Enhancements to finance suite integrations

Enhancements to finance suite integrations

Alert
Update on the migration (October 28, 2025):

Starting this week (October 29 tentatively), we’ll begin migrating Zoho CRM users to Zoho Books as integration users. This means actions will now run under each user’s own Zoho Books access, instead of the admin’s.

As an admin, you can also choose to migrate users early from the Integration Settings page in Zoho CRM.

(Refer to the announcement for details).
Alert
Update:

Based on your feedback, we’ve updated the capabilities for integration users. In addition to the Estimates module, they can now create, view, and edit records in all the finance modules including Sales Order, Invoices, Purchase Order.

We're also running a migration and all existing users who have migrated already will receive an email once this change goes live.

Last modified on: May 15, 2025
Info
Please note that Zoho Subscriptions is now Zoho Billing.
Hello everyone!
 
We're delighted to announce some enhancements we've recently made to the finance suite integration with Zoho CRM. These improvements focus primarily on two major integrations:
  • Zoho Books
  • Zoho Subscriptions
We've implemented these updates carefully based on the valuable feedback we've received to ensure that the user experience is smoother. So without further ado, let's dive into the details!

Enhancements to the Zoho Books integration

We've refined some of the integrated features between Zoho CRM and Zoho Books to address previous challenges and enhance user interactions.

What were the challenges? 
  • Users were unable to send emails using their email addresses.
  • Zoho Books sometimes generated inaccurate reports during audits because records created from Zoho CRM weren't being updated with the correct user names in Zoho Books.
  • User-level permissions, field-level permissions and processes such as the Approval process in Zoho Books weren't being properly handled in Zoho CRM.
  • Users who did not have proper authorization to use Zoho Books were able to create transactions from CRM by using admin's permissions.
All of these challenges arose because the integration operated exclusively via the integration owner/admin's authentication (only the admin-level permissions in Zoho Books are handled, while other user-level permissions are not accounted for), which meant that any actions performed in CRM were recorded under the name of the admin in Books.

What have we enhanced? 

1. Introducing Integration users 

Sales personnel typically manage tasks up to the estimates stage in a sales process. Therefore, CRM users who have primarily worked on estimates modules and have not engaged in subsequent activities like invoices can now be added as Integration Users from CRM to Zoho Books without the need for new licenses in Books. In other words, integration users in Zoho CRM are standard CRM users whose admins can grant specific permissions to carry out certain tasks within the Estimates module, as required.



Info
What permissions do integration users have? 
  • After being added, integration users can perform all operations, including creating, viewing, and editing records within the Estimates module.
    Notes
  • However, they can only access other modules, such as Invoices, Sales Orders, and Purchase Orders in view mode.
  • Integration users will not have direct access to Zoho Books.
  • When integration users are part of multiple finance suite products, their permissions are collectively applied within CRM.

2. Unified permissions between Zoho CRM and Zoho Books  

For users with access to both Zoho CRM and Books, the integration will now ensure proper management of permissions, covering all aspects. This means if a user is restricted from certain actions or features in Zoho Books, these restrictions will be consistently applied in CRM as well. Previously, users could access and interact with features in CRM that they were not authorized for in Zoho Books, leading to discrepancies. This enhancement will eliminate such inconsistencies, ensuring uniform permission management and preventing unauthorized access or actions across both platforms.

Alert
Migration for existing users
  • For the integration between Zoho CRM and Zoho Books to function seamlessly, and to maintain uniform user permissions,existing users have the option to migrate immediately.
  • Alternatively, they have a three-month window to complete the migration. After this period, users will be automatically added as 'Integration Users' based on their utilization of the finance module.
    Notes
  • To facilitate this, select the "Migrate Users" option to view and manage users common to both systems. Upon clicking "Save," the backend migration initiates. Following this, the integration adheres to each user's designated scope and permissions.
  • Users can migrate up to 1,000 integration users initially. If they need to migrate more, they can contact the support team for additional help.
  • Users who are already part of Zoho Books can't be added as integration users.
Please note that for new sign-ups, 'Integration users' will be available by default and they can set it up during the initial integration setup process.

