Upcoming Updates - August 2022

Upcoming Updates - August 2022

Hi all,

Greetings from the Zoho Creator team! Today we've got news for you on some exciting updates. And rest assured— there’s more to come!

In this post, we'll be going over the upcoming features and improvements for this month as mentioned below. A few of these will be available immediately and the rest are planned for release in the coming weeks.

  • Enabling dark mode for Android apps
  • Introducing presets
  • Customizing display titles for forms
  • Launching a revamped UI for customer portals
  • Announcing strict validation for the max length field property

In addition to the above, Creator 4 will be deprecated, and all the accounts still using it will be automatically upgraded to Creator 5 by August 31, 2022. Scroll down to know more!

Dark mode for Android

One of our most requested features is finally here: Dark mode!

Dark mode, which is currently supported in our iOS apps, has now been extended to Android apps as well. We have carefully designed every component and screen to have an overall balanced color scheme for your mobile apps. Dark mode will be automatically enabled based on your default system settings and has the following benefits:

  • Reduces power usage by a significant amount (depending on your device's screen technology)
  • Improves visibility for users with low vision and those who are sensitive to bright light
  • Makes it easier for anyone to use their devices in low-light environments

Presets - panel configuration reusability

You can configure aggregates to be displayed on page panels. Currently, if such a configuration needs to be reused on a different panel on the same page or on a different page, it has to be manually reconfigured. With presets, the aggregate configuration can now be saved and used across apps in your Creator account, thereby preventing repeated manual configurations. The created presets will be available as a dropdown inside the panel element.

Presets are required in cases, where a configured aggregate value needs to be displayed in more than one panel, like if a user needs to display the Total Profit value in their dashboard, both as an actual value and as a percentage value. In this particular case, the user will have to manually configure the Total Profit value in two panels and choose a different Show As value (Actual in one panel and Percentage of a number in the other panel) in each panel. Using the preset capability, users can save the configuration and reuse it in different panels with only the Show As value being different.






Introducing different display titles for forms

Interacting with forms can become more meaningful when we have contextual information about the actions performed by users. We've introduced form titles that'll enable you to assign different customized titles to the forms displayed when a user is performing the following tasks:

  • While adding record - The title that will be displayed when a user accesses the form to add a record.
  • While editing record - The title that will be displayed when a user is editing an existing record.


By default, the form title for while adding to the form and while editing the form actions will be the same as the form name. Learn more


Revamped UI for customer portals

We're happy to announce the rolling out of a major refinement to the customer portal UI (​sign in​, ​signup​, and ​reset password​ pages).

Portal users will now be able to use a one-time password (OTP) for signing in to your customer portal. Along with Google and Facebook, ​federated login​ can now be set up to allow users to sign in to the portal using their Apple IDs.

These refinements have been designed to ensure compatibility with upcoming features that we are working on. Although the feel and appearance of the new UI will be different from the existing one, we have ensured that it doesn't affect any of your existing portal functionalities. We'll have a separate detailed post on the changes for existing users once the feature is ready to go live.

Announcing strict validation for the max character length field property

In reference to ​this post​, starting from August 31, 2022, maximum character length validation will be implemented strictly across Creator. If a record is added via Deluge, API, or email input, the maximum length property will be validated for all your form fields. This validation ensures that all the records added via various inputs undergo a thorough check for their field characters to ensure they're on par with the predefined character limits that you set, thereby minimizing error handling. After this update, errors might be shown in the following cases:

(i) Existing forms:

While editing/updating a record in an existing form, the maximum length property will be validated for all fields in that form.

(ii) Workflows
  • On validate: Following this update, during the execution of the on validate script for a particular record, the maximum length validation will be strictly performed for all the fields that are associated with the script, and an appropriate error will be thrown.
  • On success: Following this update, during the execution of the on success script, an exception will be thrown for varchar fields (email, single line) when a new record is successfully submitted to the database or when an existing record is updated or deleted from the database. In the case of number fields, the values will be truncated upon successful submission.

