Bidirectional sync between Zoho Bookings and Zoho CRM - Part 1

Bidirectional sync between Zoho Bookings and Zoho CRM - Part 1

Hey, community members!

The default integration between Zoho CRM and Zoho Bookings is unidirectional, which means that any appointments booked, rescheduled, or deleted in Zoho Bookings will be reflected in Zoho CRM. However, any modifications made to events in Zoho CRM that originated from Zoho Bookings will not be reflected back in Zoho Bookings. Hence, as we're announcing in this community post, we've made the sync bidirectional.

This community post will cover the process of configuring appointment bookings from Zoho CRM in Zoho Bookings, as well as managing appointment statuses such as Canceled, No Show and Completed. We have addressed the rescheduling action in a separate post. To view it, please click on the following link: Reschedule Action

This community post will be beneficial for active Zoho CRM users who handle all their meetings within Zoho CRM. Additionally, you can use this community post as a reference to explore various automation possibilities tailored to your business requirements. For instance, with this post's guidance, when you update a booking's status field to "Completed" in Zoho CRM, it will automatically sync with Zoho Bookings and trigger an automated "Mark as completed" email to customers. This enhancement will improve your Zoho Bookings and Zoho CRM synchronization experience, making appointment management easier.

Prerequisites of bidirectional sync: 
  • Zoho Bookings Premium subscription
  • Zoho CRM paid subscription
  • Enable Zoho CRM integration within Zoho Bookings
The purpose of enabling the Zoho CRM integration within Zoho Bookings is to transfer booking details from Zoho Bookings to Zoho CRM. In this configuration, the mandatory field is the Booking ID, which is passed from Zoho Bookings to Zoho CRM through the integration. Whenever an appointment is booked, customer details will be sent to the designated CRM module, and a corresponding record will be created in the Meetings module within Zoho CRM, which will help in automating the workflow.

Here's the complete demo video that covers all the configurations discussed in the community post below:

Timestamps for your reference: 

0:35 - Purpose of this community post
1:26 - Zoho CRM plugin installation
4:43 - Custom field creation
7:20 - Function creation
9:22 - Connection creation
10:24 - Configuring arguments 
11:06 - Workflow creation
13:33 - Argument mapping
14:41 - Output verification
17:41 - Conclusion



How we're approaching this bidirectional sync

1. Booking an appointment from Zoho CRM

Install the Zoho Bookings for Zoho CRM plugin within your Zoho CRM application. This plugin enables the creation of a "New Appointment" button within the Zoho CRM Leads and Contacts module, which enables you to select the desired booking page you wish to open. You can choose from various workspace, service, or staff booking pages. After configuration, you can initiate the process of scheduling bookings directly from within your Zoho CRM account. 
2. Booking status: Completed or No Show

To update a booking's status (Completed or No Show), we've added a new picklist properties field named "Booking Status" in the Meetings module and configured it with two options: "completed" and "no show". Depending on the booking status chosen, the corresponding booking in Zoho Bookings will be updated.
  • Details on how to add a custom field to the Meetings module : Customizing modules

  • Here's a video that demonstrates how to add a field to a module in Zoho CRM: Adding fields
Reference:




3. Booking status: Canceled 

Whenever a meeting is deleted from the Meetings module, the corresponding booking in the Zoho Bookings app will also be canceled automatically. The meeting can be deleted either from the Meetings module or directly from the calendar.





To enable bidirectional sync between Zoho CRM and Zoho Bookings

Complete these steps in Zoho CRM.

Step 1: Creating connections

You first need to establish a connection between Zoho CRM and Zoho Bookings. Zoho Bookings is listed as one of the default connections in Zoho CRM, making it simple to set up. Select the Zoho Bookings connection, define the connection name and scope, and you'll be all set. This connection will enable you to link both applications and facilitate the seamless transfer of data. 
Read here for more details on how to create connection in Zoho CRM: Connections

Step 2: Creating functions

In this context, we'll be creating three functions: one for marking appointments as completed, another for canceling appointments, a third for marking appointments as no shows, and a fourth for rescheduling appointments. For each function, we must also configure arguments, which pass values or data into a function when making a call. Here, we'll pass the booking ID to the function as an argument to update the necessary booking status.

i. To create a function for marking appointments as completed:
 
     1. Go to Setup > Developer Space > Functions.
     2. In the Functions page, click + Create New Function.

     3. Configure the function name, display name, and description.
     4. Set the category as automation.

More details:  Functions

This opens the Deluge script page.

