This will be long, Please bear with me - Next Gen Layout - Search

This will be long, Please bear with me - Next Gen Layout - Search

In general, I think that Zoho are going in the right direction with the Next Gen UI. The latest update brings some nice improvements and all-in-all from a user's perspective I think the improvements are generally very good.

However, there are some areas of the UI which have been sorely neglected or are simply baffling. The following may come off a blunt and it is a bit of a read, so please bear with me. I'll focus on 2 main areas - The navigation sidebar, and search.

NAVIGATION SIDEBAR:

1. Completely unnecessary settings access.

I really can't understand why module and system settings are exposed in the navigation sidebar. For some users such as system devs or admins, this may be a welcome feature. Personally, I'm rarely focused on settings for a single module, I'm usually focused on many areas of the backend.

For users, this should absolutely be a very big NO. There is absolutely no reason a normal user should have those settings exposed and so freely accessible. by all means, have the feature, but it should be an opt-in setting, not a default setting.

2. Meaningful quick access actions missing

Why oh why do we have a UI where users get quick access to create a client script, but have no 'Create Record' action? 




It would be far more logical to have a '+' next to the module name for creating a new record (The search Icon I'll get to in the next section).

user: "I want to create a new Deal"
action: Hover over "Deal" in sidebar --> Click '+' --> New Deal

3. Quick Access to add module to folder

The '+' on the Folder level of the sidebar is, I feel, completely unnecessary. Icons, Actions, Features, whatever term you want to use, should always be frequently used actions.

Frequently Used > One-and-done

Setting up your folders is something that is done once and rarely updated. There is no need to have quick access to adding modules to a folder when no new module has been added to the folder for months, or even years. Setting up your folders is what I would consider a "one-and-done" type of task. if that's buried down a level or 2 in a menu, it doesn't matter because you so very rarely use the function.

Putting "one-and-done" actions in your UI but hiding features used every day is not efficient or helping anyone with productivity.

4. Alternate to #2 Above

As an alternate to having a '+' next to each module, you could also use the '+' at the folder level to create a record for any module under the folder, a bit like this...



This is a far more logical use of the folder level + icon to me instead of the rarely used 'Add Module'

SEARCH:

Search in Zoho CRM has been neglected for far too long. And it's not that it's not effective, in my opinion, Zoho search's problem is that it's TOO EFFECTIVE most of the time.

If I'm searching for a record, I simply get too many search results. I don't WANT to search all modules all the time. If I'm searching for a Deal, I don't want to make multiple clicks. I want it to be as effortless and intuitive as possible.

1. Exclude/Include all modules from "All modules"

There are back-end modules and records that I never or very rarely need to search. One improvement is to make the default search to be "Frequent Modules" and allow users to set-up which modules fall into the Frequent category, or, let ZIA figure it out from usage patterns.

'Frequent Modules' should be the default search which should drastically cut down on irrelevant results

2. Why are we hiding the search type from the search bar?

Why can't we have the search type/filter in the header along with the search bar? You see it as soon as you click in the search field anyway. Why not show that all the time?

3. Set default search area

Users should be able to set the default module search for themselves. As an extension of 'Frequent Modules', if a particular user primarily only searches Accounts, then let them set that as the default instead of 'All Modules'. Or let them set multiple modules as their default.

Asking the user to have to constantly select the same setting over and over again is inefficient and causes unnecessary friction.

4. Search quick access in navigation bar.

Another logical use of the navigation bar is to add a search icon. After all, the navigation bar is for, well, navigating the system. 



If you had a search icon next to the module, then you could have the search window pre-filtered to that module you clicked the search icon for.

Need to search within deals? Click the search icon next to deals.

Having a search bar pop up would be bad UI, but have that pop up the main search window with 'Deals' pre-selected would be much more intuitive

5. Search Module should be pre-selected to be the module you're currently within

If you're in a list of deals, there's a high chance that you're doing something related to deals. So why not pre-select the search module to be the module you're currently in? Again, make this a per-user setting in a new 'Search Settings'. Yes, I know there's the filters which can be used for search, but if you're just wanting to do a quick search within deals, the filters are clunky.

6. Have Module Categories that match the folders in the Navigation Bar

Having the folders in the left navigation bar is great. Why not make these more of a global grouping, starting with search. So in my case, I've got a folder for "People and Companies" and "Sales" which include certain modules.... It would be great if these were selection you can make from the Module dropdown in the search.

So users could search for "Sales" records, and the only modules included in the search results would be those included in the "Sales" navigation folder.

Anyway that's all from me. I'm interested to hear your thoughts.