Enhancement to the Zoho Subscription integration

Currently, when Zoho Subscription is integrated with CRM, it automatically adds Zoho Subscription as a related list in the Contacts and Accounts modules. You can view subscription details in a pop-up (iframe). Although users can create new subscriptions, there is a limitation on creating subscription-based reports and dashboards.



Now let's take a quick look at the enhancements made to the Zoho Subscription integration.

1. Introducing the Zoho Subscription Module

Zoho Subscriptions will now be available as a module in CRM, accessible to users with appropriate permissions. With this update, users now can generate reports based on Zoho Subscriptions data.



Hereafter, Zoho Subscriptions will be displayed both as a related list and as a module. Users with subscription permissions can currently create and view records in related lists; however, moving forward, they will be able to view and create records from the subscription module as well. Additionally, users will also have the option to view subscription records based on the pre-defined custom views.



2. Reports and analytics for subscriptions 

Zoho CRM offers report and analytical dashboard presets that users can adjust as needed to create personalized reports. In turn, this allows users to gain a better understanding of their customers and track key performance metrics, enabling them to make more informed decisions.
 
To try out system-defined reports based on Zoho Subscriptions, you can navigate to the Reports module and select any of the reports available under the Zoho Subscription Reports folder.



However, for analytics, we're providing two dashboards: Zoho Subscription Overview and Zoho Subscription Insights. You can navigate to the Analytics module and find these dashboards by default on the left panel.



3. Streamlined user permissions

The integration between Zoho CRM and Zoho Subscriptions, which used to be controlled by integration owner/admin permissions, will now operate based on the current users' scope. This guarantees uniformity in user permissions across both platforms, preventing users from accessing CRM features that they do not have authorization for in Zoho Subscriptions.
 
That's all we have for the enhancements in this edition. We'll keep you posted on further updates. Please feel free to share your thoughts and feedback in the comments below.
 

Release Plan: 
  • These enhancements are being rolled out in phases and are now available to all users across all data centres, with the exception of the US DC, where they are currently available only to organizations on editions below Enterprise. 
Thanks!
Nizamuddin
IdeaP.S. We would like to acknowledge the significant contributions and ongoing recommendations provided by our MVP, @Kevin Flynn. His insights – shared in the community forum – have been instrumental in addressing challenges related to users experiencing difficulties in sending emails with their addresses, as well as issues concerning user and field-level permissions.

    • Recent Topics

    • View Answer Bot conversations?

      We are trialing Zia and are experimenting with Answer Bot on our knowledge base. So far so good! Management asks me if it is possible to view Answer Bot conversations, the purpose being to look over its shoulder and confirm that it is working as des

    • Add Comment workflow action delayed by 1–2 minutes in Zoho Desk

      Hello Zoho Support team, We are experiencing an issue with a workflow in Zoho Desk. The workflow is triggered when the Quote ID field is updated and performs two actions: A standard Field Update An Add Comment custom action When the Quote ID field is

    • 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

    • Zoho Books and TRAINING SALES receipt label for eTims?

      Hi, Can Zoho Books implement TRAINING SALES receipts and push them to eTims for test? In other words how can we send to Zoho or even create in Zoho training mode invoices and TEST the workflow POS>Zoho Books>eTims and back without actually registering

    • Reporting Tags and COGS

      Is there any way to get COGS recorded against reporting tags? The use cases seems very straightforward to me. If I'm running a P/L report against a specific reporting tag (I use mine for customer type, but it could be used for regions, etc.), the revenue

    • Hide Custom Fields for Customers or Vendors

      For whatever reason, all custom fields added to the Customer module also get added to the Vendor module. This leads to a clunky experience for users, as many custom fields we add only apply to one or the other. There should be a "hide" option to hide

    • Onboarding process

      I urgently need onboarding support. My account still shows trial period.

    • Detailed General Ledger - Display Transaction Description in Reports

      Hi Zoho Team, I'm currently using Zoho Books and have a question regarding the Detailed General Ledger report. When we enter a description or narration in transactions (Bills, Journal Entries, Expenses, etc.), the report does not display this description.

