Zoho CRM ODBC connection string parameters

The following table describes the key connection string parameters for connecting to Zoho CRM via the ODBC driver.

Authentication

Parameter Description
Domain Specifies the Zoho CRM domain for your account. Available options:
  • crm.zoho.com – (Default) US
  • crm.zoho.eu – EU
  • crm.zoho.in – India
  • crm.zoho.com.cn – China
  • crm.zohocloud.ca – Canada
  • crm.zoho.com.au – Australia
  • crm.zoho.jp – Japan
If a new Zoho CRM domain becomes available, you can specify it manually in the connection string or through the configuration dialog.
Refresh Token Specifies the OAuth 2.0 refresh token required for authentication. For instructions on generating this token, see Obtain a refresh token.

Server configuration

Parameter Description
Version Specifies the Zoho CRM API version to use. Available options:
  • Ver2 – (Default) Zoho CRM API 2.0
  • Ver4 – Zoho CRM API 4.0

Proxy settings

Parameter Description
Proxy Server Specifies the hostname or IP address of the proxy server.
Proxy Port Specifies the port number for the proxy server.
Proxy User Specifies the username required for proxy authentication.
Proxy Password Specifies the password required for proxy authentication.

Advanced settings

Parameter Description
AllowNullStringsInMetadata Allows metadata retrieval even when some parameters contain NULL values, ensuring compatibility with third-party tools that pass NULL. The default value is True.
Cache Metadata Configures metadata caching. Available options:
  • False – Caching is disabled.
  • Hour – Cached metadata is reset every hour.
  • Day – (Default) Cached metadata is reset daily (every 24 hours).
  • Month – Cached metadata is reset monthly.
  • True – Metadata caching is permanent until the driver is unloaded.
Connection Timeout Sets the timeout (in seconds) for establishing a connection. The default value is 60 (seconds).
EmptyStringsAsNullInMetadata Converts empty strings to NULL when retrieving data. The default value is True.
Non Approved Records Enables retrieval of non-approved records from Zoho CRM. The default value is False.
NormalizeDbNames Replaces . characters in column names with _ for compatibility with third-party tools that don’t support dots in column names. The default value is False.
ODBC Behavior Defines ODBC behavior for compatibility with third-party tools. Available options:
  • Default – Default ODBC behavior.
  • Ver 2.x – Explicitly sets ODBC 2.x behavior.
  • Ver 3.x – Explicitly sets ODBC 3.x behavior.
Query API Uses COQL (CRM Object Query Language) to query Zoho CRM data. This can improve the performance of filtered queries and related operations. However, not all fields are supported in SELECT and WHERE clauses, and other COQL limitations apply. The default value is False.
Query Timeout Sets the timeout (in seconds) for query execution. The default value is 60 (seconds).
RegionalDateTimeSettings Enables local regional settings for converting dates and times to strings. The default value is False.
RegionalNumberSettings Enables local regional settings for converting numbers to strings. The default value is False.
ReturnForeignKeys Specifies whether to include foreign keys in metadata queries, which may impact performance. The default value is False.
String Types Specifies the type of string data returned:
  • Default – The driver determines the appropriate string types.
  • Ansi – Returns string data as SQL_CHAR, SQL_VARCHAR, and SQL_LONGVARCHAR.
  • Unicode – Returns string data as SQL_WCHAR, SQL_WVARCHAR, and SQL_WLONGVARCHAR.
UTC Dates Specifies whether date/time values are returned in UTC. If set to False, date/time values are converted to the local time zone. The default value is False.

Sample connection string

DRIVER=Devart ODBC Driver for Zoho CRM;Domain=crm.zoho.com;Refresh Token=<your_refresh_token>;ReturnForeignKeys=True;Connection Timeout=120