Automation Series: Auto-update Budget When Time is Logged

Automation Series: Auto-update Budget When Time is Logged

In Zoho Projects, Summary fields enable instant budget sync by capturing Actual Cost and showcases it at project-level when a time log is added. This allows real-time budget visibility and helps teams stay within financial thresholds.

Consider an event management firm planning to conduct a global summit on a fixed budget spread across venue deposits, speaker fees, Audio/Video production, and catering. Costs add up from different teams throughout the day and the available budget shifts with every time log. In this case, an outdated balance can lead to cost overrun.

With Summary field, whenever a team member logs time against a task, the Actual Cost updates the total spend automatically. This triggers the Workflow Rule, and executes the associated Custom Function. The function reads the updated Actual Cost Summary field, subtracts it from the Installation Cost, and writes the remaining balance back to the Project Balance Cost field. This keeps the team informed of the latest budget updates.

To configure this flow in your Zoho Projects portal,

      1. Navigate to the upper-right corner of the page.
      2. Click  in the upper-right corner of the top navigation bar.
      3. Navigate to Customization → Layouts and Fields → Projects.
      4. Click the required layout, and create a Custom Summary Field as shown below.



      5. Click  → Developer Space → Connections.
      6. Click Create Connection, choose Zoho Projects as the service, and add the following scope: ZohoProjects.projects.UPDATE



      7. Navigate to Custom Functions under Developer Space.
      8. Click the Projects tab in the upper navigation panel.
      9. Create a new custom function and add the following Deluge script.
Notes
Ensure that the portal URL aligns with your data centre. If not, the function may not execute as expected.
  1. projectBalanceCostAPIName = "project_balance_cost";
  2. projectBalanceCost = installationCost.toDecimal().round(2) - summaryActualCost.toDecimal().round(2);
  3. params = Map();
  4. params.put(projectBalanceCostAPIName,projectBalanceCost);
  5. updateProject = invokeurl
  6. [
  7. url :"https://projects.zoho.in/api/v3/portal/" + portalId + "/projects/" + projectId
  8. type :PATCH
  9. parameters:params.toString()
  10. connection:"connectionprojects"
  11. ];
  12. return "success";
Info
Line 1: Add API name for "Project Balance Cost" field from Layouts
Line 4: Modify the data centre URL to match your Zoho Projects portal. Replace https://projects.zoho.in with the appropriate domain for your region.
Line 10: Replace "connectionprojects" with your Zoho Projects connection name.

      10. Add the following arguments during configuration.


      11. Click Save.
      12. Navigate to  → Automation → Workflow Rules.
      13. Click the Projects tab in the upper navigation panel and click New Workflow Rule.
      14. Select Based on User Action as the execution condition when the Summary Field is Updated. Choose the relevant Summary field from the dropdown.
      15. Associate the previously created Custom Function.
      16. Click Add Criteria+ and set the trigger as Actual Cost is Updated.
      17. Click +Add Action and select Associate Custom Function. Select the custom function created in the previous step.
      18. Click Save Rule.
      19. Toggle the Workflow Rule Status on to enable it.



With this automation in place, the project balance reflects actual spend as entries come in throughout the day.

If you have any questions, feel free to drop a comment below or reach out to us at support@zohoprojects.com.

    • Sticky Posts

    • Update on V2 API End-of-Life Timeline

      Dear Users, Earlier this year, we shared the launch of the V3 APIs and requested users to migrate from the older V2 APIs by December 2025. We have received valuable feedback from our users and partners regarding their migration timelines. We are happy
    • Automation Series: Auto-assign Task Followers

      As task progresses, several users are required to stay aware of the updates to plan their upcoming work items efficiently. Manually adding users as followers for an active task might create additional overhead. With this automation, followers can be added
    • WhatsApp Business Integration for Zoho Projects

      Delivery channel plays a decisive role in how quickly certain project updates translate into immediate actions. A release is ready to go live. An issue is marked critical. An approval is pending. These moments are less about tracking and more about timely
    • Enhanced Collaboration and Global Web Tabs

      Hello Users, We are rolling out two key enhancements in Zoho Projects that will be part of our November release. Here’s what to expect: 1. Collaboration Section in the Left Navigation Panel What’s new? All communication and interactive tools will be grouped
    • Choosing the Right Automation in Zoho Projects

      In any project, different types of actions are needed at different points. Some projects require control on how tasks move, some require reacting to updates, and some require executing additional actions beyond the task. Automation in Zoho Projects is

    Nederlandse Hulpbronnen


      • Recent Topics

      • mail did't send for particular email

        mail did't send for particular email
      • Group settings in Zoho Mail: Manage members, moderation, and spam controls for your organization's groups

        When teams rely on group email addresses like team@org.com, hr@org.com, or sales@org.com, managing them without clear controls leads to unapproved senders, flooded inboxes, and no accountability over what gets delivered. Zoho Mail's Group settings in
      • Update to Free plan attendee limit

