Get Started with Messaging on Zoho

Admin Guide

It will take less than 5 min to start sending SMS from your Zoho CRM. Follow these integration steps,

Setup

Step 1: Install the “Text Messaging Cloud” App from Zoho Marketplace or with this link

Step 2: Accept terms and continue.

Step 3: Choose user/profiles which can access Text Messaging Cloud App

Step 4: After successful installation, Text Messaging Cloud automatically adds Send SMS button, Send Bulk SMS button on Leads and Contacts Object. Text messaging Cloud provides a WhatsApp-styled Conversation view viz., Conversations Web Tab to handle multiple conversations at a go.

Step 5: You will be able to find the conversations tab by clicking three dots after Marketplace on the top navigation. Let’s make it quickly accessible by creating a tab group and your required modules along with Conversations Web Tab

Step 6: It’s now time to connect Text Messaging Cloud App with messaging pipe to enable sending and receiving messages. Follow instructions mentioned in conversations Web Tab,

1: Visit Messaging Cloud Web App https://app.crm-messaging.cloud
2: Signup with your official email
3: Move to the Integration Gateway module on the left-hand side and select Zoho
4: Connect Text Messaging Cloud App with this CRM and fetch contacts and lists.

5: Go back to Zoho CRM and refresh the Conversation Web Tab once you see the successful connection on Web App.

You are done and ready to send SMS from your Zoho Account. You are given 10 free message credits and a phone number. Note that this setup has added Send SMS button, Send Bulk SMS Button on Leads, and Contacts Modules Conversation Web Tab on your Zoho CRM. This will be explained in the below section on how to use these features.

Also, upgrade to a paid user at just the cost of credits and phone number. No license fee, No contract, and No credit card. We tie up with top messaging providers to deliver your messages and standard SMS rates and phone number rates will be charged only. No extra fee. More details – Pricing Page

To send SMS from other modules(for eg. Accounts), simply add Send SMS button on the Zoho module. 

Go to Setup -> Links and Buttons -> Add new button -> Add a button name -> Place button on List View (Mass Action Menu) -> Select custom action as “Invoke a URL” -> Add URL “https://app.crm-messaging.cloud/index.php/Zoho/smsSend?phone=${Accounts.Phone}&orgid=${Organization.Organization Id}”  and Save-> You are done.

Go to the Account module, you will be able to see the button on account selection and trigger SMS to Accounts.

Step 7: Now, let’s configure SMS logs – a record of incoming and outgoing texts associated with a lead, contact or custom modules with below configuration

Configure SMS Logs as Related list on Lead Module

1. Open any lead record detail view and click on add a new related list at the bottom
2. Now choose “Functions” to add contextual SMS records related to lead
3. Create a new function
4. Give any name for the function, display name, and description
5. Paste below code in code editor

record = zoho.crm.getRecordById("Leads",lid.toLong());
phone = record.getJSON("Phone");
phone = encodeUrl(phone);
data1 = invokeurl
[
url :"https://app.crm-messaging.cloud/index.php/Zoho/recordTest?phone=" + phone + "&token=" + token
type :GET
];
data = "<record>";
data = data + "<row no='0'><FL value='From'>From</FL><FL value='To'>To</FL><FL value='MSG'>MSG</FL><FL value='Log'>Log</FL><FL value='Date'>Date</FL></row>";
i = 1;
for each newdata in data1
{
data = data + "<row no='" + i + "'><FL value='From'>" + newdata.getJSON("from") + "</FL><FL value='To'>" + newdata.getJSON("to") + "</FL><FL value='MSG'>" + newdata.getJSON("msg") + "</FL><FL value='Log'>" + newdata.getJSON("log") + "</FL><FL value='Date'>" + newdata.getJSON("date") + "</FL></row>";
i = i + 1;
}
return data + "</record>";

6. Click on Edit Arguments and map lid with lead id and token with zoho token

 7. Click Save and Save your related list by giving a name like SMS logs

You will now get all SMS logs in the related list mapped on each lead.

