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Demo

Integrations

Zoho CRM integration with telephony and your contact center

We connect Zoho CRM to CONTACT.WORK through the Zoho CRM REST API during implementation. An incoming call brings up the matching lead or contact with its account and open deals, and the finished call is logged in Zoho CRM with the recording, outcome, and an AI summary.

Get a quotePricing
REST APIZoho CRM's official interfaceData flows in both directions
3 modulesleads, contacts, and dealsPlus accounts and custom modules if needed
New leadfrom an unknown callerNumber, source line, and inquiry filled in
PhoneBridgecalls inside the Zoho CRM interfaceOption three, built as a separate stage

Capabilities

What you get with Zoho CRM

Lead or contact on the first ringThe platform searches Zoho CRM leads and contacts by phone number and shows the agent who is calling, their account, and deals in progress.
Calls logged on the recordA finished call becomes a Zoho CRM call linked to the lead, contact, or deal, with call type, duration, result, the recording, and a short recap from AI.
New leads without retypingAn unknown caller turns into a Zoho CRM lead from the agent form, with the number, source line, and inquiry already in place.
Messages on the same recordChats and emails from CONTACT.WORK attach to the same Zoho CRM record, so the full history of each customer sits in one place.

Options

Three ways to work with Zoho CRM

Choose by where people spend their day. A sales team that lives in Zoho CRM and a support team that works from a queue can each get their own setup.

Zoho CRM opens on the caller

As the call rings, the agent's browser opens the lead or contact that matches the number. For a first-time caller, Zoho CRM opens a blank lead with the number and dialed line filled in. Sales reps keep working the way they already do, and the phone follows the record.

  • Lead and contact lookup by number
  • A prefilled lead form for new callers
  • The record follows a transferred call
Option 1 of 3

We'll choose the option with you after discovery.

How it works

Included whichever option you pick

Customer history

Every touchpoint on the Zoho CRM record

Open a lead, contact, or deal and see each call with its result and recording, along with the chats and email that came through CONTACT.WORK. When a call is missed, the platform can create a follow-up task for the record owner in Zoho CRM.

  • Recordings one click away
  • Optional Zoho CRM task when a call goes unanswered
  • An AI summary on each call

Owner routing

Calls reach the lead or deal owner

Each Zoho CRM record has an owner. The platform reads it and rings that person first, so a returning customer talks to the rep who already knows them. If the owner is busy or off shift, the call moves to the team queue.

  • Owner taken from Zoho CRM
  • The queue as a fallback
  • Agents dial straight from a Zoho CRM record

Setup

How a Zoho CRM project runs

  1. 01DiscoveryWe review your Zoho CRM edition, modules, custom fields, layouts, and Blueprint stages, and agree on what agents see during a call.
  2. 02AccessYour Zoho CRM administrator registers a client in the Zoho API Console or authorizes our connection, with the scopes we agree on.
  3. 03DevelopmentOur engineers connect the Zoho CRM REST API to your modules. PhoneBridge, if you go with it, is added in a later stage.
  4. 04MappingWe pair agents with Zoho CRM users, match phone lines to lead sources and teams, and agree on which records a call creates.
  5. 05TestingWe run test calls – a new caller, a known contact, a transfer, a missed call, a call outside business hours – and review what landed in Zoho CRM, in a sandbox if your edition has one.
  6. 06Go-liveAgents switch to the Zoho CRM workflow after training, and during the first week we match CONTACT.WORK reports against the call records in Zoho CRM.

Requirements

What you need on the Zoho CRM side

Zoho CRM edition
The edition you use now – API limits depend on the edition and the number of users
Access
An administrator who can authorize API access with the agreed scopes
Sandbox
Recommended for testing, if your edition includes it
Telephony
The carrier and numbers you have today, over SIP
Where the platform runs
CONTACT.WORK hosting or your own data center
Cost
Custom development: $60 per hour on Pro, minimum 8 hours a month, or Maxi hours; Zoho bills for Zoho CRM licenses

Preparation

What to prepare for a Zoho CRM meeting

Which Zoho CRM edition do you run?The edition affects API limits and if a sandbox is available for testing.
Do callers start as leads or contacts?Some teams log every new caller as a lead first, others go straight to contacts and deals.
Who maintains Zoho CRM?Your administrator or a Zoho partner – we'll settle API access and field changes with whoever runs your Zoho CRM.
What should agents see?Lead status, account, deal stage, last activity – whatever helps in the first seconds of the call.
What does a call create?Only a call record, or also a new lead, deal, or follow-up task.
Is another phone system connected today?If Zoho CRM already works with a different phone system, we plan how to switch it over without losing call history.

