Quotes in Zoho CRM: templates, approval and e-signature at a glance
This guide covers quotes in Zoho CRM: templates, approval and e-signature, set up as one connected flow. The goal is plain. No quote leaves your business until it has been built from a fixed template, cleared by the right person and sent for a signature that comes back to the record.
Four terms come up throughout. A quote is the priced offer you send a customer. A template is the fixed layout that pulls names, prices and terms from the CRM record, so nobody retypes them. An approval step holds a quote until a manager has cleared it, and an e-signature is the customer's recorded acceptance, collected here through Zoho Sign.
The tools are Zoho CRM, Zoho Writer and Zoho Sign. Zoho Writer is Zoho's online word processor. Zoho's own community post on generating a PDF quote and sending it for signature confirms this can be done entirely inside the Zoho ecosystem, with no code, using those three products. Zoho Books then takes over once the customer has accepted.
If you are still getting to grips with records, modules and fields, read the basics of Zoho CRM first. The rest of this post assumes you know where Setup is and what a module is.
Deals with a merge template or the native Quotes module
There are two ways to build the flow, and the choice depends on how complicated your pricing is. Make it before you design a template, because the template is tied to one module.
The first route runs from the Deals module. You connect a Writer template to Deals, and a stage change on the deal generates the quote and sends it for signature. Zoho's guide is explicit that the template must be connected to the Deals module specifically for this route to work.
The second route uses the native Quotes module with a Writer template. Zoho's guide warns that quotes with complex product line items, conditional pricing or dynamic tables hit limits with the standard merge approach, and that the Quotes module is the better fit in those cases.
| Question | Deals plus merge template | Quotes module plus Writer template |
|---|---|---|
| What you sell | One service or a short, fixed set of items | Many products, variable lines, conditional pricing |
| What triggers the quote | A workflow rule on the deal stage | A quote record raised against the deal |
| Tables in the document | Simple fields and a small subform | Dynamic tables of line items |
| Set-up effort | Lower | Higher, but it scales with your catalogue |
If you are unsure, start with the Deals route for one simple offer and move to the Quotes module when the line items outgrow it.
| Deals with a merge template | Native Quotes module | |
|---|---|---|
| Module the template connects to | Deals | Quotes |
| What triggers the quote | A stage change on the deal | A quote record built in the Quotes module |
| Pricing it suits | Straightforward, fixed pricing | Conditional pricing |
| Line items it suits | Few, simple lines | Many product lines and dynamic tables |
| Best fit | Simple offers sent at a set stage | Detailed offers with complex product lists |
Build a branded quote template in Zoho Writer
The template is a mail merge document. Zoho defines mail merge as a function that simplifies repetitive tasks by creating personalised documents from a single layout. According to the Zoho CRM help page on mail merge templates, they are available in the Standard, Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate editions, and can draw on data from Quotes, Products, Contacts, Accounts, custom modules and more.
Build the layout in Writer with your logo, terms and payment details. Then associate it with the right module through the Writer icon on a record, or under Setup > Templates > Documents.
Get the merge fields right
Merge fields must match the exact API names of your CRM fields, not the labels you see on screen. You find the API name under Setup > Modules > Fields, in the API Name column. If you have renamed fields or added custom ones, as described in how to customise your CRM, check each API name rather than guessing.
For line items, use a subform: a secondary table that lets you add several lines to one record. Merged documents can go out as a PDF or a Word file and can be password-protected.
The covering email
The email that carries the quote uses a separate email template. Email templates are module specific, so a template built for Deals will not appear in another module unless you clone it across. A template that is linked to a workflow cannot be deleted directly, which protects live automations.
