Kaizen #194 : Trigger Client Script via Custom buttons

Kaizen #194 : Trigger Client Script via Custom buttons



Hello everyone!

Welcome back to another interesting and useful Kaizen post.

We know that Client Scripts can be triggered with Canvas buttons and we discussed this with a use case in Kaizen#180. Today, let us discuss how to trigger Client Script when a Custom Button is clicked. Using this, you can execute Client Script when a custom button is clicked.

In this post,


1. Event Details 
2. Supported Pages
3. Use Case - Export Subform Rows to Zoho Sheet in a Single Click!
4. Solution
5. Summary
6. Related Links



Client Script support for Custom Buttons opens up possibilities for automation, personalization, and enhanced user interactions in Zoho CRM when a custom button is clicked.
Here is a detailed walkthrough to help you understand it better.

1. Event Details 

The Button event triggers the Client Script when a custom button is clicked. Each time this event is invoked, the context argument is passed to the Client Script. The context contains information about the page from which the button was clicked.


Click here to know more about Client Script Events.

2. Supported Pages

A Custom Button can be placed in different positions based on the Page.


You can add a  custom button in the Util Menu, in Each Record or in the Mass Action Menu of the List Page.


Also, a Detail Page can have a custom button either In Record or in the Related List. Click here for more details about the different possible positions of a custom button.

The following table lists the supported pages and the corresponding context argument, which provides different details based on the page type.


To create a Client Script and make it trigger when a custom button is clicked, first create a Custom button and associate it with a Client Script as shown in the following image.


 Click here to view the steps to create a custom button and configure a Client Script. 

Note:

You can configure the Client Script only from the Buttons page to trigger it when a user clicks a custom button, and not the usual way of Creating Client Script via setup page. Once a script is created, it can be edited and updated from the Client Script setup page

3. Use Case - Export Subform Rows to Zoho Sheet in a Single Click!

Zylker manufactures medical instruments, and its sales representatives frequently need to share bulk order details with distributors and hospital partners using Zoho Sheets. These details such as product names, quantities, and prices are captured in a Subform on the Purchase Order Detail(Standard) Page.
To simplify this, the admin wants to add a custom button called "Export Products" on the Purchase Order Detail Page. When clicked, it should export the Purchase Items from the Subform and move the content to the specified sheet.

4. Solution

To export subform rows to Zoho Sheet with a single click, you can add a custom button to the Detail Page of the record. When clicked, a Client Script will be triggered to fetch the subform data from the Detail Page and pass it to a Function that uses zoho.sheet.createRecords() to insert data into Zoho Sheet.

Here’s how to implement this:

  • Add  “Export Products” custom button on the Detail Page.
  • Add the script to collect subform rows which invokes the Function.
  • Write a Function to create entry in Zoho Sheets  

A. Add “Export Products” custom button on the Detail Page.

  • Go to Setup → Modules and Fields under Customization.
  • Select a Module as Purchase Order.
  • Click on Buttons → Then click + New Button.
  • Enter Button Name and select Action Type as "Client Script"
  • Choose Button Position and Layout details as shown in the following image.
  • Click Create in Configured Client Script, enter the script, and click Add.
  • Select the profiles for which these buttons should be visible.
  • Click Save.



B. Add the Script to collect subform rows and invoke the Function

Use the following Client Script when you configure the custom button.

