Requirements: a Zoho CRM account with access to api-console.zoho.com (section 2).
- Sign in to api-console.zoho.com and click GET STARTED.
- Choose the Self Client client type and click CREATE NOW.
- Confirm by clicking CREATE and then OK. Zoho asks for no end-user authorization for this client type — the official text itself confirms it: “there will be no end-user authorization required”.
- Under the Client Secret tab of the newly created Self Client, copy the Client ID and the Client Secret.
- Go to the Generate Code tab and paste these exact permissions (scopes), comma-separated — the minimum the connector needs, not one more:
| Scope | What the connector uses it for |
|---|---|
ZohoCRM.modules.contacts.READ | Search and read existing contacts. |
ZohoCRM.modules.contacts.CREATE | Create a new contact (“lead → contact” action, section 5). |
ZohoCRM.modules.contacts.UPDATE | Update an existing contact’s data. |
ZohoCRM.modules.deals.READ | Search existing deals. |
ZohoCRM.modules.deals.CREATE | Create a new deal. |
ZohoCRM.modules.deals.UPDATE | Change a deal’s stage (“stage → deal” action, section 5). |
- Choose the code’s expiration time (3 minutes by default) and click CREATE. Zoho shows the authorization code — copy it right away.
- Also write down your Zoho account’s real Data Center (US, EU, IN, AU, JP, CN or CA) — you’ll see it in the URL you normally use to access your Zoho CRM account. Unlike the full OAuth flow with redirection, the Self Client flow doesn’t detect it automatically: you have to state it yourself in the connection modal (section 4).
Verified against Zoho’s official documentation (zoho.com/accounts/protocol/oauth/self-client/overview.html and zoho.com/accounts/protocol/oauth/self-client/authorization-code-flow.html, checked on September 5, 2026).