      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

                                  • Cliq on your mobile phone

                                    Some of the employees in my company get their cliq on their mobile phones but it will not let them answer the call. The employee has to go to their laptop to access it. 
                                  • Bulk Delete Messages in Cliq

                                    Isn't it possible to bulk delete messages in Cliq? I have them delivered to me as notifications from another service but most of them need to be deleted as not of value. I get dozens of them per day, and deleting them is already difficult is the "Delete"
                                  • stock movement report by each transaction for each item

                                    Dear Sir we are using zoho inventory for foodstuff and we lack the transaction report which clearly shows movement of an item from Opening balance of the month to Goods received in, Supplier return out, Invoice out, Sales return In, Transfer out and Transfer
                                  • Select the task view on the board in the Zoho Connect iPhone app

                                    Hello. How do I select the task view on the board in the Zoho Connect iPhone app? The Android app has this functionality.
                                  • Unable to change Company Logo

                                    Hi Guys, I have an issue where I've uploaded a Company image in Gif format and the logo has now got a black background whereas the logo is supposed to be black not the background. I didn't think it would be an issue so I created a PNG version to upload
                                  • Metadata API Access to Functions

                                    I think it would be incredibly helpful to have api access to every function's code. Our team primarily uses deluge functions to update fields across modules according to business logic. I would like to create a visual dependancy model for our CRM, but
                                  • Historical Sales Info - Blend with Finance Invoice Line Items, Access in CRM and Desk

                                    My company has been using Zoho One since 2021, with sales data going back through 2020. However, we have been in business much longer, and we have historical sales information that we want to have at our fingertips when talking with customers (usually
                                  • Introducing Record Category in CRM: Group options to see record status at a glance.

                                    Release update: Currently available for CN, JP, and AU DCs (all paid editions). It will be made available to other DCs by mid-March. Hello everyone, We are pleased to introduce Record Category in Zoho CRM - a new capability where the user can get an overview
                                  • Service disruption in Zoho Cliq (EU Region) – February 9, 2026

                                    Hello everyone, We’d like to inform you about a brief service disruption that affected Zoho Cliq users in the EU region earlier today. The issue has been resolved, and all services are now operating normally. Summary On February 9, 2026, Zoho Cliq experienced
                                  • Spotlight series #26 - Build slides with visual clarity using Diagram

                                    Hello all! The feature in the spotlight this month is Diagram. Let's say you are a part of a project kickoff meeting and your teammate starts explaining the project life cycle like this: "First we ideate, then we create an initial prototype and share
                                  • Client scripts for Zoho Books ?

                                    Good day everyone, I am looking for a way to be able to interact with the Quotes and Invoices as they are being created. Think of it like Zoho client script in Zoho CRM. But for the life of me I dont see a way to do this. The issue with having function
                                  • Uplifted homepage experience

                                    Editions: All editions. Release Note: Available in CA and SA DCs (Standard, Professional). Availability update (17th February 2026): The feature has been enabled for the following DCs: All editions in the CA and SA DC | Free, Standard and Professional
                                  • Unable to produce monthly P&L reports for previous years

                                    My company just migrated to Books this year. We have 5+ years financial data and need to generate a monthly P&L for 2019 and a monthly P&L YTD for 2020. The latter is easy, but I'm VERY surprised to learn that default reports in Zoho Books cannot create
                                  • Crossbeam

                                    Does anyone use Crossbeam with their Zoho CRM? I'm looking for a way to import Crossbeam partner leads into Zoho CRM. If so: - What's your experience been like? - Are you able to automatically import Crossbeam leads > Zoho CRM? How? - What doesn't work
                                  • Access forms within a form

                                    I have multiple forms that I would like to create access to for users within one form. Example: I have forms A, B, C, D. I would like to create a form with the links to forms A, B, C, & D. That way we can send one link and then the user can select the
                                  • WorkDrive issues with Windows Explorer Not Responding

                                    We are using WorkDrive to collaborate on editing video content. We have a lot of files and quite a few are a few gigs. Recently anytime I try and work with the files Explorer freezes for a couple minutes whether it's dragging the files into Premiere or
                                  • Issues with Actions By Zoho Flow

                                    Hi, I have a workflow that fires when a deal reaches a stage. This then sends out a contract for the client to sign. I have connected this up through Actions by Zoho Flow. Unfortunately this fails to send out. I have tracked it down to the date fields.
                                  • Fill Mail Merge document up with subform fields of an Inventory module record being in the Related List

                                    Hi, I try to insert subform fields from an inventory module record being on the Related List of another inventory module record into a Mail Merge template without success. For example: we use ratecards in licensing and this ratecard items are available
                                  • Enhancements for Currencies in Zoho CRM: Automatic exchange rate updates, options to update record exchange rates, and more

                                    The multi-currency feature helps you track currencies region-wise. This can apply to Sales, CTC, or any other currency-related data. You can record amounts in a customer’s local currency, while the CRM automatically converts them to your home currency
                                  • Better use of contacts

                                    Zoho inventory has the ability to add multiple contacts to customers. However Zoho inventory doesn't currently provide a way to link a contact to objects like sales orders. This means that while you can tell what company has placed a sales order you can't
                                  • How can we add products using a Wizard?

