You can create Zoho CRM Workflow Rules that will allow you to send a WhatsApp message, based on certain criteria.

In this article, we'll review the process of creating a workflow to send a WhatsApp message after a new contact has been created on Zoho CRM. Tools that we'll need during this process:

1. TimelinesAI workspace account with a WhatsApp account connected
2. Zoho CRM account
3. An active connection between Zoho CRM and TimelinesAI
3. TimelinesAI Public API

Step #1: Getting Started

First, we'll need to go to Zoho CRM, where we'll start creating the workflow rule.

Click on the "Setup" cog/gear icon that's at the top-right corner of your screen, besides your profile picture. Then, click on "Workflow Rules", within the "Automation" section:



Once you access the Workflow Rules, you may click on the blue "+ Create New Rule" button. This will open a window with the following fields:

Module: Select "Contacts"
Rule Name: Choose a name for this rule, to help you identify it
Description: You may add a brief description about this rule here

You may click on "Next" afterwards.

Step #2: Setting up the Workflow Rule Structure

Now that we have the new rule created, we'll proceed to build up its structure, to define how it'll work.

Workflow Rule Structure: "When"

This section works as the trigger in your workflow rule.

You'll see a drop-down menu within this section, where you'll select "Record Action".

A secondary drop-down menu will show up afterwards, where you'll select "Create". Proceed to click on "Next" once you're done.

Workflow Rule Structure: "Condition 1"

Right after completing the "When", you'll start working on the "Condition 1". Within this section, you'll need to setup the following:

"Which contacts would you like to apply the rule to?": Click on "Contacts matching certain conditions"

You'll see three drop-down menus within this section, where you'll choose:

"Lead Source"
"is"
"TimelinesAI"

This will allow the workflow rule to proceed only under these conditions.

Workflow Rules Structure: Instant Actions

After defining the conditions for this workflow rule, you'll see an "Instant Actions" button display just below the conditions section. When you click on it, you'll be able to select the actions that will be taken; select "Webhook" and then, click on the "+ New Webhook" button.

Configuring the Webhook

This step will allow you to create a webhook, which can be used for this and other Workflow Rules that you create within Zoho CRM that involve TimelinesAI.

First, you'll see the following fields:

Name: You may assign a name to your webhook here, to help you identify it for this and future workflow rules
Description: A brief description about the purpose of this webhook
Method: Select "POST"
URL to Notify: You'll need to paste a URL from TimelinesAI

How to get the URL from TimelinesAI:

Go to your TimelinesAI workspace and then, click on the "Integrations" section, which is in the sidebar on the left. Then, make sure to click on "API Documentation":



This will take you to a page where you'll see different elements. Make sure to click on "Send message to phone number" and then, on the top-right side of your screen, click on the "POST: /message" drop-down and copy the URL that you'll see there:



Important: Now, go back to TimelinesAI, where you accessed the "API Documentation", and then click on the "Generate new token" button. Copy that token and save it, as we'll use it later on during this process.

Authorization Type: Select "General"

Now, we'll scroll down a bit within this section, where you'll see "Custom Parameters", where we'll need to add some details:

Parameter Name: Type in Authorization
Parameter Value: Type in "Bearer" + the token you copied from TimelinesAI. It should look like this: "Bearer 09wdczr9-2899-4ea3-89f9-2e469e8a25de"

After filling in the fields above, click on the "+" icon that's beside the "Parameter Value", as this will open another row of fields that need to be filled as well:

Parameter Name: Type in Content-Type
Parameter Value: Type in application/json

It should look something like this:



Lastly, we'll scroll down to the bottom of this window, to setup the last details of our webhook:

"Type": Select "Raw"
"Format": Select "JSON"

Within the text box that shows up below these, you'll add the request sample, which can also be found within the "API Documentation" on TimelinesAI. I'll leave it here for your convenience:

{
  "phone": "+14840000000",
  "whatsapp_account_phone": "+14841111111",
  "text": "hello, world!",
  "file_url": "https://some.host/image.png",
  "file_name": "image.png",
  "label": "customer"
}

You may use the sample above and add it to the body of your webhook; feel free to edit it according to your needs. Here's an example:



Now that we are done, click on "Save and Associate" and then, proceed to click on the "Save" button that's at the bottom of this Workflow Rule structure. After doing this, Zoho CRM will take you back to your Workflow Rules dashboard, where you'll see this rule that we've just created turned on.

Now, whenever a new contact gets created from TimelinesAI or with the Lead Source set to "TimelinesAI", a new automated message will be sent. Here's an example of how the message we created here looks like on TimelinesAI:



We hope that this article helps. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate in contacting us via our Chat Support or send us an email at hello@timelines.ai

Updated on: 15/06/2023