Kaizen 173: A Comparison of Zoho CRM REST APIs and GraphQL APIs.

Kaizen 173: A Comparison of Zoho CRM REST APIs and GraphQL APIs.


Hello everyone!
Welcome back to another week of Kaizen!

Zoho CRM offers two API architectures for its users: REST API and GraphQL API. Each of these API architectures has its own strengths and ideal use cases. In this post, we will discuss the difference between REST API and GraphQL API.

REST APIs, or RESTful APIs, allow clients to interact with server resources using standard HTTP methods such as GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, and DELETE. GraphQL is a query language that provides a more flexible and efficient way to access data and metadata within your Zoho CRM. Unlike REST APIs that return fixed datasets, GraphQL allows you to request specific resources, fields of the resources and relationships of the resources, reducing redundant data and streamlining your development process.

Endpoints

REST APIs access information through dedicated endpoints. 

REST APIs: Multiple endpoints for different resources

In contrast, GraphQL APIs operate through a single endpoint. In Zoho CRM, it is {api-domain}/crm/graphql

GraphQL APIs: Single endpoint for different resources

Over-fetching and under-fetching of data

REST APIs use Unique Resource Identifiers (URIs) for identifying resources. This approach allows clients to access specific data, but it can also lead to inefficiencies such as over-fetching or under-fetching of information. Over-fetching occurs when the client receives much more data than it requires. Under-fetching occurs when the client requires to send multiple requests to fetch all the data it requires.
In GraphQL APIs, the client controls the structure of the response by specifying the exact information they need.  This enables the clients to have precise data control and avoids over-fetching and under-fetching of data. It fetches required data from different resources and provides it as a single resource.

Schema Introspection

GraphQL APIs have a schema that outlines the different types of data that can be queried in the server. This is like a blueprint for the API and serves as a contract between the server and client for data exchange. Refer to this post on Interpreting Zoho CRM GraphQL schema for more details.

Editions supported

REST APIs are available across all versions of Zoho CRM, including trial versions. GraphQL APIs are supported for Enterprise, Zoho One Enterprise, CRM Plus and Ultimate edition orgs. Please note that GraphQL APIs are not available for trial edition of these editions.

Status Codes

Zoho CRM GraphQL APIs mostly return 200 status code except for a few errors that return 400 status code. Refer to this page on GraphQL error and status code for details.
Zoho CRM REST APIs return different status codes. Refer to this page on REST API status code for more details.

Credits Consumption

   API rate limiting is crucial to ensure fair resource distribution, maintain optimal service quality for all users, and safeguard our system from potential security threats.
Both Zoho CRM REST APIs and Zoho CRM GraphQL API calls are associated with credits. Number of credits consumed depends on the intensity of the API call. 
Additionally, Zoho CRM REST APIs have Concurrency and Sub-concurrency limits. Concurrency limits the number of API calls that can be active at one time instance. It varies across different editions of Zoho CRM. For a few APIs that are more resource-intensive, there is an additional limit called sub-concurrency, The APIs that will fall under the sub-concurrency limit are
  • Get Records with cvid or sort_by parameters
  • Convert Lead
  • Insert, Update, or Upsert records (when the record count is greater than 10)
  • Send Mail
  • Search records API invoked from function
  • Query API
  • Composite API
Sub-concurrency limit across different editions is 10. 
 In GraphQL APIs, we have different concepts called Complexity, and Depth. Query Complexity refers to the workload imposed on servers by a specific query. This complexity increases with the number of fields requested and the depth of the query structure. Query Depth refers to the nesting level of a field that is being queried. In Zoho CRM GraphQL APIs it is limited to seven.

Suitable scenarios for GraphQL APIs and REST APIs

Let’s explore a scenario - the case of Zylker Manufacturing, an industrial equipment manufacturer. Their sales team uses Zoho CRM to enhance their sales operations and manage customer relationships effectively. Meanwhile, their sales support team relies on a legacy system to oversee their activities. 
The support team needs to retrieve comprehensive information about one account and its associated contacts to track all support tickets related to that account. They also need associated deals of the account for contextual information.
With GraphQL APIs they can use a single API call to fetch all required information to create a unified view. The below query fetches specific data related to Accounts and their Contacts and Deals, as well as metadata about the fields in the Accounts , Contacts and Deals modules.

