How to Send Zoho CRM VIP Case Alerts to Slack with Make

make.com > Scenarios > Create a new scenario

Create a new Make scenario

Log into Make at make.com and click the blue 'Create a new scenario' button in the top right of the Scenarios dashboard. You'll land on the visual canvas with a single empty module in the center. This canvas is where you'll chain all the modules for this workflow. Give the scenario a name immediately — click the default 'New scenario' text at the top left and type something like 'Zoho CRM VIP Case → Slack Alert'.

1. 1Click the blue 'Create a new scenario' button at the top right
2. 2Click the pencil icon or 'New scenario' text at the top left
3. 3Type a descriptive name: 'Zoho CRM VIP Case → Slack Alert'
4. 4Press Enter to save the scenario name

Canvas > Add Module > Zoho CRM > Watch Records

Add the Zoho CRM trigger module

Click the large circle in the center of the canvas to open the module picker. Search for 'Zoho CRM' in the search bar and select it. Make will show a list of available triggers and actions — choose 'Watch Records'. This trigger fires via webhook-like polling on a very short interval and detects new records in any Zoho CRM module you specify, including Cases.

1. 1Click the empty circle on the canvas
2. 2Type 'Zoho CRM' in the module search field
3. 3Select 'Zoho CRM' from the results
4. 4Choose 'Watch Records' from the trigger list
5. 5Click 'Add' to place the module

Zoho CRM Module > Connection > Add > OAuth

Connect your Zoho CRM account

In the configuration panel, click 'Add' next to the Connection field to authenticate. Make will open a popup asking for your Zoho CRM data center region — select the correct one (US, EU, AU, IN, or JP) based on where your Zoho account is hosted. Log in with your Zoho credentials in the OAuth popup. Make will request read access to your CRM data.

1. 1Click the 'Add' button next to the Connection field
2. 2Select your Zoho data center region from the dropdown
3. 3Click 'Save' and complete the OAuth login in the popup window
4. 4Grant the requested CRM read permissions

Zoho CRM Watch Records > Type > Cases > New Records Only

Configure the trigger to watch Cases

With the connection set, configure the trigger fields. Set 'Type' to 'Module' and select 'Cases' from the Module dropdown. Set 'Watch' to 'New Records Only' so the scenario only fires when a brand-new case is created, not when existing cases are updated. Set the polling interval to the shortest available on your plan — ideally 1 minute. In the 'Maximum number of returned records' field, enter 2 to avoid processing a flood of cases if multiple come in simultaneously during the first run.

1. 1Set 'Type' to 'Module'
2. 2Select 'Cases' from the Module dropdown
3. 3Set 'Watch' to 'New Records Only'
4. 4Set the maximum returned records to 2
5. 5Click 'OK' to save the trigger configuration

Canvas > Arrow between modules > Right-click > Set up a filter

Add a filter to catch VIP accounts only

Click the small wrench icon on the arrow between the Zoho CRM trigger and the next module (you'll add the next module first, then add the filter). After adding the next module in step 6, right-click the arrow connecting the two modules and select 'Set up a filter'. This filter is the most important part of this workflow — without it, every new case triggers a Slack alert, not just VIP ones. Use the filter to check the account tier field from Zoho CRM.

1. 1After adding your next module, right-click the connecting arrow
2. 2Select 'Set up a filter'
3. 3Set Condition 1: map the Zoho CRM field 'Account_Type' (or your custom tier field)
4. 4Set the operator to 'Equal to'
5. 5Enter the value 'VIP' or 'Enterprise' — match exactly what's stored in Zoho CRM
6. 6Click 'OK' to apply the filter

Canvas > + > Slack > Create a Message

Add the Slack module

Click the '+' icon on the right edge of the Zoho CRM module to add the next module. Search for 'Slack' and select it. From the action list, choose 'Create a Message'. This is the action that posts the alert to your Slack channel. You'll connect your Slack workspace in the next step.

1. 1Click the '+' icon on the right side of the Zoho CRM module
2. 2Search for 'Slack' in the module picker
3. 3Select 'Slack' from the results
4. 4Choose 'Create a Message' from the action list
5. 5Click 'Add' to place the module

Slack Module > Connection > Add > Slack OAuth

Connect your Slack workspace

In the Slack module configuration panel, click 'Add' next to the Connection field. Make will redirect you through Slack's OAuth flow. Sign into your Slack workspace and authorize Make. You'll need to be a Slack workspace admin or have permission to install apps — if you're not, coordinate with your IT admin before this step.