    • Which Zoho CRM tasks would you want an AI assistant to handle?

      I’ve started delegating my Zoho CRM work to AI – and many tasks now take me half the time. It has been so useful that we’re now working to make it available to everyone. Instead of clicking through records and tabs, I simply describe what needs to be

    • Zoho Mail Does Not Integrate with Analytics

      Hello everyone, Just wanted to make a quick post about the problem with zoho mail. Currently it does not connect to Zoho Analytics, which I think is crazy considering both of these applications have existed for a long period of time. Even zoho voice a

    • Net ##th Terms (e.g. due on the following 15th)

      I have a client who pays me twice monthly per our contract. It would be helpful to have terms on my invoices where the invoice is due on the 15th or the 30th of the same or the following month.

    • Project status update visibility within a project

      Currently the only place within Zoho projects to see status updates for a given project is actually not in the project it's self it's in the Collaboration section and then by searching for a given project and clicking on the status tab. It would be great

    • Using custom CRM fields

      I have created a series of fields in the Deals module that need to be linked to fields in a contract I have customized. I can only see how to map standard fields, not the custom ones. How do I do this?

    • Como limitar o Zia Agent?

      Geralmente quando estamos criando um agente de IA no ZIa Agent Studio, colocamos o que ele deve fazer, utilizando as instruções que colocamos no Knowledge Base. Mas como colocamos limites que não devem ser ultrapassados? Para isso utilizamos os Guardrails,

    • 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

    • Zoho Flow - Zoho Desk trigger "Ticket created or updated" overrides Department

      Just in case anyone else has this issue. We had a Zoho Flow with the Zoho Desk trigger "Ticket created or updated". In the trigger I had selected a Department (Sales). What happens is that the Department ID (Sales) is submitted as part of the request

    • 2026 Product Roadmap and Upcoming Features

      This is your guide to what is coming in Zoho Vertical Studio throughout 2026. We’ll update this post throughout the year as items move from development to release, and as and when new initiatives are added. Once a feature is released, it will be reflected

    • Introducing Canvas templates: Design once, apply everywhere

      Greetings all! We're happy to introduce Canvas templates, a Forms view enhancement that enables you to design form layouts just once and apply them seamlessly across multiple modules. Imagine you use five CRM modules (Contacts, Deals, Leads, and more),

    • Why cant i see the Campaigns module in my Zoho app

      I am on the ZOHO CRM Standard edition. I can clearly see and use the Campaign module when viewing the ZOHO CRM desktop. When I switch to my phone, the Campaign Module does not show. I have gone through all the settings I can think of, but I still can't

    • 📣 Ask the team behind Zoho SalesIQ: Summer '26 Q&A

      Hi everyone! Following our recent webinars, Summer '26 Release: What's New in Zoho SalesIQ—where we walked you through all the new features, what they do, and how they work—and Driving the AI Evolution: Building Smarter Customer Experiences with Zoho

    • Always display images from this sender – Is this feature available?

      In Zoho mail, I had my "Load external images" setting set to "Ask me", and that's fine. That's the setting I prefer. What's not fine though is I always need to tick "Display now" for each email I get, regardless if I've done that multiple times from several

    • Set Custom Icon for Custom Modules in new Zoho CRM UI

    • Displayed sample tracking for multi branch setup.

      We have multiple branches and one of the biggest challenges for us to be able to track if a particular item is in display or not. I am shooting in the dark but I am wondering if there is a solution for the following : Each product used for display is

    • How do I migrate from Office 365 to Zoho Mail?