     5. Next, configure the function's arguments:
          A. Click on Edit Arguments on the Deluge script page.

          B. Set the Parameter Name as bookingID. (Please note that the "bookingID" value is case sensitive and must match 
               the term used in the code).
          C. Set the type as string.

Reference:


Please configure the below code in the Deluge script page. 

Code link: Completed



By completing these steps, we've configured a function that will mark appointments as completed.

ii. To create a function for marking appointments as no shows

      1. Go to Setup > Developer Space > Functions.
      2. In the Functions page, click + Create New Function.

      3. Configure the function name, display name, and description.
      4. Set the category as automation.

More details:  Functions

This opens the Deluge script page.

      5. Next, configure the function's arguments:
           A. Click on Edit Arguments on the Deluge script page.

           B. Set the Parameter Name as bookingID. (Please note that the "bookingID" value is case sensitive and must match
                the term used in the code).
           C. Set the type as string. 

Reference:


Please configure the below code on the Deluge script page.

Code link: No show



By completing these steps, we've configured a function that marks appointments as no shows.

iii. To create a function for marking appointments as canceled

      1. Go to Setup > Developer Space > Functions.
      2. In the Functions page, click + Create New Function.

      3. Configure the function name, display name, and description.
      4. Set the category as automation.

More details:  Functions

This opens the Deluge script page.

      5. Next, configure the function's arguments:
            A. Click on Edit Arguments on the Deluge script page.

            B. Set the Parameter Name as bookingID. (Please note that the "bookingID" value is case sensitive and must match
                 the term used in the code).
            C. Set the type as string. 

Reference



Please configure the below code on the Deluge script page.

Code link: Cancel appointment 



By completing these steps, we've configured a function that marks appointments as canceled.

Code explanation

Below is an explanation of the code that covers all the configurations present in the three functions mentioned above (cancel, mark as completed, and mark as no show).

Line 1: Based on the Zoho Bookings account's data center, we're setting up the API endpoint URL configuration. 
Lines 2 - 4: To update appointments, we utilize the Zoho Bookings API. Within the update appointment API, there are two mandatory fields that need to be included: BookingID and action (completed/cancel/noshow). 

Lines 5 - 10: We use the invokeURL task for API calls. To learn more about the invokeURL task, please refer to the following document: InvokeURL task for API calls

Now, let's proceed and learn about the process of creating a workflow and linking the established functions to it. This will enable us to automate the entire appointment status updating process.


Step 3: Creating a workflow

Workflow rules are sets of actions (email notifications, tasks and field updates) that are executed when specified conditions are met. Here, we'll generate workflow rules for each action to activate the respective function, thereby automating the appointment status updating process.

More details: Workflow overview

i. Creating a workflow for "canceling" appointments in Zoho Bookings when a meeting is deleted in Zoho CRM

Part 1: Creating the rule

      1. Go to Setup > Automation > Workflow Rules.
      2. In the Workflow Rules page, click Create Rule.

      3. Select "Meetings" under Module and configure rule name and description as required.

More details: Create Rule

Reference: 


Part 2: Specifying the rule trigger

More details: Specify rule triggers

      1. Select Record Action > Delete > Done to execute the rule when meetings are deleted.

      2. Configure condition > All Meetings.

      3. Instant Actions > Function.

      4. Click the New Function button.


      5. In the Configure custom function page, select the "cancel" function you created from among the functions users in your organization have created.


Part 3: Argument mapping

      1. Press # to choose an argument value.

      2. Select Meetings under Module and BookingId in the field.

      3. Click the Save and Associate button.

Reference:


Below is the final flow of the cancel booking workflow:


At the end of Part 3, we will have created a workflow that will be executed automatically when meetings are deleted in Zoho CRM. Simultaneously, the bookings associated with the meeting will also be canceled in Zoho Booking.

ii. Creating workflow for updating an appointment's status as "no show" in Zoho Bookings when the meeting's booking status is marked as no show in Zoho CRM

Part 4: Creating the rule

      1. Go to Setup > Automation > Workflow Rules.
      2. In the Workflow Rules page, click Create Rule.

      3. Select Meetings under Module and configure the rule name and description as required.

More details: Create Rule

Reference:

 
Part 5: Specifying the rule trigger

If you encounter difficulties while navigating through the steps mentioned below, please refer to Part 2 above, where we have provided step-by-step screenshots for clarification.

      1. Record Action > Edit. 

      2. Enable the Specific field(s) gets modified and configure it per the screenshot below.
          a. This is to ensure that the workflow is executed only when the booking status under the meeting module is
              updated to "No Show".

