zc_LoadIn=dialog";
openUrl(edit_url, "same window");
Critical Limitation: While openUrl() can open the related record for editing, the lookup field's User Input workflow does not re-trigger when the related record is saved. This means any field population logic that runs on record selection won't run again after an edit.
The result is a broken workflow:
  • Parent form → Can open child record for editing ✓
  • Child record → Can be edited and saved ✓
  • Parent form → User Input workflow does not re-trigger
  • Parent form → Lookup display shows stale data
  • Parent form → Dependent fields remain outdated
Workaround Approach Implementation Problems Status
openUrl() from User Input Trigger openUrl() on field change to open related record in dialog - User Input workflow doesn't re-trigger after edit
- Lookup field shows stale display data
- Dependent fields remain outdated
⚠ Partial solution
Anchor tag in Add Notes Embed clickable link using <a href="..."> in Add Notes field - Same limitations as openUrl()
- Requires visible Add Notes field
- Less discoverable for users
⚠ Partial solution
1-Row Subform Replace lookup with a subform limited to 1 entry for "inline" editing - Cannot search/select from existing records
- Designed for creating new child data, not picking existing
- Doesn't scale (can't browse 5,000+ records)
- Loses all lookup field benefits
✗ Architectural mismatch
JavaScript Widget Build custom widget with iframe and postMessage API - Requires complete UI rebuild
- Complex development effort
- Maintenance overhead
- Not native Creator experience
✗ Overkill for simple requirement
Navigate Away User leaves current form, edits related record, returns - Loses unsaved parent form data
- Destroys dynamic form state and transient variable calculations
- Breaks user workflow
- Poor user experience
✗ Not viable
The Missing Pieces
For a complete solution, Zoho Creator would need to provide:
Capability Current State Required State
Native Edit Icon Not available on lookup fields Edit icon alongside + (add) icon
Parent Form Preservation No mechanism to preserve state Parent form remains open with unsaved data intact
User Input Re-trigger Does not fire after related record edit Existing User Input workflow re-triggers on related record save
Lookup Display Refresh Display shows stale data after edit Lookup field reflects updated related record data
What Should Happen Instead
Proposed Solution 1: Native Edit Icon on Lookup Fields
Add an edit icon (pencil) alongside the existing add icon (+) on lookup fields:
[ Selected Client Name     ▼ ]  [+]  [✏️]
│ │
│ └── Edit selected record (NEW)
└──────── Add new record (existing)
Clicking the edit icon would open the selected record in a dialog/modal, preserving the parent form's state.
Note for Multi-Select Lookups: The edit icon could appear next to each individual "pill" or selected item in the list, allowing users to edit any of the selected records independently.
Proposed Solution 2: Re-trigger Existing User Input Workflow
When a record is selected in a lookup field, it already triggers the field's User Input workflow. This same behavior should occur automatically when an edited related record is saved—no separate event type needed:
// Existing User Input workflow on Client_Lookup field
// This ALREADY triggers when a record is selected
// It SHOULD also trigger when the related record is edited and saved

on user input of Client_Lookup
{
// Populate fields based on selected client
input.Contact_Phone = input.Client_Lookup.Phone;
input.Contact_Email = input.Client_Lookup.Email;
input.Billing_Address = input.Client_Lookup.Address;
}
Expected behavior: After editing the Client record via the lookup field's edit icon and saving, the User Input workflow should re-trigger automatically—without requiring the user to manually de-select and re-select the record. This seamless refresh is what makes the UX feel native. The workflow would update any dependent fields with the corrected data using existing logic, no new code required.
Proposed Solution 3: Lookup Field Property for Edit Behavior
Add a lookup field property to control edit behavior:
Lookup Field Properties:
├── Allow Add New Record: ☑ Enabled
├── Allow Edit Selected Record: ☑ Enabled ← NEW OPTION
│ └── Edit Opens In: ○ Dialog ○ Slide-in Panel ○ New Tab
└── On Related Record Save: ○ Refresh Lookup ○ Custom Script ○ No Action
Note: The Edit icon should naturally respect the user's Module Permissions. If a user does not have 'Edit' access to the related form, the icon should remain hidden or disabled—consistent with existing permission behavior for the Add (+) icon.
Real-World Impact
This limitation affects any workflow involving:
  • CRM/Sales workflows — Updating client contact info while creating quotes or orders
  • Project management — Editing task details while logging time entries
  • Inventory systems — Correcting product specifications while processing orders
  • HR applications — Updating employee details while processing leave requests
  • Support ticketing — Modifying customer information while handling tickets
  • Data integrity — When users spot typos or outdated info but can't fix it easily, they tend to ignore it. This leads to "dirty data" accumulating simply because the "cost" of fixing it (navigating away, losing context) is too high
  • Any parent-child data relationship — Where child record corrections are discovered during parent record creation