{
    Records {
        Accounts(where: { Account_Name: { like: "%King%" } }) {
            _data {
                Account_Name {
                    value
                }
                Contacts__r {
                    _data {
                        Email {
                            value
                        }
                        Full_Name {
                            value
                        }
                    }
                }
                Deals__r {
                    _data {
                        Expected_Revenue {
                            value
                        }
                        Deal_Name {
                            value
                        }
                        Stage {
                            value
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }
    account_meta: Meta {
        Modules(filter: { api_name: "Accounts" }) {
            _data {
                plural_label
                id
                api_name
                module_name
                description
                singular_label
                fields(filter: { api_names: "Account_Name" }) {
                    _data {
                        id
                        api_name
                        display_label
                        json_type
                        data_type
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }
    contact_meta: Meta {
        Modules(filter: { api_name: "Contacts" }) {
            _data {
                plural_label
                id
                api_name
                module_name
                description
                singular_label
                fields(filter: { api_names: ["Email", "Full_Name"] }) {
                    _data {
                        id
                        api_name
                        display_label
                        json_type
                        data_type
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }
    deals_meta: Meta {
        Modules(filter: { api_name: "Deals" }) {
            _data {
                plural_label
                id
                api_name
                module_name
                description
                singular_label
                fields(filter: { api_names: ["Expected_Revenue", "Deal_Name", "Stage"] }) {
                    _data {
                        id
                        api_name
                        display_label
                        json_type
                        data_type
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }
}


Using REST APIs in this scenario will require multiple API calls to the following APIs
  • Query API
  • Related Records API
  • Modules meta API, and 
  • Fields meta API.
We had explored another scenario involving Zylker Manufacturing in detail in an earlier Kaizen post where their sales support team needed the below details from Zoho CRM
  • details of the contact, such as email, phone, and Account details
  • details of the ongoing deals of the contact, including potential revenue and stages. 

GraphQL APIs are beneficial in these cases as they can fetch the required data in a single data query.  

Conversely, in simpler use cases, REST APIs may be more suitable. Let’s examine a second scenario involving an inventory management system. Zenith Products needs to manage its product catalog. The inventory management system requires the ability to:
  • Fetch Details of a Single Product
  • Fetch Details of Multiple Products
  • Update Product Information
 Each product can be accessed via a unique URL (endpoint), allowing for straightforward requests. For example:
  • To fetch a single product: GET /crm/{version}/products/{product_id}
  • To fetch multiple products: GET /crm/{version}/products
  • To update a product: PUT /crm/{version}/products/{product_id}
In such cases, REST APIs are preferred due to their simplicity.

Note
Currently, Zoho CRM GraphQL APIs only support queries. Queries allow you to fetch data from the server.

You can choose to use Zoho CRM REST APIs or GraphQL APIs depending on the specific need of your application. REST APIs are suitable for straightforward data retrieval needs whereas GraphQL is useful in situations involving complex queries and need precise data control.
We hope you found this post useful. Stay tuned for more insights in our upcoming Kaizen posts!

Info
More enhancements in the COQL API are now live in Zoho CRM API Version 7. Check out the V7 Changelog for detailed information on these updates.

Cheers!
Mable


      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

                                  • VOORRAADTELLING - Kom er met me verstand niet helemaal bij.....

                                    Beste Zoho One, Wij hebben mega veel producten van zoho maar dit begrijp ik werkelijk niet. Wij gebruiken voornamerlijk ZOHO FSM met ZOHO INVENTORY omdat wij in service en onderhoud zitten voor elketrische laadstations voor auto's Alle medewerkers van

                                  • Zoho Creator Upcoming Updates - March 2025

                                    Hello everyone, We hope you’ve had the chance to explore Release Projection 1 for 2025! This month, we’re keeping up the momentum by bringing even more powerful features and enhancements to Zoho Creator. Here's what you can expect in March: App menu builder

                                  • Success message - Warning message

                                    We already have the "success message". The alert does not work in the report action; a "warning message" (with red color) would be ideal. Additionally, we should be able to set the duration which the message stays before it fades out, as it is currently

                                  • MA 2.0 Email Footer

                                    Good day, I recently went through the nightmare of upgrading from MA 1.0 to MA 2.0 and continue to experience more problems or missing features and settings. In this particular case, I am trying to find where and how to edit the Email Footer in MA 2.0.

                                  • books+POS+ tap to pay+ stripe

                                    So in the UK we now have tap to pay with stripe. So we can use the stripe app as a POS terminal. Brilliant news. Can we hope that the Books App might add this feature ASAP. It would be great to have one system rather than using the not very good Square

                                  • Instantly refine your CRM dashboard using Filters and download underlying data – all in a few clicks!

