Deluge in Zoho services #5: Zoho Connect

Deluge in Zoho services #5: Zoho Connect

Hello everyone,

Greetings from Deluge! Whoosh 🌬️ That's how quickly the first two months of 2023 came to an end, and now we're in full speed ahead! We hope you found the previous post in this series useful and are now back with our latest post.

Basically, ‌Zoho Connect is a team collaboration application that allows you to keep your workplace communication organized by building a thriving workplace culture for internal communications, employee engagement, and cross-team collaboration. As you all know, Deluge, our very own scripting language enables users to add logic to their applications/services, thereby making them more powerful and robust. Let us now explore the ways in which you can use Deluge to achieve more with Zoho Connect and stay powerfully connected!

In addition to supporting connections that enable you to log in to any Zoho or third-party service and access your data stored in those services, Zoho Connect supports Deluge in the following seven areas:

1. Incoming webhooks

In general, webhooks are used to trigger an action in one application using real-time events from an external service. Here, webhooks allow you to integrate Zoho Connect with other external services. They are of two types - Incoming webhooks and Outgoing webhooks (explained in the next heading).

Incoming webhooks are used to trigger an action inside Zoho Connect using real-time events from other Zoho products or third-party services. You can use incoming webhooks to post messages in Zoho Connect so that you can stay updated on activities in other applications without leaving Connect.Using Deluge, you can write custom logic that will be triggered upon an event in another application. For example, you can post messages in the Job Openings Connect group using these webhooks whenever a new opening is added to your portal. 

Note: Incoming Webhooks are available only at the Group level inside your Connect account.

Example

Let's assume that you had conducted a live workshop for your organization. Now, you've built a Feedback Form using Zoho Forms and emailed the form to your attendees. When an attendee fills in their details in the form and clicks submit, an incoming webhook will be triggered and the attendee's feedback will be added as a post inside the Feedback Group in Zoho Connect. Additionally, you can also present the feedback post in a presentable manner by using the advanced formatting options available for incoming webhooks.

See how it works



Note: Refer to the help page to learn how to achieve this automation.

2. Workflows

Workflows allow you to create a set of rules for Zoho Connect modules such as Profile, Feed, Events, Tasks, Polls, and Announcements, based on which the defined actions would be performed in a repetitive manner. These workflow rules can automate the specified actions like assigning tasks, creating events, and so on, whenever a rule is triggered. You (admin) can associate Deluge functions with the configured workflows and specify where (Network/Group) and in which instances that rule should be triggered. You can also set one or more conditions based on which the specified actions will be executed.

Example

Currently, in Connect, we can enable the Moderation option to allow group admins (moderators) to approve all posts and comments made in the group before they are made visible to everyone. To automate this process, we can use the Deluge AI tasks - analyze sentiment and keyword extraction that check the Connect posts for sentiments and extract the keywords that deem it unsuitable to be shared with a wider audience. For example, you have created a Zylker Writers Club group in Connect that allows its members to post their write-ups on a monthly basis. A workflow can be configured to check the live posts for their content. You can write a custom function for the workflow using Deluge to send a mail to the group admin asking them to review the posted content if the posts contain sensitive/hurtful content. Additionally, you can also configure the same function to create a task to be assigned to yourself (admin) with priority set as "high" and status as "to be reviewed". If the posts do not contain any sensitive content, an email can be sent to the group admin notifying them that posts have been made live in their group.

See how it works



Note: Refer to the help page to learn how to achieve this automation.

Custom Menu

Custom menus in Zoho Connect let you add customized menus to entities such as group conversations, tasks, and events, in addition to the default menus—Follow, Print, Bookmark, and Copy post URL that are already available. These custom menus can be configured to perform the required actions and solve requirement-specific use cases. You can write a Deluge custom function and define how the menu should work. These custom menus can then be shared with a set of users or groups.

Example

Let's assume you've created a Connect group named Zylker Feedback where you've configured the feedback collected from forms to be posted in this group. Now, let's assume you want to create a support ticket in Zoho Desk for the Connect feedbacks that are actionable. You can configure a custom menu named Create support ticket by defining a Deluge custom function for each of the required handlers and publishing the custom menu. When you access the respective group, you can click the ellipsis (three-dots) icon beside a post and the custom menu will be listed under the More option. You can click the menu, enter the required details and the ticket will be created successfully in Desk. This way, you can automate the process of ticket creation and ensure a quicker response to your customers.

See how it works



Note: Refer to the help page to learn how to achieve this automation.

