Zoho Books
Keep Zoho Books in step with your orders, invoices and payments without re-keying, with the right person approving what changes.
54 ways to read, 23 ways to write, each write switched on by you.
Quality checks
Built and tested with example responses.
- Ready to connect: doneEvery listed action is built in.
- Built and tested with example responses: doneEach action is built from the provider’s published API and tested against example responses, errors, rate limits and paging.
Connected, approved, proven.
The things teams do most with Zoho Books, an example flow with a person in the loop, and what Nexra keeps as proof.
Top actions
- Create account
accounts.createApproval by rule - Create bill
bills.createApproval by rule - List reporting tags
reporting_tags.listRead
Example flow
- Zoho Books · List reporting tags
reporting_tags.listDone - Zoho Books · Create account
accounts.createMaker-checker - Nexra · Record the decision and result in the evidence chainProven
Example workflow. Routine runs go through on their own. Only a change your rules flag, such as one over a limit you set, waits for the right person, who sees the exact change and the rule before it reaches Zoho Books.
What gets logged
- Whether it ran on its own or who approved it, and under which rule
- A fingerprint of the exact request sent to Zoho Books
- Zoho Books's reply: what it created or changed
- One entry in the evidence chain, linked to the one before
Try this in the sandbox
Run the whole flow with test data in your sandbox, then connect your own account when you are ready to go live.
For developers
Technical detail
Read, search and write Zoho Books contacts, contact persons, items, draft invoices, estimates, orders, bills, credit notes, accounts and journals; read expenses, projects, banking and GL detail.
Zoho Corporation API docs- Source actions
- 54
- Destination actions
- 23
- Data types
- 28
What you can map
Reads are always available. Writes are off until you switch them on for a connection, and governed writes follow your policies.
account transactions1
- List account transactions (general ledger)Source
Account transactions (general ledger) in the organization.
accounts4
- Create accountDestinationNot retried automaticallyApproval before production
Creates a account in Zoho Books.
- Get accountSource
One account by ID with full detail.
- List chart of accountsSourceIncremental
Chart of accounts in the organization, optionally modified after a timestamp.
- Update accountDestinationProvider duplicate protectionApproval before production
Updates supplied account fields. Supplying line items replaces them.
bank accounts2
- Get bank accountSource
One bank account by ID with full detail.
- List bank and credit card accountsSource
Bank and credit card accounts in the organization.
bank transactions2
- Get bank transactionSource
One bank transaction by ID with full detail.
- List bank transactionsSource
Bank transactions in the organization.
bills5
- Create billDestinationNot retried automaticallyApproval before production
Records a vendor bill as unpaid. Paying bills is not automated.
- Get billSource
One bill by ID with full detail.
- List billsSourceIncremental
Bills in the organization, optionally modified after a timestamp.
- Search billsSource
Bills by number prefix or text, vendor, bill or due date range, status or modified time.
- Update billDestinationProvider duplicate protectionApproval before production
Updates supplied bill fields. Supplying line items replaces them.
contact persons4
- Create contact personDestinationNot retried automaticallyApproval before production
Adds a person to a customer or vendor contact. Portal access is not enabled.
- Get contact personSource
One contact person by ID.
- List contact personsSource
People recorded on a customer or vendor contact.
- Update contact personDestinationProvider duplicate protectionApproval before production
Updates supplied contact person fields.
contacts5
- Create contactDestinationNot retried automaticallyApproval before production
Creates a contact in Zoho Books.
- Get contactSource
One contact by ID with full detail.
- List contactsSource
Contacts in the organization.
- Search contactsSource
Contacts by display or company name text, type or status (including overdue and unpaid).
- Update contactDestinationProvider duplicate protectionApproval before production
Updates supplied contact fields. Supplying line items replaces them.
credit notes4
- Create credit noteDestinationNot retried automaticallyApproval before production
Creates a Draft credit note. Refunds are not automated.
- Get credit noteSource
One credit note by ID with full detail.
- List credit notesSourceIncremental
Credit notes in the organization, optionally modified after a timestamp.
- Update credit noteDestinationProvider duplicate protectionApproval before production
Updates supplied credit note fields. Supplying line items replaces them.
currencies2
- Get currencySource
One currency by ID with full detail.
- List currenciesSource
Currencies in the organization.
customer payments3
- Create customer paymentDestinationNot retried automaticallyApproval before production
Records a payment already received and applies it to invoices (bookkeeping only; no money moves).
- Get customer paymentSource
One customer payment by ID with full detail.
- List customer paymentsSource
Customer payments in the organization.
estimates4
- Create estimateDestinationNot retried automaticallyApproval before production
Creates a Draft estimate (send=false; nothing is emailed).
- Get estimateSource
One estimate by ID with full detail.
- List estimatesSourceIncremental
Estimates in the organization, optionally modified after a timestamp.
- Update estimateDestinationProvider duplicate protectionApproval before production
Updates supplied estimate fields. Supplying line items replaces them.
expenses2
- Get expenseSource
One expense by ID with full detail.
- List expenses (read only)Source
Expenses (read only) in the organization.
invoices5
- Create invoiceDestinationNot retried automaticallyApproval before production
Creates a Draft invoice with line items (send=false; nothing is emailed).
- Get invoiceSource
One invoice by ID with full detail.
- List invoicesSourceIncremental
Invoices in the organization, optionally modified after a timestamp.
- Search invoicesSource
Invoices by number prefix or text, customer, invoice or due date range, status or modified time.
- Update invoiceDestinationProvider duplicate protectionApproval before production
Updates supplied invoice fields. Supplying line items replaces them.
items4
- Create itemDestinationNot retried automaticallyApproval before production
Creates a item in Zoho Books.
