A connection is how you give a tool in Zoho Zia Agents permission to access a specific service. Without a valid connection, an agent's tools cannot execute against any external system or Zoho application. Each connection combines three elements: the target service, the OAuth scopes that define what actions are permitted, and the authentication credentials.

Where to Create and Manage Connections

Connections can be established from three locations, all of which produce identical results. The difference is when and where you need the connection:

• Settings > Connections: The main management hub for pre-configuring and troubleshooting connections before attaching them to tools or agents.
• Custom tool testing: Connections can be created automatically during the tool validation process.
• Agent configuration: Connections can also be set up while testing or deploying an agent.

Understanding the Connections Page

The Connections page organises entries into three categories:

• My Connections: Connections you or your administrators have created, shown with a green status indicator when active.
• Shared Connections: Connections shared across your organisation.
• System Connections: System-level infrastructure connections managed by the platform.

Services are split into Default Services (built-in Zoho applications such as CRM, Desk, and Payroll) and Custom Services (user-added external services).

Creating a Connection

1. Open Connections. Go to Settings and select Connections.
2. Choose a service. Select from the Default Services or Custom Services tab depending on what you are connecting to.
3. Configure the connection. Provide a name and set the credential options.
4. Select OAuth scopes. Choose the permissions the connection will grant to your tools.
5. Choose an organisation. Associate the connection with the appropriate organisation.
6. Authorise. Accept the authorisation prompts to complete authentication.
7. Access the connection. Once created, the connection is available with sample code to help you reference it in your tool configuration.

Choosing the Right OAuth Scopes

Scope selection is the most important step in creating a connection. When testing custom tools, use the Required Scopes info button in the Test APIs dialogue to see exactly which permissions each tool needs. Examples of common Zoho CRM scopes include ZohoCRM.modules.ALL for general module access, and more targeted options such as ZohoCRM.send_mail.all.CREATE for specific actions. Always request only the scopes you actually need.