Zoho Developer Community Monthly Digest - October 2024

Zoho Developer Community Monthly Digest - October 2024



Hello everyone,

This edition highlights October's product updates, upcoming community events, engaging discussions that sparked inspiration, and celebrates the top contributors who drove progress. Grab your favorite beverage and dive in!

Upcoming Events

Alert
We're super excited to announce our first-ever Zoho Developer Community Hackathon, coming your way this November. Get ready to innovate and compete on a global scale! Registration opens soon, so stay tuned for more details!

Zoho Apptics 101 

Date: November 12, 2024
Time: 12:30 pm IST & 9:30 PM IST
Title: Sessions, Screens, and APIs

In this series, we’ll dive deep into every aspect of application analytics to help you understand how Zoho Apptics aids in measuring important KPIs that reflect your app's performance, growth, and engagement. The last session of the series this year, focuses on Sessions, Screens, and API tracking. Registration and more details here.

Creator Tech Connect:

Title: Directory stores and device management in Zoho Creator using Zoho Directory.
Date: November 14, 2024
APAC & ANZ: 11 AM to 12 PM IST - Registration Link
EMEA: 4 PM to 5 PM IST - Registration Link
Americas: 9 PM to 10 PM IST - Registration Link

Creator's tech connect series would comprise of technical sessions that provide immersive training on the key essentials and technical nuances of building a solution in Zoho Creator. This is a great opportunity for our developer community to stay informed about Creator's new feature releases, product roadmap, best practices to follow while scripting in deluge, new deluge concepts, and cloud functions. The previous session focused on managing domains, controls, and security policies in Zoho Creator using Zoho Directory and in the upcoming session, we will explore directory stores and device management in Zoho Creator using Zoho Directory.

Catalyst Webinar

Title: Boost eCommerce Efficiency by Automating PDF and Invoice Generation at Scale
Date: November 21, 2024
Time: 8:30 pm - 9:30 pm IST or 8 AM - 9AM PT
 
Are manual processes slowing down your ecommerce business? Join this webinar to discover how automation can revolutionize your operations. Learn how to generate invoices and PDFs seamlessly, reduce errors, and scale your business effortlessly.

Agenda:
  • The Power of Automation: Understand how automating invoices and PDFs can drive efficiency and enhance your ecommerce operations.
  • Seamless Integration: Learn how to implement automated PDF generation into your existing systems with ease.
  • Scaling for Growth: Explore strategies to optimize your processes and scale your ecommerce business effortlessly.

Learning Table Series:

Title: Creator for the Finance Industry
Date: December 5, 2024
APAC & ANZ: 11 AM to 12 PM IST - Registration Link
EMEA: 4 PM to 5 PM IST - Registration Link
Americas: 9 PM to 10 PM IST - Registration Link

We designed this series to provide users with valuable insights and knowledge about Creator's capabilities in various business use cases and applications. This year, we have adopted the 12 Months 12 Industries concept. Every month, we will focus on a specific industry, illustrating its unique processes with real-time business scenarios and how to make best use of Creator for that industry. Our previous webinar on Creator for the NGO Industry was a success, and in the upcoming session, we'll be exploring Creator for the finance industry.

Feature Spotlight

Zoho Creator

We're thrilled to announce the launch of the revamped Zoho Creator Developer Console—a dedicated platform designed specifically for Creator developers and partners to build, test, and distribute apps to your clients. The revamped Zoho Creator Developer Console introduces a more streamlined, intuitive experience designed to empower developers at every stage of their app-building journey. Key updates include testing environments, seamless update deployment, the ability to publish apps for monetization in the Marketplace or distribute them privately with specific clients, and much more. Overall, the Zoho Creator Developer Console is an indispensable toolkit, enabling developers to innovate faster and deliver tailored, robust solutions to their clients.

Read more about this new launch in this community post or the partner network post.

Zoho Finance Platform: External Lookup Data Type in Custom Fields

We've added the External Lookup data to custom fields. Using this data type, you can select one of the available Zoho apps and look up data from one of its fields. Currently, you can look up data from Zoho CRM and Zoho Desk. After selecting the Zoho app, you need to select the organization, module, and field to lookup. For example, if you want to view the meetings you've had with your customers, you can create an external lookup for Zoho CRM, choose the CRM organization, select the Meetings module, and select the field to lookup (say Title). Learn More.

Products supported: Zoho Books, Zoho Inventory, and Zoho Billing.

Keep an eye out for our ongoing Custom Function Series!
 
For any queries related to the Zoho Finance development platform, reach out to our tech team at devsupport@zohofinance.com

Resource Spotlight

Info
We've consolidated all the resources from the developer community learning series into a centralized hub for your convenient access. Consider bookmarking our Zoho Developer Community website to stay informed about the latest updates in the developer community.

