Zoho CRM Integration

Connect your AI sales assistant to Zoho CRM so it can create and manage leads, deals, and contacts directly — no human hand-off. The assistant runs CRM operations on its own, keeping your sales pipeline and customer records up to date.

At a glance

You need	Where	Result
A server-based app	Zoho Developer Console	Client ID + Client Secret
Credentials pasted in	MyChatBot → Integrations → Zoho	Client ID + Client Secret saved
Access approved	Zoho sign-in screen (opens after Submit)	Assistant linked to your CRM; tokens filled in automatically
Entities + fields toggled	Entities & Data Fields Configuration	Lead, deal, and contact actions available to the assistant

Connect in 4 steps:

1. Create a Server-based Application in the Zoho Developer Console and copy its Client ID / Secret.
2. Enable Multi-DC for the app.
3. In MyChatBot, pick your assistant, paste the Client ID and Client Secret, click Submit, and approve access on the Zoho screen that opens.
4. Toggle the entities/fields your assistant may use, then Apply fields.

App creation on Zoho

1. Log in to your Zoho CRM account as an administrator and open the Zoho Developer Console.
2. Click Add Client.
3. Select Server-based Applications.

4. Fill in the required information:
   • Client Name: MyChatBot Integration
   • Homepage URL: https://app.mychatbot.app
   • Authorized Redirect URIs: https://app.mychatbot.app/integration
   • Description: AI assistant integration for Zoho CRM

5. Click Create to generate your client credentials.
6. Copy the Client ID and Client Secret.
7. Check the box to allow Multi-DC.

Creating the integration on MyChatBot

In the app

Go to Integrations → select your assistant → find Zoho → Connect. Direct link: app.mychatbot.app/integration?integration=Zoho

1. Open the Integrations tab in your MyChatBot dashboard.
2. Select the assistant you want to connect to Zoho CRM.

3. Scroll down to find Zoho in the integrations list.
4. Click Connect.
5. Provide the following credentials:
   • Client ID: from your Zoho developer console
   • Client Secret: from your Zoho developer console

6. Click Submit. You are taken to Zoho's sign-in screen; approve access for the app.
7. Zoho sends you back to MyChatBot, which fetches the Access Token and Refresh Token itself. They then show as read-only fields in the form; you never paste them.

Entities & data fields configuration

After connecting your Zoho account, choose which entities and fields your assistant can access. This is the Entities & Data Fields Configuration panel — "select the entities and their fields you want the assistant to fill."

1. In the Entities & Data Fields Configuration section, you can:
   • Toggle Use Leads to enable lead management.
   • Toggle Use Deals to enable deal management.
2. For each entity type, select:
   • Standard fields from Zoho CRM.
   • Custom fields that exist in your CRM.
3. Click Apply fields to save your configuration.
4. Click Sync statuses in the Funnel Status Sync section to pull your Zoho statuses, and run it again whenever you change them in Zoho.

Every field you enable here becomes something the assistant is allowed to fill on that record. Turn a field off and the assistant leaves it alone.

In the app

The Phone Lead/Deal/Entity Settings below the field list let you mark phone as required for leads (Lead Phone Required) or deals (Deal Phone Required) — useful when your team can't work a record without a number.

Understanding entity types

Zoho integration supports two entity types you can switch on:

• Leads: potential customers who have shown interest.
• Deals: sales opportunities with associated contacts and products.

Contacts are not a separate entity in the configuration: the assistant creates them as part of its lead, deal and contact actions.

Field types

Each entity has two types of fields:

• Standard fields: default fields provided by Zoho.
• Custom fields: user-defined fields specific to your CRM setup.

Special fields

Several special fields require specific attention:

1. Lead status / stage
   • For leads: represents the current stage in the lead pipeline (e.g., "New", "Contacted", "Qualified").
   • Must match exactly with the statuses defined in your Zoho account; use Sync statuses to pull the current list.
2. Lead source
   • Identifies where the lead originated.
   • Automatically set to AI- + the name of your assistant.
   • Helps track which leads came from your AI assistant.
3. Description / Chat Link
   • Automatically populated with a link back to the conversation.
   • Lets your team review the AI conversation that generated the lead/deal.
4. Closing date
   • Required for deals in Zoho.
   • Must be provided in a valid date format when creating deals.

