Ira Bodnar··Updated ·12 min read

Claude Skills for Zoho CRM: 9 SKILL.md Files for Your CRM

Quick answer: Save each recurring Zoho CRM check as a Claude skill that names the COQL query to run and the table to hand back. Ryze AI is the best Claude connector for running these skills on live Zoho CRM data, with one caveat: it reaches 4 Zoho CRM tools and covers Zoho CRM only, not the other Zoho apps.

Below: 9 SKILL.md files for deals, leads, owners and field cleanup, install steps for Claude Code and claude.ai, and how to connect live data.

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The 9 Claude skills for Zoho CRM at a glance

Skills 01 to 08 only read. Skill 09 changes records and is set so that only you can start it.

  1. 01Weekly deal digestDeals created and closed this week

    Ryze AI tools it calls: zoho__query

    Cadence: Weekly

  2. 02Stale deal finderOpen deals with no recent change

    Ryze AI tools it calls: zoho__query

    Cadence: Weekly

  3. 03Overdue closing datesOpen deals whose closing date has passed

    Ryze AI tools it calls: zoho__query

    Cadence: Weekly

  4. 04Missing fields auditDeals with no amount or closing date

    Ryze AI tools it calls: zoho__query

    Cadence: Monthly

  5. 05Owner workloadOpen deals and value per owner

    Ryze AI tools it calls: zoho__query

    Cadence: Weekly

  6. 06Lead source reportLead count per source

    Ryze AI tools it calls: zoho__query

    Cadence: Monthly

  7. 07Duplicate lead checkLeads that share an email address

    Ryze AI tools it calls: zoho__query

    Cadence: Monthly

  8. 08Field inventoryWhich fields a module has

    Ryze AI tools it calls: zoho__read, zoho__query

    Cadence: Quarterly

  9. 09Guarded field cleanupFix one field after you approve a list

    Ryze AI tools it calls: zoho__query, zoho__write

    Cadence: On demand

The tool names are the ones the Ryze AI connector exposes for Zoho CRM. Module and field names such as Deals, Stage, Amount and Closing_Date are Zoho CRM API names, and each skill tells Claude to confirm them against your own org first.

What are Claude skills for Zoho CRM?

A Claude skill for Zoho CRM is a saved SKILL.md file that tells Claude which modules to query and how to present the rows. Per Anthropic's Agent Skills docs, the file starts with a name and a description, and Claude reads the rest of the file when a request matches the description.

The name allows up to 64 lowercase letters, numbers and hyphens and cannot contain the words claude or anthropic, so every skill here starts with zoho. The description is capped at 1,024 characters and says what the skill does and when to use it.

  1. What it is

    One-off prompt
    A question typed into chat
    Skill
    A saved file with a fixed query and output
    Zoho CRM connection
    Tools Claude calls to reach your org

  2. Setup

    One-off prompt
    None
    Skill
    Save the file once per Claude app
    Zoho CRM connection
    One Zoho sign-in and consent

  3. Same steps each run

    One-off prompt
    No
    Skill
    Yes
    Zoho CRM connection
    Follows whichever prompt or skill is used

Zoho CRM's query language, COQL, looks like SQL: a select list, a base module, a where clause and a limit. It can join through lookup fields and use aggregates such as COUNT and SUM (Zoho COQL docs). That is what most skills below spell out. For the connector itself, see the Zoho CRM MCP page, and for a comparison of servers see best MCP for Zoho CRM.

How to install the skills in Claude Code and claude.ai

Claude Code

Save each block as ~/.claude/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md for every project on your machine, or .claude/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md inside one repository. Type /zoho-stale-deals to run a skill, or let Claude choose it from the description (Claude Code skills docs).

claude.ai

Zip each skill folder and upload it as a custom skill. Anthropic lists custom skills on the Pro, Max, Ultra, Team and Enterprise plans with code execution enabled.

Connect the data

Add the Ryze AI connector in each Claude app you use, as described in the Live data section below. The Zoho CRM MCP page lists the tools.

Custom skills do not sync between surfaces: a skill uploaded to claude.ai is not in Claude Code, and the reverse. Anthropic advises using skills only from sources you trust, so read every file before you save it.

Pipeline skills: what moved and what stalled

These three read the Deals module only. They give a sales lead a weekly view and a short list of deals to chase.

01. Weekly deal digest

Lists deals created and closed in the last 7 days, grouped by stage. Zoho stores the creation time in Created_Time, a system field present on records.

