Building extensions #6: Custom user interfaces with Widgets

Building extensions #6: Custom user interfaces with Widgets

Welcome to our post on Widgets for Zoho Projects!

In our last post, we explored the significance of the connections feature, showed how to use it, and provided an example use case. In this article, we'll look at the importance of widgets, another feature available in Zoho Projects.

Importance of widgets

Widgets are graphical user interface components that enable you to customize the user interface to provide users with easy data access and the flexibility to perform data operations. Zoho Projects offers widget support in multiple locations to enable users to further customize the UI in the location that most suits their needs.

When and where can widgets be used?

Widgets can be used for multiple purposes, some of which include:
➤ Collect and organize data from multiple sources before presenting it to the end user in a customized style.
➤ Display data to end users to allow them to make an input decision, then use that input data to carry out business processes.
You can also load and utilize widgets in multiple locations in Zoho Projects based on your business needs.

Configuring widgets in plugin-manifest.json

To include a widget in an extension, it must be configured in the plugin-manifest.json file. As we explained in an earlier post, the plugin-manifest.json file includes a sample widget named "Projects Extension" in the task details tab by default.

However, as part of an extension, you can add multiple widgets at various locations. In order to include a widget, you need to provide values for the below three keys:
  • name - The name of the widget.
  • location - The location in which the widget must be loaded. You may find the value to be used for each specific place in the widget locations document.
  • url - The path to the HTML file containing the widget UI that must be rendered.


Depending on the functionality of your extension, you can configure as many widgets as you want in your plugin-manifest.json in this manner.

Support for Widgets in Zoho Projects - JS SDKs

Zoho Projects offers JS SDKs that allow widget code to interact with the extension. In order for the javascript widget code to communicate with the extension, Zoho Projects provides JS SDKs support for multiple functionality. Some example functionalities include:
  • Initializing the extension
  • Fetching current user details
  • Getting details of portal, task, and much more
  • Setting details for tasks, issues, projects, and so on
  • Invoking connections inside the extension
You can refer to the JS SDK document for the available SDKs.

Prerequisite for using the JS SDKs
Note: It is important to invoke the init method in order to initialize the extension and utilize the other JS SDKs. All other JS SDK methods can be used only once the init method is invoked.

A few use case examples
  • Streamlining Zoho Projects developers' work by displaying Zoho Desk articles related to the task's subject as a tab on the task details page. This allows them to find any existing references related to the task at hand that they can refer to and get a head start on the work.

  • Managing your Zoho CRM open cases from within Zoho Projects to efficiently track and prioritize the cases based on their status.

  • Uploading and associating files with ease to a third-party file management service, such as Sharepoint or Dropbox, right from Zoho Projects. Similarly, having access to and managing third-party files within the Zoho Projects module of your choice. These synchronized data exchanges between applications help you stay organized and save time.
  • Managing your company's expenses and project budgets by collaborating with Zoho Books to allocate funds and generate invoices for each project. As a result, you can easily create estimates, invoices, and deliver the generated bills to the project client while maintaining all of your finances in one place.
These are just some of the examples of what widgets can be used for. Widgets provide you more control and flexibility over the UI design and help in simplifying the user experience.

We hope you found this information useful. Keep following this space as we will explore more such sample business solutions along with their implementation in our upcoming posts!

Sign up for a Zoho Developer account and start developing extensions for Zoho products using Sigma.

SEE ALSO:



      Zoho Campaigns Resources


        • Desk Community Learning Series


        • Digest


        • Functions


        • Meetups


        • Kbase


        • Resources


        • Glossary


        • Desk Marketplace


        • MVP Corner


        • Word of the Day


        • Ask the Experts


          Zoho CRM Plus Resources

            Zoho Books Resources


              Zoho Subscriptions Resources

                Zoho Projects Resources


                  Zoho Sprints Resources


                    Zoho Orchestly Resources


                      Zoho Creator Resources


                        Zoho WorkDrive Resources



                          Zoho CRM Resources

                          • CRM Community Learning Series

                            CRM Community Learning Series


                          • Tips

                            Tips

                          • Functions

                            Functions

                          • Meetups

                            Meetups

                          • Kbase

                            Kbase

                          • Resources

                            Resources

                          • Digest

                            Digest

                          • CRM Marketplace

                            CRM Marketplace

                          • MVP Corner

                            MVP Corner




                            Zoho Writer Writer

                            Get Started. Write Away!

                            Writer is a powerful online word processor, designed for collaborative work.

                              Zoho CRM コンテンツ



                                ご検討中の方

                                  • Recent Topics

                                  • Timeline Tracking Support for records updates via module import and bulk write api

                                    Note: This update is currently available in Early Access and will soon be rolled out across all data centers (DCs) and for all editions of Zoho CRM. The update will be available to all users within your organization, regardless of their profiles or roles.
                                  • What is the difference between Zoho Campaigns and marketing hub?