1. 1Click 'Add' next to the Connection field in the Slack module
2. 2Select your Slack workspace from the dropdown in the OAuth popup
3. 3Click 'Allow' to grant Make permission to post messages
4. 4Confirm the connection is shown in the Connection field

Slack Module > Channel > Text > Variable Picker

Configure the Slack message content

With Slack connected, set the Channel field to your VIP support channel (e.g., #support-vip). In the 'Text' field, build the alert message by clicking inside the field and using Make's variable picker to insert Zoho CRM data. Click the Zoho CRM module icon in the variable picker to see all available fields. Build a message that includes the case subject, account name, priority, and a direct CRM link. Use Slack's mrkdwn format for bold text: *bold*.

1. 1Set 'Channel' to your VIP support channel (e.g., #support-vip)
2. 2Click inside the 'Text' field to open the variable picker
3. 3Type your message template, inserting Zoho CRM variables
4. 4Use this structure: ':rotating_light: *VIP Case Alert*\n*Account:* [Account_Name]\n*Case:* [Subject]\n*Priority:* [Priority]\n*Status:* [Status]\n*Link:* https://crm.zoho.com/crm/EntityInfo.do?module=Cases&id=[id]'
5. 5Click 'OK' to save the Slack module configuration

📬 New entry: {{1.name}}
Email: {{1.email}}
Details: {{1.description}}

Canvas > Clock Icon (bottom left) > Scheduling > Interval

Set the scheduling interval

Click the clock icon at the bottom left of the canvas to open the scenario scheduling settings. Set the interval to '1 minute' if your Make plan supports it (Core and above). If you're on the free plan, the minimum is 15 minutes. Click 'OK'. This controls how often Make polls Zoho CRM for new cases — shorter intervals mean faster alerts but consume more Make operations.

1. 1Click the clock icon at the bottom left of the scenario canvas
2. 2Select 'Minutes' as the interval unit
3. 3Set the value to '1' (or the minimum your plan allows)
4. 4Click 'OK' to save the schedule

Canvas > Run once > Zoho CRM (create test case) > Canvas execution view

Run a test with a real Zoho CRM case

Before activating the scenario, click 'Run once' at the bottom of the canvas. Then immediately go to Zoho CRM and create a test case assigned to a VIP account. Return to Make within 2 minutes and watch the scenario execution. Click each module to inspect the data bubbles — green means success, red means an error. Verify the filter caught the right case and the Slack message arrived in #support-vip.

1. 1Click 'Run once' at the bottom left of the canvas
2. 2Open Zoho CRM in a new tab
3. 3Create a new case under a VIP or Enterprise account
4. 4Return to Make and wait for the scenario to execute
5. 5Click each module's data bubble to inspect what was received and sent

Canvas > Toggle Switch (bottom left) > Active

Activate the scenario

Once the test passes, click the toggle switch at the bottom left of the canvas to activate the scenario. The toggle turns blue and the status changes from 'Inactive' to 'Active'. Make will now poll Zoho CRM on your set interval continuously. Check the scenario's execution history after 24 hours to confirm it's running cleanly and operation counts are within your plan limits.

1. 1Confirm the test run completed without errors
2. 2Click the toggle switch at the bottom left to activate
3. 3Verify the status label changes to 'Active' (blue)
4. 4Check back in the 'History' tab after 1 hour to confirm successful runs

Paste this formula into a Make 'Set Variable' module placed between the Zoho CRM trigger and the Slack module. It formats the priority field with an emoji indicator and truncates long case descriptions to 200 characters so the Slack message stays readable. Add the Set Variable module by clicking + after the filter, then reference the output variables (formatted_priority, short_description) in your Slack text field.

{{-- Place in a Set Variable or Tools > Set Multiple Variables module --}}
{{-- Variable 1: Priority with emoji --}}
formatted_priority =

{{-- Place in a Set Variable or Tools > Set Multiple Variables module --}}

{{-- Variable 1: Priority with emoji --}}
formatted_priority =
if(Priority = "Critical"; "🔴 Critical";
  if(Priority = "High"; "🟠 High";
    if(Priority = "Medium"; "🟡 Medium";
      if(Priority = "Low"; "🟢 Low";
        Priority
      )
    )
  )
)

{{-- Variable 2: Truncate description to 200 chars --}}
short_description =
if(length(Description) > 200;
  substring(Description; 0; 200) & "...(truncated)";
  if(length(Description) = 0;
    "No description provided";
    Description
  )
)

{{-- Variable 3: Formatted creation timestamp --}}
formatted_time = formatDate(Created_Time; "MMM D, YYYY h:mm A"; "UTC")