Learn how to use Bigin's Developer Console to build toppings

Learn how to use Bigin's Developer Console to build toppings

Hey Biginners,

In our last post, we discussed what toppings are, why they're essential to extending Bigin's capabilities, and how the Bigin Developer Center serves as the starting point for building them. As a cloud platform, the Developer Center empowers developers with a dedicated space exclusively for creating and managing toppings, as well as publishing them to the Bigin Marketplace. Once they create their topping drafts in the Bigin Developer Center, developers can enter the Bigin Developer Console, which is where the actual development takes place.

The Developer Console provides all the resources needed for the entire development journey, from creating and automating to testing toppings before they go live. By using these features, you can create a unique topping that perfectly bridges the gap between Bigin and user-specific needs.


Now let's dive into each of the Bigin Developer Console's features for creating toppings.

Customization

When building a topping, you can include custom components from the Bigin Developer Console. These components range from simple fields to related lists that enable easier navigation through Bigin's user interface.

You can add custom fields in addition to the standard fields available in Bigin to handle your topping requirements. Using custom buttons and links can streamline actions in Bigin or integrate Bigin data with external URLs, applications, or systems. To establish a direct relationship between the records inside Bigin, you can use related lists.
For a step-by-step implementation guide to creating these custom components, please refer to the following links:
  1. Fields
  2. Buttons
  3. Links
  4. Related lists
  5. Widgets
Next, let's explore the Bigin Developer Console's automation features and incorporate them to adding more functionalities to your topping.

Automation features

The Bigin Developer Console offers features that automate repetitive tasks, simplify processes, reduce manual effort, and enhance user efficiency. You can incorporate automation features like workflows, schedules, functions, signals, and more.

A developer creating a topping to improve pipeline management in Bigin might seek to automate repetitive tasks, such as managing stages and assigning responsibilities. For instance, when a new deal enters the "Inquiry" stage in the Sales pipeline, the system promptly assigns it to an appropriate sales rep through an automatic owner assignment rule, which eliminates the need for manual intervention. Likewise, you can set a schedule to send automated email reminders to prospects who haven't responded within a week and define a signal that notifies users in real time when a recipient opens an email.

To learn more about how to implement these automation features in your toppings, check out our detailed implementation guide here. Alongside our automation features, we also enable developers to create custom functions using Deluge scripts.

Custom functions

The Bigin Developer Console enables developers to create custom functions using Zoho's Deluge scripting language. These functions serve to implement business-specific logic in toppings, and are invoked by other functions or components. They eliminate the need for manual repetitive tasks by enabling developers to define specific functions once and invoke them as needed.

Custom functions are categorized into two types: standalone functions and REST API functions.

Standalone functions are self-contained blocks of code that can be invoked from any part of the topping. They can also be invoked from other functions, which enables modular and reusable scripting. On the other hand, Bigin's REST API functions allow developers to expose Deluge code as an API endpoint, enabling external applications to invoke the custom logic hosted in the topping.

For a comprehensive understanding of custom functions, their types, and how to implement them, please refer to our Functions Guide.

While these features enhance the utilities of toppings and improve Bigin's native functionalities, there's another kind of feature that helps expand Bigin's capabilities by integrating it with other applications.

Connections

One sort of topping you may want to build is a connection that transfers data between Bigin and a third-party service. Connections simplify this integration process, ensuring seamless data exchange between applications. Once a connection is established, you can access authenticated data.

Preconfigured default services are available when you're creating a connection. For these services, developers only need to provide the connection details, select the necessary scopes from the available list, and establish the connection. If their preferred services aren't preconfigured, developers can create custom connections by providing service details and authentication credentials. In this case, understanding the authentication and authorization protocols these third-party applications follow is essential for successful integrations.

Consider a scenario in which a sales team wants to notify customers about the sales process by sending instant message notifications via Twilio. For example, when a deal advances to the Proposal Sent stage, Bigin can trigger an SMS notification via Twilio to provide the customer with proposal details. Similarly, when the deal status changes to Closed-Won, the system automatically sends a confirmation message from Bigin to update the customer about the deal's successful closure.