      3. Configure condition > All Meetings.
      4. Instant Actions > Function > New Function.
      5. In the Configure custom function page, select the "no show" function you created from among the functions
          users in your organization have created.

Part 6: Argument mapping:

If you encounter difficulties while navigating through the steps mentioned below, please refer to Part 3 above, where we have provided step-by-step screenshots for clarification.

      1. Press # to choose an argument value.
      2. Select Meetings under Module and configure the field as "BookingId".
      3. Click Save and Associate button.

Reference:


Below is the final flow of the "No Show" booking status workflow:


At the end of part 6, we will have created a workflow that automatically executes when the booking status field within the Zoho CRM Meetings module is updated to "No Show." This action will result in the associated bookings for that meeting also being marked as "No Show" in Zoho Bookings.

iii. Creating workflow for updating appointment status as "Completed" in Zoho Bookings when the booking status field of the meeting is marked as completed in Zoho CRM.

Part 7: Creating the rule

      1. Go to Setup > Automation > Workflow Rules.
      2. In the Workflow Rules page, click Create Rule.

      3. Select Meetings under Module and configure rule name and description as required.

Reference:



Part 8: Specifying the rule trigger

If you encounter difficulties while navigating through the steps mentioned below, please refer to Part 2 above, where we have provided step-by-step screenshots for clarification.

      1. Record Action > Edit.

      2. Enable the Specific field(s) gets modified setting and configure it per the screenshot below.
            a. This serves to ensure that the workflow is executed only when the booking status under the Meetings module is
                updated to "Completed".

      3. Configure condition > All Meetings.
      4. Instant Actions > Function > New Function.
      5. In the Configure custom function page, select the "completed" function you created from among the functions users
          in your organization have created.

Part 9: Argument mapping:

If you encounter difficulties while navigating through the steps mentioned below, please refer to Part 3 above, where we have provided step-by-step screenshots for clarification.

      1. Press # to choose an argument value.
      2. Select Meetings under Module and configure the field as "BookingId".
      3. Click Save and Associate button.

Reference:


Below is the final flow of the "Completed" booking status workflow:


At the end of part 9, we will have created a workflow that is automatically executed when the booking status field within the Zoho CRM Meetings module is updated to "Completed." As a result, the associated bookings for that meeting will also be marked as "Completed" in Zoho Bookings.

Conclusion

We've reached the end of this community post. With the integration mentioned above in place, you'll be able to book, cancel, and update the status of appointments in Zoho Bookings directly from your Zoho CRM application. This will help you effectively manage your appointments in one place. As mentioned above, we've covered the rescheduling action in a separate post, which you can access by clicking on the following link: Reschedule Action

Furthermore, we've outlined a method for automating appointment statuses in detail. You can use this document as a reference to explore the various possibilities that suit your needs.
 
If you have any questions or need assistance with your configuration, please email us at hello@zohobookings.com or support@zohobookings.com.

    • Recent Topics

    • What formula to use in computing total hrs and decimal hrss

      So , my data includes log im column , 2 breaks with 2 columns that says back and lunch and 1 column that says back and logged out. What formula should i use to be able to automatically have my total hours as I input time in each column? Thankyou

    • i cannot use <b></b> to bold the message in Creator C6!!!!???What?

      Dear experts and friends, Now Creator 6 blocking us from using <b></b> Anyone facing this issue? I faced it on Creator C6 Previously, it used to work. Now failed to work. Faint~ Seek guidance from everyone on how to bold the message. The super simple

    • Knowledge base: The nitty-gritty of SEO tags

      A well-optimized knowledge base with great SEO can benefit your company by allowing customers to find help articles and support resources using search engines. This enables customers to quickly and efficiently find the information they need without direct

    • Content Security Policy

      Is there a place in ZOHO CRM to add a Content Security Policy to allow for a call to a google.com map, from inside our current app? Or, how do I resolve the issue below?? jquery.js:1 Refused to load the script 'https://maps.google.com/maps/api/js?v=3.41&libraries=places&sensor=true&key=AIzaSyAyQzKeKSbLci4LwZhn9oXvtCkbUo1Ae4g&callback=map_loader'

    • Option to select location?

      As a business coach, I meet with clients at various public locations. I have two or three pre-determined locations that I meet at. I would like the client to choose the location when booking an appointment. Is there a way to do that with a single service, or is the best way to accomplish this by creating one service for each location offered?

    • Retainer invoice in Zoho Finance modlue

      Hello, Is there a way of creating retainer invoices in the Zoho Finance module? If not can I request this is considered for future updates please.

