Zoho Books icon

Zoho Books

Implement Zoho Books API into n8n for automation

Actions5

Overview

The "Contacts: Update" operation in the Zoho Books custom n8n node allows users to update existing contact information within their Zoho Books account. This is useful for keeping customer or vendor records up-to-date, such as changing a contact's name, company, website, or preferred language. Typical scenarios include synchronizing CRM data with Zoho Books, automating updates from web forms, or batch-updating contacts based on external triggers.

Example use cases:

  • Automatically updating a customer's company name when it changes in your CRM.
  • Changing the preferred language of multiple contacts after a marketing campaign.
  • Updating website URLs for vendors in bulk.

Properties

Name Type Meaning
Contact Name String The full name of the contact to be updated.
Additional Fields Collection Optional fields to further specify details about the contact, such as company, website, etc.

Additional Fields options:

  • Company Name (String): The company associated with the contact.
  • Website (String): The contact's website URL.
  • Language Code (Options): The preferred language for the contact. Supported values include Dutch, English, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Swedish, and Chinese (Simplified).

Output

The node outputs a json object containing the updated contact's details as returned by the Zoho Books API. The structure typically includes fields such as:

{
  "contact_id": "1234567890",
  "contact_name": "John Doe",
  "company_name": "Acme Corp",
  "website": "https://acme.example.com",
  "language_code": "en",
  // ...other contact fields as provided by Zoho Books
}

If the API returns additional metadata or nested objects, these will also be included in the output.

Dependencies

  • Zoho Books Account: You must have an active Zoho Books account.
  • API Credentials: Requires OAuth2 credentials configured in n8n under the name zohoBooksOAuth2Api.
  • n8n Configuration: No special environment variables are required beyond standard credential setup.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues:

  • Invalid Credentials: If the OAuth2 credentials are missing or incorrect, authentication errors will occur. Ensure that the zohoBooksOAuth2Api credential is set up correctly in n8n.
  • Missing Required Fields: If "Contact Name" or other mandatory fields are not provided, the API may return validation errors.
  • Incorrect Language Code: Providing an unsupported language code will result in an error from the Zoho Books API.
  • API Rate Limits: Excessive requests may trigger rate limiting by Zoho Books.

Error Messages & Resolutions:

  • "Invalid value passed for field": Check that all input fields match the expected format and allowed values.
  • "Unauthorized": Verify that your OAuth2 credentials are valid and have not expired.
  • "Resource not found": Ensure the contact you are trying to update exists in Zoho Books.

Links and References

Discussion