                                    Hello everyone, Imagine you’re a sales manager overseeing multiple product lines across different regions. You're viewing your sales dashboard in Zoho CRM, which gives a powerful overview, but you often need to drill down to see how a specific product

                                  • Custom Related List anchor tag with tel protocol

                                    The following code worked great for about a year to create clickable tel and mailto links in a related list in the Deals module. Just this morning, it started displaying the HTML as text. For example: <a href='tel:8882490100'>8882490100</a> Zoho support

                                  • How to create a contract using Zoho Contracts API and have the systemStatus directly assigned as "Active"?

                                    Hi Team, How do I create a contract using Zoho Contracts API and have the systemStatus directly assigned as "Active" instead of "Draft"? Currently, I'm able to create a contract but the systemStatus is "draft". Kindly help.

                                  • Python - code studio

                                    Hi, I see the code studio is "coming soon". We have some files that will require some more complex transformation, is this feature far off? It appears to have been released in Zoho Analytics already

                                  • Syncing with Google calendar, Tasks and Events

                                    Is it possible to sync Zoho CRM calendar, task and events with Google Calendar's tasks and events. With the increasing adoption by many major tool suppliers to sync seamlessly with Google's offerings (for instance I use the excellent Any.do task planning

                                  • Filtert products by multi select custom field

                                    Hello, this is seems like a must addition, why it can not be done now?

                                  • CRM quotes and sub forms.

                                    Recently upgraded to Enterprise CRM - now some added hopes/questions * In a subform in quotes, if I add a "Percent" field, called Overage for instance. I would expect it to allow me to enter a percent like "10%" and carry the percent forward to formulas

                                  • Is there a notification API when a new note is addeding

                                    Trying to push to Cliq, or email notification when there's a new note added in module. How to implement this?

                                  • Problem with WorkDrive and Vivo X200 Pro

                                    Hey there, after a long odyssey of searching for a new phone, several issues and defects with a phone from another brand and many reinstallations and transfers I stuck to the Vivo X200 Pro. So far, so great. Only thing not working is the Zoho WorkDrive,

                                  • Cambiar nombre de usuario

                                    Hola. Tengo una cuenta en zoho, por ejemplo Minombre @ midominio.es Y quiero cambiarlo a Miotronombre @ midominio.es Se puede cambiar??? Con la cuenta gratuita de zoho, cuantos nombres puedo tener en un dominio??? Gracias y buen dia

                                  • Can't add company logo and favicon as a superadmin

                                    I am logged in as the superadmin but can't add company logo and favicon - the fields are greyed out. Any idea as to what the problem could be?

                                  • Inquiry regarding B2B website through Zoho Commerce

                                    We are looking to build an online B2B customer portal for Consumer Goods primarily for order placement, with an e-commerce-style layout. Additionally, we would like to offer our customers features such as: 1.Viewing past orders and order updates 2.Accessing

                                  • ASAP Chrome Extension not loading

                                    We have ASAP enabled in Zoho Desk. I installed the ASAP Chrome Extension (Windows 10), but when I click the extension button while on our site, it never fully loads. I just get what's shown below.

                                  • Why is the Zoho portal not mobile friendly?

                                    I just got started with the portal and im sort of shocked how it looks. I already filled a hint/complaint about this. On the website you see a wonderful site with a modern design. Yet in real life its a mid 2000 look and feel. One major issue i see thats

                                  • New Asap Widget How to update my code

                                    I know you're still working on updating the documentation for calling the Asap Widget, the existing documentation is no longer valid. In the old 1.0 version I was able to do many things programmatically in javascript. I could open an article directly

                                  • Condition in templates

                                    Is it possible for me to add merge field conditionally in my templates. For example Dear ${Leads.Gender == "Male" ? "Sir" : "Ma"},

                                  • How to Dynamicaly display image in the Detailed View Report ?

                                    I have an "Add Employee" form that includes an image field for uploading an employee's profile picture from their local computer. In the "Apply Leave" form, I also have an image field where I want the employee's profile picture to be auto-populated based

                                  • Zoho Flow Custom Function to Register Sale in Zoho Thrive

                                    Hi Thrive team, I want to create a custom function which sends purchase information back into Thrive for Affiliate commission. I'm stuck on how to setup the connection, specifically creating an OAuth connection through https://api-console.zoho.eu/ Please

                                  • Sending User-centric reports to all users

                                    I would like to automate an e-mail report to all users that sends them a weekly e-mail listing their open Potentials.  I've created a Report that uses the ${CURRENTUSER} criterion and scheduled the report to send to several users, but they all receive

                                  • How do I add new line and format text in zoho desk ticket?