- Get itemSource
One item by ID with full detail.
- List itemsSource
Items in the organization.
- Update itemDestinationProvider duplicate protectionApproval before production
Updates supplied item fields. Supplying line items replaces them.
journals4
- Create journalDestinationNot retried automaticallyApproval before production
Creates a draft manual journal with balanced debit and credit lines.
- Get journalSource
One journal by ID with full detail.
- List journalsSourceIncremental
Journals in the organization, optionally modified after a timestamp.
- Update journalDestinationProvider duplicate protectionApproval before production
Updates supplied journal fields. Supplying line items replaces them.
locations1
- List locations (branches)Source
Locations (branches) in the organization.
organizations1
- List organizationsSource
Organizations the authorised user can access, with their organization IDs.
projects2
- Get projectSource
One project by ID with full detail.
- List projects (read only)Source
Projects (read only) in the organization.
purchase orders4
- Create purchase orderDestinationNot retried automaticallyApproval before production
Creates a purchase order (not emailed to the vendor).
- Get purchase orderSource
One purchase order by ID with full detail.
- List purchase ordersSourceIncremental
Purchase orders in the organization, optionally modified after a timestamp.
- Update purchase orderDestinationProvider duplicate protectionApproval before production
Updates supplied purchase order fields. Supplying line items replaces them.
recurring bills1
- List recurring bill profiles (read only)Source
Recurring bill profiles (read only) in the organization.
recurring invoices2
- Get recurring invoice profileSource
One recurring invoice profile by ID with full detail.
- List recurring invoice profiles (read only)Source
Recurring invoice profiles (read only) in the organization.
reporting tags1
- List reporting tagsSource
Reporting tags in the organization.
retainer invoices2
- Get retainer invoiceSource
One retainer invoice by ID with full detail.
- List retainer invoices (read only)Source
Retainer invoices (read only) in the organization.
sales orders4
- Create sales orderDestinationNot retried automaticallyApproval before production
Creates a sales order in Zoho Books.
- Get sales orderSource
One sales order by ID with full detail.
- List sales ordersSourceIncremental
Sales orders in the organization, optionally modified after a timestamp.
- Update sales orderDestinationProvider duplicate protectionApproval before production
Updates supplied sales order fields. Supplying line items replaces them.
taxes2
- Get taxSource
One tax by ID with full detail.
- List taxesSource
Taxes in the organization.
time entries2
- Get time entrySource
One time entry by ID with full detail.
- List time entries (read only)Source
Time entries (read only) in the organization.
vendor credits2
- Get vendor creditSource
One vendor credit by ID with full detail.
- List vendor credits (read only)SourceIncremental
Vendor credits (read only) in the organization, optionally modified after a timestamp.
vendor payments2
- Get vendor paymentSource
One vendor payment by ID with full detail.
- List vendor paymentsSourceIncremental
Vendor payments in the organization, optionally modified after a timestamp.
Access and limits
- Authentication
- Zoho OAuth client with an offline refresh token
- Plans and access
- All Zoho Books plans; daily API limits are 1,000 (Free), 2,000 (Standard), 5,000 (Professional) and 10,000 (Premium and above). Sales and purchase orders need plans that include them. Calls act as the user who authorised the OAuth client and follow that user's role in the organization.
- Test environment
- Use a Zoho Books trial or free organization for testing.
- Rate limits
- 100 requests per minute per organization, a daily allowance by plan (1,000 to 10,000) and 5 (Free) or 10 concurrent calls; HTTP 429 when exceeded.
- Pagination
- page and per_page (max 200) with page_context.has_more_page.
- Provider events
- Workflow-rule webhooks configured in Zoho Books settings (not registered through the API), signed with a secret token. Flows can start the moment something happens: when an invoice is created; when a customer payment is recorded; when a new customer is added; when a sales order is created.
Before you build a flow
- Invoices and estimates are created with send=false, so they stay in Draft; emailing, marking as sent, voiding and approvals are not automated.
- Journals are created as drafts; publishing them is left to Zoho Books users.
- Customer payments record money already received and apply it to invoices; vendor payments are read only, and Nexra never pays bills or moves funds.
- last_modified_time filters are documented for invoices, estimates, sales orders, purchase orders, bills, credit notes, vendor payments, accounts and journals only; contacts, items, customer payments, bank transactions and taxes have no incremental filter.
- Updates send only supplied fields with PUT; supplying line items replaces all lines. Some Zoho editions require customer_id and line_items on every invoice update.
- Custom fields are written as { customfield_id, value } (or { index, value } on contacts and bills) as documented per module.
- Deletes, voids, refunds, bank transaction categorisation and recurring profiles are not automated.
- Zoho Books has no idempotency key; uncertain creates are not repeated automatically.
- Read only: recurring invoice and bill profiles, expenses, vendor credits, retainer invoices, projects, time entries, currencies, bank accounts, locations, reporting tags and account (general ledger) transactions.
- Excluded: sending or emailing documents, marking as sent, approvals, voids, stopping or resuming recurring profiles, auto-bill and card or bank links, vendor credit refunds, retainer online payments, bank statement imports, reconciliation, transaction categorisation, timers and all deletes.
- Bank accounts omit account and routing numbers. Recurring bill, location, reporting tag and account transaction reads are list only because no single-record read is documented (the recurring bill Get path is inconsistent in the published spec).
Developer reference
- Create the Zoho Corporation credentials described above with the narrowest permissions your flows need.
- In Nexra, open Connect, then Connections, then New connection, choose Zoho Books, enter its settings and credentials, and tick only the write actions you need. Connection guide
- Test the connection, then use its actions as flow sources and destinations. Flow guide
Machine-readable detail: GET /api/public/connect/connectors/zoho-books and the Connections API.