Custom views in Zoho CRM let you reshape how records are displayed — from spreadsheet-style grids to visual tile layouts — so your team sees exactly the information they need, in the format that suits their workflow.
Why this matters
Different roles and business processes call for different data presentations. A sales rep scanning pipeline deals needs something very different from a warehouse manager reviewing inventory. Zoho CRM's Canvas builder lets you tailor these views without writing code, and the 2025 updates have expanded the available formats and components significantly. As independent experts (Beam Help — not official Zoho support), we've put together this guide to walk you through the key options.
Step-by-step
Step 1. Understand the available view types before you build.
Canvas in Zoho CRM currently supports three core view styles. The Custom List View presents records in a horizontal stack, giving you room for essential fields, design elements, and icons. The Tile View mimics a row of business cards and works especially well for modules where records have images — real estate and manufacturing teams find this particularly useful. The Sheet View blends spreadsheet legibility with CRM functionality and is ideal for simpler data like inventory or invoices. [1]
Step 2. Open the Canvas builder for your target module.
Navigate to the module you want to customise (for example, Contacts or Deals). Canvas uses a drag-and-drop interface that lets you create unique views relevant to different business processes and roles. [8] Look for the Canvas option within the module's customisation or setup area.
Step 3. Choose your view style and start laying out components.
Once inside the builder, select one of the three view styles described in Step 1. From there, drag fields, design elements, and icons onto the canvas. The builder supports an expansive list of formatting options, so you can control exactly how each field appears. [1]
Step 4. Use the Flex component for adaptive layouts.
A newer addition to the Canvas toolset is Flex, a component that gives you greater control over how data is displayed across different screen sizes and resolutions. You can dynamically adjust how fields fit vertically and horizontally, and control how they wrap when content exceeds the component's width. This is especially valuable if your team accesses CRM on devices with varying display sizes. [8]
Step 5. Set up conditional styling and Canvas rules.
Within the builder, you can define how fields look based on their current state, apply conditional styling, and create Canvas rules to show, hide, or style specific fields and sections depending on record data. [1] This means a high-value deal can visually stand out from a low-priority one without any manual effort from your team.
Step 6. Build a Canvas view for record creation pages.
Canvas isn't limited to list or detail views. You can now create a Canvas view specifically for record creation pages across different modules. Once saved, this view automatically extends to the edit and clone record pages for that module as well. [1]
Step 7. Clone or export your Canvas template.
Once you're happy with a view, you don't have to rebuild it from scratch for other modules or other CRM accounts. Canvas templates can be cloned for use in different modules, and they can also be exported to other CRM organisations using a unique key — making it straightforward to share polished, industry-grade templates across teams. [1]
Common pitfalls
- Mobile views are separate. Your desktop Canvas layout does not automatically carry over to the Zoho CRM mobile app. Users have raised this as a known gap — the mobile experience requires its own configuration consideration. [2]
- Forecast custom columns are not the same as record views. The custom columns feature in Forecasts (available on Enterprise and above, with a maximum of two custom columns per forecast group) is a separate capability from Canvas views and applies only to the Forecasts module. Don't confuse the two when planning your customisation strategy. [4]
- Flex components are a recent addition. If you're working from older documentation or tutorials, they may not mention the Flex component. Make sure your CRM account is on a current edition to access it. [8]
What to check
- Verify your edition supports Canvas. Not all Zoho CRM editions include the full Canvas builder — confirm your plan includes the features you intend to use before investing time in design.
- Test the view across roles. After saving a Canvas view, log in as a different user profile to confirm the view renders correctly and that field visibility rules behave as expected. [1]
- Confirm export key validity when sharing templates. If you're distributing a Canvas template to another organisation, note that the export key has a limited validity window, so share it promptly after generating it. [1]