Say hello to an improved way to merge documents!

Say hello to an improved way to merge documents!

Automating all your documents from start to finish is now easier than ever with Writer's new merge tools.
 
If you haven't seen it yet, you can read the main announcement here.
Here is the full list of the features we've rolled out:

1. Dynamic Table Headers and repeated blocks
After listening to our latest user feedback, we knew these two features were a must-have.

Subform creation
Subforms are field groups that mostly denote choices, transactions, and other activities registered under a single record. With Writer, you can now create such field groups within a record that, when merged, will dynamically grow based on the records in your data source.  
 
For example: Say you want to keep track of the products purchased by a certain customer. In this case, "Customer" is a record, and "the products they purchased" are recorded as a subform under their name.
 
Subforms can be mapped to a related subform in a data source, like Zoho Creator, Zoho CRM, and more.
 


Repeating blocks
You can now repeat blocks as a paragraph, a table row, a table cell, or a table column. For instance, if you're listing the names of books, their authors and descriptions, you can just use the Repeat option of your choice, select the merge fields that carry those details, and insert it into the document.

The selected blocks with all the information you need would then automatically be repeated for each book in your data source.




2. New field types
You can now choose from a variety of different field types to up your template-creation game.

Same field, different configurations 
In case you would want the settings of a field to be different in one or a few places alone, we added a new "change for this instance" option. This way, you can tweak format, output type, and other value settings for a particular instance of a field without affecting other parts of the document where the same field is used.



Repeated blocks? Auto-number it!
If you're working with repeated blocks using the repeat field or subform fields, you can assign auto-increment serial numbers by simply inserting the new "Auto-number" field before them.
  


Embed fields to make documents more interactive
Here's something to make your templates more personalized for each of your recipients: You can now add unique, interactive elements for each of them using an Embed field. This makes it easier to add map locations for each of your records or add contextual video links to guide them.
 


Placeholder images in templates
You can now apply custom placeholder images to image fields in Writer based on the type of document you're working with.
 
In addition to giving your template designers better layout control over the template, placeholder images also let the user know the type of image to be inserted or attached.




3. Tools to format those field types
What's the point of so many different field types if you can't adjust them to your liking? That's exactly what we did.

Shortened field names
There could be fields in your data source whose names are way too long, making your templates look untidy or unclear. Long field names could also denote that your content might look drastically different if the values those fields have are usually much shorter.
 
To tackle this, we're introducing a provision in which you can shorten the names of fields in your merged documents.




Formula that output!
Know that feeling when you have everything ready and merged in your output document except for the final cost of your products? That's why we've introduced formulas in merge fields: so you no longer have to calculate your figures manually. You can now use formulas to calculate your merged output using the desired functions.



Personalized date formats
Certain documents require dates to be written in a certain format. For instance, formal letters require the date to be written in full with the day, month, followed by a comma and the year. With Writer's new update, you can now change the format of the merged date to suit your purpose.




Display past or future dates
The date field provides an easy way to display the current date, but what about when you want to display a past or future date?
For instance, if you're sending renewal reminders and the renewal date is 3 months from the subscription date, you can simply add "3" in the months option or add the number of days for the interval in the days field, and Writer will automatically calculate and enter the renewal date in the field. Similarly, you can do the same to enter dates that are even prior to the subscription date.
  


Rich text
The fields in your data source may carry links, or even have different styles. Merge fields in Writer are now enabled with rich text to retain the style and  format of the fields from your data source after merge.




Number and currency field formatting
Just like how you can change the format of date fields, you can also do the same with number and currency fields. Legal documents, for instance, require values to be presented in the correct decimal and currency format. In such cases, all you have to do is simply change the format of the merged values by using the number formatting option.




4. Other handy merge upgrades
We didn't just stop there. Here are three more upgrades we think will enhance the way you work with your documents pre- and post-merge.

Customize merge docs with sign settings
Create sign-ready, customized documents for specific clients that your colleagues can check, change a few things if needed, and then send for sign immediately with the configuration you've set for them. This gives you that final layer of review and confirmation before sending out a contract to clients.
 


Detailed merge reports
Now, stay on top of your merged emails by tracking when they have been viewed or read by your recipients and how they are interacting with your links.


Lastly, the automation panel gets a new look!
That's right. Based on what some of you told us, we've improved the automation panel by making it easier for you to access "Prepare" and "Run Merge" steps distinctly from the panel at any time.


That's all for now. Let us know what you think of these updates in the comments below.

Read the main announcement here.

Happy merging!

    • Sticky Posts

    • Easily perform calculations using dates with the new DATEDIF function

      Hey Zoho Writer users! We've enhanced Zoho Writer's formula capabilities with the new DATEDIF function. This allows you to calculate the difference between dates in days, months, and years. Function syntax: =DATEDIF(start_date, end_date, unit) Inputs:

    • Date-based conditions and filters

      Configure conditions with date  Hi everyone! We are excited to announce that you can now compare and filter data with date-based conditions. This update lets you compare date fields in a document to a reference date and display a text or value if the

    • Introducing group by, aggregation, and repeating regions in mail merge templates

      Display data exactly the way you want and highlight key insights with Zoho Writer's enhanced merge templates. We've supercharged Zoho Writer's merge templates with the capability to dynamically group, aggregate, and repeat data as blocks. You can now

    • Say hello to an improved way to merge documents!

