CRM Hack #3: How to update formula functions for already created records.

CRM Hack #3: How to update formula functions for already created records.

Hello everyone!

 

It’s Wednesday and we are back with yet another hack.. 

 

I'm sure you've used formula fields to meet some requirements specific to your business. Let's consider an example each for external (customer-facing) and internal facing scenarios where you'd have used formula fields. 

 

i) You are an insurance company and have added a formula to determine the age of your customers to check eligibility for a particular policy. 

ii) You have over a hundred potentials and have created a formula to calculate the commission for your sales representative based on the amount in the potential and stage.

 

Now, in both these cases, you'd want to apply to the earlier records as well, right? Here's a simple hack that lets you do update the formula to the records already created.

 

1. Click on the tools icon at the top right corner and go to Setup.



2. Go to the module concerned, say Leads.




3 You'll find a list of new fields that can be used inside the layout on the left side panel. Select the check box, and drag and drop the field inside the layout and rename it appropriately and save the layout. 





4.Go to leads and select the records that are already available using the corresponding checkbox and click on the three dots at the top. Now,select mass update for the checkbox field that you created .



 




What happens now is a mass update of all the records triggering the formula action as well.


PS: Please note that you can only mass update up to 500 records at a time, by selecting 100 records and navigating to the next 5 pages thus selecting 500 in total.

 

 

Try this and let me know if it helped! Until next Wednesday!


PS: Edit to the post. Initially we had the option to update the formula field based on a field update, but this would update the formula field every time when a record is updated. Hence, now to update a formula field you have to make sure the field to be updated must be invoked with the formula field. Here is a example based on a user a requirement. I have a checkbox field called "Mass update check" In order for the formula field to update based on the checkbox field I have to invoke this field within the formula. Here is the formula with the "Mass update check" check box field invoked.

If(Tostring(${Candidates.Mass update check})=='true',Abs(Datecomp(${Candidates.Candidate Updated Time},${Candidates.Phone screen complete}))/24/60,0)

Check and let us know if you have any further clarification.





    • Sticky Posts

    • How to reach the official Zoho Support channels and avoid fake ones.

      Dear Customers, Thanks a lot for choosing Zoho! Our applications are built to help achieve your day-to-day business goals. We are committed to engaging with you, to understand and develop solutions that enhance your productivity.  We are happy and ready to help you use our services effectively. Understanding and avoiding fake support Just like using popular bank names and financial applications for phishing purposes, using Zoho and claiming to be providing Zoho Support or services with false numbers
    • Function #35: Close all tasks associated with a lead and create a new task.

      Welcome back everyone! Last week, we learnt how to close all tasks of a deal depending upon the deal stage. This week, let's look at a custom function that lets you close all of the tasks associated with a lead while simultaneously creating a new task, like when you need to halt all progress towards a lead while the lead is not available at the moment but create a reminder task. Business scenario: The success of a company, in one way or another, is determined by the leads it gets. Each lead is just
    • Zoho CRM Webinar - Redesigning Daily User Experiences with Canvas

      <br> Your users across roles use the CRM for day-to-day tasks that are necessary. Whether they perform their tasks on time, the right way, or at all depends on a lot of factors, including User Experience. Many businesses struggle with rigid layouts,
    • Join us at the Canada ZUG Meetup: What’s New in Zoho CRM

      Hello Zoho Community! Start your year with fresh insights into Zoho CRM’s latest updates and tools. Whether you're a CRM beginner or a experienced user, this meetup is crafted to help you optimise your processes and leverage new features. Explore practical
    • CRM Hack #2: Automate sending of birthday greetings to your customers.

        Hello everyone! What sets you apart as a sales person is your ability to add that personal touch to your business relationship with your customers. Sending a gift on a special day, or leaving a note wishing them on their birthdays, are small, yet significant actions that show your customers that you care. And these are actions done without any expectations :) You must be engaging with a lot of customers and it is highly unlikely that they all are your friends on Facebook or some social channel,

    Nederlandse Hulpbronnen


      • Recent Topics

      • Find and Merge Duplicates to trigger webhook

        My sales team uses the Find and Merge Duplicates feature often to cleanup records in the CRM. We use webhooks to signal to our internal tools database when new Contacts are created, updated, or deleted, in order to keep our DB in sync with Zoho CRM. However,
      • Marketer’s Space: Using Zoho CRM Data for Dynamic Content and Personalization in Zoho Campaigns

        Hello Marketers! Welcome back to Marketer’s Space. Do you want to send emails or SMS that feel less like mass messages and more like one-on-one conversations? By integrating Zoho CRM with Zoho Campaigns, you can pull in rich customer data and use it to
      • Add Attendees to Session months before the Event

        I need to manually add Attendees to Sessions right away for an event that's taking place in 6 months so that the Speaker can communicate with them in advance of the event. How can this be done?
      • Override Auto Number field?

