ZOHO Connectors

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• Business
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• On-Premise
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Overview

Etlworks Zoho connectors allows fast, real-time access to ZOHO data. The connectors supports most of the objects available through the ZOHO API and work like any other database connector.

Etlworks partnered with CData to provide access to the ZOHO API using industry-standard JDBC protocol. 

When to use ZOHO connectors

Use ZOHO connectors to create Flows that work with data in ZOHO.  The following ZOHO apps are supported. Each app requires a separate connector:

• ZOHO CRM
• ZOHO Creator
• ZOHO Inventory
• ZOHO Project

Prerequisites

Enable ZOHO connectors for your Etlworks account. Contact support@etlworks.com to enable the connector.

Create connected app under your account

Etlworks provides a pre-configured Zoho Connected App under the Etlworks account, which can be used for quick testing. However, we strongly recommend creating a Connected App under your own Zoho account.

Zoho enforces a limit of 20 active refresh tokens per account. When a new refresh token is issued, the oldest token is automatically revoked. This can potentially invalidate existing connections, leading to authentication failures.

By creating a Connected App under your own account, you ensure better control, security, and stability for your Zoho integrations.

To create a connected app:

Step 1. Go to https://api-console.zoho.com/ and login with your existing ZOHO account.

Step 2. Click CREATE NOW under Server-based Applications:

Step 3. Complete the app registration. 

1. Enter:

Client Name: any unique name

Homepage URL: https://etlworks.com

Authorized Redirect URIs: It should be equal to Etlworks instance domain name with protocol plus /rest/v1/io/oauth/zoho/callback. Example: https://app.etlworks.com/rest/v1/io/oauth/zoho/callback

2. Click CREATE button.

Step 4. Configure region

1. Go to Settings tab

2. Enable Multi-DC

3. IMPORTANT: If your are in a region other than US enable specific region.

Step 5. Copy App credentials.

1. Go to Client Secret tab

2. Copy Client ID and Client Secret

Create a Connection

Step 1. In the Connections window, click +, and type in zoho. Select connector for your ZOHO app.

Step 2. Select OAuth scopes. 

Step 3. Enter App ID and App Secret of your connected ZOHO app. You can leave it blank for quick testing. Read why it is better to use an app created under your account.

Step 4. Authorize the ZOHO app to access your ZOHO data.

Step 5. Test and save the Connection.

Connection parameters

Use Other parameters to specify the Connection string options. Read about available Connection string options for each ZOHO Connector:

• ZOHO CRM
• ZOHO Creator
• ZOHO Inventory
• ZOHO Projects

ZOHO data model

Our connectors model ZOHO entities as relational Tables, Views, and Stored Procedures. 

Read about the data model for each ZOHO connector:

• ZOHO CRM
• ZOHO Creator
• ZOHO Inventory
• ZOHO Projects

Work with data in ZOHO apps

Extract data from ZOHO entities

Extracting data from ZOHO is similar to extracting data from the relational database.

Step 1. Create a ZOHO Connection that will be used as a source (FROM).

Step 2. Create a destination Connection, for example, a Connection to the relational database, and if needed, a Format (Format is not needed if the destination is a database or well-known API).

Step 3. Create a Flow where the source is a database, and the destination is a Connection created in step 2, for example, a relational database.

Step 4. Add a new source-to-destination transformation.

Step 5. Select ZOHO Connection created in step 1 as a source Connection and select the ZOHO object you are extracting data from:

Step 6. Select TO Connection, Format (if needed), and object (for example, database table) to load data into.

Step 7. Click MAPPING and optionally enter Source Query (you don't need a query if you are extracting data from the ZOHO object unconditionally).

Step 8. Optionally define the per-field Mapping.

Step 9. Add more transformations if needed.

Load data in ZOHO

Loading data in ZOHO is similar to loading data into a relational database.

Step 1. Create a source Connection and a Format (if needed).

Step 2. Create a destination ZOHO Connection.

Step 3. Create a Flow where the destination is a database.

Step 4. Add new source-to-destination transformation.

Step 5. Select FROM and TO Connections and objects (also a FROM Format if needed).

Step 6. Optionally define the per-field mapping.

Step 7. Add more transformations if needed.

Browse data in ZOHO

You must have a ZOHO Connection to browse objects and run SQL queries.

Use Etlworks Explorer to browse data and metadata in ZOHO and execute SQL queries.

Handling Rate Limits and Throttling in ZOHO

ZOHO enforces strict rate limits on API requests, which can significantly impact high-volume data integrations. While ZOHO offers higher limits through paid plans, the default restrictions can cause throttling issues. To mitigate these limitations, we recommend the following best practices:

Create a Separate ZOHO Connected App for Each Use Case

Rate limits are applied per app/per account, so using multiple connected apps for different workflows can help distribute API usage and reduce throttling risks.

Enable “Disable Automatic Metadata Lookup” for ZOHO Connections

When enabled, the connector will not automatically retrieve metadata (such as column names and data types) every time a query is executed. This prevents unnecessary API calls that can quickly consume the rate limit.

To refresh metadata manually, click the ‘Clear Cache’ button.

Optimize Metadata Retrieval in ZOHO Connections

To further reduce API usage and prevent throttling, leverage connection parameters available under Other Parameters in the ZOHO connection settings. These parameters allow you to control the amount of metadata retrieved by the connector, optimizing performance and reducing unnecessary API calls.

For example, in the ZOHO Creator connector, you can set the BrowsableSchemas property to limit the schemas visible to the connector. This prevents the system from retrieving metadata for all available schemas, reducing API overhead and improving efficiency.

Using connection parameters strategically helps minimize metadata-related API calls, ensuring smoother and more efficient data integration with ZOHO.

Introduce Artificial Delays Between Large Extracts and Loads

If your integration involves processing large datasets, consider adding delays between API requests to avoid hitting the rate limit. Implementing a controlled delay can help prevent temporary blocking or API failures.

By following these recommendations, you can optimize API usage, reduce the risk of throttling, and ensure smoother data integration with ZOHO.