                                    I am generating a ticket via API and looking to update "description" field of ticket whenever I need. Is there a document where I can find supported formatting for description field on a ticket.  I need to find: Adding a new line and adding bold text,

                                  • Automation #6 - Prevent Re-opening of Closed Tickets

                                    This is a monthly series where we pick some common use cases that have been either discussed or most asked about in our community and explain how they can be achieved using one of the automation capabilities in Zoho Desk. Typically when a customer submits

                                  • Feature Request - Insert URL Links in Folders

                                    I would love to see the ability to create simple URL links with titles in WorkDrive. or perhaps a WorkDrive extension to allow it. Example use case: A team is working on a project and there is project folder in WordDrive. The team uses LucidChart to create a drawing/s for the project. The team member could create a link to the LucidChart drawing/s and allow WordDrive to truly be a repository for ALL the project documents, even those outside of WorkDrive. A folder is dedicated to a CRM account. A

                                  • ZOHO DESK ヘルプセンターの言語選択メニューの表示方法

                                    ZOHO DESK のヘルプセンターを構築し、多言語化設定をしました。 顧客のヘルプセンター画面右上に言語選択メニューが表示されないため、弊社の契約先会社に問い合わせましたが、「通常は多言語化をオンにすると表示するためCSS を触り過ぎではないか」 という指摘のみでした。 試行中ですが表示できません。 何か要因となる情報をお持ちの方がいましたらご教授いただけますと幸いです。 ↓の赤枠を表示したいのですが、表示できません。

                                  • How to reply to thread via API

                                    We have built a webapp for our customers that uses the Zoho Desk API to enable each customer to view their full list of tickets, view individual tickets and raise new tickets. The Zoho Desk API doesn't have the ability to reply to a ticket/thread. Replies

                                  • Email Builder Editor is not functioning or loading correctly

                                    Email editor function is not working or loading correctly in any template, new or old. Cleared my cache, restarted browser, problem unchanged.

                                  • Create Tasklist with Tasklist Template using API v3

                                    In the old API, we could mention the parameter 'task_template_id' when creating a tasklist via API to apply a tasklist template: https://www.zoho.com/projects/help/rest-api/tasklists-api.html#create-tasklist In API v3 there does not seem to be a way to

                                  • Issue in downloading the sent logs

                                    Hi Team, I'm unable to export the sent file for any email campaign. When selecting all fields, the system indicates that the document will be sent via email, but I haven't received it. At times, it shows a download option, but the file doesn’t get downloaded.

                                  • Integrate Google Chat with Zoho CRM for seamless collaboration

                                    Hello everyone, Sales is a team sport and sales reps have to be in constant communication with people inside and outside their organization. While email remains the most effective channel for important conversations, sales reps often collaborate via chat.

                                  • customers enter orders?

                                    Anyway we can let a customer into CRM and enter their own orders , no access to anything else except history reports, no access to any other contacts. Greg Aanes 2109 Queen Street Bellingha WA USA

                                  • Zoho Learn - URL Parameters for Externally Shared Articles?

                                    Hey Folks, Are there any parameters one can append to URLs for externally-shared articles? Specifically, can I add a parameter that hides the Manual name (use case being I want to embed the article in another webpage)? Also, can one password-protect an

                                  • 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

                                  • Post message to a channel using a simple one-line command!

                                    Hi Everybody! This post is all about posting a message in a Channel using cURL, Wget and PowerShell. cURL is a light-weight, command interface used to transfer data to a server. The steps are pretty easy!  The three most important points here are  Generating an Auth token Get your Channel Unique Name Form your message as a JSON structure Generating an Auth token To use the 'Messaging API' you'll need Cliq's authentication token from Zoho Accounts. Generate an auth token by hitting the below-given

                                  • Activity or History Log User Login

                                    Hi Everyone, I have Zoho Customer Portal, which has pages and reports. Is it possible to create 1 field such as true/false to find out users who have opened the customer portal? Like a kind of user activity log. Thank you so much.

                                  • How to associate a document sent in Zoho Sign with an deal in the CRM?

                                    Hi, often documents are loaded in Zoho sign and sent for signature. These sometimes are linked to a deal in the Zoho CRM and would be nice to see the status of the document within the CRM. I am aware of the integration, but that assumes that the document

                                  • Invalid Emails in CRM

                                    Is there a way to get a report or create a view that shows all email addresses that are invalid for any reason? I keep coming across them and want to ensure that they are flagged with users to update. This is on a custom module.

                                  • Next Page