Zoho CRM: Using a function for validation rules (or restricting specific picklist options by user profile)

: Category: Zoho CRM; 11 February 2022; 11 February 2022; Hits: 42359; Rating:

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What?
So this is a pretty cool feature in Zoho CRM that I hadn't used much but definitely worth an article. The ability to block field picklist options from being selected based on the profile of a user.

Why?
There were several alternatives we considered beforehand which still didn't fit the requirement: A client's first-line agents would have a lead record with the status "New Lead". The client wanted that if the status had changed to something else, the first-line agent would not be allowed to set it back to "New Lead". Automations and workflows could however (run as Administrators). Mapping a dependency field didn't fit the bill because we want "Lead Status" to be displayed to the first-line agents. Making this field read-only to first-line agents also wouldn't help as some of the options should be selectable. Two separate fields weren't quite right either: 1 as read-only (permission only to higher level) and 1 picklist as selectable means that the first-line agent would be referring to 2 status fields and not really knowing which one defines the stage the lead is at.

How?
Well this can be done through a validation rule. After working in Zoho CRM for over 3 years, this is the first time I'm using it so I'm documenting it.

For this example, we're going to use my use-case scenario mentioned earlier: first-line agents can't select a specific option in the Lead Status picklist:

Login to ZohoCRM > Setup > Customization > Modules and Fields > Leads
Select "Validation Rules" and cick on "New Validation Rule"
Choose the layout, this has to be the highest level (I think) as a custom lead layout didn't work
Choose field to validate > Select "Lead Status"
Choose validation type as "Validate using function" and click on "Next"
For functions, select "Write your own"
Give it a function name, eg. "fn_Validation_LeadStatusChange", a display name, eg. "Fn - Validation - Lead Status Change", and a description...

You will be presented with a deluge IDE editor. I'm putting in the following code:

copy raw

/* *******************************************************************************
Function:       fn_Validate_LeadStatusChange
Trigger:        Function executed when a record is changed
Inputs:         String crmAPIRequest
Outputs:        output message to user

Date Created:   2022-02-11 (JoelLipman.com - Joel Lipman)
                - Initial release
                - Checks the user profile of the logged-in user and allows the change or not
******************************************************************************* */
// 
// declare
m_Output = Map();
v_UserID = 0;
v_UserProfile = "";
l_DisallowedProfiles = List({"Agent"});
l_DisallowedOptions = List({"New Lead","Appointment Booked","Lead Confirmed"});
//
// capture event
m_Webhook = crmAPIRequest.toMap();
//
// check if user info is provided
if(!isnull(m_Webhook.get("user_info")))
{
	//
	// extract user ID
	v_UserID = m_Webhook.get("user_info").get("id").toLong();
}
//
// if user ID was extracted sucessfully
if(v_UserID != 0)
{
	//
	// get user details (we need the profile)
	r_UserDetails = zoho.crm.getRecordById("users",v_UserID);
	if(!isnull(r_UserDetails.get("users")))
	{
		for each  r_User in r_UserDetails.get("users")
		{
			if(!isnull(r_User.get("profile")))
			{
				v_UserProfile = r_User.get("profile").get("name");
				break;
			}
		}
	}
}
//
// get field value that we want to check for
v_LeadStatus = "";
if(!isnull(m_Webhook.get("record")))
{
	//
	// extract lead status
	v_LeadStatus = ifnull(m_Webhook.get("record").get("Lead_Status"),"");
}
//
// if user profile is not allowed to make this change
m_Output.put("status","success");
if(v_LeadStatus != "")
{
	if(l_DisallowedProfiles.contains(v_UserProfile) && l_DisallowedOptions.contains(v_LeadStatus))
	{
		m_Output.put("message","Your user profile does not allow you to change the lead status back to \"" + v_LeadStatus + "\"");
		m_Output.put("status","error");
	}
}
//
// return response
return m_Output;

/* *******************************************************************************
Function: fn_Validate_LeadStatusChange
Trigger: Function executed when a record is changed
Inputs: String crmAPIRequest
Outputs: output message to user
Date Created: 2022-02-11 (JoelLipman.com - Joel Lipman)
- Initial release
- Checks the user profile of the logged-in user and allows the change or not
******************************************************************************* */
//
// declare
m_Output = Map();
v_UserID = 0;
v_UserProfile = "";
l_DisallowedProfiles = List({"Agent"});
l_DisallowedOptions = List({"New Lead","Appointment Booked","Lead Confirmed"});
//
// capture event
m_Webhook = crmAPIRequest.toMap();
//
// check if user info is provided
if(!isnull(m_Webhook.get("user_info")))
{
//
// extract user ID
v_UserID = m_Webhook.get("user_info").get("id").toLong();
}
//
// if user ID was extracted sucessfully
if(v_UserID != 0)
{
//
// get user details (we need the profile)
r_UserDetails = zoho.crm.getRecordById("users",v_UserID);
if(!isnull(r_UserDetails.get("users")))
{
for each r_User in r_UserDetails.get("users")
{
if(!isnull(r_User.get("profile")))
{
v_UserProfile = r_User.get("profile").get("name");
break;
}
}
}
}
//
// get field value that we want to check for
v_LeadStatus = "";
if(!isnull(m_Webhook.get("record")))
{
//
// extract lead status
v_LeadStatus = ifnull(m_Webhook.get("record").get("Lead_Status"),"");
}
//
// if user profile is not allowed to make this change
m_Output.put("status","success");
if(v_LeadStatus != "")
{
if(l_DisallowedProfiles.contains(v_UserProfile) && l_DisallowedOptions.contains(v_LeadStatus))
{
m_Output.put("message","Your user profile does not allow you to change the lead status back to \"" + v_LeadStatus + "\"");
m_Output.put("status","error");
}
}
//
// return response
return m_Output;

Click "Save" and Done!

Yields:

Alert advising user not permitted to change lead status

Additional Note(s):

If the user's profile is blank, the rule will not apply to them.
copyrawstyler
```
l_Disallowed = List();
l_Disallowed.add("Joel");
if(l_Disallowed.contains(""))
{
	info "Yay";
}
else 
{
	info "Nay";
}
// yields "Nay"
//
v_DisallowedString = "Joel";
if(v_DisallowedString.contains(""))
{
	info "Yay";
}
else 
{
	info "Nay";
}
// yields "Yay"
//
```
1. l_Disallowed = List();
2. l_Disallowed.add("Joel");
3. if(l_Disallowed.contains(""))
4. {
5. info "Yay";
6. }
7. else
8. {
9. info "Nay";
10. }
11. // yields "Nay"
12. //
13. v_DisallowedString = "Joel";
14. if(v_DisallowedString.contains(""))
15. {
16. info "Yay";
17. }
18. else
19. {
20. info "Nay";
21. }
22. // yields "Yay"
23. //