To implement this functionality, developers can create a connector to integrate Bigin with Twilio, as well as to include the logic necessary for sending the message. Also, by incorporating Bigin automation features like workflows, developers can set up triggers that execute functions when certain conditions are met. This streamlines communication, enhances customer satisfaction, and keeps customers informed throughout the sales process. For more information on creating and managing connections, please refer to our detailed guide.

While connections handle backend integrations to enable data exchange between Bigin and other applications, connected apps comes into play when you need an interactive way to engage with both internal data and data from external applications directly within the Bigin interface.

Let's see how Bigin's connected app functionality facilitates this interaction!

Connected apps

A connected app enables an external application to integrate with Bigin through an interface, which is a widget that enhances Bigin's functionality and provides users with a seamless experience in Bigin. You can design your own UI interface and have complete control over the widget.

For example, sales teams often need customers to sign contracts or agreements before closing deals. With a connected app, you can embed an e-signature widget like Zoho Sign directly into Bigin. This enables users to send documents for signatures, track their statuses, and receive signed copies—all without leaving Bigin.

Read here to learn how to build a connected app, create a widget, and embed it into Bigin's UI.

Once you've built all the custom components you need for your topping, you can test it out inside the Bigin Developer Center itself. Let's explore how!

Testing and publishing your topping

Testing ensures that the topping is working as expected, and is important to do before publishing. The Bigin Developer Console provides a sandbox environment wherein you can thoroughly test all your customization components, connections, widgets, and workflows.
Once testing is complete, you can publish the topping through either of the following methods:
  1. Private: Make the topping available to specific users.
  2. Marketplace: The topping becomes accessible to all Bigin users after being validated by the Marketplace approval team.
In the next post, we'll explore testing and publishing in detail and implement real-time use cases.

Stay tuned!

<< Previous                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Next>>

    • Recent Topics

    • Approve records efficiently: Useful enhancements to My Jobs module and Approval process in Zoho CRM

      Dear Customers, As you might know, approval process is a process automation tool that allows you to automate approvals in your organization and My Jobs is where you approve requests from a single point of view. Here's how you'd go about it: You’d add

    • Import Excel from email into CRM

      I receive a daily Excel file by email and I would like to have it automatically imported into a custom Zoho CRM module. Do you think there's anything that can be done? My first idea was searching for a native option in CRM, such as "send an email to a

    • Zoho Connect is now even smarter and more personalized

      Hello everyone, We’re excited to introduce new features and enhancements to help you personalize the employee experience, connect workplace knowledge with AI, and create more engaging dashboards. Deliver relevant dashboards with Audience With Audience,

    • Stop Zoho Projects From Automatically Adding Client Users

      I have a custom function that creates a Zoho Project for every Quote attached to a Deal when it moves to Closed Won. Everything works fine, except for the fact that connecting a Zoho Project to the CRM automatically takes the Contact associated with the

    • Global "Search" in FSM

      I'm missing the global Search function like in CRM. This should save us a lot of time. We don't now upfront if the customer is a Contact or a Company. So now we have to guess in what module to start a search/filter. Also looking up an address, phone number,

    • Canvas not working

      I have a canvas running. I selected it as the default for all options, but mainly want it for Portals. It isn't working. I selected Assign Canvas in both the Dtailed View and in the module itself. Nothing has happened. Any help?

    • LinkedIn RSC is now live in Zoho Recruit

      LinkedIn Recruiter System Connect (RSC) is here. Your Zoho Recruit data (candidates, jobs, notes, stage updates, resume attachments, and more) now syncs with LinkedIn in real time. Note: LinkedIn RSC is included with your LinkedIn Recruiter Corporate

    • Add the Zoom Option to the Camera

      Hi, I use the ZOHO Forms Camera so I can manage metadata, compression, etc. but this doesnt have the zoom parameter activated, so when we have photos in a tight space and want to use 0.5 for example, we can't, can this be enabled please. Thanks Dan

    • The Social Wall: July 2026

      Hello everyone! We're halfway through the year, and we bring to you three new updates designed to help you experiment with your content, discover your top-performing posts, and automate your engagement workflow. Instagram Trial Reels Instagram trial reels