4. Outgoing webhooks

An outgoing webhook enables you to trigger real-time updates from Zoho Connect to other Zoho products or third-party services. For example, you can send the details of posts or events in Connect to external services using these webhooks. This data transfer takes place via an authenticated API URL (webhook URL). You can also choose the required action to be performed when the trigger activity occurs i.e., either push information to a URL or perform an action defined in the Deluge custom function. For example, you can define a custom function to notify users in Zoho Cliq when an event is created or sync your data in Connect with third-party services like Trello.

5. Function APIs

While integrating two services using APIs, the structure of requests from one service must match the requirements of the other service. For example, to integrate Zoho Connect with SmartTask or any other task management application, the request and response structure of the Zoho Connect Create Task API must be followed.

However, the request and response structure of one service might not always meet the requirements of the other service. Function APIs include handlers that let you format the request and response structure of an API to match the requirements of a specific service. You can write a Deluge custom function to define how the request needs to be handled or customized by these handlers. Depending on the type of request made, the relevant handler will be triggered.

6. Scheduler

Schedulers in Zoho Connect enable you to automate your routine tasks without any user input. You can configure your schedulers to repeat at certain intervals — such as everyday, weekly or every month and thereby save manual time and labor.

7. User sync

Most organizations use enterprise directory systems (such as Active Directory or LDAP) to maintain employee information. For larger organizations, it can be difficult to manually add and manage users in the network. Zoho Connect's User Sync option simplifies these processes by enabling you to add, update, and disable user profiles in bulk using a .CSV file.

Handlers in User Sync enable you to perform customized actions on the input data. You can define the necessary action by writing a Deluge custom function in these handlers.

Currently, the User Sync option has two handlers: Function Handler and Post-Function Handler.
  • Function Handler: Define the action to be executed before syncing the user details with the Zoho Connect network. Ideally, this handler is triggered once a CSV file is uploaded. You can use this handler to make changes to the data in the CSV file. For example, you can write a function to change the email domain based on the location or reorder the first name and last name to align with local usage.
  • Post-Function Handler: Define the action to be executed after syncing the user details with the Zoho Connect network. You can use this handler to notify the admin that the user details are synced or send a welcome email to the newly added members.
You can refer to this help page to view more examples and sample scripts.
That’s it for now! We hope you found this post useful—we'll be exploring Deluge in Zoho Bug Tracker in our next post. Please let us know if you have any questions, feedback, or suggestions in the comments, or write to us at support@zohodeluge.com.

You can also check out our preview posts in this series.
Thank you!

    • Recent Topics

    • Zoho CRM still doesn't let you manage timezones (yearly reminder)

      This is something I have asked repeatedly. I'll ask once again. Suppose that you work in France. Next month you have a trip to Guatemala. You call a contact there, close a meeting, record that meeting in CRM. On the phone, your contact said: "meet me

    • Creating Restaurant Inventory Management on Zoho

      Hi,  We run a small cloud kitchen and are interested to use Zoho for Inventory and Composite Item tracking for our food served and supplied procured to make food items.  Our model is basically like subway where the customer can choose breads, veggies,

    • To Zoho customers and partners: how do you use Linked Workspaces?

      Hello, I'm exploring how we can set up and use Linked Workspaces and would like to hear from customers and partners about your use cases and experience with them. I have a Zoho ticket open, because my workspace creation fails. In the meantime, how is

    • Zoho Forms to Zoho CRM : First/Last Name to just Name ?

      When integrating a Zoho Form into the Accounts menu of the CRM I'm having trouble with how names are formatted ; In Forms the data is available as First Name or Last Name In the CRM there is only one field called Name How can I ensure that "John" "Smith"

    • Enhancements to the formula field in Zoho CRM: Auto-refresh formulas with the "Now" function, stop formula executions based on criteria, and include formulas within formulas

      Dear Customers, We hope you're well! By their nature, modern businesses rely every day on computations, whether it's to calculate the price of a product, assess ROI, evaluate the lifetime value of a customer, or even determine the age of a record. With

    • This festive season, offer discounts with coupon code support in Stripe Checkout

      Hello form builders! It’s the festive season, the perfect time to spread joy and great deals! Now, with Zoho Forms’ latest enhancement for Stripe Checkout, you can do exactly that with coupon codes! Your payment forms integrated with Stripe Checkout can

    • Cómo creo una factura negativa o de abono?

