Seamless Round-Trip Navigation for Related Blocks (Detail View)

Seamless Round-Trip Navigation for Related Blocks (Detail View)

As highlighted previously in this post (and here, here, here, and here), we still lack a fundamental capability for seamless navigation in Related Blocks. The popup that appears when adding a related record doesn't exist for viewing/editing existing records, and there's no URL pattern to open a detail view within report context. This creates unnecessary friction, and I'm hoping the Zoho team can address this in a future update.

The Core Limitation
When viewing a record's Detail View, Zoho Creator allows you to display related child records in a Related Block. Developers can create clickable links to these child records using URL formula fields (set to display as HTML) or RTF fields populated via workflow. Using zc_NextUrl, it's possible to redirect users back to a filtered report or a direct detail view URL.

The problem: Direct detail view URLs open as standalone pages outside any report context—there's no "back" button, no way to close the detail view and return to the report listing. Whether you redirect to a filtered report (requiring an extra click) or to a direct detail view URL (losing navigation context), neither option provides a seamless round-trip experience.

Note: This refers specifically to Related Blocks in Detail Views (parent-child relationships at the Report level), not Subforms within a Form.
Expected Behavior Current Zoho Creator Behavior User Impact
Click on related record → Opens record's Detail View Possible via URL formula (HTML) or RTF workarounds ⚠ Requires workaround setup
After editing → Redirect back to filtered report Possible using dynamic zc_NextUrl ⚠ Returns to report, not detail view
After editing → Return to parent's Detail View open No URL pattern to open detail view within report context ✗ Broken UX: Redirects to list, user must find and reopen parent record
Direct URL to open record's detail view Possible, but opens as standalone page outside report ✗ No "back" navigation, loses report context
Open child in popup (stay on parent) Works for ADDING records, but not for viewing/editing existing ones ✗ Inconsistent behavior between add vs view/edit
Current Workarounds (All Suboptimal)
To achieve what should be native functionality, developers must resort to complex workarounds. Frustratingly, the popup behavior that works perfectly when adding a related record doesn't exist for viewing/editing existing records:
Workaround Approach Implementation Problems Status
zc_NextUrl → Filtered Report Use zc_NextUrl to redirect back to a report filtered to the parent record - ✓ Returns user to correct report showing parent
- ✓ Report context and navigation preserved
- ✗ Detail view is NOT open on return
- ✗ User must click again to open detail view
⚠ Extra click required
zc_NextUrl → Direct Detail View URL Use zc_NextUrl to redirect to the parent record's direct detail view URL - ✓ Opens parent's detail view directly
- ✗ Opens OUTSIDE report context
- ✗ No "back" button or report navigation
- ✗ User is stranded on isolated page
⚠ Loses navigation context
URL Formula Field (Display as HTML) Create a formula field with direct URL, set to display as HTML to render as clickable link - ✓ Can navigate TO the child record
- ✓ Can use zc_NextUrl for return
- ✗ Same limitations as above for return navigation
⚠ Return options both flawed
RTF Field with On Success Code Use Rich Text Format field populated via workflow to create clickable link - ✓ Can navigate TO the child record
- ✓ Can use zc_NextUrl for return
- ✗ Same limitations as above for return navigation
- ✗ Extra workflow scripting required
⚠ Return options both flawed
Replace Related Block with Embedded Report Use a Page with an embedded/filtered report instead of native Related Block - Loses native Detail View layout
- Requires custom Page development
- More complex maintenance
- Loses summary layout formatting
⚠ Functional but high effort
JavaScript Widget Build a complete custom widget to replace Related Block functionality - Requires significant development effort
- Must rebuild all Related Block features
- Maintenance overhead
- May not match native styling
✗ Overkill for basic navigation
The Core Problem: Detail View Opens Outside Report Context
While a direct URL to a record's detail view exists, it opens as a standalone page outside of any report context. This means:
  • ✓ You CAN open a detail view directly via URL
  • ✗ But it's NOT within a report—there's no "back" button to return
  • ✗ User is stranded on an isolated page with no navigation context
  • ✗ Using zc_NextUrl to this standalone URL still leaves user outside report context
The inconsistency: When adding a related record through the detail view, Zoho Creator already opens a popup that preserves the parent context. This same behavior simply doesn't exist for viewing or editing existing records.
What's needed: Either (1) extend the popup behavior to view/edit, or (2) provide a URL parameter (e.g., &view_mode=detail) that opens the detail view within report context.