    • What's New in Zoho Invoice | April – June 2026

      Hello everyone! We're back with the latest updates and enhancements we've rolled out in Zoho Invoice from April to June 2026. Here's what's new this quarter: Connect Zoho Invoice to AI Using Zoho MCP Customize Accessibility Preferences Attach Annexure

    • Help with SEO

      Hi There, I have recently published a site and added some Keywords in the SEO settings. Searching Google I currently don't find my site though. When do these settings take effect? In the SEO settings there is also a section "Sitemap" I can change settings for "frequency" and "Priority" What do these settings do? Kind regards

    • Transform your line of items into line items: ICR can now record your table values as subform values

      Enhancement in Zoho CRM Dear Customers, We hope you're well! Zia Vision’s ICR capability can now recognize, extract, and store tabulated values in your subforms. An ideal example is a university application form. It has printed fields and handwritten

    • All new Address Field in Zoho CRM: maintain structured and accurate address inputs

      Availability Update: 29 September 2025: It's currently available for all new sign-ups and for existing Zoho CRM orgs which are in the Professional edition exclusively for IN DC users. 2 March 2026: Available to users in all DCs except US and EU DC. 24

    • Data Export is forcing Creation/Modified date just like reports

      The data export now forces you to select a created or modified date. There is not an All-Time option. This severely cripples the whole function of data export for audit purposes. If the data export (or reports for that matter), requires a date, there

    • HR Helpdesk Cases

      We have Zoho One Enterprise. I'm trying to find HR Helpdesk Cases, but my UI does not match the documentation. I'm not sure how to move forward.

    • Zoho Books Placeholder: Inventory Counts

      I was hoping to figure out how to find the placeholders for inventory counts by item. We use Location based inventory tracking, so I dont know if that affects things. I want my PDF and Printed PICK LISTS to show the Quantity Available to Pick. I have

    • Undocumented Books API error message - 1000 - The requested action could not be completed. Please try again. | Unexpected error

      This code sometimes throws this error 1000 - The requested action could not be completed. Please try again. | Unexpected error What does it mean? result = zoho.books.updateRecord("salesorders",organization.get("organization_id"),salesorder_id,sales_

    • Reporting Tags and COGS

      Is there any way to get COGS recorded against reporting tags? The use cases seems very straightforward to me. If I'm running a P/L report against a specific reporting tag (I use mine for customer type, but it could be used for regions, etc.), the revenue

    • Please critique my CRM design

      I run a disability healthcare business with 2 business units. We run on Zoho One and are re-designing our CRM. We have developed the design concept ourselves, and I am hoping to get some critical feedback: 1) Noting that this is an early design of the

    • CRM x WorkDrive: We're rolling out the WorkDrive-powered file storage experience for existing users

      Release plan: Gradual rollout to customers without file storage add-ons, in this order: 1. Standalone CRM 2. CRM Plus and Zoho One DCs: All | Editions: All Available now for: - Standalone CRM accounts in Free and Standard editions without file storage

    • Error in Batch Details Stock Reportt

      I am a new user of zoho inventory. When extracting batch details stock report as of dec 2025, the report takes into account transactions that happen this year. Thus causing discrepancies when comparing with Stock Report. Is this a global error? Can zoho

    • Invoice template, how to change the text under "Notes" and "Terms and Conditions"

      In "Invoice templates", there are two text/info sections at the bottom:"Notes" and "Terms and Conditions". It is possible to change the names of these two headings, but how is it possible to change/alter the text under it. As a standard it says "Thank you for your business" under Notes - I need to change it into something different- How? Thank you.