Community Discussions

Zoho Developer Forum

  • Sometimes, choosing the right data structure can make a big difference. @Ilja wanted to know the best way to compare a list of countries with their corresponding ISO codes. While a long chain of if-else statements might seem like a simple solution, it gets slow and hard to manage with a large number of countries. @Anonymous User, @Abhishek , and @Anonymous User jumped in and explained that a Map approach is superior. Go through this conversation to know why!
  • @Anonymous User encountered a roadblock in their client script where changes to a specific field weren't triggering updates in other fields. Find out how they resolved the issue as this thread underscores the importance of understanding the appropriate methods for field updates in different contexts.
  • @Anonymous User sought a way to send emails to each contact listed in a Zoho CRM subform. @Anonymous User suggested using Zoho Flow to automate this process, while @Anonymous User offered a more direct approach with a custom Deluge code snippet. This conversation underscores the flexibility of Zoho CRM, with both low-code and custom coding options available to fulfill specific needs.
  • @Anonymous User wanted to automate a field update based on user data. @Anonymous User, a dedicated Zoho MVP, went above and beyond, providing a detailed client script solution and even offering a personalized debugging session. This thread showcases the power of community support and the importance of clear communication in resolving technical hurdles.

Developers ZUG Cliq Channel

InfoThese conversations are confined to the Developers ZUG Cliq channel members. If you're keen on becoming a part of this space, visit our website, click JOIN NOW, and complete the form to get an invite to the channel.
  • Redundant work can get pretty tiresome. Our top contributor, @Anonymous User, tried to overcome such a task through auto-populating fields in Zoho Desk. Check out this conversation where the community members bring together different pieces of the puzzle to get the complete picture. @Carter shares the logical flow, and @Anonymous User shares the coding solution with @Venessa and @Dr. Joe Sweeney backing it up with their thoughts.
  • Almost always, someone from the Community has the answer to another's question. Sometimes, a member ventures into something unventured. @Anonymous User found himself in such a situation. Needing to convert a byte array to PDF, he turned to the community for help. While the community offered various suggestions, the perfect solution remained elusive. Check out the conversation to see if you might have a solution to his problem. Who knows, you might even find any of the offered solutions beneficial to your business!
  • Each integration between products gives any business an additional dimension of functionality. It's even more pivotal when that integration deals with the final step of the sales cycle—creating and delivering the invoice for a completed deal. @Buddy Quaid faced an issue while creating an invoice with Zoho Writer and storing & sending it from Zoho Workdrive. This month's top Cliq contributor, Vivek Rai, joins Buddy on quite a journey of issues and stumbling blocks, before reaching the solution. Check it out here!

Community Spotlight

ZDH Speakers

As a continuation of featuring a ZDH presenter each month, this time, we are delighted to introduce the 16th episode presenter . Explore this post to discover the knowledge and insights he shared with the community.

Cliq Contributors

Here are our top contributors who have gone the extra mile to support and assist the community:


We want to express our sincere appreciation to all our community contributors. Your commitment, expertise, and the time you invest are invaluable to the community. 

For those who are new to the Zoho Developer Community, check out this post to get started

We appreciate you dedicating your time to peruse this month's digest. Make sure to follow the digest each month for the most recent updates and conversations. Stay connected and participate in the forums and the Cliq channel to be featured in the upcoming month's digest. Wishing you an amazing month ahead!



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

                                  • Zoho CRM's Copy Customization functionality now works across DCs, for customized accounts, and more

                                    Availability This feature is available in Standard, Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions. These changes have been rolled out to all users in all DCs. For more information, please refer to these help documents: Overview | Instructions Hello
                                  • How can I bold text on Zoho Forms submit buttons?

                                    In the old theme builder, I could bold the text on a form's submit button. With the new theme builder, I can only change the text of the header or fields in the form, and not the button itself.
                                  • Hiding Pre-defined Views

                                    You can enhance Zoho with custom views - but you cannot hide the pre-defined views. Most users focus on 4 or 5 views. Right now for EVERY user EVERY time they want to move to one of their 4 or 5 views - they have to scroll down past a long list of pre-defined views - we don't use ANY of the pre-defined views. Adding the feature to allow a predefined view to be hidden completely or only visible to certain users would be a big improvement in usability for Zoho CRM. This feature is already available
                                  • Rich-text fields in Zoho CRM

                                    Hello everyone, We're thrilled to announce an important enhancement that will significantly enhance the readability and formatting capabilities of your information: rich text options for multi-line fields. With this update, you can now enjoy a more versatile
                                  • [Integration Edition] Deluge Learning Series – Third-Party Integrations with Deluge | October 2025