  1. var casesheetid = ZDK.Client.getInput([{ type: 'text', label: 'Enter the Sheet ID' }], 'Sheet details', 'OK', 'Cancel');
  2. if (casesheetid == null) {
  3.         ZDK.Client.showAlert("Enter the *Case Sheet ID - Import* to import data");
  4.  }
  5. var purchase_items = ZDK.Page.getField('Purchase_items).getValue();
  6. ZDK.Client.showLoader({type: 'page', template:'spinner', message: 'Export in progress, please wait'});
  7. var c=1;
  8. if (sheetid == null) {
  9.     ZDK.Client.hideLoader(); 
  10.     ZDK.Client.showAlert("Enter the *Case Sheet - Export* ID to export data");
  11. }
  12. purchase_items.forEach((r,i) => {
  13.             try {
  14.                resp = ZDK.Apps.CRM.Functions.execute("csvWrite", { "Product_Name": r.Product_Name.name, "List_Price": r.List_Price, "Discount": r.Discount, "Total": r.Total,"Sheetid":casesheetid }); }
  15.             catch (error) {
  16.                 c = 0;
  17.                  ZDK.Client.hideLoader(); 
  18.                 ZDK.Client.showAlert("Unexpected issue occured while adding data in row number "); }
  19.     });
  20.     ZDK.Client.hideLoader(); 
  21.     if (c) {
  22.         ZDK.Client.showMessage("Export completed. Please check the Sheet");
  23.     }
  24.     else
  25.     {
  26.        ZDK.Client.showMessage("Unexpected error "); }}

In this code, several ZDKs are used for various purposes. Click on the ZDK hyperlinks to learn more.


Note

The Client Script you intend to link with the button will be saved only after the custom button is saved.

C. Write a Function to create entry in Zoho Sheets 

  • Go to Setup > Developer Hub > Functions.
  • In the Functions page, click + Create New Function.
  • Choose the category as Button.
  • Click Create.
  • In the Create Function page, enter a name as csvWrite and description for your function.
  • Enter the following function code and click Save.
  1. string standalone.csvWrite(String product,String qty,String up,String amt, String Sheetid){
  2. queryData = Map();
  3. writeData = Map();
  4. header = Map();
  5. writeData.put("Product",product);
  6. writeData.put("Quantity",qty);
  7. writeData.put("Unit_Price",up);
  8. writeData.put("Amount",amt);
  9. SheetData = zoho.sheet.createRecords("Sheetid","Sheet1",writeData,queryData,"sheetconnection");
  10. return SheetData;
  11. }

Click here to know more about zoho.sheet.createRecords().

In the code above:
  • sheetconnection refers to the name of the Zoho Sheet connection, which must have the scopes: ZohoSheet.dataAPI.UPDATE and ZohoSheet.dataAPI.READ.
  • Click here to know how to create a Connection with the required scopes.
  • sheetid is the unique identifier of the Zoho Sheet, available in the sheet’s URL.
  • Sheet1 represents the name of the worksheet (i.e., the tab name shown at the bottom of the Zoho Sheet).
  • Now, when the custom button is clicked, the Client Script is triggered. It prompts for the Sheet ID, fetches the contents of the Purchase Order subform, and invokes a function that writes the content to the Sheet.
Here's how the Client Script works.



5. Summary

In this post we have seen,
  • What is a Button event?
  • How to configure Client Script for a custom button
  • How to write data into Zoho Sheets from Client Script
  • How to create a Function and call it from Client Script

6. Related Links


We are thrilled to be nearing the 200th post in our Kaizen series. As we approach this exciting milestone, we would love to hear from you. Do you have any questions, suggestions, or topics you would like us to cover in future posts? Your input helps us improve and shape the series to serve you better.

Please take a moment to share your thoughts using ✨ this form 

We hope you found this post useful!

Happy Client Scripting! 😊

      Zoho Campaigns Resources


        • Desk Community Learning Series


        • Digest


        • Functions


        • Meetups


        • Kbase


        • Resources


        • Glossary


        • Desk Marketplace


        • MVP Corner


        • Word of the Day


        • Ask the Experts


          • Sticky Posts

          • Announcing the new SKILL.md for Zoho CRM and the updated OAS repository!