(iii) APIs

While adding/updating record values via API requests, the maximum length property will be validated for all fields.

Additionally, if a record is added via ​email input​, the maximum length property for all the fields will be validated. As an admin, you can minimize errors by suitably adjusting your character limits. We also assure you that we've taken all necessary measures to ensure that the transition is seamless, with minimal impact on your end.


Upgradation to Creator 5

The majority of our users have already ​migrated to Creator 5​ from the previous version (Creator 4). As the final step of this process, we'll be automatically migrating the remaining accounts using the older version to Creator 5 by August 31, 2022.

As you all know, ​Creator 5​ empowers developers to customize traditional web-based apps for smartphones and tablets, opening up new possibilities and ensuring an all-around smoother experience. You will be notified via email prior to the migration and this will not affect the data in your existing Creator apps.

We hope this announcement serves to be helpful in planning your upcoming projects and apps. We'd also like to thank you once again for your loyalty and continued support. Please don't hesitate to reach out to us at ​support@zohocreator.com​ if you have any questions or concerns, or need assistance.

That's all for now!

Thanks,
The Zoho Creator Team.


    • Sticky Posts

    • Zoho Creator - 2023 Release Projection 1

      Hello everyone! A very Happy New Year to you and your family. Hope you're all good and having a great time using Zoho Creator to make your lives easier and your businesses prosper. 2022 was an action-packed year for us at Creator, and we hope to continue

    • Zoho Creator User Group meetups in a city near you! - Oct - Nov, 2023

      Greetings from the Zoho Creator team! We're hosting a series of Zoho Creator meetups in various cities across the globe, and we'd love to meet you there! Our meetups are a great opportunity to network with industry peers, exchange ideas and best practices,

    • Zoho Creator - 2023 Release Projection 2

      Hello everyone! Time truly flies when you're having an incredible journey, and today we mark the completion of an eventful and action-packed six months. It feels like just yesterday when we embarked on this adventure together with the launch of our new

    • Upcoming Updates - August 2022

      Hi all, Greetings from the Zoho Creator team! Today we've got news for you on some exciting updates. And rest assured— there’s more to come! In this post, we'll be going over the upcoming features and improvements for this month as mentioned below. A

    • Introducing Zoho Creator's v2 APIs

      Hello App Creators, Welcome to Zoho Creator's v2 APIs! This post will serve as the central point for migrating implementations of Creator's current APIs (v1) to v2. Improvements that v2 brings OAuth-based authentication, which is more secure than the

    • Recent Topics

    • Payroll and BAS ( Australian tax report format )

      Hello , I am evaluating Zoho Books and I find the interface very intuitive and straight forward. My company is currently using Quickbooks Premier the Australian version. Before we can consider moving the service we would need to have the following addressed : 1.Payroll 2.BAS ( business activity statement ) for tax purposes 3.Some form of local backup and possible export of data to a widely accepted format. Regards Codrin Mitin

    • Problem with Email an invoice with multiple attachments using API

      I have an invoice with 3 attachments. When I send an email manually using the UI, everything works correctly. I receive an email with three attachments. The problem occurs when I try to initiate sending an email using the API. The email comes with only

    • Page Layouts for Standard Modules like CRM

      For standard modules like quotes, invoices, purchase orders, etc, it would be a great feature to be able to create custom page layouts with custom fields in Zoho Books similar to how you can in Zoho CRM. For example, and my current use case, I have a

    • Non-depreciating fixed asset

      Hi! There are non-depreciable fixed assets (e.g. land). It would be very useful to be able to create a new type of fixed asset (within the fixed assets module) with a ‘No depreciation’ depreciation method. There is always the option of recording land

    • Fixed asset management

      I want to know if there is any individual module for fixed assets management

    • One time sale item in billing automatically detects as service

      if i have some items which i don't want to add in my "item" list because its sold only for one time. but when i type item name in invoice, it (system) automatically takes it as a service and despite of HSN , it shows SAC code to be entered. if its selectable i.e. either item or service , it would be very helpful and a must have feature.

