People Plus Resources

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Posts for Zoho Connect

Automated messages can be posted in Zoho Connect using workflows in Zoho People / People Plus. Periodical announcements, reminders, notifications, and other messages can be automatically posted on walls and public groups in Zoho Connect through workflows in Zoho People. Administrators of Zoho People and Zoho Connect can configure this workflow to post in Zoho Connect automatically for the first time. Once the first-time configuration is done, all Administrators of Zoho People can configure this workflow and post automated messages.

Note - To use this feature:
 1) User must be Logged into People/People Plus account.
 2) Connect Integration must be enabled (connect.zoho.com > Integrations > Zoho People or visit https://connect.zoho.com/portal/ourintranet/integrations) on the associated organisation's account. 
 3) This feature is only available for Enterprise plan Zoho People Plus users.

Setting up the workflow

Configuring a workflow in Zoho People to post messages in Zoho Connect involves three stages.

  1. Creating a workflow
  2. Triggering messages to be posted in Zoho Connect
  3. Adding Posts for Zoho Connect
  • Stage 1 - Creating a workflow
  1. Click on Settings (gear icon at the top). 
  2. Navigate to any service. For this example, we will navigate to Employee Information service settings.
  3. Go to the Automation tab, and click on Workflows.
  4. Click on + Add Workflow to create a new workflow.
  5. Name the workfow
  6. Select the status checkbox for the rule to be Active and provide a description

  • Stage 2 - Triggering messages to be posted in Zoho Connect 

Select the Trigger process based on which an automated message has to be posted in Zoho Connect. Here are the trigger options:

Create - The workflow is triggered when a new record is created in the selected form.

Edit - The workflow is triggered when a record is edited.

User Entry - The workflow is triggered when a new user is added and their status becomes active.

Create or Edit - The workflow is triggered when a new record is created or an existing record is edited.

Field Update - The workflow is triggered whenever one or many fields in the selected form is filled or updated.

Approve - The workflow is triggered whenever a record is approved.

 Reject - The workflow is triggered whenever a record is rejected.

Delete -The workflow is triggered whenever a record is deleted.

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Set criteria for the workflow to be triggered when the set criteria are fulfilled. The criteria include options like System Fields and Service Based Fields (Employee, in this example). System Fields (Role, Department, Designation, and Location) are the default for all forms whereas Service Based Fields will list all the fields belonging to the selected service and these fields will differ based on the service selection.

  • Stage 3 - Adding Posts for Zoho Connect
  1. Under Action, Select Posts for Connect. This means that once the workflow is triggered, an automated message will be posted in Zoho Connect.

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  1. Click on the + icon to configure a new post or add a post that has been already created.
  2. Under Add Post, add the message name. The message name will serve as the title of the post for Bot Messages.
  3. Under Message, a message from the person configuring the workflow can be posted or it can be posted as a Bot Message.
  4. The message can be posted in the below avenues. Select the walls or groups in which the message has to be posted.
    1. Public groups
    2. Department wall
    3. Company wall
  5. Add a subject and the message to be posted in the wall. You can type a new message under Create new template or choose from an already existing message template.
  6. Click Save

Now the message will be posted in Zoho Connect once the workflow is triggered based on the trigger options.

Note:

  • Messages cannot be posted using the workflows when a public group has been deleted or changed into a private group.
  • Department walls are private groups in Zoho Connect and Messages can only be posted when the user also belongs to the same Department group. 
  • Only bot messages can be posted on the Company Wall.

Usecase

Posting an automated welcome message for new joiners in the Company Wall

Based on the Date of Joining updated in the Employee form, a Bot welcome message will be posted on the Company Wall in Zoho Connect, to welcome the newly joined and to announce the new joiner's arrival to the company members.

  1. Navigate to Settings (gear icon at the top-right) > Employee Information settings page. 
  2. Under Automation tab, click on Workflows.
  3. Click on + Add Workflow to create a new workflow.
  4. Name the Workflow as required. For example, "Welcome message for new joiners"

Select the status checkbox for the rule to be Active and provide a description

Triggering messages to be posted in Zoho Connect

  1. Select the Trigger process for the automated message to be posted in Zoho Connect. In this case, the message has to be posted on the Date of Joining of the new joiner. Since it is a date-based action, select Data based event tab
  2. Select Date of Joining from the field name and On under Date of execution.
  3. Under Time of execution select the time that you want the message to be posted and pick the relevant timezone.
  4. Set any criteria as required. 

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Adding Posts for Zoho Connect

  1. Under Action, select Posts for Zoho Connect
  2. Click on the + icon to configure a new post or add a post that has been already created.
  3. Under Add Post, add the message name say ''Welcome post for new joiners".
  4. Select Bot Message under From. Now the message will be posted as a Bot message with the message name as the Bot's name.
  5. To post the message on the Company Wall in Zoho Connect, choose Company Wall. The members of the company will be part of the  Company Wall in Zoho Connect.

  •  Add a subject and the message to be posted on the wall. You can type a new message under Create new template or choose from an already existing message template.
  • While creating a new message template, you can merge available fields in the selected form to post a dynamic message for different employees. As seen on the screen below, a custom welcome message can be created, by inserting information from different fields.​
  • Add any attachments if required and name them. Any added inline images will be displayed at the bottom of the post in Zoho Connect.
  • Click Save

Now the message will be posted in Zoho Connect on the Date of Joining of the new employee based on the time set.

Tip :  Automated messages in Zoho Connect can be used to notify employees for a variety of reasons and events. For example, you can use this feature to post leave notifications to announce a team member's absence in Zoho Connect, to post an automated wish on an employee's birthday or work anniversary, to update about training programs for new employees, and other such notifications.