                                    We want to create a Wizard to add products. Why is there no possibility to use the products module when creating a wizard?
                                  • Orphan email alias blocking user creation – backend cleanup required

                                    Hello Zoho Mail Support, I´m unable to assign or create the address xx@iezzimatica.ar in my organization. Current situation: Alias cannot be assigned to any user (system says it is already in use) New user with this address cannot be created Address does
                                  • 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
                                  • Something wrong with client script??

                                    Someone have the same feeling? Client script behavior become very strange..
                                  • API 500 Error

                                    Hello amazing ZOHO Projects Community, I get this message. How can we solve this? { "error": { "status_code": "500", "method": "GET", "instance": "/api/v3/portal/2010147XXXX/projects/2679160000003XXXX/timesheet", "title": "INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR", "error_type":
                                  • Polish signer experience to compete with docusign

                                    I would like to suggest that someone spend the little bit of time to polish the signer experience, and the email templates to more of a modern professional feel. They are currently very early 2000s and with some simple changes could vastly improve the
                                  • how to change the page signers see after signing a document in zoho sign

                                    Hello, How can I please change the page a signer sees after signing a document in Zoho Sign? I cannot seem to find it. As it is now, it shows a default landing page "return to Zoho Sign Home". Thanks!
                                  • Digest Janvier - Un résumé de ce qui s'est passé le mois dernier sur Community

                                    Bonjour chers utilisateurs, Le premier mois de l’année est déjà derrière nous ! Découvrons ensemble comment s'est passé janvier pour Zoho Community France. Nous avons démarré le mois avec une nouvelle intégration entre Zoho Desk et Zoho Contracts. Cette
                                  • contact support

                                    I have 2 request for a phone call and not received one call as promise!
                                  • Can we fetch Deal owner and Deal owner email with COQL?

                                    While fetching deal deatils with coql api and while fetching deal owner name and email it is just giving owner id not ginving name and email https://www.zohoapis.in/crm/v2/coql
                                  • Zoho Social - Cliq Integration / Bot

                                    Dear community / zoho, I am looking for a way to create a bot within Zoho Cliq to update my colleagues about our Zoho Social activities. For example, if a new post is published, it would be great if this post automatically would be shared in our social
                                  • Comment to DM Automation

                                    Comment to DM automation feature in Zoho Marketing Automation, similar to what tools like ManyChat offer. Use case: When a user comments on a social media post (Instagram / Facebook), the system should automatically: Send a private DM to the user Capture
                                  • Send / Send & Close keyboard shortcuts

                                    Hello! My team is so close to using Zoho Desk with just the keyboard. Keyboard shortcuts really help us to be more efficient -- saving a second or two over thousands of tickets adds up quickly. It seems like the keyboard shortcuts in Desk are only for
                                  • Handling Agent Transfer from Marketing Automation Journey to SalesIQ WhatsApp

                                    We are currently using Marketing Automation for WhatsApp marketing, and the features are great so far We have a scenario where, during a campaign or journey, we give customers an option to chat with our sales team. For this, we are using SalesIQ WhatsApp
                                  • Webinar - Getting Started with Zoho LandingPage

                                    Want to launch landing pages that support real marketing goals? This webinar is designed to help you understand the role landing pages play in your overall campaigns and how they contribute to lead generation and conversions. During this session, you’ll
                                  • Increase Round Robin Scheduler Frequency in Zoho Desk

                                    Dear Zoho Desk Team, We hope this message finds you well. We would like to request an enhancement to the Round Robin Scheduler in Zoho Desk to better address ticket assignment efficiency. Current Behavior At present, the Round Robin Scheduler operates
                                  • Zoho mail to contacts and leads, but not to accounts?

                                    We use the accounts tab a lot for our business because they can be linked to the sales orders. Now we want to use the mail add on to link communication of our emails to our accounts. However this is only possible for contacts and leads? It would be convenient
                                  • Marketing Tip #19: Upsell on product page to increase order value

                                    Upselling doesn’t have to feel pushy. It can actually feel helpful when done right. Think "people also bought", upgrades, add-ons, or complementary items. A smart upsell increases your average order value and improves the customer experience by making
                                  • CRM limit reached: only 2 subforms can be created

                                    we recently stumbled upon a limit of 2 subforms per module. while we found a workaround on this occasion, only 2 subforms can be quite limiting in an enterprise setting. @Anonymous User I've read about imminent increase of other components (e.
                                  • 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.
                                  • Next Page