Layout Rules in Zoho CRM dynamically tailor your forms by showing or hiding fields, sections, and subforms, and by setting fields as mandatory based on conditions you define. A significant update has expanded this into nine new actions, added profile-based execution so the same rule can behave differently for different teams, and introduced an Interactive Preview to check a rule's effect before it ever touches live data.
Layout Rules can now be configured so a given action only takes effect for users belonging to specific profiles when the rule's condition is met. For example, with Set Read Only Fields, a field can be locked for most users while specific profiles, such as a manager or specialist role, retain the ability to edit it. This means the same underlying rule can genuinely tailor the form experience differently across different teams, rather than needing separate rules per team.
Consider a bank managing loan applications through a custom Loan Applications module, with numerous sections covering the full loan lifecycle. Layout Rules can be configured to manage fields and sections differently depending on the application's approval status.
Control visibility of the Withdraw Application button, and tailor loan type options to the applicant's profile: showing Car, Home, and Education for an Individual applicant, but only Business for a Company applicant. Younger applicants under 25 can also be nudged toward the most suitable option via a recommended value.
Display a timely, field-level message on the Application Status field based on record conditions, such as reminding an applicant to submit documents within seven days.
Automatically surface the Credit Evaluation and Payment Details sections the moment an application is submitted, restricted to specific profiles such as Credit Analyst and Administrator, and require verification of key fields including Loan Type, Loan Amount, and Loan Tenure.
Lock fields containing critical loan details, such as Loan Type, Loan Amount, and Loan Tenure, once approved. Guide staff toward a recommended EMI start date, ensure key verification fields have been reviewed, and automatically set the Processing Fee to 2 percent based on loan type.
Automatically lock key disbursal details once an application is marked Disbursed, and capture the exact disbursal date in real time.
Surface a Rejected Reason field and a link to relevant policy guidelines, while automatically narrowing down the available rejection reasons based on the loan type in question.
Once a Layout Rule is configured and saved, you can preview how it will execute for different profiles directly from the rule configuration page, without needing to leave it. Selecting a profile and a condition from the preview options instantly updates the layout to show exactly what a user in that profile would see when viewing or editing a record.
This lets you confirm that the right sections, fields, and subforms are visible or hidden for each profile, and that mandatory field settings are applying as intended, before the rule ever affects live data or active users. It's particularly useful for complex rules that behave differently across several profiles, since it surfaces configuration errors early, with the chance to fix them on the spot.