      NEcesito anular una factura y crear una nueva igual pero en negativo. El sistema no me lo permite

    • Power of Automation::Streamline log hours to work hours upon task completion.

      Hello Everyone, A Custom Function is a user-written set of code to achieve a specific requirement. Set the required conditions needed as to when to trigger using the Workflow rules (be it Tasks / Project) and associate the custom function to it. Requirement:-

    • Is CRM On Premise available

      Hi Zoho team, Can you please let me know that CRM Zoho is available for On Premise as well? Thanks, Devashish

    • Last activity time is acting like last modified time

      When i edit the description or any field in the potential, account, contact and lead, the Last Activity Time is being updated like the Modified Time. This is messing all workflows and reports and we are unable to track real last time of activities like

    • CRM : Function to add user name to text field

      I have a lookup field in a module that is linked to the CRM users so we can assign a Project Lead to the customer. Sadly Zoho Marketing Automation doesn't sync Lookup fields so I need to extract information from the lookup to text fields: Lookup field

    • Zoho CRM - Restrict Login based on work hours

      Hi there, I'm wondering if we can restrict users to login during works - For example the users would be able to login from 8am to 5pm. I have seen the IP address restriction - the only downfall is what if the customer has dynamic IP. thanks Jiri

    • Tips and Tricks #46: Customize themes and templates using Show's Master View

      Hi All!  Let's say you want to revamp your presentation and make changes to its visual design. You can do this easily using the Master Slide and its associated layouts. The Master Slide stores information about all the layouts used in the presentation.

    • Sheet View in CRM portal

      Hi, When will it be possible for my CRM portal users to edit/add records with Sheet View? George

    • What's New in Zoho Invoice | July - September 2025

      Hello everyone! We’re back with the latest updates and enhancements we’ve rolled out in Zoho Invoice from July to September 2025. Here’s what’s new this quarter: Introducing the Singapore Edition in Zoho Invoice Share Invoices through WhatsApp GST 2.0

    • Alert: Audio Call Support to be discontinued for Old Live Chat Widget from December 31, 2025

      Action Required: Upgrade to the New SalesIQ Live Chat Widget We're reaching out with an important update regarding the SalesIQ Live Chat Widget that requires your immediate attention. Effective December 31, 2025, audio call functionality will no longer

    • 【開催間近 - 10/17】東京 ユーザー交流会 Vol.3 参加登録 受付中！(参加無料)

      ユーザーの皆さま、こんにちは。コミュニティチームの藤澤です。 10/17(金)に、東京・新橋で「東京 ユーザー交流会 Vol.3」を開催します！ ZOHOLICSよりも小規模なイベントですので、「リアル開催はちょっと緊張する…」という方も、安心してご参加いただけます✨ 当日は、初公開の事例を2つご紹介予定です！ なお、セッション映像のアーカイブ配信は予定していないため、会場にお越しいただいた方だけが、登壇者へ直接質問したり、リアルな声を聞いたりできる貴重な機会となっています。 ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

    • multiple contacts for one account

      We currently use Zoho CRM where each Account represents a club or organization, and each Contact represents a manager or owner. However, some of our managers own or manage multiple clubs, and Zoho only allows a contact to be linked to one account at a

    • Rich text Merge field - Not using font specified in HTML

      I have a rich text merge field in a writer template which is creating a table. I have chosen to use this method instead of a repeat region because I need to specify specific cell background colours which change every time the document is created. The

    • Can't change form's original name in URL

      Hi all, I have been duplicating + editing forms for jobs regarding the same department to maintain formatting + styling. The issue I've not run into is because I've duplicated it from an existing form, the URL doesn't seem to want to update with the new

    • ヒートマップ詳細設定について

      はじめまして マーケティング担当の浅田です。 PageSenceのヒートマップ設定について質問です。 単一ページ毎の設定は上手くできるのですが 詳細設定にて、トップページのURLを含ませ全体のヒートマップを計測できないか試したところ お知らせ：データを受信していません。と表示されてしまいます。 トップページURLで始まるページの条件も試しております。 全頁を反映させたいと思い、詳細設定を上手く設定できたらと考えております。 どなたか詳しい方がいらっしゃいましたら、教えて頂けませんでしょうか 宜

    • Automatic category assignment

      Hi, I’d like to ask if there is a way to automatically assign an expense category based on the recognized Merchant. What would be the simplest way to set up automatic category assignment? Alternatively, is there an option to first choose the category

    • Experience with Zoho Vertical Studio

      I'm considering Zoho Vertical and would love to hear from some devs who've been using it. The Zoho ecosystem is pretty solid, so I assume the experience has been pretty good, but sometimes Zoho has its quirks. Overall, has your experience been positive?

