Effortlessly advance through your CRM blueprints by including optional fields in transitions

Effortlessly advance through your CRM blueprints by including optional fields in transitions



Editions: Professional edition and above
DCs: All
Release plan: This enhancement is being released in a phased manner to customers. It will soon be available to all users.
[Updated on 5 Sep 2024] This enhancement has been released to all users in all DCs.

Hello everyone,

Blueprints streamline processes and ensure users adhere to required steps by guiding them through each stage. To maintain compliance, users must enter required information to progress in a blueprint. You can learn more about blueprints from our tutorial.

The case for optional fields

While blueprints ensure that processes are followed strictly, they can run into issues in some scenarios. For example, in the lead qualification process:
  • A sales development rep (SDR) needs to gather details such as company size, budget, and other factors in order to qualify a lead.
  • An account executive (AE) will pick up where the SDR left off and delve deeper to discover specific needs, pain points, decision processes, and more.
Customers aren't restricted by processes like SDRs and AEs are, and they may share specific pain points and other details directly with SDRs. This presents a dilemma to admins when designing blueprints; should they make these fields mandatory for the SDR? If yes, how should the SDR proceed in cases where this information isn't available?

To address this issue, admins have had to use workarounds, such as adding extra fields with layout rules and implementing multiple transitions. This made blueprints harder to configure, maintain, and use.

Use optional fields to enhance your blueprints

CRM blueprints can now include optional fields in stage transitions, allowing for more flexibility in meeting various process needs (like the one mentioned above).

In our example, admins can simply make those fields optional for the SDR.

Some sample use cases are as follows:
  • Users can complete detailed feedback fields in ticket resolution processes if the customer is willing to provide information.
  • Users can gather additional task details—such as estimated time, priority level, and dependencies—in task management blueprints.
  • Users can record preferences and additional information in registration processes. These could cover accessibility requirements, motivations for participation, areas of interest, and more.
  • Order fulfillment blueprints can include fields related to order consolidation, if multiple orders are being combined into a single shipment.
To do this, go to a blueprint's transition form and mark the appropriate fields as optional or mandatory based on your needs. Previously, every field in the transition form was mandatory.



Users can then proceed to the next stage even if the optional fields aren't filled.

You can mark the following items in the blueprint's transition form as optional:
  • Fields from the primary blueprint module and related modules
  • Checklist items

  • Notes, tags, and attachments

  • Other fields added under Associated Items, like tasks, meetings, etc.

In addition, a Save as Draft button has been added to the transition form to help transition owners manually save completed fields and continue later where they left off.

Moving notes, tags, and attachments

We've also introduced a new change whereby notes, tags, and attachments are now accessible in relevant locations within the UI. This update will also pave the way for future improvements as we consolidate them all under the "Add" button menu.
  • Tags will be available when you click the + Add button.
  • Notes and attachments will be available under + Add > Associated Items.


FAQ
I've marked a field as optional, but it's still shown as mandatory for transition owners. Why?
Whether a field in a transition form is marked as mandatory or optional depends on the following:
  • Whether the module field is mandatory or not
  • Whether a layout rule is marking a field as mandatory or not
  • Whether it's set as mandatory in the blueprint transition setting
If at least one of these is mandatory, then the field is marked as mandatory.


We hope you find this new update useful. As mentioned before, this is being released in a phased manner and it will soon be available to all users. Do share your feedback in the comments section below.

Thanks!

    • Recent Topics

    • What are the OAuth scopes needed to access the Zoho MCP server?

      I think I'm authenticating with the MCP server endpoint successfully using a bearer token but I can't successfully initialize an MCP session. I'm using the official MCP Python sdk (https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/python-sdk). I get as far as here

    • cant upload images in signature- urgent help needed. ta!

      HI, I have been trying to insert the company logo in the signature. i have tried it several times since yesterday, the longest I waited was 1 hour and 12 minutes for the pop up window to upload a 180 KB .jpg file. what am i doing wrong..  an urgent reply will be appreciated,  Ta

    • Account blocked for IMAP use

      Hello, My email client (Evolution) can't sync mail anymore. It gives the error: "Your account is temporarily blocked for IMAP use. This may happen if you exceed the maximum number of simultaneous IMAP connections allowed. Kindly try again after some time."

    • Is SMTP included in the free plan?

