1. Zoho CRM: Record Sharing for Activities
Zoho has introduced direct record sharing for the Activities modules in CRM, and it closes a gap that's been there for a while.
What's changed
Until now, if you wanted to share a Task, Meeting, or Call with another user, the only way to do it was indirectly by sharing the parent record (a Contact, Lead, or Deal). With this update, you can share activity records directly from the more options menu on the activity itself, the same way you'd share any other record in CRM.
The second part of this update is just as significant. Previously, when you shared a parent record and included its related list, only open activities came through. Completed tasks, past meetings, ended calls; all of that history was excluded. So someone gaining access to a record could see what was pending but had no visibility into how things got there.
That gap is now closed. Closed activities are automatically shared along with the parent record.
Important: This applies retroactively to already-shared records. Closed activities under previously shared parent records will automatically be included with no re-sharing required.
Availability: This rollout is currently available for users in the Japan and Australian data centres.
2. Zoho Books: June 2026 Product Updates
Zoho Books has dropped its June 2026 product update and it's one of the bigger releases this year. Here are the highlights, so make sure you check the full article for everything.
France Edition
Zoho Books has launched a dedicated France Edition, fully compliant with ISCA (Inalterability, Security, Conservation, and Archiving) requirements. ISCA compliance is mandatory for VAT-registered businesses in France using billing or accounting software. Key compliance features include non-alterable transactions, digital signatures, sequential transaction numbering, activity logs, tax archiving, and period closing. If you have clients or operations in France, this is the one to flag.
Layout Rules for Custom Modules
Layout Rules are now available in Custom Modules. You can define conditions so that fields show or hide, become mandatory, or get auto-filled based on values entered elsewhere in the form.
How to set it up: Settings > Custom Modules > select a module > Rules > Layout Rules tab > + New Layout Rule.
Annexure Attachments for PDF Templates
You can now annexure documents to your PDF templates. Supporting documents are automatically appended as additional pages at the end of the generated PDF. If you regularly bundle terms, rate cards, or supplementary docs alongside your invoices, this removes a manual step.
How to configure: Settings > Customisation > PDF Templates > select a module > select a template > Edit > Other Details > Annexure > Upload File.
Location-Based Price Lists
Price lists with the Sales Transaction Type can now be associated with specific business locations. Pricing is applied automatically based on a hierarchy: a customer-level price list takes precedence, and if none is set, the location-level price list applies.
For example, if Customer A has an assigned price list and Customer B does not, a transaction for Customer A will use the customer price list regardless of location, while Customer B will inherit the location's price list automatically.
3. Zoho Forms: Spotlight Forms
Zoho Forms has introduced a third form type called Spotlight Forms, and it fills a gap between the two existing options.
How it works
Until now you had two choices for how to present a form: Standard (all fields visible at once on a single page) or Card (one field at a time across multiple pages). Spotlight Forms sit in the middle. All fields live on a single page, but as respondents scroll, only one field is active and centred at a time. Everything else dims into the background. No next or previous buttons, just a scroll-to-focus experience.
The practical benefit is that respondents can see there's a definite end to the form (it's all on one page), without being confronted by a wall of fields at once. For longer or more involved forms, that reduction in visual noise can make a real difference to completion rates.
How to create a Spotlight Form
1. In your form builder, click + New Form
2. Select + Blank Form
3. Set the Form Type to Spotlight
4. Name your form and click Create
You can also convert an existing form by clicking More Actions > Change Form Type > Spotlight Form.
4. Zoho Contracts: Offline Signatures
Zoho Contracts has introduced an Offline Signature feature that fills a practical gap in contract management workflows.
The problem it solves
Not every contract gets signed digitally. Regulatory requirements, counterparty preferences, or internal policies sometimes mean a wet signature or a third-party signing tool is the only option. The result has typically been signed copies scattered across email threads and shared drives rather than tracked inside Contracts, making audit trails incomplete and version control messy.
How it works
With Offline Signature enabled, the workflow is:
1. Download the finalised contract from Zoho Contracts (PDF or Word)
2. Share it with the signing parties through any external channel
3. Once signed, upload the executed copy back into Contracts along with signer details and the signature certificate
This works for contracts, amendment documents, amendment letters, renewal letters, and extension letters.
How to enable it
Admins can turn on the feature from Organisation Settings > Signature Settings > Enable Offline Signature.
The end result is that all contracts, regardless of how they were signed, sit in one centralised place with complete audit trails and version history.
5. Zoho Community Spaces: New App
Zoho has officially announced Zoho CommunitySpaces, a platform for building and managing online communities. It covers discussion spaces, live events, knowledge bases, and member management, with both paid and free tiers.
It's still early days, documentation is limited and the product is actively being developed. But if you manage a community for customers, users, or members and have been looking for a Zoho-native way to do it, it's worth keeping an eye on as it matures.
Find out more at zoho.com/communityspaces.
Stay Updated
That's it for Episode 15 of The Zoho Report! We hope these updates help you work smarter with your Zoho applications.
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