SKILL.md
--- name: zoho-weekly-deals description: Weekly recap of Zoho CRM deals by stage. Use for a Monday pipeline note or when asked what moved in the CRM this week. --- # Zoho CRM weekly deal digest 1. zoho__read the Deals fields so the API names for stage, amount and closing date are confirmed. 2. zoho__query Deals twice with LIMIT 0, 200: - Created_Time within the last 7 days - Closing_Date within the last 7 days and the stage a closed one 3. Group by Stage. Say which deals are new and which closed. Output: 5 short sentences, then a table of deal, stage, amount, closing date. Use CRM values only. Do not write to Zoho CRM.

Use it when: you send a Monday pipeline note and want it built from the CRM.

02. Stale deal finder

Finds open deals whose Modified_Time is old. Modified_Time is a system field, so no custom field is needed.

SKILL.md
--- name: zoho-stale-deals description: Finds open Zoho CRM deals with no recent changes. Use when asked which deals are stuck or need a follow-up. --- # Zoho CRM stale deals Ask for the number of days (default 30). 1. zoho__query Deals where Modified_Time is before today minus the days and Stage is not Closed Won or Closed Lost, ordered by Modified_Time ascending. Select Deal_Name, Amount, Stage, Closing_Date, Modified_Time, Owner. LIMIT 0, 200. 2. If 200 rows come back, say so and ask which stage or owner to narrow to. Output: a table, oldest first, with days since last change and one line per deal on what to check. Read only.

Use it when: a rep or manager asks which deals have gone quiet. If your pipeline uses other stage names, edit the two closed names in the file.

03. Overdue closing dates

Lists open deals whose closing date is already in the past. A forecast that counts them is overstated until the dates move or the deals close.

SKILL.md
--- name: zoho-overdue-deals description: Lists open Zoho CRM deals with a closing date in the past. Use before a forecast call or pipeline review. --- # Zoho CRM overdue closing dates 1. zoho__query Deals where Closing_Date is before today and Stage is not Closed Won or Closed Lost, ordered by Amount descending. Select Deal_Name, Amount, Stage, Closing_Date, Modified_Time. LIMIT 0, 200. 2. Add the Amount of all returned deals. Output: the total, then the table. Say which deals also changed in the last 14 days. Read only.

Use it when: before a forecast call.

05. Owner workload

Counts open deals and their value per owner with one aggregate query, which COQL supports through GROUP BY.

SKILL.md
--- name: zoho-owner-workload description: Counts open Zoho CRM deals and their total amount per owner. Use when balancing the pipeline across the sales team. --- # Zoho CRM owner workload 1. zoho__query Deals with COUNT(id) and SUM(Amount), grouped by Owner, where Stage is not Closed Won or Closed Lost. 2. If the query is rejected, query the open deals directly with Owner, Amount and Stage and count them yourself. Output: a table of owner, open deals, total amount. Flag deals with no owner. Read only.

Use it when: you rebalance accounts or a rep leaves.

Data quality skills: clean the CRM before you report on it

Reports from a CRM are only as good as its records. These skills find gaps, repeats and unused fields. The last one fixes a value, and only after you approve the list.

04. Missing fields audit

Finds open deals with no amount or no closing date. COQL has an is null comparator for this.

SKILL.md
--- name: zoho-missing-fields description: Finds Zoho CRM deals with no amount or no closing date. Use before a forecast or when deal reports look too small. --- # Zoho CRM missing fields audit 1. zoho__query open Deals where Amount is null. Select Deal_Name, Stage, Closing_Date, Owner. LIMIT 0, 200. 2. zoho__query open Deals where Closing_Date is null. Same fields. 3. Merge both lists and mark each deal as missing amount, missing closing date or both. Output: counts first, then a table. Say if either query returned 200 rows. Read only.

Use it when: deal totals look low or a forecast is due.

06. Lead source report

Counts leads per source, so you can see where the CRM gets its leads. Lead_Source is a standard field on the Leads module.

SKILL.md
--- name: zoho-lead-sources description: Counts Zoho CRM leads by lead source for a date range. Use when asked where leads come from or which source is growing. --- # Zoho CRM lead source report Ask for the date range (default last 30 days). 1. zoho__query Leads with COUNT(id) grouped by Lead_Source where Created_Time falls in the range. 2. Run it again for the previous range of the same length. Output: a table of source, count now, count before. Put leads with an empty source on their own row. Read only.

Use it when: you review lead generation each month.