      My client has a Zoho Mail Free 14 day trial that ends tomorrow. She has set up a domain email address with SMTP on a third party app and is wondering if it will continue working once her plan downgrades to the free forever plan. Thanks

    • Zoho mail issue.

      I have verified my domain ohhoexpress.online by adding necessary TXT and MX records. But when I am sending email to any external email id, it is showing as zohomail.com. Also while I am sending mail to internal mail id, it is saying user not found whereas

    • Zoho reply to not working. just reply to my self

      Hello. i using on my wordpress website a contact form from Wsform. i can set the reply to email there. normally it works. but since i am using your wordpress plugin zoho mail it doesn`t work. its not using the reply to (email from customer). I just can

    • My email is blocked from sending

      I get this message when I try to send any message .. > Unable to send message, Reason 554 5.1.8 Email Outgoing Blocked We have urgent emails to send and the issue continues to persist from yesterday. Please help us with this issue as soon as possibl

    • [WEBINAR] Smooth year-end closure with Zoho Books (KENYA)

      Hello there, This webinar is for all Kenyan businesses looking to wrap up their financial year smoothly! Join our free session to learn how Zoho Books can simplify your year-end process. What to expect from this webinar: - All the latest updates in Zoho

    • cannot recieve or send emails

      we are not recieving or cannot send emails.Shows sysytem error

    • Zoho Sites - contact us form

      I have added a contact us form to my website. I wanted to change the layout so I deleted the section of Contact Us form. When I again try to add the section of Contact Us form, it shows error that "This form already exists on this page."  I am unable

    • switching from POP3 to IMAPI do I need to change settings in Web email?

      hi so I am using Outlook with My Zoho mail, also have Verizon email /AOL. they no longer support POP3 and said imapi is much better, so I want to switch my ZoHo to imapai. I googled and it said i need to change it in my account....i looked at my account

    • What functionality is new in the Z025 Spaces UI dashboard compared to the previous Zoho One dashboard?

      My company is interested in creating a revamped dashboard this coming year, and are trying to weigh different platform options. The new Spaces UI is said to be a more "feature-rich" dashboard experience than the previous. Could a developer please explain

    • Collections Management: #5 Convenience on Offer, using Self-Checkout

      "Is this the right page? Oh, now, it wants my address again. Why am I being redirected?" These were the exact thoughts running through Karan's mind as he tried to subscribe to an application he genuinely liked. He clicked "Buy Now", expecting a quick

    • Uploading a signed template from Sign to Creator

      Good day, Please help me on how to load a signed document back into Creator after the process has been completed in Sign. Below is the code that I am trying, pdfFile = response.toFile("SignedDocument_4901354000000372029.pdf"); info pdfFile; // Attach

    • Tip #50- A Closer Look at the Unattended Access Dashboard- 'Insider Insights'

      Having complete visibility and quick access to everything you need certainly makes managing multiple remote devices a lot easier, and that is precisely what the Unattended Access Dashboard in Zoho Assist is designed to offer. Once you go to the Unattended

    • 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.

    • Tip of the Week #75– Manage your social media messages from a single shared inbox.

      Are you tired of jumping between apps or browser tabs to reply to your business's Facebook and Instagram DMs? Handling customer messages on social media might seem simple, but switching between multiple platforms can easily lead to lost messages, duplicate

    • Zoho Map integration tasks have changed - you need to "Locate all instances of Zoho Map integration tasks in your Deluge scripts by searching for the v1 marker... before 16 January 2026"

      The Zoho Map deluge integration task has been changed (as at 21 October 2025) to provide a more structured, JSON-like response. This change affects all three Zoho Map integration tasks (Geocode, Reverse Geocode, and Distance Between). More details can

    • Using files from Zoho CRM in Gemini/ChatGPT/Claude

      Hi all, I’ve got subscriptions to Gemini and a few other AI tools which I use for tasks like data enrichment, email composition, etc. In our workflow, we often receive various documents from clients — such as process workflows, BRDs/requirement documents

    • Zoho Analytics & Zoho Creator - Modified Time value

      I'm trying to use the Zoho Creator system field 'modified time' in Zoho Analytics, but it's consistently showing 12 hours 'out' In Zoho Creator In Zoho Analytics Is this a constant difference that I just need to correct with a timezone change - or is

    • Zoho CRM - Option to create Follow-Up Task

      When completing a Zoho CRM Task, it would be very helpful if there was an option to "Complete and Create Follow-Up Task" in the pop-up which appears. It could clone the task you are closing and then show it on the screen in edit mode, all the user would

    • Portal For Different Apps

      I found some older threads on this but didn't see anything very recent. I'm new to Zoho One so forgive me if my terminology is off a bit. I was hoping set up a single point of entry into Zoho One. So, many of the apps could be found in one single place

    • Calls undetected

      Zoho Voice records indicate my last call ended at 6:00 PM. All incoming and outgoing calls occurred between 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM.

