Zoho CRM Digest - April 2024

Zoho CRM Digest - April 2024



Welcome to April, the season of blooming trees and blossoming flowers! As nature comes alive, so does our community. Dive into this month's digest to explore vibrant discussions and exciting announcements. 

Zoho CRM product updates:

Email-related enhancements in Accounts and Deals modules in CRM:

  • We're excited to unveil a highly anticipated feature in Zoho CRM: the ability to send emails directly from the accounts module. The email composer in Accounts module now offers quick suggestions for related contacts' email addresses, and makes it possible to access attachments and email templates specific to the Accounts module. Additionally, in the Deals module, email addresses of "contact roles" linked to the deal record will now be provided as quick suggestions. Explore the announcement for more details.

Resolve Conflicts during Deployment in Sandbox:

  • This announcement introduces notable upgrades to Zoho CRM's Sandbox, specifically targeting conflict resolution and some UI enhancements. Users can now swiftly access comprehensive conflict details right from the "Check Dependency page" and resolve issues directly from there. These updates aim to streamline the deployment of sandbox changes to production accounts, tackling common pain points such as missing associated items, duplicate name conflicts, and developer-user association conflicts. For more details, refer to the announcement post.

Introducing Zia Notes Summary: 

  • Introducing Zia Notes Summary, a new feature in Zoho CRM that offers users quick summaries of their CRM notes. This feature is particularly beneficial when navigating through numerous notes or requiring a concise overview of details captured in the notes section. This update provides two summaries: "Overall Summary" for a bird's-eye view of all notes on a record, and "Last Note Summary" for the most recent update. For a deeper dive into the new feature, check this announcement.

Multiple Kanban Views per Module: 

  • Previously, users were limited to one Kanban view per module, necessitating edits for different categorisations. Now, with the latest update, multiple Kanban views are supported, enabling effortless switching between views. The ability to expand and collapse stages in the card view enhances its compactness. Deal stages can be updated swiftly via drag-and-drop functionality, and stage-specific records can be created directly from the Kanban view. Moreover, access permissions can be set to control viewing and editing privileges for each Kanban view. Additionally, pipeline selection will be persisted until the user changes it, an option that was requested by many community members previously[Ref]. Check out this announcement for full details.

Add Tasks to Zoho CRM Calendar: 

  • We're excited to announce that the option to add tasks to the CRM calendar, a much-awaited feature requested by the community, has now been implemented. With this, you get daily and weekly views of CRM tasks in the Calendar, allowing you to easily keep track of your tasks right alongside your meetings and calls. Additionally, you can switch between single and multi-user views to manage tasks effectively and, create tasks directly from the calendar. For more details and resources related to this release, check out this Idea post.

Useful Discussions: 

  • @Felipe Salomão de Sousa Vale wanted to auto-format the phone numbers by removing special characters and spaces, including the country code if not present, and prefixing phone numbers with only 11 digits with the  "+" symbol. @Bhoomi Joshi and @Rodger Brehau provided the required suggestions for formatting the phone numbers using Functions. Check the post to learn more. 

Sales duo performance tracking:

  • @Bas van den Berk brought up an interesting sales report requirement. Every prospect is assigned to a pair of consultants. They wanted to add a matrix-like component to their dashboard to track the performance of sales duos based on the number of clients they have successfully closed, and to visualize the data to quickly identify the most successful duos. @Anonymous User suggested using a "Heat map" chart as it makes it easy to identify the top performing sales-duos at a glance. Discover the details in this post.

Multi-product purchase tracking at the Account level: 

  • @Ashley was reviewing an old post on tracking multiple product purchases by the same Account. While a Subform based solution was already suggested, @Max Tyack proposed an alternative approach using a custom module and lookup fields, which Ashley welcomed. Max also confirmed that Ashely's additional requirement for auto-updating prices across records can be achieved with either approaches using Workflows and Functions. Check out @Max Tyack's response in this post for further details.

Functions:

  • @Alejandro wanted to automatically capitalize the first letter of each word in a contact's information for all fields, regardless of how users enter it. @Rodger Brehaut shared the Deluge code to be associated with a workflow, which runs when the record is edited. Check this post for the code.

