Multi-line fields

1. Flexibility for detailed information: Multi-line fields are ideal for entering descriptions, notes, or any other information that requires more space than a standard single-line text field.
2. Customization: Like other fields in Zoho CRM, multi-line fields can be customized according to the specific needs of your business. You can set character limits and control which sections or layouts they appear in.
3. Applications: These fields are commonly used in areas like customer support, where detailed customer queries or issues need to be recorded, or in sales, where detailed product descriptions or client requirements are noted.
4. Effortless compatibility: Multi-line fields can be seamlessly incorporated into your CRM's operational processes, ensuring that the gathered data blends effortlessly with other components of your CRM system.
5. User interface: The multi-line field provides a user-friendly text box which can be easily accessed and edited by CRM users, ensuring a smooth user experience.
   

Rich Text Field

1. Comprehensive Text Editor: The text editor that comes with rich text multi-line fields offers a wide range of essential and additional editing options.
   
   
2. The available format options for rich text multi-line fields are as follows:
   Bold, Italics, Underline, Strikethrough, Text colors, Background color, Bullets, Numbering, URL, Indent options, Subscript, Superscript, Emojis, Clear formatting
3. Expanded Text Box: The record details can be easily filled in as the text box can be expanded into a pop-up, resembling a notebook. This improved interface provides a more spacious and concentrated writing experience.
   
   

Note:

1. It is advised to avoid using rich text fields in templates to prevent any formatting problems as mentioned earlier.
2. Rich text fields aren't supported in mail merge templates, as well as for integrations.

Additional details on Rich Text Fields

1. During import or while using APIs, users can add content for rich text fields using tags, which will be transformed into formatted data.
2. When data is imported or entered into CRM through APIs, there are limitations on the tags and styles that can be used in rich text fields. Users are not allowed to apply formatting such as changing the font size to be small or large. However, they will still have the ability to use attribute values, such as different icons for bulleted lists, that are not supported in the user interface.
   
   
   
   Check the table below for the complete list of allowed tags and the attributes allowed for the tags respectively.
   

   Allowed tags	Allowed attributes
   b — Bold	—
   i — Italic	—
   u — Underline	—
   a — Link	href, target, style
   sub — Subscript	style
   sup — Superscript	style
   ul — Unordered list	style
   ol — Ordered list	style
   li — List	style
   span	style
   div	style
   p — Paragraph	style
   small — Small	—
   br — Line break	—
   del — strikethrough	—

   
   

   Following are the permissible style values:
   

   font-style	font-weight	text-decoration
   color	background-color	list-style-type
   padding-inline-start	margin-inline-start	padding-left
   list-style-position	display	—

   
   
3. And, there when importing or sending data through APIs, certain reserved characters need to be changed to the equivalent form so that the system gets the data properly.
   
1. If an open tag like '<' is closed correctly, the formatting will be applied without any issues. However, if it is not closed properly, the system will remove it and it will not be recognized as a 'lesser than' symbol when importing.
2. If the user wants to indicate a value such as 65 < 75 in the rich text field, they should replace the symbol '<' with '&lt ;', which represents this reserved character.
3. There will not be a space between &lt and semicolon. If I remove the space, it is getting converted to < in cliq. Therefore, when conveying this, please remove the space.
   

Currency Fields

The currency field allows you to define the decimal and the precision settings based on your selected currency locale. There are four rounding options available for a currency field in Zoho CRM: 

To create currency type custom fields

1. Log in to your Zoho CRM account with Administrative privileges.
   
2. Go to  Setup > Customization > Modules and Fields .
   
   Module refers to the Leads, Accounts, Contacts, etc. tabs.
   
3. Click the required module from the module list view.
   
4. Drag and drop the  Currency  field type onto the desired  [Module]  section on the right.
   
5. In the  Currency Properties  popup, do the following:
   
   • Enter a name in the  Field Label  field.
     
     
   • Select the length of the field from the  Maximum digits allowed  drop-down list. Example, 9.
     