Q&A

Frequently asked questions

How do you connect telephony to Zoho CRM?

Through the Zoho CRM REST API. Zoho CRM isn't covered by an off-the-shelf connector, so our engineers fit the integration to your modules and fields during implementation. Your carrier keeps your numbers, and they reach CONTACT.WORK over SIP.

Can our reps keep working inside Zoho CRM?

With PhoneBridge, Zoho CRM's framework for phone integrations, calls can pop up and be dialed inside the Zoho CRM interface. We build that connection as a separate project, and calls still run through CONTACT.WORK queues and routing.

Do custom modules and fields work?

They can be part of the project. We list the modules and fields during discovery and agree on what is read and what is written before development starts.

Can Zoho CRM records feed outbound campaigns?

A list of leads or contacts from Zoho CRM can go into an auto dialer campaign, with each result written back to the record. Dialing follows consent rules and your do-not-call lists and happens only in the calling hours you set.

Auto dialer →

What about call recording notices?

Several states, such as California, Illinois, and Washington, require every party to agree to recording. CONTACT.WORK can open each call with a short recording announcement. Check with your counsel which rules apply to you.

What happens if we move off Zoho CRM?

Your phone setup doesn't depend on the CRM. Numbers, queues, IVR, and reports keep working in CONTACT.WORK; we just connect them to the CRM you switch to.

What do sales managers see?

CONTACT.WORK shows the live side – who is talking, how many callers are waiting, which calls were missed – and lets a manager listen in or whisper to a rep. Zoho CRM keeps the call records, so reports and dashboards there can count calls by owner, lead source, or deal stage.

Do we have to pause Zoho CRM during rollout?

Zoho CRM keeps working throughout. The integration connects through OAuth with the agreed scopes and writes only the records we've mapped. We test in a sandbox when your edition has one, then switch phone lines team by team.

Which Zoho CRM edition do we need?

We work with the edition you have. API limits depend on the edition and the number of user licenses, so during discovery we compare them with your expected call volume. Confirm that your Zoho CRM edition comes with API access.

How much does the Zoho CRM integration cost?

Zoho and CONTACT.WORK charge for different things. The platform itself runs on your support plan, and the Zoho work is extra. Our engineers bill for the Zoho CRM integration in developer hours: $60 an hour on Pro if you buy at least 8 hours a month, or time taken from Maxi, which includes 40 hours. After discovery you get a scope estimate, and work starts when you approve it. CONTACT.WORK doesn't charge for licenses or seats, and every price we list excludes applicable taxes. Zoho bills you for Zoho CRM user licenses – confirm that your edition comes with API access.

Pricing →

Glossary

Terms on this page

CRM – customer relationship management
Where a company keeps its customers, deals, and full communication history. Learn more →
API (application programming interface)
The way programs exchange data with each other without a person in the loop. Learn more →
Customer record
The screen of customer data an agent sees during a conversation. Learn more →
REST: exchanging data between systems over HTTP
The standard way software exchanges data over the internet. Learn more →
IVR (interactive voice response)
A phone menu: the caller hears a greeting and picks the right department. Learn more →
Call recording
Calls are saved so they can be replayed and disputes settled. Learn more →
SIP (Session Initiation Protocol)
The protocol that sets up calls in IP telephony. Learn more →
Hosting
You rent a server from a provider instead of buying one. Learn more →
Data center
A building with servers, backup power, cooling, and network links. Learn more →
Connector
A prebuilt module that links the platform with telephony, a CRM, or another system. Learn more →
Whisper coaching
Supervisor coaching that only the agent can hear. Learn more →

More

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Blog

Fresh from the blog

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