Example: The Add vs. View/Edit Inconsistency
Consider a common business scenario—viewing a Customer record with their related Orders:
Note: If the diagram below doesn't display correctly in your browser, the key point is illustrated in the comparison between [+ Add Order] (which opens a popup preserving context) vs. [Edit] existing record (which navigates away, losing context).
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ CUSTOMER DETAIL VIEW (within Customers_Report context) │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Name: Acme Corporation │
│ Email: contact@acme.com [Close] ← Returns to report │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ RELATED ORDERS [+ Add Order] │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│
│ │ Order # │ Date │ Amount │ Status │ Link ││
│ │ ORD-002 │ 2024-02-20 │ $3,500 │ Pending │ [Edit] ←─┼┼─ User clicks
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘│ existing record
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│ │
│ [+ Add Order] │ [Edit] existing
▼ ▼
┌─────────────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────────────┐
│ ✓ POPUP APPEARS │ │ ✗ FULL PAGE NAVIGATION │
│ (Parent preserved!) │ │ (Context lost!) │
├─────────────────────────┤ ├─────────────────────────┤
│ New Order Form │ │ Must use zc_NextUrl │
│ [Save] [Cancel] │ │ with flawed options... │
│ │ │ │
│ ✓ Close → back to │ │ A. Filtered report │
│ parent detail view │ │ (extra click) │
│ │ │ B. Direct detail URL │
│ WHY DOESN'T THIS │ │ (no navigation) │
│ WORK FOR EDIT TOO? │ │ │
└─────────────────────────┘ └─────────────────────────┘

What Should Happen Instead
Proposed Solutions (Either Would Solve This):

Option 1: Extend Existing Popup Behavior to View/Edit
When adding a related record through the detail view, Zoho Creator already opens a popup that keeps the parent context intact. Simply extend this same behavior to viewing and editing existing records in the Related Block:
Current behavior:
[+ Add Related Record] → Opens popup → Parent detail view preserved ✓

Requested extension:
[Click existing record to view/edit] → Opens popup → Parent detail view preserved ✓

// The infrastructure already exists - just needs to be applied to view/edit!

Option 2: URL Parameter to Open Detail View Within Report Context
Provide a URL parameter that can be appended to a report URL to auto-open a specific record in its detail view context:
// Proposed URL parameter - opens detail view WITHIN the report
#Report:Customers_Report?record_id=12345&view_mode=detail

// Used with zc_NextUrl for seamless return navigation
edit_url = child_edit_url + "&zc_NextUrl=" + encodeUrl(parent_detail_view_in_report_url);

// After save, user returns to parent's detail view WITH report context
// User can click "back" or close detail view to see report listing
Either solution would achieve Contextual Persistence. Option 1 may be simpler since the popup infrastructure already exists. Option 2 would provide more flexibility for developers building custom navigation flows.

Related Issues
This limitation compounds other navigation frustrations in Zoho Creator:

Real-World Impact
This limitation affects virtually any application with parent-child relationships:
  • CRM systems – Viewing a Contact's related Cases, Opportunities, or Activities
  • Project management – Viewing a Project's related Tasks or Milestones
  • Order management – Viewing a Customer's related Orders or Invoices
  • Inventory systems – Viewing a Product's related Stock Movements or Purchase Orders
  • HR applications – Viewing an Employee's related Leave Requests or Performance Reviews

User Experience Impact: Developers must choose between two poor experiences: (A) extra clicks to reopen detail views, or (B) stranding users on pages with no navigation back. Neither option provides the seamless round-trip navigation users expect from a modern database application.


Request to Zoho Team

Can this be addressed in a future update?

The popup behavior for adding related records already proves this is technically feasible—the infrastructure exists. We just need one of these two solutions to achieve Contextual Persistence:

1. Extend Popup to View/Edit
Apply the existing "Add" popup behavior to viewing/editing records in Related Blocks
2. URL Parameter for Detail View
Add a parameter like &view_mode=detail to open detail view within report context

Either solution would eliminate the current friction where users lose their navigation context or require extra clicks to return to their workflow.

Community Input Requested: Has anyone found an effective workaround that maintains contextual persistence when navigating to/from related records? This has been a long-standing request across multiple community posts, and a native solution would benefit countless Creator developers.


    • Recent Topics

    • Whatsapp Integration on Zoho Campaign

      Team: Can the messages from Zoho Campaign delivered through Whatsapp... now customers no longer are active on email, but the entire campaign module is email based.... when will it be available on whatsapp.... are there any thirdparty providers who can
    • Quotes Approval

      Hey all, Could you please help in the following: When creating quotes, how to configure it in a way, that its approval would work according to the quoted items description, not according to quote information. In my case, the quote should be sent to approval
    • Mandatory Field - but only at conversion

      Hello! We use Zoho CRM and there are times where the "Lead Created Date & Time" field isn't populated into a "Contractor" (Account is the default phrase i believe). Most of my lead tracking is based on reading the Lead Created field above, so it's important
    • Different Task Layouts for Subtasks