Execute Function only for select deal stages:

  • @Chris wanted to run a Function based on a deal's stage and needed to know how to best exclude select deals stages. @Hugh Marshall and @Bhoomi Joshi came up with different approaches to solve the same need, each, creating a list of stages to avoid and validating if the active deal is is not on that stage list. Check the code they shared in this post.

Automating Quote Management: 

  • @Coen | Heative mentioned that their sales process involves sending multiple quotes to customers, with only one being accepted. Once a quote is marked as "Won", they would like the other related quotes for the contact record to be automatically updated to "Lost". Check the solution proposed by @Ishwarya in this post, which includes a code snippet to be associated with a workflow to meet this requirement.

UpdateRecord Success: 

  • @David Shaw uses an updateRecord call in a Function, triggered by a clicking a button, and wanted to check whether the response indicates a success or failure. They provided a simple code for this requirement, with @Bhoomi Joshi and @Anonymous User making the necessary tweaks to get it to work. Check this post for the working code.

Auto-updation of deal stage:

  • @Benjamin wanted to update the deal stage to "Scheduled" automatically whenever a new meeting is added to a deal record in Zoho CRM. @Anonymous User shared theFunction code to achieve this. Check this post for the code.

Optimize CRM storage by automatically moving or deleting attachments:

  • @Anthony observed that their users were adding multiple attachments to a custom module, which significantly increased the CRM storage usage. They were looking for a way to automatically delete attachments or move them to Zoho WorkDrive when a field's status is set to certain criteria. Check out the solution posted by @Hugh Marshall, complete with code, in this post to achieve this.

Calling Functions linked to a Workflow: 

  • @David wanted to know if there's an efficient way to call a Function running within a Workflow from another similar Function without exposing the first Function via API. @Nicolas Donoso provided the solution: call the first Function using the automation namespace in the code. Check this post for the solution and sample code.

Dev's Corner:

  • @Felipe wanted to show an alert during the deal creation stage if a specific field is duplicated, without blocking the deal creation process. @Hugh Marshall suggested using Client Script, and @Anonymous User provided a detailed explanation including sample Client Script code, to prompt users about duplicates while allowing them to proceed and save if needed. Check this post for the solution. 

Real-time Dropdown popup for CRM field update during deal Creation: 

  • @Javier Molina wanted to open a popup with a dropdown list for users to select an option and pass it to a CRM field in real-time during deal creation. Check this post for Subash Kumar's Client Script code that fulfils this requirement.

Best practices for handling large record sets:

  • @David sought best practices for handling large record sets, especially when iterating over more than 200 records at once. Multiple community members shared their solutions, with @Kiruthiga recommending the use of the COQL API to determine the total record count. Additionally, she provided helpful tips and sample code for effectively handling large data sets. Jump into the post for detailed answers. 

Filtering recent calls by date and time: 

  • @Paul de Geode encountered difficulties retrieving calls made in the last week, particularly in filtering records by date and time using the V2 API. @Christoph Wenzel and others offered workarounds, recommending either the use of V6 API or COQL to address the issue. For more details, check out this post.

Naming variables in Deluge scripting:

  • Big shout out to @Rodger Brehaut for sharing invaluable insights on naming conventions for variables in Deluge scripting based on their type! Rodger suggests opting for descriptive names over generic ones like "response," making future code easier to understand and work with. Read this post to learn more. 

Kaizen: 

  • This post discusses self-client and server-based clients in Zoho CRM. Check out this post for videos and detailed explanations, along with suggestions for further reading to see how they're applied using Java SDKs.

Kaizen #134 - Manipulating Rich Text Field (RTF) using Zoho CRM APIs: 

  • Want to understand the ins and outs of working with Rich Text Field (RTF) and how to manipulate RTF using Zoho CRM APIs? Look no further than this post.


Thanks for taking the time to read this month's round-up. Keep tabs on the digest every month for the latest ideas and discussions. Stay tuned and engage in the Forums to be included in the upcoming month's digest. Have a wonderful month ahead!


    • Sticky Posts

    • How to reach the official Zoho Support channels and avoid fake ones.