   • Select the number of decimal places required from the  Decimal Places  drop-down list. Example, 2.
     
   • Select the  Rounding option  from the drop-down list. Example,  Normal .
     
   • Select the Required checkbox if you want this to be a required field.
     
   • In the case of Leads, Contacts, Accounts and Potentials module, you will see an additional option called "Also create for". Use this to create the same field for other three modules at one go. This option is not available for the  Currency field in custom modules.
     
6. Click  Done .
   

Pick List Fields

Add/Rename Pick List Values

By default, some of the industry standard pick list values are available in each module. You can add new pick list values as per your organization's business process or rename the existing values.

To add or rename pick list values

1. Log in to your Zoho CRM account with Administrative privileges.
   
2. Go to  Setup > Customization > Modules and Fields .
   
   Module refers to the Leads, Accounts, Contacts, etc. tabs.
   
3. Click the desired module from the Modules list view.
   
4. Go to the required pick list field, click the  Settings  icon and select  Edit Properties .
   
5. In the  Pick ListProperties  popup, you can do the following:
   
   
   • To add a new value click the  Plus  icon against a value and add the value below it.
     
   • To delete a value, click the  Minus  icon against the value.
     
   • To rename an existing value, simply type the new name in the place of the existing value.
     
   • To add the options all in one shot, click  Add options in bulk .
     
     In the  Add Bulk Options  text box, type one value below the other.
     
     Click  Add Choices.
     
   • To sort the values, click the  Sort   icon.
     
   • To import values, click the  Import  icon.
     
   • To maximize the popup, click the  Maximize  icon.
     
6. Choose a value from the  Select default value  drop-down list.
   
   When no value is selected, the chosen default value applies for this field.
   
7. If you wish to make this a required field, select the  Required  check box.
   
8. Click  Done .
   

Note

1. When you add/rename/delete the the value(s), they will be automatically updated in the records where they have already been used. Before saving, you can click Undo to go back to the original pick list value.
   
   
   
2. When you delete a pick list value, records that have the field value associated to it will not be deleted. You can find the deleted pick list value(s) by clicking Unused Values ( ) button.
   
   The popup displays the deleted fields which you can select and add them back to the pick list or delete them permanently by clicking the Delete icon. If the same picklist values are used in other layouts then they cannot be deleted. It will remain an Unused Value.
   
   
3. You can choose to enable history tracking for a particular picklist value. The history tracking will let you view a record's progress over a period of time or different stages. See Also  Picklist History Tracking .

Sort the order of Pick List Values 

1. To denote a sequence or progress (like lead status or deal stage) .
   

Color coding the picklists

Replace Pick List Values

When you wish to edit the values of a pick list field in such a way that the change is also reflected in the records to which they have been associated, you can replace the pick list values.

To replace pick list values

1. Log in to your Zoho CRM account with Administrative privileges.
   
2. Go to  Setup > Customization > Modules and Fields .
   
   Module refers to the Leads, Accounts, Contacts, etc. tabs.
   
3. Select the required module from the Modules list view.
   
4. Go to the required pick list field, click the  Settings  icon and select  Replace Values .
   
   
5. In the  Replace Pick List popup,  do the following:
   
   • In the  Change value from  field, select an existing value (that needs to be replaced).
     
   • In the  Change value to  field, select the new value (that will replace the existing value).
     
     
     Click  Replace .
     
6. Click  Save .
   
   Once Zoho CRM completes replacing the values in the existing records, you will be duly notified.
   

Multi-Select Pick List Values

This option enables selecting multiple values while creating or editing record. For instance, your organization may be offering different services and some of your customers may be interested in multiple services. In this case you can use the multi-select pick list value instead of single pick list value while creating a potential. Periodically, you can modify the pick list values as per your organization's business process.

To add multi-select pick list values

1. Log in to your Zoho CRM account with Administrative privileges.
   
2. Go to  Setup > Customization > Modules and Fields .
   
   Module refers to the Leads, Accounts, Contacts, etc. tabs.
   