                                    Zoho Campaigns is a permission-based email marketing tool for sending marketing emails and mass emails. Marketing Automation is a multichannel marketing automation tool that caters to organizations looking for tools to engage their users across multiple
                                  • Unify Overlapping Functionalities Across Zoho Products

                                    Hi Zoho One Team, We would like to raise a concern about the current overlap of core functionalities across various Zoho applications. While Zoho offers a rich suite of tools, many applications include similar or identical features—such as shift management,
                                  • Detailed Account Reports - Add Running Balance

                                    When one clicks into an account from a report (say P/L or Balance Sheet), the default reports have the Debit, Credit, and then the Amount. The Amount column (last one) is duplicate information. It would be far better and fit more peoples' use cases if
                                  • Can we add custom fields to portal community profiles?

                                    How do we add custom fields to our profile pages in our portal community? If we have the ability to add custom fields, will we be able to access those fields via API? We want to use our Desk community in our help portal as our primary community and would
                                  • Future Orders - Due Date

                                    Hi In my role, I can receive tickets where the work required is requested months in advance. Using a Future Orders option, which I believe was setup under the On Hold status type, hides the Due Date, in all views/ticket etc. Whilst I understand the reasoning
                                  • Start Workflow from Deluge Script

                                    I have developed a customized process from our CRM that leverages a deluge script to create a statement of work document. Once the document has been created via the merge and store function, I would like the ability to start a workdrive review & approve
                                  • Issue: Ticket Export Does Not Include Ticket Threads

                                    Dear Zoho Desk Support Team, I hope you’re doing well. I wanted to bring to your attention that the current ticket export feature in Zoho Desk does not seem to include the ticket threads or conversation history. When exporting tickets, only the summary
                                  • Pushover Notification Module

                                    Hello, it would be good if there would be a "Pushover" (https://pushover.net/) module besides the standard SMS module. Pushover is now very well known, especially in IT, and is becoming more and more popular. The biggest advantage are the customizable
                                  • Forward - no Ticket Number

                                    Hello, when I send an email to Zoho Desk via Reply or Reply All, the ticket number is in the subject line. But if I use forward then not. Is there an option to change this? We often forward e-mails and a reply to this will of course create a new ticket
                                  • Checkout: Adding Images

                                    Hello everyone, I’m trying to add a small GoGreen logo in the shipping section of the checkout to promote our sustainable shipping. While I can insert text without any issues, it seems that adding images is not supported in this area. Is there currently
                                  • Sortie de Zoho TABLE ??

                                    Bonjour, Depuis bientôt 2 ans l'application zoho table est sortie en dehors de l'UE ? Depuis un an elle est annoncée en Europe Mais en vrai, c'est pour quand exactement ??
                                  • [solved] #original_sender trick not working for us

                                    Hello community ! We really like DESK.. it's working like a charm for us but I have a request. Some users are sending emails personnaly to me (instead of using the support adress).. and I saw there was a possibilty to use : #original_sender {mail@mail.com}
                                  • SalesIQ Chat Notifications

                                    I am the admin of our salesIQ implementation. About two weeks ago, I started hearing/seeing notification for ALL chats messages from monitored agents/chat participants. I don't need to see these, we have a manager who deals with this. I can't stop the
                                  • Auto-sync field of lookup value

                                    This feature has been requested many times in the discussion Field of Lookup Announcement and this post aims to track it separately. At the moment the value of a 'field of lookup' is a snapshot but once the parent lookup field is updated the values diverge.
                                  • Ensure Consistent Service Delivery with Comprehensive Job Sheets

                                    We are elated to announce that one of the most requested features is now live: Job Sheets. They are customizable, reusable forms that serve as a checklist for the services that technicians need to carry out and as a tool for data collection. While on
                                  • Correlated subqueries not supported in Zoho Analytics. This creates huge limitations

                                    Running into a major limitation in Zoho Analytics: correlated subqueries simply don’t work, even in completely standard SQL patterns inside a JOIN. Example: LEFT JOIN "Bills" b ON d."Id" = b."Deal ID" AND EXISTS ( SELECT 1 FROM "Bill
                                  • Unknown table or alias 'A1'

                                    I would like to create a subquery but i am getting the following error: Unknown table or alias 'A1' used in select query. This is the sql statement:  SELECT A1.active_paying_customers, A1.active_trial_customers, A1.new_paying_signup, date(A1.date_active_customers), 
                                  • HubSpot CRM to Zoho Creator Integration

                                    I'm trying to create an integration between HubSpot CRM and Zoho Creator with HubSpot being the push source (if a contact is created or updated in HubSpot, it pushes the information to Zoho Creator). I have two questions: 1- Is it best to use Zoho Flow
                                  • Sorting Descending in a lookup

                                    I have a case number lookup on multiple forms. I need the most recent added to appear at the top of the lookup or as the list of cases grom it's too much to scroll. Is there a way to have a look up sort descending?
                                  • Batch Emails in CRM Plus without using a template?