Working with custom fields

Zoho lets you create custom fields for specific business needs:

1. When your assistant needs a custom field that doesn't exist yet:
   • MyChatBot creates it automatically, as a text field.
   • Zoho limits how many custom fields a module can have. Once that limit is reached, Zoho refuses new fields; the value is not saved, and the assistant is told the field limit was exceeded. Nothing is shown in the app.
2. To store dates, numbers or choices with their proper type, create the field in Zoho yourself and tick it in the field configuration.

Zoho gotchas

Field names and status values must match your Zoho pipeline exactly, including case — a mismatched status fails silently against your pipeline. Auto-created fields count toward Zoho's own custom-field limit per module; once it is reached, new fields are no longer created, so prioritize which fields matter most.

What your assistant can do

After connecting Zoho CRM and enabling entities, your assistant can take these CRM actions on its own during a conversation. Every field you selected in Entities & Data Fields Configuration is available for the assistant to fill.

Action	What the assistant does	When to enable it
Create a lead	Adds a new lead (full name required, plus phone, status, and any custom fields you enabled). Source is auto-tagged to your assistant and a chat link is attached. If no Zoho contact has that phone number yet, a contact is created as well (it is not linked to the lead).	Turn on Use Leads to capture new prospects automatically.
Update a lead	Edits an existing lead — name, phone, status/stage, or any enabled field values.	Turn on Use Leads to move prospects through your pipeline.
Create a deal	Opens a new deal with a contact (full name, phone, and closing date required; amount and custom fields optional). Finds or creates the contact by phone and the account by name, tags the source, attaches a chat link, and updates the matching lead if one exists.	Turn on Use Deals for buying-intent conversations.
Add a contact	Records a person's details (full name and phone required) without opening a lead or deal.	Available whenever Zoho is connected; there is no separate toggle.

The assistant chooses the right action for the moment based on your instructions — you don't wire anything up beyond enabling the entities and fields above.

Guiding the assistant in its instructions

You steer these CRM actions from your assistant's instructions in plain language. The assistant picks the right action automatically; you just describe when and with what.

In the app

Edit these in your assistant's setup under its instructions/prompt. Open your assistant from app.mychatbot.app and add the guidance below.

Creating leads

When a new customer contacts us, create a lead in Zoho with:
- Their full name
- Phone number
- Set status to "New"
- Add any additional information they provide to custom fields

Updating lead status

When a customer shows increased interest:
1. Update their lead status to "Qualified"
2. Add notes about their specific interests

When a customer requests more information:
1. Update their lead status to "Contacted"
2. Add details about what information they requested

Creating deals

When a customer is ready to make a purchase:
1. Create a deal with their contact information
2. Include their full name and phone number
3. Set the closing date to 7 days from today
4. Add the deal amount based on their product selection
5. Include any special requirements in custom fields

Managing contacts

When gathering customer information:
1. Record the customer's contact details
2. Capture their full name and phone number
3. Inform them that their information has been recorded

Best practices

1. Lead status progression — move leads through your pipeline logically:
   • New leads start with "New" status.
   • Progress to "Contacted" after initial conversation.
   • Move to "Qualified" when specific criteria are met.
2. Data completeness — encourage your assistant to collect:
   • Complete contact information (name, phone, email).
   • Specific needs or requirements.
   • Timeline for the purchase decision.
3. Deal creation timing — create deals when:
   • The customer shows clear buying intent.
   • Specific products/services have been selected.
   • Pricing has been discussed.
4. Custom field usage — use custom fields for:
   • Industry-specific information.
   • Customer preferences.
   • Special requirements.
   • Source of referral details.

Troubleshooting

1. Authentication issues
   • Check that the Client ID and Client Secret belong to the app whose redirect URI is https://app.mychatbot.app/integration.
   • If authentication fails, disconnect Zoho, submit the credentials again and re-approve access on the Zoho screen.
2. Field creation limits
   • If auto-creation reaches the field limit, prioritize which fields are most important.
   • Consider reusing existing fields for multiple purposes with clear formatting.
3. Data mapping problems
   • Ensure field names match exactly between your assistant instructions and Zoho CRM.
   • Check for case sensitivity in field names.
4. Date format issues
   • Use standard date formats for the closing date (YYYY-MM-DD).
   • For future dates, use clear relative instructions in your assistant setup.

See also

• Integrations overview