    • Unified WhatsApp Number Management in Zoho Desk and SalesIQ

      Dear Zoho Desk Support Team, We are currently utilizing both Zoho Desk and Zoho SalesIQ for our customer support operations. While both platforms offer WhatsApp integration, we are facing challenges due to the requirement of separate WhatsApp numbers

    • Provide a standard structure to your content using article templates

      Hello everyone, When multiple writers work on different documents, maintaining a standard structure can be challenging as each of the writer follows a different writing style. However, when the structure, tone, and format of every document is different,

    • How to update custom multi-user field in Zoho Projects?

      I'm trying to update custom multi-user fields in Zoho Projects via a Deluge function in CRM. The code I have so far is below. It works for updating standard project fields and single-line custom fields, but it does not work to update multi-user fields.

    • Accessibility Spotlight Series - 1

      Every user interacts with products differently, what feels intuitive to one may be challenging for another. Addressing this, accessibility is built into Zoho Project's design philosophy. This helps users navigate and perform actions with ease irrespective

    • Projects Tasks Not Showing Dependencies

      I'm clicking on tasks and the popup to add dependencies isn't showing. I can't disconnect the nodes either. For some reason when I slide a task backwards it says it cannot go before a predecessor, even though there is not predecessor. Double clicking

    • Deprecation of C4 endpoint URLs

      Note: This post is only for users who are still using the C4 endpoints. Hello everyone, At Zoho Creator, we're committed to continuously enhancing the security, performance, and capabilities of our platform. As part of this ongoing effort, we'll be deprecating

    • Introducing AWS authentication for connections in Deluge

      Hello everyone, We're incredibly excited to announce the all-new AWS authentication for connections in Deluge! This highly anticipated feature simplifies connecting to Amazon Web Services, opening up a world of possibilities and allowing you to seamlessly

    • Timeline Tracking Support for records updates via module import and bulk write api

      Note: This update is currently available in Early Access and will soon be rolled out across all data centers (DCs) and for all editions of Zoho CRM. The update will be available to all users within your organization, regardless of their profiles or roles.

    • Customize User Invites with Invitation Templates

      Invitation Templates help streamline the invitation process by allowing users to create customized email formats instead of sending a one-size-fits-all email. Different invitation templates can be created for portal users and client users to align with

    • ListObjects is recognized by VBA

      Sub addNewRow() Dim ws As Worksheet ' Set your worksheet name Set ws = ThisWorkbook.Sheets("Invoice") ' Set your table name (change "Table1" to your actual table name) ws.ListObjects("InvItems").ListRows.Add End Sub I am getting Unknown function: Li

    • KPI Widget dashboard select periods

      I have a problem with selecting periods as a user filter. In the beste scenario I would like to have to have a period filter like Google Analytics has of Datastudio (see attachment). In the KPI widget I "Group by "inquiry_date" on week&Year". It selects

    • Need a way to secure Prefill URLs in Zoho Forms (hide or encrypt prefilled values)

      Hi everyone, I often use Zoho Forms with prefilled URLs to simplify the user experience — for example: https://forms.zohopublic.com/.../form?Name=David&Amount=300 However, the problem is that all prefilled values are visible and editable in the link.

    • Can’t send emails from Zoho CRM after adding a new user — verification codes not received

      Hi everyone, We recently added a new user to our Zoho CRM account and purchased an additional license. Since then, we haven’t been able to send any emails from Zoho CRM. Our Zoho Mail accounts are working perfectly, we can send and receive emails directly

    • Can I add Conditional merge tags on my Templates?

      Hi I was wondering if I can use Conditional Mail Merge tags inside my Email templates/Quotes etc within the CRM? In spanish and in our business we use gender and academic degree salutations , ie: Dr., Dra., Sr., Srta., so the beginning of an email / letter

    • CRM for email in Outlook: how to ignore addresses?