            We are introducing a new zoho-crm skill to make working with Zoho CRM Developer tools (like APIs, functions, widgets, client scripts, queries etc) easier and faster, with the help of AI in your preferred AI harness like Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VSCode
          • Kaizen #256 - Build an Arrival Readiness Web Tab in Zoho CRM

            Hi everyone! Welcome back to the Kaizen series! In the post, we discuss a use case in hospitality industry: how an Arrival Readiness web tab widget can be used to let reception staff identify and resolve issues before arrival of guests. Use case In the
          • Kaizen #198: Using Client Script for Custom Validation in Blueprint

            Nearing 200th Kaizen Post – 1 More to the Big Two-Oh-Oh! Do you have any questions, suggestions, or topics you would like us to cover in future posts? Your insights and suggestions help us shape future content and make this series better for everyone.
          • Kaizen #226: Using ZRC in Client Script

            Hello everyone! Welcome to another week of Kaizen. In today's post, lets see what is ZRC (Zoho Request Client) and how we can use ZRC methods in Client Script to get inputs from a Salesperson and update the Lead status with a single button click. In this
          • Kaizen #222 - Client Script Support for Notes Related List

            Hello everyone! Welcome to another week of Kaizen. The final Kaizen post of the year 2025 is here! With the new Client Script support for the Notes Related List, you can validate, enrich, and manage notes across modules. In this post, we’ll explore how

          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

                                  • API - Bank Accounts | Reconciliation Discrepancy

                                    Unless I'm reading it wrong, the documentation for the Bank Reconciliations API is inconsistent with itself. https://www.zoho.com/books/api/v3/bank-accounts/#create-a-bank-reconciliation The text definition says that the transaction_id should be a string,
                                  • another little issue

                                    So to get over showing prices with VAT we used the price lists and made the prices inclusive. The problem is now on the items it wants to show the orginal retail value which makes no sense. Ideas please
                                  • Handle Leading Zeros in a Number Field

                                    Hi, If I use a Number Field, set with Min 7 Digits and Max 7 Digits, and enter 0000001, it will result in 1 and an error as it removes the leading zeros, the same with entering 0012340 will result in 12340 and error. So I have to use a Text Field and
                                  • can't access zoho account

                                    I can't log in to my zoho account, can you help me
                                  • Cliq iOS can't see shared screen

                                    Hello, I had this morning a video call with a colleague. She is using Cliq Desktop MacOS and wanted to share her screen with me. I'm on iPad. I noticed, while she shared her screen, I could only see her video, but not the shared screen... Does Cliq iOS is able to display shared screen, or is it somewhere else to be found ? Regards
                                  • HTML PDF Templates / Build From Scratch option not visible for Custom Modules

                                    Hi everyone, I am working with Zoho Books Custom Modules and trying to create a custom 4x4 package label PDF template using HTML/CSS. According to the official Zoho Books documentation for HTML PDF Templates, there should be an option like: Settings →
                                  • Virtual Option for Fields

                                    Hi, I would like to be able to choose another option other than Read-Only or Disabled, such as Virtual. And with Virtual, the field is shown on the form and avilable in rules, but NOT saved to the Database. A use case is having multiple Large Lists of
                                  • Prefix & Suffix on Single Line, Number, etc.

                                    Hi, I would like to have the same Prefix and Suffix that was added to the Unique ID on Text and Number Fields. Use case could be as basic as temperature, as per another Idea I have to use Single Line (Text) for a number that might have leading zeros today,
                                  • Customer User Fields for use in Rules

                                    Hi, I would like to be able to add custom fields to the users, such as Department or Role, which can then be used in Rules, Reports, etc. as a condition. A use case is limiting Global lists or Choices based on the users Custom Field, so one form can be
                                  • Locked out of MFA due to changing phones

                                    I have been locked out of my Zoho Books account since i changed my mobile phone over. I can get the OTP through the ZOHO Books software but i cant confirm using my phone app as nothing appears to authorise. I need to know how to register/set up my new
                                  • 👍 Zoho CRM's Notes now gets Reactions and a new look