    • Project template after project creation

      How can I apply a project template AFTER the project has been created?

    • convert the project to templet

      i have some deployment ME product for different customer , i need to create a fixed template for use it rather then keeping creating this template every time

    • Is there a notification API when a new note is addeding

      Trying to push to Cliq, or email notification when there's a new note added in module. How to implement this?

    • Seriously - Create multiple contacts for leads, (With Company as lead) Zoho CRM

      In Zoho CRM, considering a comapny as a lead, you need us to allow addition of more than one contact. Currently the Lead Section is missing "Add contact" feature which is available in "Accounts". When you know that a particular lead can have multiple

    • Related Module in Sharing Rules

      Zoho CRM team recently added the feature to filter records by Related Records It will be really beneficial if we can have this feature for Sharing Rules as well

    • Assignment Thresholds Resetting After Lead Conversion

      Hello everyone, We're facing an issue with Zoho CRM's lead assignment thresholds that makes them unsuitable for our workflow. I'm hoping to find a potential workaround or solution from the community. Here’s our current process: A new lead is created automatically

    • Vendor Signatures Needed for Purchase Orders

      Hello everyone, We have a unique requirement that necessitates that Vendors & Suppliers formally acknowledge our Purchase Orders upon receipt. I was hoping that there would be an option to do so in Zoho Books, but that does not appear to be the case.

    • Zoho CRM Analytics - Allow To Reorder Dashboards

      I would like to suggest that you add the ability to reorder dashboards in the Analytics Module. I can see that this has been requested some time ago, the latest 9 years ago. I am not sure if this is a big or small endeavor, but such a small fix can go

    • Territory view for custom modules?

      I have recently activated territories however I can't seem to find how to use territories for custom modules? These modules have territories:  Contacts /  Accounts / Opportunities These modules don't have territories:   Buildings (custom module) and 

    • Zoho Books - How to Invoke a Custom Function in Schedulers

      We have multiple schedulers that send emails to customers in batches. Currently, we are maintaining the same code across several schedulers. Is it possible to use a custom function inside a scheduler script? If yes, how can we invoke the custom function

    • Approval Process Comments

      Is it possible to view the comments entered during the approval or rejection of a record in the approval process? If not, is there a way to require a field to be completed upon approval or rejection?

    • Login for test case

      Had a few questions regarding authentication test cases and couldn't find an answer in the the docs. 1. If an app like Zoho Creator requires authentication before providing access, do I need to create a login function and add it to each test case? 2.

    • Zoho / Outlook Calendar sync

      The current Marketplace -> Microsoft -> Meetings integration needs 2 changes. 1. The current language for the Two-Way sync option should be changed. It currently states, "Sync both your Zoho CRM Calendar and Office 365 Calendar meetings with each other."

    • GST Slabs Redefined: Stay Compliant Using Zoho Books!

      Hello Everyone! The Government of India is rolling out new GST rates, a major reform aimed at simplifying the current tax structure starting 22 September 2025. GST will move from four slabs (5%, 12%, 18%, 28%) to two main slabs (5% and 18%), plus a special

    • Form Rules for Suburb Categories to alternate landing pages or Making a Fields Contents ALL CAPS

      I need to send differentform submissions to two to three different thank-you URLs (for Meta/Google pixels) depending on which suburb a user selects in a form. I have ~400 suburbs split into two categories (A and B, based on business value). Current challenges:

    • Please make it easier to Pause syncing

      right now it takes 3 clicks to get there. sounds silly, but can you make it just 2 clicks to get it done instead? thats how dropbox does it, 2 clicks to pause instead of 3.

    • Customer members area

      Does FSM support a customer members area? If not what do you propose we use if we want the data used in FSM for customers to give them an area / login to see past orders, create new orders and general announcements.

    • Zoho Books-Accounting on the Go Series!