        We are preparing to migrate from Salesforce. In Salesforce, we auto-generate a unique number on our Opportunities (Potentials). If the Opportunity results in a contract, we use that unique number as the Contract number. There are some situations where
      • Switching hosts while meeting is occuring

        We had a team meeting in Zoho Meetings this morning, but the person listed as the host had to leave the meeting early. We looked for an option to set me to host, but didn't see the option, and we incorrectly assumed that it would be like Zoom in that
      • Refund Form Can’t Reverse “Bank Charges” Line — Throws Off Reconciliation

        Zoho, When we pay a vendor, the Payment screen lets us add a “Bank Charges” amount (we post a $1 processing fee there). Perfect. But on the Refund popup there’s no matching field, so the refund can only return the net expense. If our processor sends back
      • Trigger for Validation Rules

        Currently in Zoho CRM we can set a trigger for workflows, blueprints etc in a custom deluge function But Validation Rules are missing For example if I run a custom function to update a record, it bypasses the validation rules It would be really beneficial
      • ZOHO Desk blocking emails from creating tickets

        Hi We have been noticing some issues since last week ZOHO Desk is not creating a ticket which is still in our affiliate mail box.
      • how to install desk

        how to install desk
      • How to turn off ability to share Knowledge-base article with social networks

        Is there a way to deactivate the link at the bottom of a Knowledge-base article so that it can not be shared via Facebook or Twitter?
      • Automatically Hide Unauthorized Sections from Agent Interface in Zoho Desk

        Hello Zoho Desk Team, We hope you're doing well. We’d like to submit a feature request regarding the user experience for agents in Zoho Desk who do not have permission to access certain sections of the system. 🎯 Current Behavior At present, when an agent
      • Is there a way to prevent a user from removing a payment method on a live, recurring subscription?

        As it stands, if you allow users to remove payment methods, they can do so on live subscriptions. This leaves the sub without a payment method. The user should be able to REPLACE the card with a new one, but not remove all payment methods. We have had
      • Assistance Required: Report Export to Excel and WorkDrive Upload via Deluge

        I'm working on automating a scheduled workflow in Zoho Creator that needs to run weekly. The goal is to: Export a report from Zoho Creator in Excel (.xls or .xlsx) format, and Upload the exported file to a specific folder in Zoho WorkDrive using a Deluge
      • Kanban View for Projects.

        At our organization, we describe active projects with various statuses like "In Proofing" or "Printing" or "Mailing". In the Projects view, one can set these project statuses by selecting from the appropriate drop-down. While this works, it's difficult to view and comprehend the progress of all of your projects relative to each other in a table. Creating a Kanban view for projects where I can move them from one status to another allows me to see where each project is in the order of our workflow.
      • Useful enhancements to Mail Merge in Zoho CRM

        Dear Customers, We hope you're well! We're here with a set of highly anticipated enhancements to the Mail Merge feature in Zoho CRM. Let's go! Mail Merge in Zoho CRM integrates with Zoho Writer to simplify the process of customizing and sharing documents
      • How can I see the actual copy sent to the specific contact?

        I have setup a journey in Marketing Automation and created addition of contact in a specific list as the trigger, emails are sending to the contacts, but I can't see the actual copy sent to any specific contact in the list. Please guide me, where can
      • Client Script for Task Module

        When do we expect the client script for the tasks module?
      • Formula Fields inside of Blueprint Transitions

        We would like to have formula fields inside of blueprint transitions. We type in currency fields and would like to see the result inside of a formula field. Our use case: Send out a price for XY 1. Filling out cost fields 2. See gross profit
      • inventory based on bills and not physical stock

        Hello, I have noticed a very annoying issue with zoho books/inventory. I use composite items. If I have an sub assembly item on back order, I am unable to make up the composite item, even when I have received the goods and it is in my stock. I have to convert the PO into a BILL in order for the item to show as 'Accounting Stock'. The problem is that the supplier Invoice is not shipped with the goods, but can follow even a week later. So I have to make the bill have a 'dummy name and number' until
      • Using Zoho Inventory for managing Item compatibilities

        Use case: Using Zoho Inventory for managing (as an example) aftermarket car parts, where a single part can suit many makes, models and years. How do most businesses assign and manage compatibility for each part? Do ZI users typically do this using multi-select
      • Unable to enter manual journal entries in AR/AP.

        Hi there, i am facing some problem relating to AR/AP. I want to make some entries in AR/AP through manual journal. for example. some time I send cash 500 to Mr. A (Customer) for any purpose and then after 2 or 3 days Mr. A returned back 700 to me and
      • Questions regarding WorkDrive

        Here are my questions regarding WorkDrive: Does WorkDrive have a limit on the number of downloads? What will happen if a file is downloaded excessively? Does WorkDrive have any restrictions on download speeds? Are there any limitations on downloading
      • How to record tips from customers

        I run a cleaning service business and on occasion customers include a tip with their check payment. How can I record the amount paid for service and the tip separately? Any amount over the invoice is looked at as an overpayment and suggest a credit note
      • Multi-currencies in Zoho Books

        I'd like to request multiple currencies in Zoho Books. I have customers paying in USD, CAD, CNY. I need to bill customers in these currencies too. I can set up a base currency, and then set up a exchange-rate table to convert these currencies.
      • I want refund of Zoho standard subscription on WEB payment

        Hi, Kindly help to refund the WEB payment made on 13/07/2025 for Zoho standard annual subscription. I didn't find the software useful for my project. Regards
      • Is Conditional display of field(s) possible in a Canvas Customer Portal?