3. Select the required module from the Modules list view.
   
   The Layout Editor appears.
   
4. Drag and drop the  Multi Select  field type from the  New Fields  tray into the desired  [Module]  section on the right.
   
5. In the  Pick List Properties section , do the following:
   
   • Enter a name in the  Field Label  field.
     
     
     • To add a new value click the  Plus  icon against a value and add the value below it.
       
     • To delete a value, click the  Minus  icon against the value.
       
     • To rename an existing value, simply type the new name in the place of the existing value.
       
     • To add the options all in one shot, click  Add options in bulk .
       
       In the  Add Bulk Options  text box, type one value below the other.
       
       Click  Add Choices.
       
     • To sort the values, click the  Sort icon.
       
     • To import values, click the  Import icon.
       
     • To maximize the popup, click the  Maximize  icon.
       
6. Choose a value from the  Select default value  drop-down list.
   
   When no value is selected, the chosen default value applies for this field.
   
7. If you wish to make this a required field, select the  Required  check box.
   
8. Click  Done .
   

Lookup Fields

For example, let's say some of your contacts refer more leads to your business than others, and you want to quickly see who referred a certain lead. You can achieve this easily by adding a lookup field called "Referred By" in the Leads module that will display a list of contacts. Whenever a new lead is added, the contact who referred it can be selected and associated using the lookup field. Also, a related list of leads will be created in the Contacts module—"Referred Leads," for example, which will display all the leads a contact has referred so far.

To create lookup field

1. Log in to your Zoho CRM account with Administrative privileges.
   
2. Go to  Setup > Customization > Modules and Fields .
   
   Module refers to the  Leads ,  Accounts ,  Contacts , etc. tabs.
   
3. Select the module and the layout to which you want to add the lookup field (for example, Leads module, standard layout).
4. In the Layout editor, drag and drop the Lookup field from the New Fields tray.
   
5. In the  Lookup Properties  popup, do the following:
   
   • Field label - Set the field label to  Referred By .
     
     
   • Lookup Module -  Select a lookup module from the dropdown—for example, the Contacts module.
   • Related List Title - Name it Referred Leads .
6. Click  Done .
   
7. Click  Save Layout.
   
   You'll find the Referred By lookup field while creating leads.
   
   
   The Referred Leads   related list can be found on all contact details pages of the Contacts module, as shown below.
   

Notes:

• A maximum of five lookup fields can be added for any criteria. For example, while specifying criteria in workflow rules or blueprints, or creating custom views, you can use up to five lookup fields.
  

• Lookup fields cannot be added to the  Tasks , Meetings , and Calls modules.
  

Using a lookup field

To add or remove fields from the lookup search

1. Go to the appropriate module and select the lookup field.
   

2. C lick on the search bar , and then on the icon o n the right side of the search bar, as shown in the image below.
   
   

3. In the search pop-up, click  the Add Column  icon.
   
   
4. S elect the fields you wish to remove and click Save .
   
   The fields saved here will be displayed in the lookup field when a user searches for a record.
   
   

To search records using advanced lookup :

1. Go to the module in question and select the lookup field.
   

2. In the search pop-up, click the Show Filter icon.
   

3. Enter the values and click Appl y Filter .
   
   

Notes:

• You can add up to 10 fields in the search window.
  

• A common search will search only in the record name column and not in all fields.

Multi-Select Lookup Fields

This field is available for Enterprise and above editions.

For instance, consider the example an insurance company.

• A single policy may be held by many policy holders.
  
• Similarly, a single policy holder may hold many policies.
  

If you have two modules -  Insurance Policies  and  PolicyHolders  - there is a need to associate multiple records from each module to each other. This is not possible with a regular look-up field, as it allows only a one-to-many relationship.

Self-referencing Multi-select Lookup Field

Auto Number Field

To create auto number fields

1. Log in to your Zoho CRM account with Administrative privileges.
   
2. Go to  Setup > Customization > Modules and Fields .
   
   Module refers to the Leads, Accounts, Contacts, etc. tabs.
   