      Dear Customers, Thanks a lot for choosing Zoho! Our applications are built to help achieve your day-to-day business goals. We are committed to engaging with you, to understand and develop solutions that enhance your productivity.  We are happy and ready to help you use our services effectively. Understanding and avoiding fake support Just like using popular bank names and financial applications for phishing purposes, using Zoho and claiming to be providing Zoho Support or services with false numbers

    • Function #35: Close all tasks associated with a lead and create a new task.

      Welcome back everyone! Last week, we learnt how to close all tasks of a deal depending upon the deal stage. This week, let's look at a custom function that lets you close all of the tasks associated with a lead while simultaneously creating a new task, like when you need to halt all progress towards a lead while the lead is not available at the moment but create a reminder task. Business scenario: The success of a company, in one way or another, is determined by the leads it gets. Each lead is just

    • Zoho CRM Webinar - Redesigning Daily User Experiences with Canvas

      <br> Your users across roles use the CRM for day-to-day tasks that are necessary. Whether they perform their tasks on time, the right way, or at all depends on a lot of factors, including User Experience. Many businesses struggle with rigid layouts,

    • Join us at the Canada ZUG Meetup: What’s New in Zoho CRM

      Hello Zoho Community! Start your year with fresh insights into Zoho CRM’s latest updates and tools. Whether you're a CRM beginner or a experienced user, this meetup is crafted to help you optimise your processes and leverage new features. Explore practical

    • CRM Hack #2: Automate sending of birthday greetings to your customers.

        Hello everyone! What sets you apart as a sales person is your ability to add that personal touch to your business relationship with your customers. Sending a gift on a special day, or leaving a note wishing them on their birthdays, are small, yet significant actions that show your customers that you care. And these are actions done without any expectations :) You must be engaging with a lot of customers and it is highly unlikely that they all are your friends on Facebook or some social channel,

    • Recent Topics

    • Zoho Calender

      a) does the clanender in zoho project allow you to see the name of the event in the celnder view, it currently says either "Task (1) or "Milestoen (1)" b) Alternatively does the calender in Zoho project integrate with zoho calender?

    • Matching ZOHO Payments in Banking

      Our company has recently integrated ZOHO Payments into our system. This seemed really convenient at first because our customers could pay their account balance by clicking on a link imbedded in the emailed invoice. Unfortunately, we can't figure out how

    • New Enhancements to Zoho CRM and Zoho Creator Integration

      Hello Everyone, We’ve rolled out enhancements to the Zoho Creator and Zoho CRM integration to align with recent updates made to the Zoho Creator platform. With enhancements to both the UI and functionality, This update also tightens access control by

    • Work Type - Limitation

      Hello, I'm setting up work types and have noticed, a limitation on the parts area to 10 lines. Can this be increased to 20 or greater? In addition to this, when I attempt to add the work type to a work order, the correct labour hours doesn't flow through.

    • Locked out of MFA due to changing phones

      I have been locked out of my Zoho Books account since i changed my mobile phone over. I can get the OTP through the ZOHO Books software but i cant confirm using my phone app as nothing appears to authorise. I need to know how to register/set up my new

    • Emails sent through Bigin are not posting in IMAP Sent folder

      I have set up my email to work from within Bigin using IMAP.  I am using IMAP so I can sync my email across multiple devices - phone / laptop / desktop / iPad / etc.  I want all my emails to populate my email client (outlook & iphone email) whether or

    • Turning the page for Zoho SalesIQ: 2025 to 2026

      As we wrap up 2025, we would like to take a moment to reflect on what we set out to achieve this year, what we’ve delivered, and where we’re headed next. What we focused on in 2025 This year was all about strengthening the core of engagement and AI, making

    • Temporary Outage in Zoho Cliq Affecting US Users – July 23, 2025

      We experienced a service disruption in Zoho Cliq that impacted core functionality for users in the US region. The issue occurred between Jul 23, 2025, 06:54:00 PM IST and 07:13:13 PM IST, lasting approximately 19 minutes. To restore service stability,