        Is Conditional display of field(s) possible in a Canvas Customer Portal? How?
      • Automate Backups

        This is a feature request. Consider adding an auto backup feature. Where when you turn it on, it will auto backup on the 15-day schedule. For additional consideration, allow for the export of module data via API calls. Thank you for your consideration.
      • View Linked Subscription on Invoice list

        When looking at the list of invoices in billing is it possible to see the subscription that an invoice is for. This would allow you to see if it's a subscription a customer is behind on, or they simply haven't paid a one time invoice.
      • Recording Credit Card Fees when Recording Payment for Bills

        It seems I am unable to record credit card fees when paying a bill. I pay close to 100% of my bills with a company credit card via online portals. I'm happy for the CC fess to be recorded as Bank Charges but it will not allow that field to be used if
      • Workerly/Zoho One Pricing

        Hi What is the pricing model that is suppose to be as a Zoho One user? If i use the services of a freelancers or temp workers (Sometimes for a few hours a week/month), I need to purchase a zoho one license for each of them as well as workerly licenc
      • DKIM

        I have my DKIM in Titan, which is another email service provider. I get this notification on my portal. What shall I do? ( Improve the deliverability of emails sent from Zoho Social by adding DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) records to your DNS settings.
      • Show All Notes For A Single Record

        I would like to be able to view a list of all Notes for a particular record. We can add several (unlimited) Notes for the Leads, Contacts, Accounts and Potentials records. The subject line and some of the note content for up to 10 notes is visible on the first page. You can select the arrow to view additional notes in the list. I would like a button next to the New Note button that says View All. This would bring up a printable list of all notes listed in descending order by Modified Time (newest
      • Zoholics Europe 2025: Build Smarter with the Zoho Creator Low-code Workshop!

        Why should you attend? This year, Zoholics Europe 2025, Zoho’s official user conference, is your opportunity to connect directly with the teams behind the tools you use every day. Don’t miss one of the most requested sessions: dedicated, hands-on workshop
      • Assigning multiple roles to a user in Creator

        Hi I find we can assign only one role and permission to an user in creator. There is a requirement to assign multiple roles and corresponding permission to one user. Is there any solution or workaround for this? Refer the screenshot below
      • 【Zoho CRM】ウィザード機能のアップデート:セクション要素の追加

        ユーザーの皆さま、こんにちは。コミュニティチームの中野です。 今回は「Zoho CRM アップデート情報」の中から、ウィザード機能のアップデートをご紹介します。 ウィザード機能に新たに「セクション要素」が追加されました。 各ウィザード画面内で項目、テキスト、サブフォーム、ウィジェット要素などをより柔軟に整理できるようになりました。 セクション要素とは? ウィザードの中で、関連する項目や要素をひとつの「サブエリア」 としてまとめられる新しい構成要素です。 セクション要素活用メリット 入力内容やプロセスによっては、より細かな構造や階層化が求められる場合があります。
      • Edit PDFs from within your web app using Zoho Office Integrator

        Hi users, We are excited to introduce PDF editing capabilities in Zoho Office Integrator. You can now open, edit, and collaborate on PDFs from within your web app—in addition to documents, spreadsheets, and presentations—and save them in your configured
      • Zoho CRM Workflow and Function Backup Options

        Hi everyone! I have been able to make several backups of my CRM data and noticed that the Workflows and Functions are not included in these backups. To my knowledge, there is no backup feature for workflows and functions, which is problematic in of itself.
      • Zoho Recruit > Job Opening Module> Editing, Deleting, Adding (Fields)

        Hello All In the Job Opening Modules How do i go about deleting the Positing Title or changing to Job Title or can i hide it from all? I want to add a Look Up User Field, however when i select the look up field i do not see that Can i have the industry
      • Can you create a lead without assigning an owner?

        Here is the question I have:   Is there a way I can create a bunch of leads without assigning it an owner?   What I want is for my salespeople to pick and choose their own leads without me assigning them..   right now all leads are owned by me because
      • Bug - Incorrect example in the documentation

        I found an issue in the Zoho API documentation. The example "Sample Request" on this page is incorrect — it shows the example for "Get Email Attachment Info" instead of "Get Email Attachment Content". Wrong example: curl "https://mail.zoho.com/api/accounts/12345678/folders/9000000002014/messages/1710915488416100001/attachmentinfo"
      • Next Page