3. Select the module from the Modules list view.
   
   The Layout Editor appears.
   
4. Drag and drop the  Auto Number field type  from the  New Fields  tray.
   
5. In the  Auto Number Properties  popup, do the following:
   
   • Enter a name in the  FieldLabel  field.
     
     
   • Under the  Auto Number Format  section, enter the  Prefix, Starting Number  & the  Suffix  for the auto number value.
     
     You can check the preview.
     
6. Click  Done.
   
7. Click  Save Layout.
   

Note 

1. While creating a record an auto-number may get skipped due to exceptions like time-out or transaction error. 
   
   However, this will not lead to any loss of data. 
   

User Field

Adding a User Field

Adding a user field to a record layout is done by simply dragging and dropping the field to the layout editor.  Zoho CRM provides two types of user fields, you can choose either of them based on your requirement.

• Single User - You can add up to 5 single user fields in a module.
  
• Multiple Users - You can add only 1 multi-user field in a module that can include up to 10 users.
  

To configure user field

1. Log in to your Zoho CRM account with Administrative privileges
   
2. Go to  Setup  >  Customization  >  Modules and Fields .
   
   Module refers to the Leads, Accounts, Contacts, etc.
   
3. Select the module from the Modules list view.
   
   The  Layout Editor  appears.
   
4. Drag and drop  User Field  from the  New Fields  tray.
   
   
5. Enter a  Field Name . (For example, secondary owner, sales manager, co-owner etc.)
   
6. Choose the field type -  Single User or Multiuser.
   
7. Select whether you want to allow user field's record accessibility by the users.
   
   Choose the level of permission from Read only, Read/Write, Full access.
   
   
   
8. Click Save.

Note

1. You can configure User Field for all the modules except for Tasks, Calls, and Meetings ( Activities ) modules.
   
2. If you remove the User Field from a particular layout, the co-owners will not be able to view the record unless the field is added again to the layout.
   

Regulate record access privilege

To revoke the accessibility of a record

1. Go to Setup > Customization > Modules and Fields.
   
2. In the Modules tab, select the corresponding module.
   
3. In the Layouts page, select the corresponding layout.
   
4. In the layout builder, click on the ellipses icon (...)  near the user field and select Edit Properties.
   
5. In the User Field Properties page, uncheck the Allow Record Accessibility option.
   

Actions in Records Based on Profile Permission

Each member of an organization has a different role, based on which their profile permission is defined within the Zoho CRM account. For instance, a Sales manager can have an administrative profile but a sales executive can have a standard profile. Depending on the profile a co-owner will be able to perform the actions in a record. See also (Profile permissions).

For example, Emily Ross is a Sales Manager at Zylker Inc. and has administrative privilege in the CRM account. Hence, she can Edit or Close task in a record that she co-owns.

View related list of a Record Based on Role Hierarchy

The co-owner of a record will be able to view the related list of the record based on their role within the organization. 

1. Select a  Module.
   
2. In the  Records  page,   view the list of  Records.
   

Where Can You Use a User Field

The  User Field  in Zoho CRM can be associated with other features too. Below are the list of features where a you can use the  User Field :

• Workflow Email Notifications  - In Zoho CRM automation, while creating Email Notifications you can add the co-owners as the email recipients.          
• List View  - The co-owners can choose to create a Co-owner list view. For example, they can filter the deals as co-owner deals.
  
  
• Email Fields  - You can use the co-owners email address in the to/from field in all the email related features of Zoho CRM. For example, while sending emails you can choose to send an email from a co-owner's email address. User field can be used in sending mass emails, running macros, in autoresponders, autoresponse rule, webform, and schedule mass emails.
  
• Filters and Criteria  - The records can be filtered using the user field. You can choose the co-owner from the record owners filter.
  
  
• Merge Fields in Email Templates  - While creating an Email Template you can use the user field as merge fields. 
• Reports  - While generating reports, you can use the user field under columns and criteria.
  