        Hi everyone! A quick update about Zoho Webinar's Free plan. We’ve adjusted the Free plan attendee limit from 100 to 20 attendees. Everything else in your Free plan stays the same; you'll continue to have access to all your existing features. If your webinars
      • Possibility to modify a standard wedget to create my own customized wedget

        Below is the std wedget available for dashboard which is great to show the the overdue, current, and all tasks as well as issues for each team member. My problem is this; The list of users cannot be edited (there are admin users which are not relavant
      • Feature Request: Include Creator-applicable Deluge updates in the Creator Release Notes

        I'd like to put forward a suggestion about how Deluge updates are surfaced to Zoho Creator developers, and I'm hoping the Creator team will consider it. Zoho Creator is built on Deluge. Every workflow, custom function, validation and schedule we write
      • Add home page or dashboard in CRM customer portal

        is it possible to add home page or dashboard in CRM customer portal?
      • Close task on Completion Date entry

        This discussion is similar to my issue: "backdated-task-completion-date" discussion Scenario: A bunch of tasks have been completed. But, they have not been closed. Time goes by You finally get around to closing those tasks Projects assigns the date the
      • Introducing Color and Order Preferences for Blueprint Transitions

        Blueprints exist to improve the efficiency of your company's processes and ensure compliance — but only if your users follow them promptly. More often than not, your users may find it challenging to adopt your processes and follow through on them, especially
      • Groups and Moderation

        Hi, I have set up a Group in my organisation but am having trouble with moderation. The members are a mix of addresses within the organisation and external emails addresses. The issue is how to set moderation to be off whenever any of the members sends
      • Introducing Radio Buttons and Numeric Range Sliders in Zoho CRM

        Release update: 1. 2 March 2026: Currently out for CN, JP, AU and CA DCs (Free and standard editions). For other DCs, this will be released by mid-March. 2. 26 March 2026: CA, SA, AU, JP, CN DCs - Free, Standard, Professional, Enterprise, Ultimate, CRM
      • Zoho CRM Sandbox now supports integrations

        Hello everyone, We are now expanding Zoho CRM Sandbox to support integrations with other Zoho products. You can connect, configure, and validate the behavior of your integrated tools within a safe, isolated environment - testing end-to-end without touching
      • Archiving Contacts

        How do I archive a list of contacts, or individual contacts?
      • Introducing the New Zoho Assist Quick Support Plugin

        We are thrilled to announce the new Zoho Assist Quick Support Plugin, the upgraded and enhanced version of the Zoho Assist Customer Plugin. This new plugin allows organizations and IT administrators to deploy it directly onto their customers’ devices,
      • What's New - June 2026 | Zoho Backstage

        Hello everyone! We’ve rolled out a new set of improvements across Zoho Backstage to help you manage events more efficiently and provide a better experience for your attendees. Take a look at what’s new in this month’s update. Assign attendees later and
      • More Zia AI capabilities are included across additional Zoho Desk editions

        Hello everyone, We are expanding the availability of AI-powered features in Desk to the other paid subscriptions from 7th July 2026. Right now, the following AI-based features are available for Enterprise edition users: Intelligence: Sentiment analysis,
      • Summer release '26 should be called Enterprise Summer Release '26

        Summer release '26 should be called Enterprise Summer Release '26 because almost all updates or the more useful ones, are limited for Enterprise subscriptions. us with Basic or Premium susbcriptions are basically left in the cold.
      • Previous conversation title on new messenger widget translation

        The title of previous conversations title on the new messenger widget personalisation appears in english even when spanish is selected as default language
      • Export Tickets from the Help Center

        Hello everyone! We are now allowing end users to export tickets directly from the help center. The ticket export allows users to: Filter tickets by Department, Priority, and Account before exporting. Download files from Export History (Setup > Data administration
      • Account Duplication Control in Zoho CRM

        The Goal Prevent users from creating duplicate Account records in Zoho CRM. Accounts should be sourced from ERP and synced into Zoho—no. Allow to create Accounts if they don't exist in our ERP. What I've Implemented removed Account creation permissions
      • Error 1011 saving website personalisation — blocking all changes (corrupted "home_page.content" field)

        When trying to save changes under Settings → Brands → MY COMPANY → Website → Personalisation → Messenger, I receive the following error: "Either the request parameters are invalid or absent" upon checking on the developer console of the browser I get
      • Canvas View: Add font family selection (incl. Google Fonts / Hebrew & RTL fonts)

        Hi Zoho CRM team, The Canvas design suite (List View, Tile View, Table View and Record Detail) currently allows customizing font weight, size, color, alignment and case - but there is no option to choose the font family. All text is rendered in the built-in
      • This user is not allowed to add in Zoho. Please contact support-as@zohocorp.com for further details