07. Duplicate lead check

Looks for leads that share an email address. It reports candidates only. Merging stays a decision you make in Zoho CRM.

SKILL.md
--- name: zoho-duplicate-leads description: Lists Zoho CRM leads that share an email address. Use when asked to find repeated records before an import or cleanup. --- # Zoho CRM duplicate lead check 1. zoho__query Leads with COUNT(id) grouped by Email where Email is not null. Keep the groups with a count above 1. 2. For each of the first 20 groups, zoho__query the leads with that email. Select Last_Name, Company, Lead_Source, Created_Time, Owner. Output: groups of 2 or more records with their IDs. Do not merge, convert or edit.

Use it when: before an import or after two teams fed the same CRM.

08. Field inventory

Reads a module's field definitions, then samples records to see which fields hold values. Zoho's list calls need field names, so the skill names them.

SKILL.md
--- name: zoho-field-inventory description: Reviews the fields of a Zoho CRM module and checks which ones are filled in. Use when taking over a CRM org. --- # Zoho CRM field inventory Ask which module (Leads, Contacts, Accounts or Deals). 1. zoho__read the field definitions for that module. 2. List custom fields with label, data type and API name. 3. For up to 10 custom fields, zoho__query 200 records of the module and count how many have a value. Output: a table of field, type, share of sampled records filled. Say it is a sample of 200. Read only.

Use it when: you take over an org.

09. Guarded field cleanup

Fixes one field across a list of records you have already reviewed. It is the only skill here that writes. The frontmatter line disable-model-invocation: true stops Claude from starting it by itself, per the Claude Code docs.

SKILL.md
--- name: zoho-guarded-cleanup description: Updates one Zoho CRM field on a reviewed list of records. Use only when the user asks for a cleanup and names the module, field and new value. disable-model-invocation: true --- # Zoho CRM guarded cleanup 1. Ask for the module, the field and the new value. 2. zoho__query the records that match. Show the count and the first 20 with the current value. 3. Stop and wait for the user to type the word approve. 4. After approve, zoho__write the update in batches of up to 100 records, then read every per-record result in the response and report any that failed. 5. zoho__query again to confirm the new value. Never call zoho__delete from this skill.

Use it when: a value is wrong on a known set of records. In Claude, also set the write and delete tools to Needs approval, covered in the Live data section.

Quick Zoho CRM prompts: no skill file needed

For a one-time question, a plain prompt works once Claude can reach Zoho CRM. Replace the words in brackets.

Prompt
Run a COQL query on Zoho CRM Deals created this month and list Deal_Name, Amount, Stage and Closing_Date, largest amount first.
Prompt
Read the fields of the [MODULE] module in Zoho CRM and tell me which ones are custom.
Prompt
Find the account [ACCOUNT NAME] in Zoho CRM and list its contacts and open deals.
Prompt
Count my Zoho CRM leads by Lead_Source for the last 30 days.

If an answer looks off, ask Claude which tool it called and which query it ran.

How to run the skills on live Zoho CRM data

A skill only describes the work. Claude needs a connection to run it. The Ryze AI connector gives Claude 4 Zoho CRM tools:

  1. zoho__read

    What it does
    GET request to a Zoho CRM API resource such as module records, a single record, module settings, fields or users
    Access
    Read
    Used by
    Skills 01, 08

  2. zoho__query

    What it does
    Runs a COQL query, up to 2,000 rows per call
    Access
    Read
    Used by
    Skills 01 to 09

  3. zoho__write

    What it does
    Creates, updates or upserts records, up to 100 per call
    Access
    Write
    Used by
    Skill 09

  4. zoho__delete

    What it does
    Deletes records singly or in bulk; deleted records go to the Zoho CRM recycle bin
    Access
    Delete
    Used by
    No skill here

You connect Zoho CRM in Ryze AI by opening Integrations, clicking Connect on the Zoho CRM card, signing in to Zoho and approving access to CRM modules, settings, users and organization details. Any Zoho data center works (Ryze AI help center). Then add https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp as a custom connector in Claude. If the connector was added before Zoho CRM was connected, remove and re-add it so the tool list refreshes. Several Zoho CRM organizations can sit in one workspace; one is the primary and answers by default unless you name another.

Approvals: the Ryze AI chat starts on Skip all approvals, and scheduled tasks run without an approval step. To require approval in Claude, open Customize > Connectors > Ryze AI > Tool permissions and set write and delete tools to Needs approval. Ryze AI plans and the 7-day trial are on the pricing page.