                                    Available in SA and JP DCs. Rolling out to other DCs in phases. Hello everyone, Notes help users capture important updates, collaborate with teammates, and maintain context for records. Now with Note Reactions, users can quickly acknowledge updates, express
                                  • All new Address Field in Zoho CRM: maintain structured and accurate address inputs

                                    Availability Update: 29 September 2025: It's currently available for all new sign-ups and for existing Zoho CRM orgs which are in the Professional edition exclusively for IN DC users. 2 March 2026: Available to users in all DCs except US and EU DC. 24
                                  • Zoho books and venmo

                                    Hi, Is there a way to hook Venmo into zoho books? I have a Venmo business account and want to be able to sync that. I know you can do it with the paypal integration but I dont want to use paypal for the fees and that doesnt allow me use/integrate my current
                                  • Updating Unit Code for New Item Creation, Quote and Invoicing is so inconvenient

                                    The Zoho Team has implemented many updates, but these updates should be optional. Before rolling out any new feature, they should already have a solution in place that allows users to remove or disable it if they choose not to use it. Just yesterday,
                                  • Payroll needs to automatically remit taxes, not just give me the calculations

                                    Wagepoint, PayEvo, Waveapps, etc... All your competitors deposit employee payroll, but they ALSO remit taxes automatically. Get with the program, your Payroll app is extremely sparse.
                                  • Creating new Teams meeting from CRM doesn't enable Team functions in the meeting

                                    Hi I'm trying to set up the meeting integration and I've seen that when I create a Meeting in the CRM and set the location to Online and the Provider to Teams, and complete the boxes, add a participant etc, whilst the meeting is created in Teams, the
                                  • Approval Process configuration is now more flexible and fully customizable

                                    The Approval Process is back with an improved user experience designed to make it easier to build structured, flexible, and intuitive approval workflows. Here’s a look at some of the key enhancements: Name Your Rules & Stages You can now give each approval
                                  • Admin Logging in as another User

                                    How can a Super Admin login as another user. For example, I have a sales rep that is having issues with their Accounts and I want to view their Zoho Account with out having to do a GTM and sharing screens. Latest Update (27th April 2026): With the early
                                  • Introducing Approval SLA for Approval Processes

                                    Approvals can sometimes be delayed when approvers do not respond within the expected timeframe, which can slow down your recruitment processes. With the new Approval SLA in Zoho Recruit, you can set deadlines for approval requests and define automated
                                  • Introducing Microsoft Word Integration in Zoho Contracts

                                    We are excited to announce a new feature that brings contract authoring and negotiation in your familiar environment — the Microsoft Word Integration. What This Integration Brings The Microsoft Word Integration connects Zoho Contracts with the Microsoft
                                  • Map My Client Locations for Zoho CRM Extension: Turn CRM Addresses Into Action

                                    Hello everyone, Your CRM knows who your customers are. Now, see where they are on the interactive map directly from Zoho CRM. Introducing Map My Client Locations for Zoho CRM, an extension built for businesses that rely on sales visits, field service,
                                  • Scheduled and Automated Report Delivery from Zoho Projects

                                    Zoho Projects has useful reports including task reports, timesheet summaries, and workload charts. However, there is currently no way to schedule these reports to be automatically delivered to stakeholders on a recurring basis. This means: Project managers
                                  • How can I filter inactive/disable agent tickets?

                                    Hello, We have an user-agent that left the company and we inactive/disabled his agent. So, now I can no longer filter or search tickets that he is the current owner, or even create a rule to reassign tickets to another person when the ticket is reopen.
                                  • Add Reauthentication Option for Zoho Bug Tracker Integration in Zoho Desk

                                    Hello Zoho Desk Team, We hope you're doing well. We would like to request an enhancement to the Zoho Bug Tracker integration within Zoho Desk. Current Limitation: At the moment, there is no option to reauthenticate the Zoho Bug Tracker integration in
                                  • Dashboards for Customers