      Automating all your documents from start to finish is now easier than ever with Writer's new merge tools.   If you haven't seen it yet, you can read the main announcement here. Here is the full list of the features we've rolled out: 1. Dynamic Table Headers

    • Introducing Org Fonts in Zoho Writer

      Hey Zoho Writer users! We're excited to share that you can now add custom fonts (from web fonts with publicly accessible URLs) using Zoho Writer's Org Fonts. This option allows all users across your organization to use the custom font without the hassle

    • Recent Topics

    • Use Zoho Creator as a source for merge templates in Zoho Writer

      Hello all! We're excited to share that we've enhanced Zoho Creator's integration with Zoho Writer to make this combination even more powerful. You can now use Zoho Creator as a data source for mail merge templates in Zoho Writer. Making more data from

    • Can't delete/hide related lists

      Hi, Maybe I'm missing something, but I can't seem to find where I delete or hide related lists in a module. When I go to a record and click the little arrow on the right next to the related list, I only get the option to select what fields in that list

    • Make Widgets Clickable or Copiable

      Hi, I created a KPI Widget in Zoho Analytics whose content I would like the users that see my dashboard could copy or click and be redirected elsewhere. Yes, I'm aware I can create a Text Box for that instead of a Widget, but the problem is that the link

    • Address Autofill

      Hi I'm having issues with the address autofill tutorial (https://zurl.co/rGXQ). I have followed each step in the tutorial, but when i paste the code into a workflow/function, i'm getting the following error code: Improper code format Correct format :

    • Sync custom module ID to Lead module

      Hello, I am trying to sync Contract ID (custom module) from Deal module. I have an existing function that whenever a contract is created, it will automatically creating deals based on the frequency of the contract. Now i am having problem to show the

    • In Kiosk, please support "File upload field" in the "Field Update" action

      Hello. Supporting "File upload field" in the "Field Update" actions would be a great addition to Kiosk Studio. I would appreciate it if you could evaluate it. Saludos,

    • can I link a contacts to multiple accounts

      can I link a contacts to multiple accounts

    • 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

    • For security reasons your account has been blocked as you have exceeded the maximum number of requests per minute that can originate from one account.

      Hello Zoho Even if we open 10-15 windows in still we are getting our accounts locked with error " For security reasons your account has been blocked as you have exceeded the maximum number of requests per minute that can originate from one account. "

    • Launching CPQ for Zoho CRM! An in-built solution for bespoke quote management

      Hello everyone, We are thrilled to announce the public release of CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote) for Zoho CRM, which is a fundamental block in sales management. NOTE: CPQ was a public early access feature from March 2023 — January 2024. Since February

    • Power of Automation :: Automatically set the dependency between Parent task and the respective sub tasks

      A custom function is a software code that can be used to automate a process and this allows you to automate a notification, call a webhook, or perform logic immediately after a workflow rule is triggered. This feature helps to automate complex tasks and

    • Spell Check default language

      Hello All, Is it possible to set the Spell Check default language? I can't find it in the settings. Thanks a lot! Levente

    • Function #4: Schedule Customer Statements

      Regularly sending statements to customers is an imperative part of many business processes as it helps foster strong customer relationships and provides timely guidance on payments. While you can generate the statement of accounts and have it sent over

    • Music files on Zoho Docs

      1) Uploaded a ma3 music file from Itunes.  When I click on the link, i go to the page and see a music player but it doesn't play.  Clicking on the play arrow does nothing.  How to fix???? 2) Also, when i put up a .zip file  and goto the page, anyone download it.  That's fine. But with a music file, all I get is that non functional player with no way to simply download the song. Do I have to zip every song so it can be downloaded?

    • Restrict Employees Access to Zoho Support

      Dear Zoho Support Team, Greetings! I am the focal point for all Zoho-related matters in our organization, and I would like to request the following features to help us streamline and centralize our support interactions. We request that zoho one support

    • How to import timesheets or entries into a projecgt

      How can one import timesheets into a project via a csv file?

    • Issues with Agent Forwarding Card in Zobot

      I implemented an Agent Forwarding Card in a Zobot that I created. There are a few issues with the way the card functions in an actual chat. The way it is designed right now is not easy to use and is not intuitive. Here are a few of the issues I have with

    • Automatic License Management Upon User Deactivation in Zoho One

      Dear Zoho Team, We would like to propose a feature enhancement for Zoho One regarding license management. Currently, when a user is deactivated, their license is not automatically downgraded or removed from our account. Zoho explains this behavior by

    • Shared Snippets Everyone

      Hi, Now that the Shared Snippets have been released and I think will be the most used feature implemented in 2023 :) Creating and Using Snippets in Ticket Responses - Online Help | Zoho Desk Maintain consistency in ticket responses with shared snippets

    • Introducing parent-child ticketing in Zoho Desk [Early access]

      Hello Zoho Desk users! We have introduced the parent-child ticketing system to help customer service teams ensure efficient resolution of issues involving multiple, related tickets. You can now combine repetitive and interconnected tickets into parent-child

    • How to suppress display of "USD" of currency field?