        Hello, Just signed up to ZOHO on a friend's recommendation. Got the TXT part (verified my domain), but whenever I try to add ANY user, I get the error: This user is not allowed to add in Zoho. Please contact support-as@zohocorp.com for further details I have emailed as well and writing here as well because when I searched, I saw many people faced the same issue and instead of email, they got a faster response here. My domain is: raisingreaderspk . com Hope this can be resolved.  Thank you
      • Issue embedding image Zoho Books email signature

        I am trying to embed my company logo to my email signature using the image url tool on the settings but I keep getting the following error: Enter a valid public image URL I am using a public link from either WorkDrive or OneDrive and I still get the same
      • E-Mail Distribution List

        How do I create an e-mail distribution list in Zoho Mail?
      • Tip #80- Secure Connect: Add an Extra Layer Before You Connect – 'Insider Insights'

        Tip 80 – Secure Connect: Add an Extra Layer Before You Connect – 'Insider Insights' Hello Zoho Assist Community! Picture this: your support team relies on unattended access to keep the business running. Servers need overnight patches. Remote workstations
      • Business Whatsapp is not Showing

        I’ve attached a screenshot from the Zoho CRM Android app when clicked the call button. It is showing Personal WhatsApp, which is not installed on the phone. Also, the installed WhatsApp Business account is not showing.
      • How to access a unified inbox for more than one zoho accounts (using paid workplace services)

        Hello, we are using zoho for a few months and also suggest your services, setting them up for our clients. Several from our clients, our company as well, use more than 1 email addresses. Using the web version, we are only able to add them as accounts
      • Modify a standard wedget to create my own customized wedget ?

        Below is the std wedget available for dashboard which is great to show the the overdue, current, and all tasks as well as issues for each team member. My problem is this; The list of users cannot be edited (there are admin users which are not relavant
      • Advanced Formatted Resume Templates for Applications

        Advanced Formatted Resume Templates can now be created and used directly from the Applications module, with support for application module fields. Until now, Advanced templates were limited to the Candidates module. That meant resumes generated from Applications
      • Zoho Books | Product updates | July 2026

        Hello users, We’re excited to bring you the latest updates in Zoho Books for July 2026! This month's release introduces Terminal Payments, CMP-08 filing for composition taxpayers, SEPA Credit Transfer support, the new Receipts and Payments Report for
      • Boost your CRM communication with new font types, sizes, and default reply-to options while composing emails

        Hello Everyone, We’re excited to introduce a series of impactful enhancements to the email composer settings in Zoho CRM. These updates enable you to personalize and optimize your customer interactions with greater efficiency. So what's new? Add custom
      • Zoho CRM Community Digest - June 2026| Part 2

        Hello Everyone! Welcome to the second half of our June Zoho CRM Community Digest! We are keeping the momentum going with powerful updates to filter out unnecessary email syncs, a revamped CRM Import tool, smarter follow-up updates in cadences, and Zia
      • Migrate from Zoho Mail to G Suite

        I am unable to find any documentation on how one can migrate from Zoho Mail to another platform, like G Suite or Office 365. Please point me to the right documentation. Thank you.
      • Zoho Desk Android app - Option to set an email template as default

        Hello everyone! We have enhanced the Email Template section in our app by introducing the ability to set a template as default directly from the Zoho Desk Android app, making it easier to access your preferred template without repeated manual selection.
      • Zoho Desk Android and iOS app update: Odia Language

        Hello everyone! We have now brought in support to access the Zoho Desk app in Odia language. Please update the app to the latest version directly from the Play Store/ App Store or using the links below: Zoho Desk - Play Store Zoho Desk - App Store Once
      • How to check Leads with no Task (open activity)

        Hi everyone, I was wondering if there’s a way to view leads that don’t have any tasks assigned or open activities linked to them.
      • How do I migrate from Office 365 to Zoho Mail?

        Check out Advik Email Migration Wizard, this software is specially developed to move mailboxes from Office 365 to Zoho Webmail. In addition you can migrate from Gmail, Yahoo, Rediffmail and 80+ webmail servers to ZOHO MAIL. Isn't it amazing? This is an all in one email migration solution. Steps to export emails from Office 365 to Zoho Webmail are as follows; Run Advik Email Migration Tool in your system. Select Office 365 as source and enter its login credentials. Select mailbox folders and choose
      • Bridging the gap between incident management and project delivery

        As an organization, you can have structured backup plans to handle issues that arise during project execution. Despite best efforts, even efficient processes can fall into an escalation trap where a red flag travels up the tiers but no real action follows.
      • Update on default settings for AI features in Cliq

        Hello all, We'd like to provide clarity on a recent change to AI feature defaults in Cliq. As part of our regular review of AI features conducted in April 2026, we re-evaluated how these features are enabled by default. We've decided that the AI features
      • Associate Zoho Billing Invoices with multiple Zoho FSM Work Orders

        Hello Latha, We are writing a custom Deluge automation script in Zoho FSM to handle monthly consolidated billing. The script successfully compiles line items from multiple completed Work Orders, interfaces with the Zoho Billing API, and generates a single
      • Next Page