      I was wondering how it would be possible for a subtask to have a different task layout to the parent task.
    • Enable Free External Collaboration on Notecards in Zoho Notebook

      Hi Zoho Notebook Team, I would like to suggest a feature enhancement regarding external collaboration in Zoho Notebook. Currently, we can share notes with external users, and they are able to view the content without any issue. However, when these external
    • Using data fields in Zoho Show presentations to extract key numbers from Zia insights based on a report created

      Is it possible to use data fields in Zoho Show presentations along with Zoho Analytics to extract key numbers from Zia insights based on a report created? For example, using this text below: (note that the numbers in bold would be from Zia Insights) Revenue
    • Free webinar: AI-powered agreement management with Zoho Sign

      Hi there! Does preparing an agreement feel like more work than actually signing it? You're definitely not alone. Between drafting the document, managing revisions, securing internal approvals, and rereading clauses to make sure everything still reflects
    • WhatsApp Channels in Zoho Campaigns

      Now that Meta has opened WhatsApp Channels globally, will you add it to Zoho Campaigns? It's another top channel for marketing communications as email and SMS. Thanks.
    • CRM For Everyone - Bring Back Settings Tile View

      I've been using CRM for Everyone since it was in early access and I just can't stand the single list settings menu down the left-hand side. It takes so much longer to find the setting I need. Please give users the option to make the old sytle tile view
    • Lets have Dynamics 365 integration with Zohobooks

      Lets have Dynamics 365 integration with Zohobooks
    • Add notes in spreadsheet view

      It would be great if we could Add/edit notes in the spreadsheet view of contacts/leads. This would enable my sales teams to greatly increase their number of calls. Also viewing the most recent note in the Contact module would also be helpful.
    • Opening balances - Accounts Receivable and Payable

      Our accounting year starts on 1st August 2013 and I have a Trial Balance as at that date, including Accounts Receivableand Accounts Payable balances, broken down by each customer and supplier. Q1 - do I show my opening balance date as 31st July 2013 or
    • Announcing Kiosk 1.1 - Customize screen titles, configure new fields & actions, use values from your Kiosk to update fields, and more.

      Hello all We are back again with more enhancements to Kiosk. So what's new? Enhancements made to the Components Add titles for your Kiosk screens and adjust its width to suit your viewing preferences. Three new fields can be added to your screen: Percentage,
    • Limited System because of Limited Number of Fields for Car Dealership

      Dear Zoho Support, we want to have all the information about a car inside of a car record. We want to have Zoho CRM as our single source of truth for our data, but the limited number of fields are not allowing that. The data consist of: technical data
    • Cancel Subscription

      Hi , Im want to cancel my account but without success please help me to do it
    • Making an email campaign into a Template

      I used a Zoho Campaign Template to create an email. Now I want to use this email and make it a new template, but this seems to be not possible. Am I missing something?
    • Direct Access and Better Search for Zoho Quartz Recordings

      Hi Zoho Team, We would like to request a few enhancements to improve how Zoho Quartz recordings are accessed and managed after being submitted to Zoho Support. Current Limitation: After submitting a Quartz recording, the related Zoho Support ticket displays
    • Multiple Cover Letters

      We are using the staffing firm edition of Recruit and we have noticed that candidates cannot add more than one cover letter. This is a problem as they might be applying for multiple jobs on our career site and when we submit their application to a client,
    • URGENT: Deluge issue with Arabic text Inbox

      Dear Deluge Support, We are facing an issue that started on 12/Feb/2026 with custom functions written using Deluge within Qntrl platform. Currently, custom functions do not accept Arabic content; it is replaced with (???) characters. Scenario 1: If we
    • File Conversion from PDF to JPG/PNG

      Hi, I have a question did  anyone every tried using custom function to convert a PDF file to JPG/PNG format? Any possibility by using the custom function to achieve this within zoho apps.  I do know there are many third parties API provide this with
    • Prevent accidental duplicate entry of Customer Ordersome

      Zoho Support has confirmed that Zoho currently does not have any method (using Deluge, flow or any other method) to alert a user when a sales order has been entered twice using the same customer reference number (i.e. a duplicate). Most ERP platforms
    • Now in Zoho One: Orchestrate customer journeys across apps with Zoho CommandCenter

      Hello Zoho One Community! We’re excited to introduce Zoho CommandCenter as a new capability available in Zoho One. For the whole customer journey As Zoho One customers adopt more apps across sales, marketing, finance, and support, a common challenge emerges:
    • annualy customer report

      we need a report per customer that looks like this invoic number cleaning laundry repair management 01 january xxx euro xx euro xx euro xxx euro 02 february xxx euro xxx euro x euro xxxx euro and so on the years 12 months is that possible to make and
    • Totals for Sales Tax Report