The limits to plan around
Mail merge has hard limits, and they matter once quoting volume grows. The figures below come from Zoho's help pages for mail merge and email templates. The mail merge limits have applied since 1 November 2020.
| Limit | Value | What it means for quotes |
|---|---|---|
| Merges per month (Professional, Enterprise, Ultimate) | 1,000 per organisation by default | Covers most small sales teams; count test runs too |
| Merges per day, all editions | 1,000 | Applies even if you buy extra merges |
| Extra merges | 500 to 4,000 per purchase, at $0.05 per merge | Budget for this if you quote in bulk |
| Subform fields per template | 10 | Keep line-item columns lean |
| Dynamic tables per template | 3 | One for products, one for options, one spare |
| Related list items fetched | First 100 | Very long quotes will be cut short |
| Mail merge emails per day | 1,000 per organisation | Shared across every merge that emails |
| Email template attachments | 10 files, 3 MB in total | Link to brochures rather than attaching them |
For a typical small business, the subform and table limits bite before the volume limits do. If your quotes regularly carry more lines than this, that is the signal to use the Quotes module rather than a merge from Deals.
Add an approval step before anything is sent
An approval step answers one question: who is allowed to let this quote go out? Without it, a salesperson can offer any discount, and you find out when the invoice is raised.
Decide your triggers first. The usual ones are a discount above the level your sales director sets, a quote value above a limit, or payment terms that differ from your standard. Send each flagged quote to a role, such as sales manager, rather than a named person, so approvals keep moving when someone is on leave.
The key design point is the link between approval and sending. In the worked example below, the signature request fires when a deal reaches the "Proposal Sent" stage. That stage should only be reachable once approval is given. Blueprint, a Zoho CRM feature that defines which states a record may move between and what must be true before it moves, is the usual way to enforce this. Our intermediate Zoho CRM guide covers Blueprint and workflow rules in more depth.
Zoho Books has its own approval logic for the finance end. Its help page states that if multi-level approvals are configured, invoices can be signed only after the final approver has approved them. Only admin users and users with approval permission for invoices can sign an invoice.
Worked example: from deal stage to signature request
Take a small UK installation firm. The sales manager wants every approved proposal to go out as a PDF for signature, with no manual steps once the deal moves stage. These are the settings Zoho's community guide describes.
- Build the Writer template. Add merge fields for the account name, the contact, the deal amount and your terms, each using its API name.
- Associate it with Deals. Go to
Setup > Templates > Documentsand connect the template to the Deals module. - Create the workflow rule. On the Deals module, trigger the rule when Stage is changed to "Proposal Sent".
- Set the action. Choose "Mail Merge" and select your Writer template.
- Set the output. Choose "Send for Signature via Zoho Sign" and map the signer to the Contact email linked to the deal.
- Switch on test mode. Zoho Sign consumes credits for every signature request, so use test mode while you build.
- Run it on a sample deal. Move a test deal to "Proposal Sent" and open the generated PDF, not the template preview.
That last step matters because Zoho's guide notes that what looks correct in the template preview does not always match the generated document. At Svennis we run each new quote template in test mode against a few real deals and read the generated PDF line by line before go-live, because a field that looks right in the preview can print blank or wrong in the document.
| Step | What to set | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Build the template | Merge fields for account, contact, deal amount and terms, each by API name | Zoho Writer |
| 2. Associate it with Deals | Connect the template to the Deals module | Setup > Templates > Documents |
| 3. Create the workflow rule | Trigger when Stage is changed to Proposal Sent | Deals module workflow rules |
| 4. Set the action | Choose Mail Merge and select the Writer template | Workflow rule action |
| 5. Set the output | Choose Send for Signature via Zoho Sign | Workflow rule action |
Sending for e-signature with Zoho Sign
Zoho Sign handles the signing itself. The customer does not need a Zoho Sign account, as the Zoho Sign quote page states, so the request lands in their inbox and they sign from there.
Who receives the request
If a deal has several contacts, only the primary contact receives the signature request by default. If you need a second signer, such as a finance director alongside the buyer, Zoho's guide says you will need a workflow function for that part. Check the primary contact on each deal before it moves stage, or the request goes to the wrong person.