      Check out Advik Email Migration Wizard, this software is specially developed to move mailboxes from Office 365 to Zoho Webmail. In addition you can migrate from Gmail, Yahoo, Rediffmail and 80+ webmail servers to ZOHO MAIL. Isn't it amazing? This is an all in one email migration solution. Steps to export emails from Office 365 to Zoho Webmail are as follows; Run Advik Email Migration Tool in your system. Select Office 365 as source and enter its login credentials. Select mailbox folders and choose

    • Connection Issues

      Morning. Seems like a few of my colleagues that are offsite are having issues with connection to cliq, even when their internet is working perfectly fine and only 1 person onsite has issues. Can you please explain? Thanks

    • Backorder process review - Automating Removal of Sales Order from "On Hold" When PO is Received

      Hello Zoho Inventory Team, Currently, sales orders in On Hold status are released only when the bill for the purchase order is created. In our workflow, it would be much more efficient if the sales order could automatically move out of On Hold as soon

    • Which Is the best online store to buy office furniture in Australia ?

      The most important part of your office is the office furniture. Your office is not complete when you have not put the required furniture in place. You need a furniture in your office so that you and your employees have desks, tables, and chairs which

    • Add "Product Code" as available column and search criteria for Assemblies

      Hi Zoho Community. For product (item) assemblies, it would be helpful to be able to create a custom view search criteria that limits the view by product code or perhaps product category. Currently, Product Code is not an available option to display as

    • What's New - July 2026 | Zoho Backstage

      Hello everyone, We hope you’re having an expectation-exceeding event experience! We’ve been hard at work bringing you a bunch of enhancements designed to make event management even easier. Let’s take a look at what’s new in Zoho Backstage. Export delivery

    • Delete Field that is used in a Zoho Flow connection

      I'm trying to delete a Field used in a Webhook created by Zoho Flow with CRM Connection and i get the following alert: When going to the alert i get to the following issue, can't edit it since its been deployed by a pluggin But yes i have here the prompted

    • Q3 USA ZUG Meetups - Build AI Agents with Zoho

      Hi everyone! What if you could build your own AI agent from scratch in just one session? That's exactly what we're going to do at the upcoming ZUG Meetups across the United States, where you'll get hands-on experience with Zia Agents and explore how AI

    • Data Export is forcing Creation/Modified date just like reports

      The data export now forces you to select a created or modified date. There is not an All-Time option. This severely cripples the whole function of data export for audit purposes. If the data export (or reports for that matter), requires a date, there

    • Default ticket template in helpcenter

      Hello, I have a web form and a ticket template created. How can I make that my default ticket template? If an user clicks New ticket or create a ticket, I want that template to be the default one. Thank you for the time and info.

    • Zia Agents looks promising, but I still cannot deploy my first agent or connect WhatsApp after weeks of support tickets

      Hi Everyone, I am posting here because I am stuck and need practical help from someone who has successfully deployed a Zia Agent with WhatsApp. Zia Agents looks like a very promising product. I have watched the platform expand quickly, and I have noticed

    • Valid characters for use in email addresses using Zoho's apps/APIs

      We have found an issue with the + sign character in zoho subs - we are allowed to create a customer with an email address that has a plus sign but the API doesn't allow the + so the billing portal is not created. We are going to prevent users from using

    • Feature Request – Per-Channel Pre-Chat Form Controls

      We'd like the ability to enable/disable the pre-chat form on a per-channel basis, rather than having a single global setting. On the website widget, asking for name and email before chat starts makes sense. On WhatsApp, however, email isn't necessary

    • Copy + Paste in Notes: Text color and text background are not retained

      I've recently started using Zoho Notebook as an Evernote replacement. When copying and pasting text within Zoho Notes, I notice that the formatting of the text (text color and background color) is not retained when pasting. Only the attributes "Bold"

    • Need to show discount before total after subtotal

      Need to show discount before total after subtotal on my estimate template (see attachment)

    • Google Ads Data is Publicly available in Zoho CRM

      We recently discovered that ALL of the following Google Ads fields are visible to all users in our CRM that have access to either Leads or Contacts modules. Not only is this troubling and inconvenient, it should be unacceptable. It also creates a mess

    • Zoho Books bill pay option not available with zoho one

      Why isn't Zoho Books bill pay add-on not available for Zoho one customers not even as a purchasable option. I think this is very inconvenient for companies wanting to use this feature all in one system

    • Next Page