User Experience Impact: Users are forced to choose between completing their current task with stale/incorrect related data, or abandoning their work to fix the related record. This friction compounds across every data entry session, significantly impacting productivity.

The Asymmetry Problem:
The ability to add new related records directly from a lookup field is incredibly useful and demonstrates that Zoho Creator understands the value of contextual record management. The absence of an equivalent edit capability creates an inconsistent and frustrating user experience.
If users can add related records without leaving the form, they should be able to edit them too.
Setting the Standard:
Zoho Creator is marketed as the platform for building bespoke solutions—applications tailored to workflows that standard SaaS offerings cannot accommodate. Bespoke solutions shouldn't be constrained by out-of-the-box limitations like this.
Creator is the ideal place to pioneer this feature. Developers choose Creator precisely because we need workflows that are more fluid and contextual than pre-built software allows. Native inline editing for lookup fields would reinforce Creator's position as a developer-first platform.
Request to Zoho Team

Can this be addressed in a future update?

The current implementation forces users to choose between:

1. Workflow Continuity
Complete the current form with potentially outdated related data, then fix later (risking data quality issues)
2. Data Accuracy
Abandon the current form, navigate to fix the related record, then start over (losing time and unsaved work)

We shouldn't have to make this choice—lookup fields should support both adding AND editing related records.

Community Input Requested: Has anyone else encountered this limitation or developed a more elegant workaround? I'd particularly love to hear from anyone who has implemented a JavaScript Widget solution and whether the development overhead was justified.


📚 Documentation References:
🔗 Related Community Discussions:
    • Recent Topics

    • "View ticket" link is broken

      The "View ticket" link in our Zoho ticketing system confirmation emails is broken (please see attached). Impacts ability to update/review details, and, refresh recollection at a later date. Any help would be much appreciated.
    • import data from Apollo.ai into zoho crm via zoho flow

      I might be asking this question in the wrong forum. We use Apollo.ai to find potential new leads for our business, there are around 10000 leads that we have initially found. We have an Apollo.ai account but just to do searches, we dont use it as a crm.
    • Woocommerce Line Item Information

      I'd like to add each line item from a Woocommerce order to a zoho creator form record. The line items are found within the line items array, but I'm not sure how to get each item out of the array? Any help would be much appreciated.
    • Synching changes to Stripe when changes are made in Zoho Billing

      We have a situation where we have merged customers in Zoho BIlling and then found out later that the payment in Stripe was not updated and still associated with the old customer record. The card gets updated and billed, but that payment is still associated
    • How do I fix this? Unable to send message; Reason:554 5.1.8 Email Outgoing Blocked.

      How do I fix this? Unable to send message; Reason:554 5.1.8 Email Outgoing Blocked.
    • Disable Smart Filters By Default

      The smart filters "feature" is causing confusion for Zoho Mail users. New emails should be delivered to the inbox unless they have specifically opted to redirect them somewhere else. People don't understand that new emails might be waiting in a random
    • ME SALE ESTE ERROR: No fue posible enviar el mensaje;Motivo:554 5.1.8 Email Outgoing Blocked

      Ayuda!! Me sale este error al intentar enviar mensajes desde mi correo electronico de Zoho! Tampoco recibo correos pues cuando me envia rebotan. Ayuda, Me urge enviar unos correo importantes!! Quedo atenta MAGDA HERNANDEZ +5731120888408
    • Client Script | Update - Client Script Support For Custom Buttons

      Hello everyone! We are excited to announce one of the most requested features - Client Script support for Custom Buttons. This enhancement lets you run custom logic on button actions, giving you greater flexibility and control over your user interactions.
    • Zoho Mail not working

      Zoho Mail not working
    • I can't add a new customer in Zoho invoice? Anyone had this issue before?