Zoho's own MCP product and what changes for skills

Zoho sells its own MCP product, Zoho MCP, that connects AI agents to Zoho apps such as CRM, Mail, Desk and Projects and to more than 500 third-party services, using OAuth and the permissions of the signed-in user (Zoho MCP). Zoho's page does not list tool names or pricing, so check them before you rely on it.

The skills above work with either connection, because the skill files name what to query and the connection supplies the tools. Tool names differ, so replace the zoho__ names if you use Zoho MCP. Pick Zoho MCP when you need other Zoho apps in the same chat. Pick the Ryze AI connector when you want Zoho CRM on the same connector URL as the other Ryze AI platforms.

Troubleshooting: when a Zoho CRM skill returns a wrong answer

Claude has no Zoho CRM tools

Claude keeps the tool list from when you added the connector. Remove and re-add it, then start a new chat (Ryze AI connector FAQ).

A list call is rejected

Zoho's Get Records call needs a fields parameter with at most 50 field API names. Put the field names in the skill.

Results stop at 2,000 rows

A COQL query returns up to 2,000 rows per call. Beyond that, page with the offset, which Zoho allows up to 100,000 records per criteria, or narrow the where clause.

A write says success but a record is wrong

Zoho returns HTTP 207 when some records in a batch fail, with a result per record. Skill 09 reads each result for that reason.

Too many requests

Zoho limits API credits per 24 hours by edition, and simultaneous calls too. A COQL query of 201 to 1,000 rows costs 2 credits and 1,001 to 2,000 costs 3. Run one skill at a time and keep LIMIT small.

A deleted record is gone

Ryze AI states that deleted records go to the Zoho CRM recycle bin. Keep delete tools on Needs approval anyway.

Sources

Checked November 13, 2026

The verdict

Turn each recurring CRM question into a skill with a fixed COQL query. Start with the stale deal finder and the missing fields audit, keep the cleanup skill behind a typed approval, and leave one-off questions as prompts.

Ryze AI runs these skills in Claude on live Zoho CRM data through 4 tools. The connection covers Zoho CRM only, and list calls need field names.

Frequently asked questions

What are Claude skills for Zoho CRM?
SKILL.md files that tell Claude which Zoho CRM modules to query, which fields to ask for and how to present the result. Claude loads one when a request matches its description, so each check follows the same steps.
Do I need a Zoho CRM connection to use these skills?
Yes for live data. Without a connection, attach a CRM export that has the columns a skill names. A connection removes the export step.
Which Claude plan do I need?
Anthropic lists custom skill uploads on claude.ai for Pro, Max, Ultra, Team and Enterprise with code execution enabled. In Claude Code, skills are folders on your computer. Custom connectors are available on Free, Pro, Max, Ultra, Team and Enterprise, with Free limited to one.
How does Ryze AI compare with Zoho MCP for these skills?
Ryze AI puts Zoho CRM on the same connector URL as its other platforms. The trade-off: Zoho MCP spans many Zoho apps and third-party services, while Ryze AI exposes 4 tools for Zoho CRM only.
Show 8 more questions
Which Ryze AI tools do the skills use?
zoho__query for nearly every skill, zoho__read for field definitions, and zoho__write for the one cleanup skill. zoho__delete is not used by any skill here.
Can the skills change my CRM?
Eight of the nine only read. The cleanup skill writes after you type approve. In Claude, you can also set write and delete tools to Needs approval under Customize > Connectors > Ryze AI > Tool permissions.
Does the Ryze AI chat ask before changing records?
By default the Ryze AI chat starts on Skip all approvals, and scheduled tasks run without an approval step. Switch the Tool approvals setting to Approve write & delete or Manual approve to review changes.
Can Claude change Zoho CRM settings or modules?
Do not count on it. The Ryze AI write tool is described for records, so these skills only create, update or upsert records.
Which Zoho permissions are needed?
You sign in to Zoho and approve access to CRM modules, settings, users and organization details on the consent screen. Any Zoho data center works.
Can I use more than one Zoho CRM organization?
Yes. Several organizations can be connected to one workspace. One is the primary and answers by default unless you name another.
How much does it cost?
Connecting is free. The tools need an active plan or trial: Paid Ads is $89 a month with a 7-day free trial, and annual billing is 30% off the first year.
Do these skills work with Zoho MCP?
Yes, with edits. The skills describe the work, and Zoho MCP uses its own tool names, so replace the zoho__ names with the tools it lists.

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