Zoho CRM (older setup)

Connecting for the first time?

Use Connect with Zoho instead: approve once in Zoho, with no keys or webhooks to set up. This page is for accounts that already use the older setup.

Connect Zoho CRM and every new lead gets a WhatsApp welcome within seconds, while they are still interested. You can also message leads when they change, for example when their status moves.

Before you start

A Zoho CRM edition with workflow rules and webhooks, and admin access.
An approved WhatsApp template for the message, for example a welcome for new leads. See Create a WhatsApp template. Most templates are approved within 24 hours.
A phone number (with the country code) on your leads.

No keys are needed. Zoho CRM only has to send the lead's details to the URL on the Zoho CRM page.

Connect Zoho CRM

Open Zoho CRM in the app
In the left sidebar, click Integrations. Under CRM, find Zoho CRM and click Connect. The page has two steps: the message, and the URL to paste into Zoho CRM.
Zoho CRM needs no keys: pick the message, then copy the URL
Choose the WhatsApp message
Under Choose the WhatsApp message, pick a Template. Leave Send it to on Phone (or pick Mobile if that is where your leads' numbers are). Under Fill the variables, choose what fills each blank, for example First Name.
The message each new lead gets
Click Connect Zoho CRM
Click Connect Zoho CRM in the bar at the bottom, then copy the URL under Paste this URL in Zoho CRM.
Create the webhook in Zoho CRM
In Zoho CRM, open Setup, then Automation, then Actions, then Webhooks, and configure a new webhook:
- Method: POST
- URL to Notify: paste the URL you copied.
- Module: Leads (or Contacts).
- Body: choose Raw, type JSON, and write the body with these names. Insert each value with Zoho's field picker:
json
```
{
  "Phone": "(the lead's Phone)",
  "Mobile": "(the lead's Mobile)",
  "First_Name": "(the lead's First Name)",
  "Last_Name": "(the lead's Last Name)",
  "Email": "(the lead's Email)",
  "Company": "(the lead's Company)",
  "Lead_Status": "(the lead's Lead Status)"
}
```
The names on the left must be written exactly like this, with capitals.
Add a workflow rule
Open Setup, then Automation, then Workflow Rules, and click Create Rule. Pick the Leads module, run it On a record action when a lead is created (add conditions if you like, for example Lead Source is Website), and under Instant Actions choose Webhook and pick the webhook you just made. Save.
Check that it works
Create a test lead with your own phone number. On the Zoho CRM page in our app, open the Activity tab. You should see Sent, Message sent.

What you can put in the message

First Name, Last Name, Email, Company, Lead Status, Phone and Mobile, as long as your webhook body sends them under the names shown above.

Change, pause or disconnect

Change the message: make your change, then click Save changes at the bottom.
Pause: switch Active off on the right.
Disconnect: click the ⋮ button at the top right, then Disconnect, and confirm. Also switch off the workflow rule in Zoho CRM.

Zoho CRM webhooks are not signed, so keep the URL private.

If a message did not go out

What you see in Activity	What to do
Not sent, No phone number in the field you picked	The lead has no number in that field, or the body uses another name (for example `phone` instead of `Phone`).
Skipped, Already handled, the same event came in twice	The same lead data arrived twice within a minute. Only the first one sends.
Rejected, The data sent was not valid JSON	Check the webhook body for a missing quote or comma.

More fixes are in Troubleshooting.