    • LinkedIn Chrome Extension

      Hello - I believe it is a known issue that the LinkedIn extension Resume Extractor has stopped working and they are working on potential fixes. Wondering how others users are finding this issue and if there are any better workarounds for this issue? It

    • Advance PDF creation from CRM data

      I'm trying to create a PDF export of data in the CRM. My problem is I want a pretty complicated format for the data. I'm trying to export multiple modules worth of data, with nested one-to-many relationships between the modules. Along with that, I want

    • Where does this report come from in the Zoho One ecosystems?

      Is this directly from MA, Analytics or ??? ???

    • Sub-Form Padding in CSV Export

      Hi, When you use the Sub-Form, and for example you have a Date Field on the Main Page, then Option 1 and Option 2 fields on the Subform, when you export this to CSV the Date column will only have the Date in 1 row, the first row, it would be nice to pad

    • More Formula Functions

      Hi, I would like for example to be able to have a Date Field and Formula Fields, and then in the Formula Fields I would like to grab just the Month of the above Date Field or the Week Number of the above Date Field. So more "Functions" than the current

    • File upload size limits

      I am designing a contact form in Zoho Creator with File upload facility. I am not sure where and how to set the following properties for the same: Allowed File Types Maximum Size of the Attachment Number of Attachments

    • Composite Services and Account Tracking

      I am looking to garner support/request the ability to make composite services. A quick search in the forums brings up multiple requests for this feature. I fail to see why an item is mandatory while services are optional. I also would like to see the

    • All operation codes getting Not applied in WO-TT22J1025WOR0471, SR-TT22J1025PRE0423,FOR VIN-W1K6G2AB2SL005130.

      Dear Support Team, Please refer attached screenshot. All operation codes getting not applied in work order. Request you to please check and update ASAP.

    • Bank Receipt Catagorization

      Hi, how can I match a bank deposit to multiple customer's invoices ? For e.g. A single person paid to us on behalf of different five customers. I need to keep the separated invoices for each customer

    • "Performed changes in the query is not allowed due to following reason" when adding columns or reordering data

      I'm trying to make changes to a query but every time i try to save it i get this error message.  I'm not touching the data it's flagging.  All I've tried to do is reorder a couple of fields and add a new one.  Why won't it let me do this?  It's a core

    • Exclude Segment from Campaign Recipients

      I've created two Segments in order to separate Non-Marketing Contacts from Marketing Contacts. I'd like to send an Eblast to all Marketing contacts in my lists, but when I go to select Recipients, I have two options: 1. To Choose Lists to Send to; 2.

    • Reschedule Multiple/Mass Calls at Once

      When we go into a Call record, we have the option to "Reschedule Call." How can we select multiple Calls at once from the Activities tab and Reschedule them? The big use case for us: We have many leads that our reps are supposed to call on a daily basis.

    • Option to Empty Entire Mailbox or Folder in Zoho Mail

      Hello Zoho Mail Team, How are you? We would like to request an enhancement to Zoho Mail that would allow administrators and users to quickly clear out entire folders or mailboxes, including shared mailboxes. Current Limitation: At present, Zoho Mail only

    • I want to Make the due date of the project appears automatically

      hello everyone I want to know if the zoho projects app can add automatically the END DATE of the project I added the duration, start after dates of each tasks in the project template & the starting date of the project itself and the end date of it doesn't

    • Drag 'n' Drop Fields to a Sub-Form and "Move Field To" Option

      Hi, I would like to be able to move fields from the Main Page to a Sub-Form or from a Sub-Form to either the Main Page or another Sub-Form. Today if you change the design you have to delete and recreate every field, not just move them. Would be nice to

    • Get Zoho Mail API working (including DRE Connector, Oauth Token, ZUID, ZOID & ACCOUNT_ID)

      Disclaimer: I’m not a professional coder! Do you need to use Zoho Mail API? Me too. It lets you do all sorts of things — like reading the complete header of an email, or forwarding an email with its attachments — which is what I wanted to do. But setting

    • Deluge Tips & Tricks: Mastering dates and times

      Hello everyone! We're bringing back our Deluge Tips & Tricks series, where we show you how to make the most of Deluge for achieving a wide range of use cases. Working with dates and times is a fundamental part of almost any business application. Whether

    • Next Page