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Workflow Rules

You can automate tasks such as sending emails, updating fields, and triggering webhooks or functions by creating workflow rules in Zoho Books. The workflow rule executes automatically once the conditions are met.

Scenario: John wants to automatically send a thank-you email with discount coupons to customers after they make a purchase. For this, he sets up a workflow rule in Zoho Books so that whenever a customer completes their payment, the rule triggers the email alert, and an email is sent automatically, saving time and effort for John.

Create a New Workflow Rule

To create a new workflow rule:

  • Go to Settings in the top right corner.
  • Select Workflow Rules under Automation.
  • Click + New Workflow Rule in the top right corner.

Name Your Workflow

In the New Workflow Rule pop-up, fill in the following fields:

  • Workflow Rule Name: Enter a name for the workflow rule.
  • Description: Add a description if necessary.
  • Module: Select the module for the workflow rule from the dropdown menu.
  • Click Next.

Choose When to Trigger

Under WORKFLOW RULE EXECUTION CONDITION, select the Workflow Type to specify how and when the workflow should be triggered:

Event Based

The workflow will be triggered immediately when a specific action occurs on a record. Select the Action Type that triggers the workflow rule:

  • Created: The workflow will be triggered when a new record is created.
  • Edited: The workflow will be triggered when an existing record is edited.
  • Created or Edited: The workflow will be triggered when a record is created or edited.
  • Deleted: The workflow will be triggered when a record is deleted.
  • Submitted: The workflow will be triggered when a record is submitted for approval.
  • Approved: The workflow will be triggered when a record is approved.
  • Rejected: The workflow will be triggered when a record is rejected.

If you choose Edited or Created or Edited as the Action Type, fill in the following fields:

Execute the workflow when: Choose the condition that determines when the workflow should be triggered based on actions taken on the fields:

  • When any field is updated: The workflow will be executed when any field in the selected module is updated.
  • When any selected field is updated: Select up to three fields. The workflow will be executed whenever any of the selected fields are updated.
  • When all selected fields are updated: Select up to three fields. The workflow will be executed only when all the selected fields are updated.
  • Any selected field is not updated: Select up to three fields. The workflow will be executed if any of the selected fields are not updated.
  • All selected fields are not updated: Select up to three fields. The workflow will be executed only if none of the selected fields are updated.

Note: Execute the workflow when and Execute when the record is fields will only appear when the Action Type is set to Edited or Created or Edited.

Execute when the record is: Choose when the workflow should be triggered based on how often the record is edited:

  • Edited for the first time: The workflow will be executed only the first time the record is edited after it is created.
  • Edited each time: The workflow will be executed every time the record is edited.

Date Based

The workflow rule will be triggered on a specific date or relative to a date field in a record. For instance, 3 days before the invoice due date.

Note: Date based workflows will be executed only for records that are created or edited after setting up this workflow.

Fill in the following fields:

  • Date of Execution: The date at which the workflow will be triggered. You can choose to trigger the workflow on any number of days before or after a date field in the record.
  • Execution Time: Choose the exact time at which the workflow rule should be triggered.
  • Execution Cycle: Choose the frequency at which the workflow should be triggered. The following options are supported: Once, Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Yearly.
  • Click Next after entering the required details.

Add Criteria

You can use criteria to ensure the workflow runs only when specific conditions are met. To add criteria:

  • Click + New Criteria to create a new criteria for the workflow rule.
  • In the right sidebar, click Yes to add criteria or No to skip.
  • Select a field, the comparator, and enter the necessary value.
  • Click + Add Criterion or + to create additional criteria if necessary.
  • If you add multiple criteria, select either AND or OR from the dropdown based on how you want the criteria to work. You can also edit the criteria pattern by manually entering the criteria in the CRITERIA PATTERN field.
  • Once you’ve added the necessary criteria, click Done.

Note: You can create up to 10 criteria for one workflow, and within each criterion, you can add up to 10 criteria.

