Retrieving a specific data sharing rule in Zoho CRM is straightforward once you know the right API endpoint and how to navigate the updated Data Sharing settings UI.
Why this matters
Data sharing rules control which users, roles, and groups can access CRM records across your organisation. When you need to audit, update, or troubleshoot a particular rule, being able to pull its details quickly — either through the UI or programmatically — saves significant time. This is especially relevant after Zoho CRM's Q1 2025 refresh, which overhauled the Data Sharing settings area with new navigation and filtering tools. [1]
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Step-by-step
Step 1. Log in to your Zoho CRM account and navigate to Setup. From there, go to Security Control and open Data Sharing Settings. The refreshed interface now presents two dedicated tabs: one for default organisation permissions and one for sharing rules. [1]
Step 2. Click the Sharing Rules tab to see a full, module-wise list of all rules configured in your organisation. This detailed view is designed for quick reference and makes it easy to spot the rule you need. [1]
Step 3. To locate a specific rule without scrolling, use the Search bar at the top of the list. Alternatively, apply Advanced Filters to narrow results by module or other criteria. This filtering capability was introduced as part of the Q1 2025 update. [1]
Step 4. Once you spot the rule in the list, click on it to open its detailed view. From here you can review its conditions, the roles or groups it applies to, and its current active/inactive status. [1]
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Retrieving a rule via the API
If you need to fetch a specific rule programmatically — for example, to integrate rule details into an external audit tool or automation — Zoho CRM exposes a dedicated REST endpoint.
Step 5. Make a GET request to the following endpoint, substituting {rule_id} with the unique identifier of the rule you want to retrieve: [8]
GET /settings/data_sharing_rules/{rule_id}Step 6. In Python, the call looks like this — pass the rule_id as a string argument to your CRM client wrapper: [8]
def get_data_sharing_rule(self, rule_id: str):
return self.c.request("GET", f"/settings/data_sharing_rules/{rule_id}")The response will contain the full configuration of that individual sharing rule. [8]
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Common pitfalls
- Wrong rule ID. If you supply an incorrect or stale
rule_id, the API will return an error rather than a rule object. Always confirm the ID by first listing all rules or checking the UI before making the targeted GET call. [8] - Permissions gap. Only CRM administrators have access to Data Sharing Settings. If you cannot see the Security Control menu, your profile likely lacks the required administrative privileges. [1]
- Confusing tabs. The updated UI separates Default Organisation Permissions from Sharing Rules into two distinct tabs. Make sure you are on the Sharing Rules tab — not the default permissions tab — when searching for a specific rule. [1]
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What to check
- Confirm the rule is active. After locating the rule, verify its enabled/disabled toggle reflects the intended state — the one-touch activation feature makes it easy to accidentally change this. [1]
- Validate the rule_id used in API calls. Cross-reference the ID returned by the API against what you see in the UI to ensure you are inspecting the correct rule. [8]
- Check module scope. Confirm the rule is associated with the expected CRM module, since rules are organised module-wise and a similarly named rule may exist for a different module. [1]
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*Beam Help is an independent expert support resource for Zoho products and is not official Zoho support. For platform-level issues, always raise a ticket directly with Zoho.*