    • Unable to Select Authenticated Domain as Sender

      We’ve already authenticated our domain, but it’s still not appearing in the sender list when we try to run a campaign. Could you please check what might be causing this issue?

    • Introducing WhatsApp integration in Bigin

      Greetings! In today's business landscape, messaging apps play a significant role in customer operations. Customers can engage with businesses, seek support, ask questions, receive personalized recommendations, read reviews, and even make purchases—all

    • Zoho Projects - Show Task List as dropdown field on Task records

      Hi Project's Team, I noticed today that there is no field on a task record related to the task list it belongs to. A dropdown would be helpful for quickly moving tasks between lists while in a task. I know that you can go to "Other Actions" and choose

    • My followed tickets extension is not working under the All departments view

      Hi. I've installed the My followed tickets extension. However, when I try to open the extension under the all departments view, I get the following message: 'Sorry, this extension is not supported in the All Departments view.' How can I solve this p

    • Ticket Time Entry to Timesheet

      The title just about sums it up. I have searched here and not found anything relevant, but If I overlooked, then please set me straight.  We have staff that do nothing but close tickets in desk all day long. These tickets represent their timesheet. Is there a way to have this information sync or for a tech to go into their timesheet themselves and sync it with their tickets of the same timeframe?? We waste a ton of time doing timesheets and the old "Clock in/Clock out" isnt detailed enough for us!!

    • Calls undetected.

      The call is not showing on the call log.

    • Calls undetected

      Zoho is not reading calls made.

    • Multi-currency and Products

      One of the main reasons I have gone down the Zoho route is because I need multi-currency support.  However, I find that products can only be priced in the home currency, We sell to the US and UK.  However, we maintain different price lists for each. 

    • Missing information data Zoho inventory

      there some missing data in Zoho inventory connection. pick list stock counts bin location we have requested it via mail and the support team doesn’t gove feedback. has anyone achieve to get these info or to ask other ya les

    • Calendar Events Issues

      Not able to view scheduled events on my calendar

    • Your Incoming has been blocked and the emails will not be fetched in your Zoho account and POP Accounts

      Can some on help me regarding our account . thank you so much

    • Extensions 101 webinar series: Build, integrate, and monetize with extensions

      Attention developers! Are you ready to take your extension development skills to the next level? We're excited to bring back the Extensions 101 webinar series with an expanded lineup of Zoho products and an introduction to more platform features. Last

    • Custom Related List Inside Zoho Books

      Hello, We can create the Related list inside the zoho books by the deluge code, I am sharing the reference code Please have a look may be it will help you. //..........Get Org Details organizationID = organization.get("organization_id"); Recordid = cm_g_a_data.get("module_record_id");

    • Where are recordings stored?

      I have hosted a couple of test meeting, used the "record" button to start and stop the recording but I am unable to find where are those recordings saved?  Can anybody help? Thanks

    • Zoho Desk's integration with Microsoft PowerBI delivers advanced analytics insights

      Hello everyone, Gaining advanced insights through reports and dashboards is one of the critical requirements of every business. In addition to key metrics tracked in Zoho Desk, such as agent performance, SLA adherence, and ticket lifecycle, businesses

    • Create static subforms in Zoho CRM: streamline data entry with pre-defined values

      Last modified on (9 July, 2025): This feature was available in early access and is currently being rolled out to customers in phases. Currently available for users in the the AU, CA, and SA DCs. It will be enabled for the remaining DCs in the next couple

    • IMAP error message in Zoho mail

      I cannot send emails today. Everything fine for years until today. Get a message: "You are yet to enable IMAP for your account. Please contact your administrator". Does anyone know how to correct this?

    • Next Page