                                    We’re excited to continue this three-month edition of the Deluge Learning Series: Session 1 – Integrating Zoho Apps with Deluge Using Built-In Integration Tasks Session 2 – Integrating Zoho Apps with Deluge Using invokeURL and invokeAPI Session 3 – Third-Party
                                  • Feature Request: Tag, Search, and Report on Individual Private Comments

                                    Zoho Desk Team, First, I want to say that we are extensive users of Zoho Desk and it is a core part of our support operations. We rely heavily on the private comments feature for internal communication, knowledge sharing, and maintaining a clear history
                                  • Zoho CRM Community Digest - August 2025 | Part 2

                                    Hello Everyone! Here's a quick round-up of handy tips, clever workarounds, and product updates from late August. Product Updates: Meeting Enhancements in Zoho CRM! Track whether a meeting is online, in-office, or at the client’s location using the new
                                  • Assistance Needed: Ticket Status Not Updating and Sorting by Last Customer Reply in Zoho Desk

                                    Hello, I’m facing two issues in Zoho Desk that I’d like your guidance on: Ticket Status Not Updating: When a customer replies to a ticket, the status does not change to Reopened. Instead, it remains in Waiting on Customer, even after the customer’s response
                                  • Round robin

                                    Hi, I'm trying to set up a round robin to automatically distribute tickets between agents in my team but only those tickets that are not otherwise distributed by other workflows or direct assignments. Is that possible and if so which criteria should I
                                  • Time Entry Notifications

                                    Hi All - I have support staff who place notes of their work in the time entry section of Zoho Desk. Is there a specific workflow or setting I need to enable to have the ticket holder updated via email when an entry is saved?
                                  • Change text in help desk

                                    Hi, Please let me know how can i change the this text, see screenshot.
                                  • Customer happiness customisation

                                    Hi, I was wondering if it's possible to somehow customise to whom and when customer happiness request is sent? Can you enable it only for selected tickets for example based on workflow or any other criteria (customer name, tag or anything else)? Also
                                  • No Zoho Support Response in Months

                                    I want to say that I love Zoho FSM, Books, and CRM, but the support is scary bad. About 2-3 months ago, I emailed Zoho FSM support with two specific issues I needed help with, and I have still not received one single response. I also submitted a support
                                  • Has anyone built a custom AI support agent inside Zoho (SalesIQ/Zobot)?

                                    Hi all, I’ve been experimenting with building my own AI support assistant and wanted to see if anyone here has tackled something similar within Zoho. Right now, I’ve set up a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) pipeline outside of Zoho using FAISS. It
                                  • Null

                                    If a result is null how do I make it so that a custom error pops up instead of the default error? Can someone write an example as if I were using the script builder?
                                  • Format a "return" message

                                    Good day, Is there a way to format the message of the "return" function in CRM deluge script?
                                  • Change Last Name to not required in Leads

                                    I would like to upload 500 target companies as leads but I don't yet have contact people for them. Can you enable the option for me to turn this requirement off to need a Second Name? Moderation update (10-Jun-23): As we explore potential solutions for
                                  • Having Trouble Opening The Candidate Portal

                                    Recently am having trouble opening the Candidate Portal. It keeps loading but cannot display any widgets. Tried Safari, Chrome and Edge. Non of them work. Please solve the problem ASAP.
                                  • Tip of the Week - Spot Risky Sales with Conditional Formatting

                                    In Zoho Analytics, small tweaks can lead to big insights. One such feature is Conditional formatting based on other columns, your key to instantly spotting where sales success is overshadowed by product returns. Our tip this week shows you how to apply
                                  • How do I duplicate / copy a campaign

                                    I am evaluation Zoho Campaigns and sent an email to one of my personal email accounts from Zoho Campaigns.  It went into my junk file in Hotmail. I want to duplicate that same (1-page) campaign and send it to another of my personal accounts to try to
                                  • For a Bill, can "Pay via Check" - Can we also "Pay via Check" when documenting refund for payment?