      Ive been using Zoho invoice for over 6 years. Today I wanted to add a new customer to send an invoice to but it doesn't save when I try to access it from the pulldown menu when you go to send a new invoice.
    • Spreadsheet View click & focus issue in Arabic (RTL) localization

      Hello Zoho Support Team, I am facing an issue in Zoho Creator Spreadsheet View when using Arabic localization (RTL). Scenario: My app supports English (LTR) and Arabic (RTL). I created a Spreadsheet View for a form. In English, everything works correctly.
    • Customer address in Zoho Bookings

      Hello,  Is it possible to add customer address information to the Zoho bookings appointment screen? Or have it pull that information automatically from the CRM? We are wanting to use this as a field management software but it is difficult to pull the address from multiple sources when it would be ideal to have a clickable address on the appointment screen that opens up the user's maps.  It would also be advantageous for the "list view" to show appointment times instead of just duration and booking
    • Ghost email notification on a form

      Hello, We have recently encountered an error where I can not see a email notification set up for a form which I am currently the owner, although neither the form nor the notification were created by me. However, neither can the Super Admin access the
    • bulk edit records and run internal logic

      hi there is few logics in manner "it this than that" logics work well when i edit entry openning it one by one (via workflow "on add/edit - on success" , for custom field "on update/on user input") but when i try bulk edit records - logic does not work.  how can i turn on logic to work as programmed - for mass editing records via bulk edit?
    • Bulk bank rule creatioin

      Hi team, I am exploring Option to create a multiple bank rule. Could please suggest the option to implement this?
    • Limitations on editing a message in Cliq

      Hi I've checked the documentations and there's no mention of how many times a message can be edited. When trying with code, I get various numbers such as ~1000 edits or so. Please mention if there's a limit on how many times one can change a message via
    • email address autocomplete

      Is there a way to eliminate certain addresses from showing up in auto complete when entering an address? Many old and unused addresses currently show up, many of which I would like to get rid of. Thanks
    • How to use MAIL without Dashboard?

      Whenever I open Mail, it opens Dashboard. This makes Mail area very small and also I cannot manage Folders (like delete/rename) etc. I want to know if there is any way to open only Mail apps and not the Dashboard.
    • How can i download and secure all my mails from the archive folders?

      Hi, i would like to download all my mails from my archive folders and secure it on my external HDD. Is this possible? Thx. amir
    • How to open filtered report in popup using Zoho Creator Deluge?

      First report: There is so many records in Report, If I click one record, pop up is occur. Second report (Pop up): there is also so many record data, and this pop up is also Report, not Form. First report: It has got "Sales Order" field. when I click any
    • Can you default reports/charts to report the current week?

      Our data table maintains two years of data. Management wants certain report to automatically filter the report to the latest calendar week. I know I can do this manually with filters but I want the report to automatically default to the latest calendar
    • Rendering PDF to view on page

      My company upload lots of PDF files onto Zoho. But every time we open it, it downloads the file instead of viewing it on the web page. Does Zoho allow uploaded PDF files to be rendered to view on web page yet? I've been trying to use <embed> or <object> but it cannot be loaded.  (similar thread: https://help.zoho.com/portal/community/topic/how-to-open-a-pdf-file-of-a-view-in-preview-mode)
    • Overlapping Reports in Dashboards

      It's rare, but occasionally it would be a good feature if I were able to overlap reports, either fully or partially in the Dashboards. Also, then having the ability to move objects to the front or rear, or make them transparent/translucent would be good
    • Feature request - pin or flag note

      Hi, It would be great if you could either pin or flag one or more notes so that they remain visible when there are a bunch of notes and some get hidden in the list. Sometimes you are looking for a particular name that gets lost in a bunch of less important
    • Admin guide: Handling Mailbox Settings for better user management

