How to get layout sections in Zoho Desk

Retrieving layout sections in Zoho Desk is straightforward once you have a valid layoutId and the correct API credentials in place. This article walks you through the exact endpoint, parameters, and Python usage you need.

Why this matters

Zoho Desk layouts control how fields are grouped and displayed for agents handling tickets, contacts, and other records. If you are building an integration, automating layout audits, or programmatically managing your Desk configuration, you will need to fetch the sections that belong to a given layout before you can read, create, or update them. Understanding this endpoint also sets the foundation for related operations such as creating or modifying sections.

Step-by-step

Step 1. Confirm you have the right OAuth scopes authorised for your Zoho Desk connection. Settings-level access is required for layout management, so make sure your token includes scopes such as Desk.settings.READ and Desk.settings.ALL alongside any other scopes your integration needs. ^[6]

Step 2. Identify the layoutId for the layout whose sections you want to retrieve. You can obtain this from a prior API call that lists your Desk layouts, or from the Zoho Desk admin panel. The layoutId is a required path parameter — without it the request cannot be constructed. ^[1]

Step 3. Send a GET request to the following endpoint, substituting your actual layout identifier:

GET /api/v1/layouts/{layoutId}/sections

This operation is identified internally as getlayoutsections and returns the collection of sections associated with the specified layout. ^[1]

Step 4. Optionally, pass the p parameter as a query-string dictionary if you need to control pagination or apply additional filters supported by the endpoint. If you do not need pagination, you can omit it entirely. ^[1]

Step 5. If you are using the Python client wrapper our team works with, the call looks like this:

sections = client.get_layout_sections(
    layoutId="your_layout_id_here",
    p=None  # or a dict of query params
)

The wrapper issues the GET request to /api/v1/layouts/{layoutId}/sections, passing the optional p dictionary as query parameters and returning the API response directly. ^[1]

Step 6. Parse the response to access individual section objects. Each section can later be targeted by its own sectionId if you need to update it via PATCH /api/v1/layouts/{layoutId}/sections/{sectionId}, or you can use POST /api/v1/layouts/{layoutId}/sections to add a new section to the same layout. ^[5][8]

Common pitfalls

• Missing or incorrect layoutId: The layoutId is a path parameter, not a query parameter. Passing it in the wrong place will result in a routing error or a 404 response. Double-check the value before making the call. ^[1]
• Insufficient OAuth scopes: If your access token does not include the appropriate Desk.settings scopes, the API will reject the request with an authorisation error. Review your configured scopes and re-authorise if necessary. ^[6]
• Confusing layout sections with layout fields: Sections are the grouping containers within a layout. Fetching sections does not automatically return the individual fields inside them — those require a separate call. ^[1][5]

What to check

• Verify that the layoutId you are using actually exists in your Zoho Desk portal and belongs to the correct department or module.
• Confirm your OAuth token includes Desk.settings.READ or Desk.settings.ALL and has not expired before making the request. ^[6]
• After receiving the response, check that the number of sections returned matches what you see in the Zoho Desk admin layout editor — this validates that your call is hitting the right layout.

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*Beam Help is an independent expert support resource for Zoho products and is not official Zoho support. Always refer to the Zoho Desk API documentation for the latest endpoint specifications.*