Configure SMS Logs as Related list on Contact Module

1. Open any Contact record detail view and click on add a new related list at the bottom
2. Now choose “Functions” to add contextual SMS records related to contact
3. Create a new function
4. Give any name for the function, display name, and description
5. Paste below code in the code editor

record = zoho.crm.getRecordById("Contacts",lid.toLong());
phone = record.getJSON("Phone");
phone = encodeUrl(phone);
data1 = invokeurl
[
url :"https://app.crm-messaging.cloud/index.php/Zoho/recordTest?phone=" + phone + "&token=" + token
type :GET
];
data = "";
data = data + "FromToMSGLogDate";
i = 1;
for each newdata in data1
{
data = data + "" + newdata.getJSON("from") + "" + newdata.getJSON("to") + "" + newdata.getJSON("msg") + "" + newdata.getJSON("log") + "" + newdata.getJSON("date") + "";
i = i + 1;
}
return data + "";

6. Click on Edit Arguments and map lid with contact id and token with zoho token

 7. Click Save and Save your related list by giving a name like SMS logs

You will now get all SMS logs in the related list mapped on each contact.

For setting up Send SMS and Bulk SMS Buttons on different fields and modules, use the below code.

Go to Settings => Links & Buttons => Choose your module =>New Button => Name your button => Place your button => Choose Writing Functions as action

and name your function and add below code in code editor

getSettings = invokeurl
[
url :"https://app.crm-messaging.cloud/index.php/Zoho/getConfiguration?token=" + token
type :GET
];
settings = getSettings.getJSON("config");
record = zoho.crm.getRecordById("Leads",cid.toLong());
if(settings == "phone" || settings == "")
{
phone = record.getJSON("Phone");
if(phone == "" || phone == null)
{
phone = record.getJSON("Mobile");
}
}
else if(settings == "mobile")
{
phone = record.getJSON("Mobile");
if(phone == "" || phone == null)
{
phone = record.getJSON("Phone");
}
}
else
{
phone = record.getJSON("");
}
phone = encodeUrl(phone);
uri = "https://app.crm-messaging.cloud/index.php/Zoho/smsSend?phone=" + phone + "&orgid=" + orgId;
openUrl(uri,"new window");
return "";

Make sure to replace Leads with your custom module and with your field name where you store your mobile number.

For more such customizations, drop an email to [email protected].

Enjoy all messaging on an inbox view. You are done configuring Messaging on your Zoho CRM.

User Guide

Send and Receive SMS

To send a message, you simply go to record on Leads or Contacts and select a record and click on Send SMS button. You will send an SMS. Note: you may select multiple records also and send to all records SMS at a go.

Track all conversations in Conversation View

Use the power of responding to many customers and prospects at a go with the WhatsApp-styled Conversation view.

Send Bulk SMS

Sending SMS to multiple records at a go can be done by selecting either records or creating a list and sending to all list members.

Send SMS to selected records

Select a list of records on leads module and click on Send SMS button. Note: You can select up to 100 records only and hence you can send up to 100 people SMS only. This limitation goes away in list bulk SMS.

View all incoming and outgoing SMS on the records detail view

After configuration of SMS logs as a related list, you will be able to see all SMS incoming and outgoing on records detail view. This provides a holistic 360-degree view of all interactions with lead or contact.

Send Marketing Campaign and blast to List and track responses 

To send SMS to your list of records for eg. to all people who have purchased a product, sending an offer on SMS goes by creating a list of product purchasers first and then choosing that list for triggering SMS.

1. Select Send Bulk SMS button on Lead Module and that takes you to Messaging Cloud Web App.
2. Now give a name to your campaign
3. Select audience from list
4. Choose your list name from the dropdown
5. Compose your message with tokens, templates, emojis and send or schedule your campaign
6. Track campaign analytics on the dashboard with key marketing metrics

Note: Make sure you have fetched all lists and contacts from Integration Gateway

Send Automated SMS

Text Messaging Cloud enables you to send SMS via Webhook. Go to workflow and define your trigger and choose action as webhook for sending SMS. For eg. to send welcome SMS on lead creation go to Workflow, then create a trigger on all lead creation and choose action as webhook.

Now choose instant action as webhook and create a simple POST request to Messaging Cloud.

How to create a webhook?

Simply follow these steps,

1. Give a name to your webhook for eg. Welcome SMS on Lead Creation
2. Add Notify URL “https://app.crm-messaging.cloud/index.php/Zoho/Webhook”
3. Method is “POST” request type and authorization type is general 
4. Add description (optional)
5. In body, choose option – Form data and add module parameters are mandatory to process webhook. “message_to” parameter to reference phone number on module and zoho_token to refer zoho token field on textmessagingcloud in standard format
6. Add your message content in message_body parameter in user-defined format
7. Click and save.