Once Zoho Desk is connected to Zoho CRM, the next job is deciding how contacts and accounts should sync and which fields map to which. This is Step 2 of the integration, and the choices you make here decide which way data flows, which records are included, and how duplicates are spotted.

Setting Up the Sync

1. Choose a sync type. Two-way sync is selected by default, so changes in either system update the other. You can choose a one-way CRM to Desk sync instead if CRM should be the only source of truth.
2. Decide whether to use the secondary email address for matching contacts. By default Zoho Desk uses the primary email address to check for duplicates. Tick the Secondary Email option if you want it used for mapping contacts.
3. Pick the CRM list views. Select the Accounts and Contacts list views in Zoho CRM whose records should sync with Zoho Desk. Only records in those views are included.
4. Map the fields. Under the Zoho Desk Fields column, choose the matching Zoho CRM field from each drop-down.
5. Click Start Sync. To change the sync type or field mapping later, click Edit under Configuration Details.

What to Expect from the First Sync

• It can take hours. The first session performs a bulk import and export, and depending on the size of your data it might take several hours.
• One year of records. Only records created or modified within the last year are imported and synced.
• Duplicates. The duplicate check for contacts is mainly based on email address, and for accounts on account name.
• Contacts without email. All contacts sync, whether or not they have an email address.
• What triggers a sync. A sync starts when records are created, updated, deleted, or mass updated in either Zoho Desk or Zoho CRM.

CRM Users Appear in Zoho Desk as Light Agents

After the integration is complete, CRM users are added to Zoho Desk automatically as Light Agents. They can be @mentioned in tickets and receive notifications through CRM Signals. Mentioning @CRM Contact Owner in a ticket notifies the matching contact owner in Zoho CRM through CRM Signals.

Deciding What Happens When Records Are Deleted

To stop test or junk records travelling between systems, set your delete preferences under Setup, then Integrations, then Zoho, then Zoho CRM. On the Configuration Details tab, under Preferences, choose whether contacts and accounts are kept or deleted when their equivalent is deleted from the other service.

For deletions in Zoho Desk, the choice is to always delete the corresponding CRM record, or never delete it and remove only the mapping.

Associates are the child records linked to a contact or account. For contacts these are tickets, time entries, activities, and attachments. For accounts they are tickets, contacts, contracts, and attachments. Because "always delete" takes associates with it, choose it carefully.

If Records Fail to Sync

Sync History under the same integration page shows the last seven days of syncs, including how many records were added, updated, or failed. The Failure Log lists individual records that didn't sync, with the time and reason, and a Try Again option to re-sync a record. Common causes include a record that looks like a duplicate because its original is already mapped, and a field mapped to the wrong type, for example text into an integer field.