    • Zoho Cliq not working on airplanes

      Hi, My team and I have been having this constant issue of cliq not working when connected to an airplane's wifi. Is there a reason for this? We have tried on different Airlines and it doesn't work on any of them. We need assistance here since we are constantly

    • Create an Eye-Catching Announcement Widget for Your Help Center

      Hello Everyone! In this week’s edition, let’s explore how to keep your customers updated with exciting news in the Help Center. See how ZylkerMobile wowed their customers by bringing updates right to their portal. ZylkerMobile, the renowned brand for

    • Customer Management: #6 Common Mistakes in Customer Handling

      Managing customers doesn't usually fall apart overnight. More often, slight gaps in the process slowly become bigger problems. Incidents like missed follow-ups, billing confusion, and unhappy customers will lead to revenue loss. Many businesses don't

    • Zoho Desk iOS app update: UI enhancement of picklist and multi picklist fields

      Hello everyone! We have enhanced the UI of the picklist and multiselect picklist fields on the Zoho Desk iOS app to provide a more refined, efficient, and user-friendly experience. We have now supported an option to Search within the picklist and multiselect

    • Zoho Desk iOS app update: Revamped scribbles with Apple pencil kit

      Hello everyone! We’re excited to introduce a revamped Scribble experience, rebuilt from the ground up using Apple PencilKit for smooth strokes, proper scaling, and seamless image uploads. Please update the app to the latest version directly from the App

    • Zoho Desk Android app update: Norwegian language support

      Hello everyone! In the most recent Android version of the Zoho Desk app update, we have brought in support to access the app in Norwegian language. We have introduced the Norwegian language on the IM module of the Zoho Desk app as well. Please update

    • Payment Vouchers

      Is there any Payment Vouchers in Zoho? How can we create payment for non-trade vendors, i.e. professional fees, rent, and payment to commissioner income tax?

    • When I click on PDF/PRINT it makes the invoice half size

      When I click PDF / Print for my invoice in Zoho Books, the generated PDF appears at half size — everything is scaled down, including the logo, text, and layout. The content does not fill the page as it should. Could someone advise what causes Zoho Books

    • Search by contain letter in a column

      Hello, everyone I need a filter function that searches by letter in a cell, and it should be a macro. To clarify further, if I have a column with several names and I chose a search cell and what I want is search by a single letter, for example, "a" then

    • Enrich your contact and company details automatically using the Data Enrichment topping

      Greetings, I hope you're all doing well. We're happy to announce the latest topping we've added to Bigin: The Data Enrichment topping, powered by WebAmigo. This topping helps you automatically enhance your contact and company records in Bigin. By leveraging

    • Can add a colum to the left of the item in Zoho Books?

      I would need to add a column to the left of the item column in Books. When i create custom fields, i can only display them to the right of the item.

    • Verifying Zoho Mail Functionality After Switching DNS from Cloudflare to Hosting Provider

      I initially configured my domain's (https://roblaxmod.com/) email with Zoho Mail while using Cloudflare to manage my DNS records (MX, SPF, etc.). All services were working correctly. Recently, I have removed my site from Cloudflare and switched my domain's

    • AI Bot and Advanced Automation for WhatsApp

      Most small businesses "live" on WhatsApp, and while Bigin’s current integration is helpful, users need more automation to keep up with volume. We are requesting features based on our customer Feedbacks AI Bot: For auto-replying to FAQs. Keyword Triggers:

    • 2025 Ask the Experts sessions wrap-up : Key highlights from the experts

      Here is a rewind journey of our Ask the Experts (ATE) Sessions, where we brought you expert insights and practical best practices together in one place. This recap highlights the key takeaways, learnings, and best practices from all these sessions so

    • How to disable the edit option in subform

      How to disable the edit option in subform

    • Move record from one custom module to another custom module

      Is it possible to create a button or custom field that will transfer a record from one custom module to another? I already have the 'Leads' module used for the Sr. Sales department, once the deal is closed they convert it to the 'Accounts' module. I would like to create a 'Convert' button for a custom module ('Locations') for the department that finds locations for each account. Once the location is secured, I want to move the record to another custom module called 'Secured Locations'. It's basically