• Import and Data Migration  - You can map the co-owners as the record owners while importing or migrating data in to your CRM account.
  
  

Record Image Field

In Zoho CRM you can add image to the records in leads, contacts, accounts, deals, products, cases, solutions, vendors, and custom modules. This will enable your customers and CRM users to view the record right within the detail page. For example, in real estate business the property image can be referred by both the buyer and the sales rep. 

Note that, as a Zoho CRM administrator you can also choose to disable the record image field if required.

To enable record image field

1. Log in to your Zoho CRM account with Administrative privileges.
   
2. Go to  Setup  >  Customization  >  Modules and Fields .
   
   Module refers to the Leads, Accounts, Contacts, etc. tabs.
   
3. Select the  Module  from the  Modules list  view.
   
   The  Layout Editor  appears.
   
4. In the  Layout editor  page, toggle on the  Record Image  button.
   

File Upload Field

In Zoho CRM, you can use the file upload field to add any file or document that is closely related to a record, right within the record. Let's say, your business requires you to transact a "service level agreement" or "financial statement" or "property layout" with your client. Documents like these are user specific and can thus be added to the client's record using a file upload field for further reference. You can upload files to a record from any of these sources - personal computer, documents , Zoho Docs or Other cloud services . Read more about attaching files and notes . 

To add file upload field

1. Go to  Setup  >  Customization  >  Modules and Fields .
   
   Module refers to the Leads, Accounts, Contacts, etc. tabs.
   
2. Select the [ Module]  from the modules' list view.
   
   The  Layout Editor  appears.
   
3. From the  New Field  tray, drag and drop  File Upload  field in the module section.
   
   
4. Click  More  icon >  Edit Properties , to provide the option to add multiple files or to add the same field to other modules.
   
   In case the  GDPR Compliance Setting  is turned on you can also select if the information contains any personal data.
   

   
5. Click  Save .
   

Permission Required

Users with Manage Customization access in their profile can add a image upload field.

Edition-based limits

1. Standard: 2 fields per module
   
2. Professional: 5 fields per module
3. Enterprise: 10 fields per module
   
4. Ultimate: 15 fields per module

1. Go to  Setup >  Customization >  Modules and Fields .
   Module refers to the Leads, Accounts, Contacts, etc. tabs.
2. Select the [ Module] from the modules' list view.
   
3. The  Layout Editor appears.
   
4. From the  New Field tray, drag and drop  Image Upload field into the layout.
   

5. Click the  More icon and Edit field property or Set Permission .
   

6. Click  Save .
   

Setting field permission

You can set the visibility restrictions and limit accessibility to the field. 

By  editing the field properties , you can change the field label and also add a tooltip. You can also get a preview of the tooltip.

From the  set permissions  option you can

give read only, read/write, or hide permissions to different profiles.

Uploading Images to the Field 

You can upload up to 10 images (maximum file size is 20MB) in jpg, png, jpeg, gif, bmp formats simultaneously (currently you can upload images only from your desktop). 

1. Go to the module and select a record.
   
2. In the Image upload field, click  New Image .
   
3. In Attach Images  window, either drag and drop or browse images from your desktop.
   
4. Click  Attach .
   
5. Click  Save , to save the record.

Editing and Deleting Images

You can edit and delete images from the record create and record detail pages by hovering over the attached image. You can reorder the images from here by dragging and dropping them to the desired position. 

You can click the  icon and choose the options from the design panel to crop, change resolution, and rotate the image. 

Rollup summary field

Rollup summary is a field type that aggregates or summarizes values from associated records present in related lists, which helps build data association between child records and parent records.

For example, an account manager might want to investigate the total number of lost deals and lost revenue for an account. Instead of running a report separately for that particular account, they can use a rollup field to compute this; and the best part is that this field will be added to the layout and all records in the layout will carry the same field, each with their respective values computed.

Note: Like all other fields, you can set field permissions and remove the field from the layout.

Rollup summary fields in Workflow rules