      We’re using the "Zoho CRM for email" add-in for Outlook. When opening an email, the add-in displays all email addresses from the message and allows me to add them to the CRM or shows if they’re already contacts. However, sometimes people listed in To

    • Scheduling Calls in CommandCenter / Blueprints

      I would love it if you could add a function to schedule a call in the lead's record for a future date. I know you can add a Task by going to Instant Actions > Task and completing the form: These tasks go into the lead's record under Open Actions. But

    • Workflow Creation with Zia gets stuck

      It gets stuck here:

    • Quickly send emails and sync conversations with custom email addresses in CRM

      Editions: All editions DCs: All DCs Release plan: This enhancement has been released for customers in all DCs except IN and US. We will be enabling it for IN and US DC customers soon. [Update on 22 May 2024] This enhancement has been released for all

    • Zoho製品と生成AIツールの活用について

      いつもありがとうございます。 弊社では、Zoho Oneを契約し、CRMを軸として、見込み客の管理から商談、その後の受注や請求の管理、サポート業務（Desk）、業務データのレポーティング（Analytics）などを行っております。 Zohoサービス自体には、Ziaというツールが搭載されているかと存じますが、それ以外の外部の生成AIツールと連携した活用などもできるのでしょうか？具体的には、CopilotなどがZohoに登録されているデータや情報を見て、対話型で必要なデータを提示してくれたり、商談や蓄積されたメモなどを分析してユーザが知見を得られるような活用ができないか、と考えております。

    • Work with Contacts who use multiple Emails / Manage obsolete Email addresses without loosing Emails in Context

      Hello List Work with Contacts who use multiple Emails Only after 1 week in using Zoho CRM productively we have contacts which randomly use 2 different email addresses. From the concept I've understood that Zoho CRM offers two email fields which are recognized

    • New Field in CRM Product Module Not Visible in Zoho Creator for Mapping

      I created a new single-line field in the Products module in Zoho CRM. Zoho CRM and Zoho Creator are integrated, but the newly created field in CRM is not visible in Zoho Creator when I try to map fields.

    • Send WhatsApp voice messages from Bigin

      Greetings, I hope all of you are doing well. We're happy to announce this enhancement we've made to Bigin. Bigin's WhatsApp integration now supports audio messages, so you can record and send voice messages. This makes it easier to handle customer questions

    • Microsoft Teams now available as an online meeting provider

      Hello everyone, We're pleased to announce that Zoho CRM now supports Microsoft Teams as an online meeting provider—alongside the other providers already available. Admins can enable Microsoft Teams directly from the Preferences tab under the Meetings

    • I want to subscribe 1 professional user but the email only 250 per day?

      When I subscribe 1 professional user, I am only able to send 250 email per day? So less? Or is it typo, 2500 rather than 250? Any sale agent or friends can clear my doubt? Thank You

    • How to add a % Growth column for year-over-year comparison (2024 vs 2025)

      Hello, I am trying to build a monthly revenue comparison between 2024 and 2025 in Zoho CRM Analytics. My current setup is: Module: Deals (Affaires) Filter: Stage = Closed Won Date field: Closing Date Grouping: By Month Metrics: Sum of Amount for 2024,

    • How do you map a user picklist field to another user picklist field.

      In Zoho Projects, I'm trying to map a custom field (user picklist) in Task Details to a field (user picklist) in the Project Details. How do you get the two to map to each other? This is what I currently have that works for my other fields but doesn't

    • Explore Competitive 3D Scanner Prices at Protomont Technologies

      The genesis of Protomont Technologies emerged from the collaborative efforts of the founders in 2019, both the founders shoulder an enormous experience in the world of 3D Printing. Protomont Technology aims to craft your vision with creativity, empowering

    • New and improved API resources for Zoho Sign Developers

      Hello, Developers community! We know that for you, an API's real value depends on how quickly, easily, and reliably you can integrate the it with your application. That's why we're excited to talk about the recent improvements to our developer resources,

    • stock

      bom/bse : stock details or price =STOCK(C14;"price") not showing issue is #N/A! kindly resolve this problem

    • Project Approval Process Workflow

      Issue: When a new Project is created, there is lack of process/workflow that provides their manager a process to approve or review. Suggestion/Idea: Similar to “Workflow”, we need “Workflow” ability at Project level, where based on the criteria of the

    • Marketing Tip #5: Improve store speed with optimized images

      Slow-loading websites can turn visitors away. One of the biggest culprits? Large, uncompressed images. By optimizing your images, your store loads faster and creates a smoother shopping experience leading to higher sales. It also indirectly improves SEO.

    • Why can I not choose Unearned Revenue as an account on items?

      Hello, I do not understand why we don't have the ability to code an item to unearned revenue. It is not an uncommon situation to have in business. I understand that there is the Retainer invoice as an option, however that doesn't really work for us. Our

    • Form Submission Emails

      Is there a current delay with submission emails being sent? We've had 10-20 forms completed today but only a handful of emails.

    • Rules not working properly

      I created a rule to display certain fields on certain states. But it seems to be not working. It hides the fields even when I selected California, (which is a state that should show the fields when selected)

    • Next Page