    • Zoho Commerce B2B

      Hello, I have signed up for a Zoho Commerce B2B product demo but it's not clear to me how the B2B experience would look for my customers, in a couple of ways. 1) Some of my customers are on terms and some pay upfront with credit card. How do I hide/show

    • Need complete Zoho Commerce theme ZIP example and safe staging workflow

      I want to build a complete custom Zoho Commerce storefront through Edit Code, including: • Global header and footer • Responsive homepage • Category, search and filter pages • Product cards and product-detail pages • Cart and checkout wrapper • Mobile

    • Conflict with Google Sheets

      While I was working on a google sheet in Firefox, I suddenly started getting an error dialog in Google sheets: "Loading issue. Troubleshoot this issue by clearing application resources". It then says to clear cookes etc. etc. which didn't help. Disabling

    • What is a realistic turnaround time for account review for ZeptoMail?

      On signing up it said 2-3 business days. I am on business-day 6 and have had zero contact of any kind. No follow-up questions, no approval or decline. Attempts to "leave a message" or use the "Contact Us" form have just vanished without a trace. It still

    • Add Large Lists to Choice-Based Field Rules

      Hi, The new Large List is good, but you can't then use the Choice-Based Field Rules with it to limit the Group Choices or Choices? Thanks Dan

    • Auto-fill from logged-in user's profile for Name Fields in Subforms

      Hi, The Name field is great, but I see you can't tick the Initial Value option of "Auto-fill from logged-in user's profile" when it is on a Subform, why not? Thanks Dan

    • [Free webinar] Creator Tech Connect – Creator product updates (Part 1), August 2026

      Hello everyone, We are excited to invite you to another edition of the Creator Tech Connect webinar. About Creator Tech Connect The Creator Tech Connect series is a free monthly webinar comprised of pure technical sessions, where we dive deep into the

    • Is there a way to show contact emails in the Account?

      I know I can see the emails I have sent and received on a Contact detail view, but I want to be able to see all the emails that have been sent and received between all an Accounts Contacts on the Account Detail view. That way when I see the Account detail

    • Mail Id’s backup

      Dear Zoho Team, Kindly share the backup of my all mail id’s associated with Zoho account. Thanks, Saurabh Sharma +91 8851066915

    • Recurring Events Not Appearing in "My Events" and therefore not syncing with Google Apps

      We use the Google Sync functionality for our events, and it appears to have been working fine except: I've created a set of recurring events that I noticed were missing from my Google Apps calendar. Upon further research, it appears this is occurring

    • Stock Based Sort-by option in Category Pages

      In a category page product with In-Stock should come in the top of the categories product list rather than out-of-stock products. No having this option is extremely disappointing, I made the initial request about 7 months ago but still not even an update

    • Stock based sort-by option

      I have more than 300 products in a category with out of stock items count of 150. The out of stock items are coming on top of the category product page list, is there a way to show the in-stock items on top of the list & move the out -of stock items in

    • Out of Stock items showing in Commerce

      I have over 6000 items and most are not in stock, but all items are showing up in Commerce whether they are inventory or not. What option or feature can you use to hide items in Commerce at zero or negative quantities? I currently am using Commerce for

    • Creating Email template that attaches file uploaded in specific field.

      If there's a way to do this using Zoho CRM's built-in features, then this has eluded me! I'm looking to create a workflow that automatically sends an email upon execution, and that email includes an attachment uploaded in a specific field. Email templates

    • What's New in Zoho Billing | July 2026

      July brings a new set of updates to Zoho Billing to make your billing operations more efficient. These include a redesigned checkout experience, expanded Hosted Payment Page capabilities, compliance improvements, enhanced reporting, and more. Enhancements

    • Zoho CRM Community Digest - July 2026 | Part 1

      Hello everyone, July is here! The first two weeks brought six CRM updates ranging from privacy-ready webforms to a significantly more powerful Layout Rules engine, two community wins worth a look (a dashboard workaround for spotting leads with no activities,

    • Zoho CRM - Email/Message icon for Deal List View

      Hi Team, My idea is to include a message icon at the start of the row of Deals when an unread message has been received. This would really help highlight the Deals where urgent action is required. Thanks for considering this request. Regards, Ashley

    • Email notification for followers

      Is there a way to enable email notification for followers of a support ticket? ie: Ticket #123 is owned by Agent#1, Agent#2 adds themselves as a follower. Whenever ticket #123 receives an email from the customer, Agent#1 receives an email. Agent#2 would

    • Next Page