                                    We really like when we have a Bill in Zoho Books that we can record payment by selecting "Pay via Check" and that will cut the check for us from Zoho Books. However, when we have to write checks as a result of invoice overpayment, we can not select "Pay
                                  • Creator Change History: Ways to improve

                                    Hi Everyone, Recently been working in developing this change history(an idea from Zoho Forms) - unlike forms that you can this with a click but using Creator, we can use "old" keyword. The concept I come up with is to put the result in a table however,
                                  • Suitability of Zoho One (Single User License) for Multi-State GST Compliance & Cost Analysis

                                    Hello Zoho Team, I am an e-commerce business owner selling on platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, and Meesho, and I'm currently using their fulfillment warehouses. I have two GSTIN registrations and am planning to register for an additional 2-3 to expand
                                  • add employees and customiz

                                    I want a Zoho software to track employees record. I logged in a demo so now I tried adding employee, first thing when I click on add employee it takes me to a page where it says add user maximum 10 users, my first doubt why users I don't want employees
                                  • Inactive User Auto Response

                                    We use Zoho One, and we have a couple employees that are no longer with us, but people are still attempting to email them. I'd like an autoresponder to let them no the person is no longer here, and how they can reach us going forward. I saw a similar
                                  • Zoho People Attendance Module - Split Shifts

                                    Hello, Our business employs a number of college students who often split their workdays between work hours and class schedules, resulting in split shifts. For example: Employee 1 works 9am to 11:30am and then leaves for class, returning to work at 3pm
                                  • Zoho One subscription

                                    we have got Zoho CRM for 3 users and we paid for the app , and we have still 9 months to go , but if we join Zoho one , does it mean the payment for that subscription would be a waste? Please help. Thanks.
                                  • How Zoho CRM Can Enhance Your Faucets Accessories Business Operations?

                                    In today's competitive market, having a reliable CRM system is crucial for managing customer relationships and streamlining business operations. For businesses in the faucets accessories niche, Zoho CRM offers powerful tools to help manage everything
                                  • Dashboard

                                    I’m currently working on a project using the Zoho IoT Cloud with an ESP32 and MQTT. I’ve successfully connected the ESP32 to Wi-Fi and MQTT, and the data from the ESP32 is displayed in the telemetry section of the cloud. However, when I try to create
                                  • Can i connect 2 instagram accounts to 1 brand?

                                    Can i connect 2 instagram accounts to 1 brand? Or Do i need to create 2 brands for that? also under what subscription package will this apply?
                                  • Zoho Forms - Improved Sub-Forms

                                    Hi Forms team, I'm helping a client move from JotForms to Zoho Forms and I've found another opportunity for improvement. In the below screenshot, JotForm left and Zoho Forms right. The Zoho Forms Sub-Form is quite a poor visually. There is no way to make
                                  • What's New in Zoho Billing | Q3 2025

                                    Hello everyone, We are excited to share the latest set of updates and enhancements made to Zoho Billing in Q3 2025. From the latest GST updates to multi-level discounting, Zia-powered report summaries, and customizable web forms, these updates are designed
                                  • How to Delete Personal Account Linked with My Mobile Number in past or by someone else

                                    How to Delete Account Created with My Mobile Number in past or by someone else This is creating issues in making or sync with my credentials mobile and email address..
                                  • WhatsApp Business Calling API

                                    Dear Zoho SalesIQ Team, I would like to request a feature that allows users to call WhatsApp numbers directly via Zoho SalesIQ. This integration would enable sending and receiving calls to and from WhatsApp numbers over the internet, without the need
                                  • Does Zoho Learn integrate with Zoho Connect,People,Workdrive,Project,Desk?

                                    Can we propose Zoho LEarn as a centralised Knowledge Portal tool that can get synched with the other Zoho products and serve as a central Knowledge repository?
                                  • Marketer's Space - Going beyond basics: Smarter ecommerce marketing with Zoho Campaigns

                                    Hello Marketers, Welcome back to this week's Marketer's Space. In the last post, we discussed the basics of email marketing and how to get started with email marketing in ecommerce. In this part, we'll dive much deeper into some other advanced features
                                  • Connecting two modules - phone number

                                    Hi, I’d like some guidance on setting up an automation in Zoho CRM that links records between the Leads module and a custom module called Customer_Records whenever the phone numbers match. Here’s what I’m trying to achieve: When a new Lead is created
                                  • Zoho Marketing Automation 2.0 - Landing Page function not working

                                    Dear Zoho Team, I am working on implementing Zoho Marketing Automation 2.0, and am now looking into the section "Lead Generation". If I open the "Landing Pages" section, I immediately get an Error code: Error: internal error occurred. Can you help me
                                  • Unable to use Sign "You have entereed some invalid characters"

                                    Unable to use Sign "You have entered some invalid characters" I do not see any invalid characters. The text in "Leave a Note" is plain text which I entered directly into the field. See attached screenshot
                                  • Elevate your CX delivery using CommandCenter 2.0: Simplified builder; seamless orchestration

                                    Most businesses want to create memorable customer experiences—but they often find it hard to keep them smooth, especially as they grow. To achieve a state of flow across their processes, teams often stitch together a series of automations using Workflow
                                  • Next Page