Collect details before, not after
A user on Zoho's community forum described asking prospects for billing details in a signed document and then typing those details into CRM fields by hand. That is exactly the rekeying this flow should remove. Capture billing details on the CRM record before the quote is generated, so the template carries them and the customer only has to check and sign.
The same thread notes that Zoho Sign integrates with Microsoft 365 and Teams. If your team works in Outlook and Teams all day, that keeps signing visible without adding another inbox.
Passing the accepted quote to Zoho Books
Once the customer has signed, the quote becomes finance's business. The aim is that finance never retypes it. The Zoho Books help page on the Zoho Sign integration sets out what Books adds on its side.
- The integration is listed for the Premium, Elite and Ultimate plans of Zoho Books.
- You can restrict quotes and invoices from being sent to customers unless they have been signed.
- Customers can be required to sign a quote before they accept it in the customer portal.
- Users must be invited to your Zoho Sign organisation to set up their own signature. Without that, they cannot sign invoices in Books even if they have permission.
Details finance should know
When Books adds signatures automatically, it uses the signature of the user who set up the integration. Set it up from the account of the person whose signature should appear. Custom invoice templates need the %DigitalSignature% placeholder, or the signature will not show.
The signature does not appear in PDFs printed or downloaded in bulk, or in the preview on the invoice details screen. Invoices created from a recurring profile are signed automatically unless you choose Create Invoices as Drafts. Documents already signed stay signed if you later remove the integration.
What a salesperson still checks
Automation removes retyping, not judgement. The flow will faithfully send whatever is on the record, so the record has to be right. Use this checklist at each point where a person touches the quote.
| When | Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Before requesting approval | Account, contact and billing details are complete | The template prints exactly what the record holds |
| Before requesting approval | Discount and payment terms are what was agreed | These drive the approval triggers |
| Before moving the stage | The right person is the primary contact | Only the primary contact gets the signature request by default |
| Before moving the stage | Line items fit the template limits | Only the first 100 related list items are fetched |
| After the merge | The generated PDF reads correctly | The preview does not always match the document |
| After signature | The signed copy sits on the record and finance has it | This closes the loop into Zoho Books |
Make the checklist part of your sales process, not a document people forget. Required fields on the deal, and Blueprint conditions on the stage move, can enforce most of it for you.
What this means for a UK company
The mechanics are the same in the UK as anywhere else. A few points deserve a closer look before you roll the flow out.
Signature type
Zoho Sign's trust service list names qualified electronic signatures through EU providers such as itsme and InfoCert, one through Swisscom for Switzerland, and advanced signatures for Kenya, South Africa and Saudi Arabia. It does not name a UK-specific provider. For most sales quotes a standard e-signature is what firms use, but if a particular contract needs a specific signature level, confirm that with your legal adviser before you choose an option.
Plans and pricing
The Books help page cited here is Zoho's Singapore edition. Check that your own Books plan includes the Sign integration before you depend on it. Extra CRM merges are priced in US dollars on Zoho's help page, so allow for exchange rates if you expect to buy them.
Where your team works
Many UK businesses run on Microsoft 365, and Zoho Sign's integration with Microsoft 365 and Teams means signing can sit alongside the tools your staff already use. If you need a refresher on how a CRM fits into that wider set of systems, start with the glossary entry.
Practical next steps
Work through these in order. Each step can be finished and tested before you start the next.
- Map your current quote journey. Write down who drafts, who approves and who sends today, and where details get retyped.
- Choose the route. Use Deals plus a merge template for simple offers, or the Quotes module for many line items and conditional pricing.
- Build one template. Use API names for every merge field and keep within the subform and table limits.
- Set the approval rule and stage control. Make sure the stage that triggers sending is reachable only after approval.
- Connect Zoho Sign in test mode. Map the signer, run real sample deals and read every generated PDF.
- Connect Zoho Books. Decide whether quotes must be signed before sending, and set up signatures from the right user.
- Train the team on the checklist. Then switch off test mode.
If you would rather have the flow designed and tested with you, our Zoho CRM implementation and consulting page explains how we approach a build like this and what you would need to prepare.