Zoho Connect: External Networks Explained

Zoho Connect: External Network

When you sign up for Zoho Connect, you're prompted to choose between an internal and an external network, and understanding the distinction matters for how you'll actually use the platform.

Internal vs. External Networks

  • Internal network. Brings together everyone in your own team or organisation. A user can only belong to one internal network at a time; to join a different one, they must first be removed from their existing one.
  • External network. Lets partners, vendors, clients, and other outside stakeholders collaborate on a shared platform. Members don't need a common domain address, and a user can belong to any number of external networks simultaneously, with no limit.
Note: You can only create one internal network, but any number of external networks, and this applies on both the free and enterprise versions. Converting an internal network into an external one, or vice versa, is not possible, since the two serve genuinely different purposes; decide which type suits your needs before creating your network.

Creating an External Network

  1. Click your profile picture, then My Networks.
  2. Click Add Network, then Create External Network.
  3. Name your network and click Create.

Getting Set Up

  1. Create groups. Groups can be Open (anyone can join and participate) or Public (anyone can participate, but only an admin can add members), depending on how tightly you want to control membership.
  2. Enable apps. Groups come with default apps you can enable or disable individually, for the group or the wider network.
  3. Invite people. For an external network specifically, only the network admin can add users, either by typing individual addresses or importing a list.
  4. Add integrations. Zoho Connect integrates with third-party tools such as Zapier, Trello, Mailchimp, and Lucidchart, addable to a specific group or the whole network.

Exporting Data

Network admins can export all public conversations from users' walls and public groups via Setup, then Export, then New Export, choosing all data or specific content and a time period.

Need help? 1 Cloud Consultants can help you set up an External Network in Zoho Connect and structure groups and permissions for effective collaboration with outside stakeholders. Book a discovery call with 1 Cloud Consultants.