    • When is Zoho Vault getting fuzzy search?

      Seeing posts on here dating back as far as 3 years complaining about Vaults search functionality. It’s terrible. Please include fuzzy search, and sorting of results according to “most applicable”; not just alphabetically.

    • Automation#22 Track Ticket Duration at Specific Status

      Hello Everyone! Welcome back to the Community Learning Series! Today, we explore how Zylker Techfix, a gadget servicing firm, boosted productivity by tracking the time spent at a particular ticket status in Zoho Desk. Zylker Techfix customized Zoho Desk’s

    • Self-Support Portal invites

      I'm a one man operation and I'm using the free version of the Zoho Desk for now, but I am in need of help. When I do test tickets, I get a reply from the system inviting me to join the Self Service portal. I don't plan on using that, so I wonder if there

    • Tip #10: Automatically add tags to Zoho CRM records using form responses

      You may be using tags to filter records, create reports based on specific tags, or let your sales team to know which clients to give priority to. Don't skip tagging for the crm records added via forms. The tags can be set to be automatically captured during the form submission. How it works When you set up a configuration to push form entries into CRM, you can add a tag to them automatically. The tag value can vary based on the respondent's input (captured using form fields), or you can include a

    • Understanding response time

      We have the following set up for our SLA. When a contact first writes in, the response due and resolution due dates are set. When one of our agents responses, the response due goes away. When a ticket gets a response from the contact, it appears to reset

    • Publish multiple languages at once in Knowledge Base

      Does anyone know if it is possible to publish multiple translated articles at the same time? My knowledge base has about 35 languages, and while I have them set up to automatically translate, I still have to go in and select each language and manually

    • Canvas and Related lists

      Hi, As much as I like canvas, when adding in a asection with related lists,it doesnt mimic the same functionality as the standard view within the CRM e.g left hand panel will show the module and total number of records. Is there a way of indicating this

    • Email address ZOHO suggestions in replying - how to delete unwanted suggestions?

      Hi, I have some "unwanted" email addresses suggestions by ZOHO, and made some mistakes by replying for some tickets already. How can I clear this in ZOHO directly, I deleted all web browser history and cookies . Did not help :/ Below example, where one

    • Subform edits don't appear in parent record timeline?

      Is it possible to have subform edits (like add row/delete row) appear in the Timeline for parent records? A user can edit a record, only edit the subform, and it doesn't appear in the timeline. Is there a workaround or way that we can show when a user

    • Zoho Learn vs. Trainer Central

      Hi, I'm currently using Zoho One with a WordPress-based website and WooCommerce to manage my online courses. I would like to know what is the difference between Zoho Learn and Trainer Central and if it's possible for these two platforms to replace WP

    • How to Display a Logo Image on a Public Form?

      I would like to display a logo image in the header of a form. To achieve this, I added an Add Notes field to the form. The code below works perfectly for Zoho users accessing the form. However, when the form is made public, the image does not load properly:

    • Creating a Zoho Online Meeting in a Blueprint

      We are looking for an easy solution to schedule online meetings in a blueprint and ran into the same problem discussed in this topic: https://help.zoho.com/portal/en/community/topic/custom-function-to-set-meeting-to-online-meeting (After connecting Zoho

    • Enabling 'From Number' and 'To Number' fields in the Calls module

      Hello everyone, We've added "To Number" and "From Number" fields in the Calls module as part of our latest update to provide users with the option to enable or disable them through the Calls Preferences tab. When enabled, these fields will be displayed

    • Workaround for Zoho Inventory changing previous Fiscal Year Trial Balance in QBO

      We've run into an issue where Zoho Inventory syncs to QBO and makes adjustments to journal entries from previous fiscal years. Fiscal Year End reporting has been long completed, but the Trial Balance keeps changing. Zoho does not have a fix for this,

    • Route Optimizer

      Does Zoho Inventory offer route optimization for our in-house deliveries? It will save us time to manually route our daily orders. Thank you

    • Can documents attached to different ZohoForms automatically go to different OneDrive folders?

      Hi there, I set a workflow to track and store applications coming in from our website. I created two different Zoho forms, one for unsolicited applications, one for applications to job postings. After any of the forms has been filled in, a new record

    • TeamInbox down?

      Hi everyone, we are getting message "Sorry, this action cannot be performed due to an internal error. Please try again later. We are on the Canadian data centers. Can someone please confirm if the service is down? Thank you! F

    • Purchase Requisition in Zoho Books

      I want to understand if Zoho Books is having the following workflow: PR ( Purchase Requisition ) >> PO ( Purchase order) >>  GRN/SRN ( Goods/Services receipt note) >> Bill

    • Confirmation prompt before a custom button action is triggered

      Have you ever created a custom button and just hoped that you/your users are prompted first to confirm the action? Well, Zoho knows this concept. For example, in blueprint, whenever we want to advance to the next state by clicking the transition, it is

    • Next Page