Add Actions

Once you set up the triggers, associate actions with the workflow. You can choose to trigger the actions immediately when the conditions are satisfied or at a particular time:

  • Immediate Actions: Triggers actions immediately when the criteria are met.
    • In the right sidebar, select the type of workflow action you want to associate with the workflow rule from the Type dropdown. Next, from the Name dropdown, choose the workflow action you created and configured, or click + New %Workflow Action% from the dropdown to add a new workflow action.
    • Click + Add New Action to add more actions if necessary.
    • Click Associate to finish associating actions with the criteria.
  • Time Based Actions: Triggers actions based on the scheduled time.
    • In the right sidebar, in the EXECUTION TIME field, set the time for when the action will be executed.
    • Select the type of workflow action you want to associate with the workflow rule from the Type dropdown. Then, from the Name dropdown, choose the workflow action you created and configured, or click + New %Workflow Action% from the dropdown to add a new workflow action.
    • Click + Add New Action to add more actions if necessary.
    • Click Associate to finish associating actions with the criteria.
  • Click Save to finalize and save the workflow rule.

Now, once you’ve created the workflow rule, whenever an action occurs that matches the trigger you set in the workflow rule, the rule will execute, and the specified action will take place.

Change the Order of Workflow Rules

If you want to view specific workflow rules at the top of the List View page or in a specific order, you can reorder them. Here’s how:

  • Go to Settings in the top right corner.
  • Select Workflow Rules under Automation.
  • Select the module where you want to change the order of workflow rules by clicking the Module dropdown.
  • Click Change Order in the top right corner.
  • Now, pick and reorder the rules based on your preference.
  • After making the necessary reorder, click Save Reorder.

Edit a Workflow Rule

  • Go to Settings in the top right corner.
  • Select Workflow Rules under Automation.
  • Hover over and select the workflow rule you want to edit, and click Edit.
  • Make your changes, and click Save.

Clone a Workflow Rule

If you need a new workflow rule with the same details present in an existing workflow rule, you can clone the existing rule. Here’s how:

  • Go to Settings in the top right corner.
  • Select Workflow Rules under Automation.
  • Hover over the workflow rule you want to clone, click the dropdown to the right, and select Clone.
  • In the New Workflow Rule page, review the cloned details.
  • Verify the WORKFLOW RULE EXECUTION CONDITIONS, and click Update.
  • Click Save.

Mark a Workflow Rule As Inactive

If you won’t be using a workflow rule for a while but want to keep it for future use, you can mark it as inactive instead of deleting it. To mark it as inactive:

  • Go to Settings in the top right corner.
  • Select Workflow Rules under Automation.
  • Hover over the workflow rule you want to mark as inactive, click the dropdown to the right, and select Mark as Inactive.

Mark a Workflow Rule As Active

If you require a workflow rule that was previously marked as inactive, you can enable it again. To mark it as active:

  • Go to Settings in the top right corner.
  • Select Workflow Rules under Automation.
  • Hover over the inactive workflow rule, click the dropdown to the right, and select Mark as Active.

Configure Failure Preferences

The Configure Failure Preferences feature lets you set daily usage limits for workflow alert triggers, get notified when a workflow action fails or crosses its usage threshold, and define how Zoho Books reattempts failed actions.

For the full configuration steps, covering Usage Limit Notifications, Failure Notification, and Retry Policy, see Configure Failure Preferences.

View Workflow Actions Usage Stats

As workflows enable automation and many day-to-day business operations depend on them, it is essential to be aware of the number of workflow actions triggered each day. Zoho Books provides a usage stats section where you can view the total workflow actions available and the number of actions triggered for the day.

To view the workflow actions usage stats:

  • Go to Settings in the top right corner.
  • Select Workflow Rules under Automation. The total and triggered counts of the functions, webhooks, and email alerts for the day will be displayed in the Usage Stats section.

Filter Workflow Rules

You can quickly find workflow rules by filtering them by module or status. To filter:

  • Go to Settings in the top right corner.
  • Select Workflow Rules under Automation.
  • To filter by module, click the dropdown next to Module and select the required option.
  • To filter by status, click the dropdown next to Status and select the required option.

Delete a Workflow Rule

  • Go to Settings in the top right corner.
  • Select Workflow Rules under Automation.
  • Hover over the workflow rule you want to delete, click the dropdown to the right, and select Delete Workflow Rule.
  • In the pop-up that follows, click Yes to confirm.
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