      Managing day-to-day email scenarios, such as supporting users with multiple email addresses, ensuring uninterrupted email access during employee absences, enabling secure mailbox sharing, and enforcing organizational security and compliance, can be challenging
    • Cisco Webex Calling Intergration

      Hi Guys, Our organisation is looking at a move from Salesforce to Zoho. We have found there is no support for Cisco Webex Calling however? Is there a way to enable this or are there any apps which can provide this? Thanks!
    • Designing a practical Zoho setup for a small business: lessons from a real implementation

      I recently finished setting up a Zoho-based operating system for a small but growing consumer beauty business (GlowAtHomeBeauty), and I wanted to share a practical takeaway for other founders and implementers. The business wasn’t failing because of lack
    • DKIM (Marketing emails) UNVERIFIED (Zoho One)

      I'm having a problem with Zoho One verifying my Marketing Email DKIM Record for MYFINISHERPHOTOS.COM. I have removed and re-entered the ownership, DKIM (Transactional emails), SPF and Marketing DKIM and all of them come back verified except the DKIM (Marketing
    • Zoho Recruit Community Meet-up - India

      Namaste, India. 🙏🏼 The Zoho Recruit team is hitting the road—and we 're absolutely excited behind the scenes. Join us for the Zoho Recruit India Meet-up 2026, a morning designed to make your recruiting life easier (and a lot more effective). Date City
    • Generate a Zoho Sign link

      From time to time I get a response "I never received your you e-document for electronic signature" is there a way to generate a Zoho Sign link to share.
    • Is it possible to create a word cloud chart in ZoHo Analystics?

      Hi there, I have a volume of transaction text that I would like to analyse using word cloud (or other approcah to detect and present word frequency in a dataset). For example, I have 50,000 records describing menu items in restaurants. I want to be able
    • How to Fix the Corrupted Outlook 2019 .pst file on Windows safely?

      There are multiple reasons to get corrupted PST files (due to a power failure, system crash, or forced shutdown) and several other reasons. If You are using this ScanePST.EXE Microsoft inbuilt recovery tool, it only supports the minor corruption issue
    • [Webinar] A recap of Zoho Writer in 2025

      Hi Zoho Writer users, We're excited to announce Zoho Writer's webinar for January 2026: A recap of Zoho Writer in 2025. This webinar will provide a recap of the features and enhancements we added in 2025 to enhance your productivity. Choose your preferred
    • How to drag row(s) or column(s)?

      Hi. Selecting a row or column and then dragging it to a new position does not seem to work. Am i missing something or this is just not possible in Zoho Sheet? Cheers, Jay
    • Building Toppings #5 - Creating and configuring custom service connections in Bigin Toppings

      Hello Biginners, Integrating Bigin with external applications extends its capabilities and enables customized functionalities. In our last post, we saw how to create a default service connection. Today, we'll see how to create a custom service connection
    • Optimising CRM-Projects workflows to manage requests, using Forms as an intermediary

      Is it possible to create a workflow between three apps with traceability between them all? We send information from Zoho CRM Deals over to Zoho Projects for project management and execution. We have used a lookup of sorts to create tasks in the past,
    • Marketing Tip #15: Rank better with keyword-rich URLs for product pages

      Your product page URL is a small detail that can make a surprisingly big difference. Clean, readable URLs help in two ways: They’re easier for customers to trust and remember (no one likes clicking a link that looks messy or random). They help search
    • Conditional fields when converting a Lead and creating a Deal

      Hi, On my Deal page I have a field which has a rule against it. Depending on the value entered, depends on which further fields are displayed. When I convert a Lead and select for a Deal to be created as well, all fields are shown, regardless of the value
    • ATE Session on Payment Gateways: Our experts are live now. Post your questions now!

      Hello everyone, Our experts are all excited to answer all your questions related to payment workflows. Please feel free to join this session and learn more about this topic. If you have a query at anytime, please post them here.
    • Upload data deleted all Zoho form data that we manage

      Good morning. Let me introduce myself, I'm Iky from Indonesia. I'm experiencing an error or problem using Zoho Forms. I manage Zoho Forms, but I previously encountered an error when I misclicked the delete button in the upload format. It apparently deleted
    • Next Page