    • Notes Not Saving

      Hello,  My notes are continuously not saving.  I make sure to save them, I know the process to save them.  It is not operator error.  I go back into a Leads profile a while later and do not see the previous notes that I have made.  I then have to go back and do unnecessary research that would have been in the notes in the first place.  Not a good experience and it is frustrating.  Slows me down and makes me do unnecessary work.  Please resolve.   As a quick heads up, deleting cookies is not a fix

    • Prefill form with CRM/Campaigns

      I created a form in zForms and created prefill fields. I added this to the CRM and selected the fields so when sending from the CRM, the form works great. However, I want to use the same form in Campaigns and I want it to pull the data from CRM (which

    • Triggering a campaign automation from a Form

      I used Forms to create a lead form that is accessed by a button on my website. The field information flows into the CRM. However, I am trying to figure out how to use Campaign automations to start a workflow (series of campaign emails) that is triggered

    • Employee Appraisal Applicability - Why is Date of Joining Hard-Coded?

      In the new (to me, at least) Performance Appraisal Cycle wizard, it's possible to set criteria to determine for whom the appraisal process should apply. This makes sense on its face. However, one MUST use the Date of Joining criterion as a filter. Why

    • Formula fields

      Zoho People now supports formula fields. This post illustrates it. Formula fields are fields whose value is calculated instead of being entered by the user. Using this, number, decimal and date manipulations can be done. The value of this field could be numeric or date depending on the output of the formula. In date manipulations, the result will be given in milliseconds, which you can format as per you need. The operators we support are +, - , *, /. Formula fields get recalculated automatically

    • Zobot operator information

      I am working on a zobot that calls a plug to send data to our API. I want the response data from that API to be shown only to the operator and not the customer. I have tried writing this data out to the visitorCity field but nothing gets updated on the

    • Copy paste from word document deletes random spaces

      Hello Dear Zoho Team, When copying from a word document into Notebook, often I face a problem of the program deleting random spaces between words, the document become terribly faulty, eventhough it is perfect in its original source document (and without

    • Is it possible to use module field filters via URL parameters?

      It would be really convenient if I could quickly link to a filter. For reference, this is the filter functionality I'm referring to: https://help.zoho.com/portal/en/kb/crm/customize-crm-account/advanced-filters/articles/advanced-filters For example: My

    • Transitioning FESCO Bill Project to Zoho Sheets and Integration Options

      Hello Zoho Support, I'm considering transitioning my FESCO bill project from Google Sheets to Zoho Sheets and wanted to know if there are integration options to seamlessly migrate our existing work. You can view our platform here, any guidance would be

    • Credit card

      Coming from another software, is it possible here to typically have credit card payment off, but independently per customer, click a box (possibly on the invoice when I go to to send) allowing that 1 allowed customer credit card payment, NOT ALL of my

    • Lightbox Pop-up form

      I would like to embed my form using the lightbox pop up. I don't want it to load automatically. I want it to load when some clicks the button. I can see this option, however when I use the "show pop-up launch button" on the website, the button automatically

    • Lightbox Pop-up form

      I would like to embed my form using the lightbox pop up. I don't want it to load automatically. I want it to load when some clicks the button. I can see this option, however when I use the "show pop-up launch button" on the website, the button automatically

    • Connecting Portals from different Zoho apps

      Hi, I note that Zoho has functionality for customer portals for several of the Zoho apps, like CRM, Projects, Desk etc. Is there any way to connect these portals?  It would be great if we could give our customers access to a portal in which they could

    • Customer Management: #5 Never Let the Customer Slip

      When Rahul started Knight's Watch Consulting, his focus was simple: deliver good work and keep clients happy. He offered one-time consulting projects, monthly advisory retainers and usage-based support for growing clients. Business was steady, and customers

    • Deluge date time issue

      The deluge function info zoho.currentdate.toString("MMM/YYYY") returns Dec 2026 instead of 2025

    • Zoho Projects Android and iOS app update: Mobile device permission based on user profiles

      Hello everyone! We have brought in support for mobile device permissions based on the user profiles which are configured in organization level. Administrators can now configure the permissions on the web app(projects.zoho.com) by following the steps mentioned

    • Next Page