                                    Is it possible to build dashboards for each customers in the community for their tickets?
                                  • Collaborate Visually with Whiteboard in Zoho Projects

                                    Whiteboard in Zoho Projects allows you to collaborate visually by creating diagrams, annotating designs, and sketching project workflows using shapes, text, and images within project modules. Team members can work simultaneously, improving productivity
                                  • Fields in MS-Word Template

                                    With the new MS-Word integration, how does one create fields in an imported MS-Word document which can then automatically be populated with an Intake Form?
                                  • Displaying only unread tickets in ticket view

                                    Hello, I was wondering if someone might be able to help me with this one. We use filters to display our ticket list, typically using a saved filter which displays the tickets which are overdue or due today. What I'd really like is another filter that
                                  • Zoho Bookings Flow Step not Triggering on Appointment booked

                                    I noticed yesterday that my appointment booked flows were not triggering when we had booked appointments in Zoho Bookings. I checked the trigger and noticed the trigger values updated to be defined to a workspace and service event rather than our whole
                                  • UCP: Why We Killed the Multi-Portal Mess and Simplified Customer Self-Service

                                    Let's talk about the multi-portal mess nobody wants to admit that it exists. Your customer needs an invoice from one app, wants a ticket update from another, and has a project waiting in a third, each behind its own login, its own UI, its own "was it
                                  • Zoho Tables is now available in Zoho One!

                                    Hello Zoho One users, We’re excited to announce that Zoho Tables is now included as a part of Zoho One suite! As teams grow, managing projects, approvals, inventories, campaign trackers, and operational workflows across multiple spreadsheets become difficult.
                                  • Zoho Publish is now available in Zoho One!

                                    Hello Zoho One users, We’re excited to announce that Zoho Publish is now included as part of the Zoho One suite! As businesses grow, managing Google Business Profiles across many locations becomes challenging. Business information needs to stay accurate,
                                  • 📣 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
                                  • Upcoming update to field values in Zoho Books - Zoho Analytics integration

                                    Hello Users, We'd like to inform you of an upcoming update to the tax_category values in the Zoho Books integration for Zoho Analytics from October 20, 2026. What's Changing? tax_category field values are being renamed to align with the conventions already
                                  • Announcing the new SKILL.md for Zoho CRM and the updated OAS repository!

                                    We are introducing a new zoho-crm skill to make working with Zoho CRM Developer tools (like APIs, functions, widgets, client scripts, queries etc) easier and faster, with the help of AI in your preferred AI harness like Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VSCode
                                  • Kaizen #259 - Working with Zoho CRM APIs using zoho-crm skill

                                    In the previous Kaizen, we introduced the zoho-crm skill and discussed how it can work with different CRM developer capabilities. The zoho-crm skill makes it easier to work with Zoho CRM without having to remember every API endpoint, request structure,
                                  • How can I populate dropdown data with information from another source or app?

                                    I want to maintain a list of items in another app (say in excel or another database) and sync those as items in a drop down menu, instead of copy pasting to import. Is this kind of a feature available?
                                  • Zoho Community Digest - September 2026 | Part 1

                                    Hi everyone, and welcome back! September opens with a strong set of updates. Zoho CRM brings workflow automation down to the subform row level and ships a new SKILL.md for AI-assisted development, Zoho Desk introduces conditional branching with Automation
                                  • Tip #88 – Manage Incoming Support Requests Efficiently with the Service Queue – 'Insider Insights'

                                    Hello Zoho Assist Community! Not every team has a dedicated IT department or a fully built-out sysadmin setup. For smaller teams, when something breaks, there's no internal ticket system to log into, no helpdesk queue to route through, and no clear way
                                  • Delete CRM Portal

                                    How do I delete portals from my CRM? I created one just to test, it is not in use and is disabled but it's existence is preventing me from marking fields in modules as "required" unless I make it 'read/write' in the portal first. I'd rather just delete
                                  • Next Page