Layouts
Every module can have multiple layouts, allowing different departments or processes to use different field sets within the same module. Layouts are created and managed via Setup > Customization > Modules and Fields (GlionConsulting: Custom Fields and Layouts).
Layout capabilities:
- Drag-and-drop field arrangement.
- Single-column or double-column section formats.
- Section-level organization of fields.
- Profile-based layout assignment—each profile can be mapped to a specific layout.
- Layout rules: Show/hide or make mandatory specific fields dynamically, based on field values selected by the user—contextual field display within a single layout.
- Preview layout as any profile before saving.
- Business card view on the detail page (up to 5 fields shown prominently).
- Related list column configuration (reorder, add, or remove columns in related lists).
Pipeline as a Layout Concept: The Deals module supports multiple sales pipelines, each tied to a layout. Each layout/pipeline has its own Stage picklist values (Zoho CRM help: Multiple Sales Pipeline).
Quick Create
Quick Create forms allow users to create records from a lookup popup without navigating away from the current record. Admins can customize which fields appear in Quick Create forms. As of February 2026, Client Script support for Quick Create forms was added, enabling load, change, and save events plus access to parent page context via $Client.rootContext (Zoho CRM Community Digest Feb 2026).
Validation Rules
Validation rules enforce data quality at the field level upon record save. Two types are supported (Zoho CRM help: Validation Rules using Functions):
- Criteria-based rules: Declarative conditions using field comparisons (e.g., Discount > 30 → block save with error message).
- Function-based rules: Deluge script functions for complex validation, such as pattern matching for phone/zip codes or lookups against external databases.
Limits: Enterprise edition supports 3 function-based validation rules per module; Ultimate supports 5. The total number of validation rules per module depends on edition.
Validation execution order within the automation chain: Assignment Rules > Review Process > Scoring Rules > Workflow Rules > Approval Process > Blueprint > Scoring Rules > CommandCenter (Zoho CRM help: Workflow Rules).