      Dear users, Continuing in the spirit of our 'Function Fridays' series, where we've been sharing custom function scripts to automate your back office operations, we're thrilled to introduce our latest initiative – the 'Zoho Books-Accounting on the Go Series'.

    • Record Logged in User while using CRM lookup field

      Is it possible, while using the Zoho CRM lookup field, to automatically use the user account logged into Zoho CRM in a hidden field? I was hoping to add employee accounts to my current plan. But would like a record on the Form submission of who submitted

    • Desktop app doesn't support notecards created on Android

      Hi, Does anybody have same problem? Some of last notecards created on Android app (v. 6.6) doesn't show in desktop app (v. 3.5.5). I see these note cards but whith they appear with exclamation mark in yellow triangle (see screenshot) and when I try to

    • Notes created in mobile can no longer be accessed in desktop

      Working with a 2013 Mac running OS 10.14.6; Desktop Notebook version 4.5.3. Using Motorola Moto G Power 5G - 2024; Android app version 6.7 I have been using Notebook for some years. Starting several weeks ago, the notes newly created ion the phone can

    • Function #49: Manage varying installment payments using Zoho Books

      . Hello everyone, and welcome back to our series! Last week, we discussed automating the collection of fixed installment payments in Zoho Books. But what if your payment structure involves charging varying percentages of the invoice total as installments?

    • Open Sans Font in Zoho Books is not Open Sans.

      Font choice in customising PDF Templates is very limited, we cannot upload custom fonts, and to make things worse, the font names are not accurate. I selected Open Sans, and thought the system was bugging, but no, Open Sans is not Open Sans. The real

    • Zoho Writer - Option to Export as .zdoc format

      I've noticed that it's not possible to export a Zoho Writer Document in the .zdoc format. Isn't zdoc, Zoho Writer's own format? My use case is that I sometimes need to create quite complex documents with floating elements, which sometimes need to become

    • Is it possible for contacts to "Re-enter" a workflow in Zoho Campaign?

      We are currently working on a way to automatically add users to from one list to other lists based on specific criteria, but can't seem to find a native way of doing this so we are trying to use Workflows to do this. So, for example, if a user's status is set to "Active," then they should be added to the list "Active Users." If the same user's status is then set to "Paused," they should be added to the list "Paused Users" and removed from the list "Active Users." This works fine for the first go

    • Bulk upload images and specifications to products

      Hi, Many users have asked this over the years and I am also asking the same. Is there any way in which we can bulk upload product (variant) images and product specifications. The current way to upload/select image for every variant is too cumbersome.

    • Out of Office for Just One of My Alias Email

      Can I set up the Out of Office Reply for Just One of my Alias Email Addresses?

    • Can I map multiple Surveys into the CRM using the same fields?

      Hello, We are a healthcare practice that offers two distinct services (Nutrition and Primary Care). We use Zoho Survey for our lead generation form (Get Started Survey), which allows people to express interest in one of the two services and even allows

    • Dealing with API responses where integers have more than 16 digits

      Hi there How do I deal with an api response contaning an int or float with more than 16 digits (before any decimal places for a float). I constantly receive the response "Unable to cast the 'BigInteger' value into a 'BIGINT' value because the input is

    • Can not add fields to a Section

      I feel like I'm missing something obvious: I can add new Sections to my form but I can not add fields to the Sections. I've tried fields already on the form as well as dragging and dropping new fields into the Section but nothing will go into it. What

    • Elevate your CX delivery using CommandCenter 2.0: Simplified builder; seamless orchestration

      Most businesses want to create memorable customer experiences—but they often find it hard to keep them smooth, especially as they grow. To achieve a state of flow across their processes, teams often stitch together a series of automations using Workflow

    • 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

    • [Webinar] Automate sales and presales workflows with Writer

      Sales involves sharing a wide range of documents with customers across the presales, sales, and post-sales stages: NDAs, quotes, invoices, sales orders, and delivery paperwork. Generating and managing these documents manually slows down the overall sales

    • 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

    • Next Page