Creating a Custom OAuth Application

CData embeds OAuth Application Credentials with CData branding that can be used when connecting to Zoho CRM via a desktop application or a headless machine. If you want to use the embedded OAuth application, all you need to do to connect is to:

• set AuthScheme to OAuth,
• get and set the OAuthAccessToken, and
• set the necessary configuration parameters.

(For information on getting and setting the OAuthAccessToken and other configuration parameters, see the Desktop Applications section of "Establishing a Connection".)

However, you must create a custom OAuth application to connect to Zoho CRM via the Web. And since custom OAuth applications seamlessly support all three commonly-used auth flows, you might want to create custom OAuth applications (use your own OAuth Application Credentials) for those auth flows anyway.

Custom OAuth applications are useful if you want to:

• control branding of the authentication dialog;
• control the redirect URI that the application redirects the user to after the user authenticates; or
• customize the permissions that you are requesting from the user.

Procedure

Authenticating to Zoho CRM via an OAuth application requires you to obtain the OAuthClientSecret and CallbackURL connection properties. You can obtain these by registering your OAuth application with Zoho Creator. Do the following:

1. Navigate to accounts.zoho.com/developerconsole.
2. Click Add Client, then Server-Based Application.
3. Enter the client name, homepage URL, and redirect URL.
4. If the user will connect through either a desktop application or the Web, set a callback URL:
   • For connecting from a desktop application, set the callback URL to http://localhost:33333, or another port number of your choice.
   • For connecting from a Web application, set a callback URL to specify what page the user should land on after granting your application access.
5. Click Create.