Product Overview: Zoho Creator
Zoho Creator is a powerful low-code application development platform designed to empower users, whether they are developers or business professionals, to create custom applications with minimal coding experience.
What Zoho Creator Does
Zoho Creator allows users to build multi-platform applications that can run on web, iOS, and Android devices. It simplifies the process of app development by providing a user-friendly, drag-and-drop interface that eliminates many of the complexities associated with traditional app development. This platform is ideal for digitizing business operations, automating workflows, and creating scalable internal tools, self-service portals, and mission-critical core systems tailored to specific business needs.
Key Features and Functionality
Drag-and-Drop Interface
Zoho Creator features a graphical interface layer that enables users to build tables, forms, and databases by simply dragging and dropping components from a menu. This includes various field types such as radio buttons, dropdowns, checkboxes, and input fields, all without requiring programming knowledge.
Custom Workflow and Business Automation
The platform includes a scripting language called Deluge, which allows users to customize forms, validate inputs, and automate business processes by triggering actions based on user inputs. This feature enables the creation of custom workflows and business automation, streamlining repetitive tasks and enhancing overall efficiency.
Integration Capabilities
Zoho Creator offers over 800 prebuilt integrations with other Zoho applications and third-party services such as Twilio, PayPal, Zapier, Google Drive, Google Sheets, QuickBooks, and Salesforce. This integration capability allows users to connect all their tools and run their business from a single platform.
Mobile and Web App Creation
The platform automatically generates native iOS and Android apps, as well as progressive web apps (PWAs), ensuring that applications are accessible on all devices. This feature includes gesture customization for mobile and tablet devices.
Business Process and Analytics
Zoho Creator allows users to automate processes visually, update CRMs, assign tasks, send emails, and perform other tasks without coding. It also includes advanced reporting options such as Maps and Timeline views, enabling users to uncover insights from their data in real-time.
Security and Access Control
The platform ensures data security through logical separation, data retention, and backup in secure data centers. It is ISO 27001/27017/27018 certified and SOC 2 compliant. Users can set role-based permissions, restrict visibility, and manage user access to ensure that data is accessed only by authorized personnel.
Additional Features
- Customer Portal: Allows enterprises to share critical information and applications with customers through a private portal.
- Notification and Messaging: Includes an SMS notification feature integrated with major SMS services to send time-critical information.
- Audit & Log: Provides logs and audit trails to track activities within the applications.
- Built-in Camera, Barcode, and Maps Functionality: Enables users to capture images, scan barcodes, and present data in map formats.
- Application Lifecycle Management (ALM): Helps in managing the entire lifecycle of the applications created on the platform.
On-Premise Option
For organizations requiring greater control over their data, Zoho Creator also offers an on-premise version that can be installed on Windows and Linux machines. This version includes features such as user management, mail server settings, proxy server configurations, and the ability to delegate user authentication to an organization’s Identity Provider (IdP) using SAML.
In summary, Zoho Creator is a versatile and powerful low-code platform that empowers users to build custom applications quickly and efficiently, integrating seamlessly with various tools and services to streamline business operations.