                                    Hi guys. Is it possible to send the same email to multiple people at the same time within CRM Plus without using an email template? At the moment we create a custom view in Contacts to display the people that we need. We then click the boxes on the left, and click 'Send Mail', but always need to select a template. Sometimes its better to write a quick one off message, without needing to set up a template first. Thanks.
                                  • bank charge

                                    a charge to my account was made that I did not authorize, of $16.46, for something that looks like "computer maintenance or something to that matter". please refund.
                                  • [Free Webinar] Product Updates: Quick Catch-Up Session - Part II - Creator Tech Connect

                                    Hello Everyone! We welcome you all to the upcoming free webinar on the Creator Tech Connect Series. The Creator Tech Connect series is a free monthly webinar featuring deep-dive technical sessions designed for developers, administrators, and app builders.
                                  • Introducing Liquid Glass UI on the Zoho Mail iOS app

                                    Hello everyone! We're excited to announce that the Zoho Mail app is now fully optimised for iOS 26's Liquid Glass design on both iPhone and iPad! The updated interface features transparent layers, smooth animations, and refined visual elements that enhance
                                  • Jobs at multiple locations

                                    Hi A lot of times we have same job open at multiple locations. So I would like an option where we can create a job and choose multiple locations. Currently we have to create individual jobs for each location. If we can create one job and mention multiple
                                  • Zoho Creator customer portal users

                                    Hi, I'm in a Zoho One subscription with our company. I'm running a project now that involves creating a Zoho Creater application and using the Zoho Creator Customer Portal.  At most we need 25 customer portal users. In our Zoho One plan we only get 3
                                  • Plan change from Zoho One to Zoho Workplace

                                    Hello Zoho, Following the recent pricing update for Zoho One, we are interested in transitioning to Zoho Workplace products. Please inform us about the necessary steps for this process so we can proceed promptly. Kind regards,
                                  • Is it possible to sync data every 5–10 minutes in Zoho Analytics (CRM or Excel imports)?

                                    Hello Team, I want to know if Zoho Analytics supports near real-time syncing of data from different sources. My requirements: I am importing data from Zoho CRM → Zoho Analytics I also have some datasets maintained in Excel/CSV I want both data sources
                                  • Partner with HDFC And Sbi Bank.

                                    Hdfc and sbi both are very popular bank if zoho books become partner with this banks then many of the zoho books users will benefit premium features of partnered banks.
                                  • Links in Instagram

                                    Hi there, I have been using Later for a while now but keen to come back to Zoho Social as Later doesn't offer tagging of pages on Facebook but they offer something Zoho doesn't. You can add a link to your bio which opens up your profile feed where images
                                  • Spotlight #7 - Automatic Transitions in Blueprint

                                    Previously, records could not be moved from one state to another without user intervention. With automatic transitions, move records from one state to another automatically, when it elapses its pre-defined time. This Spotlight discusses how automatic
                                  • Sub Folders

                                    It would be great if there could be sub-folders in reports. We have a ton of individual reports and folders that would be easier to navigate this way 
                                  • Need a way to run a client script longet than 10 seconds

                                    By The Grace of G-D. Hi, Currently, Client Scripts are Timing out at 10 seconds. We have complex logics that needs more time. Can you add a feature request to increase the timeout?
                                  • Zoho CRM Community Digest - November 2025 | Part 2

                                    Hello Everyone! Second half of November brought several exciting updates, especially around Zia, making AI assistance smarter, faster, and more context-aware. We also feature engaging community snippets highlighting members who went the extra mile to
                                  • Zoho CRM - Writing Assistant Tone

                                    Hi Zoho CRM Team, Text in my emails often gets underlined in yellow because I tend to use a more informal tone with my client's, like using "I'm" instead of "I am". Is there some way for me to tell the system that this is my preferred writing tone, so
                                  • Exciting Updates to the Kiosk Studio Feature in Zoho CRM!

                                    Hello Everyone, We are here again with a series of new enhancements to Kiosk Studio, designed to elevate your experience and bring even greater efficiency to your business processes. These updates build upon our ongoing commitment to making Kiosk a powerful
                                  • Hide Contact Number for Field Users & Agents

                                    Is it possible to hide the contact number in both the Service Appointment and Work Order modules for field users and agents? The agents are using the Zoho FSM mobile app, and we want to restrict them from viewing the contact number.
                                  • Introducing Dark Mode / Light Mode : A New Look For Your CRM

                                    Hello Users, We are excited to announce a highly anticipated feature - the launch of Day, Night and Auto Mode implementation in Zoho CRM's NextGen user interface! This feature is designed to provide a visually appealing and comfortable experience for
                                  • Zoho Flow Credits

                                    Hi , I would like to ask the reason why every time I added plus credit but few days later I will return back to default? (as below I add credit to 3000 but today It change back to 1000) Most important is, when the credit fully used, not any reminder to
                                  • Form Submission Emails

                                    Is there a current delay with submission emails being sent? We've had 10-20 forms completed today but only a handful of emails.
                                  • Next Page