      On the sales tax report, the column totals aren't shown for any column other than Total Tax. I can't think of a good reason that they shouldn't be included for the other columns, as well. It would help me with my returns, for sure. It seems ludicrous
    • Free Webinar: Zoho Sign for Zoho Projects: Automate tasks and approvals with e-signatures

      Hi there! Handling multiple projects at once? Zoho Projects is your solution for automated and streamlined project management, and with the Zoho Sign extension, you can sign, send, and manage digital paperwork directly from your project workspace. Join
    • Exported Report File Name

      Hi, We often export reports for information. It is time consuming to rename all the reports we export on a weekly basis, as when exported their default name is a seemingly random string of numbers. These numbers may be important, I'm not sure, but I am
    • Automatic Refresh on Page?

      Hi everyone, We use a page as a dashboard which shows data for the laboratory and tasks pending etc. Is there a way to set the page to automatically refresh on a X time? Many thanks TOG
    • Full Context of Zoho CRM Records for Zia in Zoho Desk for efficient AI Usage

      Hello everyone, I have a question regarding the use of Zia in Zoho Desk in combination with CRM data. Is it possible to automatically feed the complete context of a CRM record into Zia, so that it can generate automated and highly accurate responses for
    • Hiding Pre-defined Views

      You can enhance Zoho with custom views - but you cannot hide the pre-defined views. Most users focus on 4 or 5 views. Right now for EVERY user EVERY time they want to move to one of their 4 or 5 views - they have to scroll down past a long list of pre-defined views - we don't use ANY of the pre-defined views. Adding the feature to allow a predefined view to be hidden completely or only visible to certain users would be a big improvement in usability for Zoho CRM. This feature is already available
    • [Webinar] Top 10 Most Used Zoho Analytics Features in 2025

      Zoho Analytics has evolved significantly over the past year. Discover the most widely adopted features in Zoho Analytics in 2025, based on real customer usage patterns, best practices, and high-impact use cases. Learn how leading teams are turning data
    • How do I edit the Calendar Invite notifications for Interviews in Recruit?

      I'm setting up the Zoho Recruit Interview Calendar system but there's some notifications I don't have any control over. I've turned off all Workflows and Automations related to the Calendar Scheduling and it seems that it's the notification that is sent
    • Add RTL and Hebrew Support for Candidate Portal (and Other Zoho Recruit Portals)

      Dear Zoho Recruit Team, I hope you're doing well. We would like to request the ability to set the Candidate Portal to be Right-to-Left (RTL) and in Hebrew, similar to the existing functionality for the Career Site. Currently, when we set the Career Site
    • App for Mac OS X please!

      It would be awesome to have a mail app for Mac OS X that included all the cool features such as steams, calendar, tasks, contacts, etc. Most people prefer native apps, rather than running it through a web browser. I know that we can use the IMAP, CalDAV,
    • How to integrate Zoho CRM, Zoho Forms and a WIX Web Site

      Attached video demonstrates how to use Zoho Forms included in Zoho One, to design a Contact Us form to be embedded into a WIX web site and integrated into Zoho CRM.
    • CRM x WorkDrive: File storage for new CRM signups is now powered by WorkDrive

      Availability Editions: All DCs: All Release plan: Released for new signups in all DCs. It will be enabled for existing users in a phased manner in the upcoming months. Help documentation: Documents in Zoho CRM Manage folders in Documents tab Manage files
    • Introducing Workqueue: your all-in-one view to manage daily work

      Hello all, We’re excited to introduce a major productivity boost to your CRM experience: Workqueue, a dynamic, all-in-one workspace that brings every important sales activity, approval, and follow-up right to your fingertips. What is Workqueue? Sales
    • Default Reminder Time in New Tasks or New Event?

      Any way to change this from 1:00am? Thanks, Gary Moderation Update (February 2026): With the Calendar preferences, the default reminder time for Meetings, Appointments and All-Day Meetings can be set. Read more: Calendar preferences in Zoho CRM Regarding
    • Exporting All Custom Functions in ZohoCRM

      Hello, All I've been looking for a way to keep about 30 functions that I have written in Zoho CRM updated in my own repository to use elsewhere in other instances. A github integration would be great, but a way to export all custom functions or any way
    • Dynamic Field Folders in OneDrive

      Hi, With the 2 options today we have either a Dynamic Parent Folder and lots of attachments all in that one folder with only the ability to set the file name (Which is also not incremented so if I upload 5 photos to one field they are all named the same
    • Right Shift key not sending to Zoho Assist environments

      I'm unable to use Right Shift key in Zoho environments. Zoho environments are Win10. Computer I access from is Win 11. Issue started when I changed to Win 11. Have tried: - Multiple browsers - web client AND desktop client - 3rd party mapping tools to
    • Next Page