Send UK planning applications to Zoho CRM
Create Zoho CRM records from new planning matches.
Plota brings UK planning applications from 389 council planning portals into one classified, source-linked feed. Connect it to Zoho CRM and every new planning application that matches your saved area and categories arrives in Zoho CRM automatically - so your team can act on local planning activity the day it is published, without checking council portals by hand.
Before you start
- Get an API key (a free demo key works for testing).
- Create a saved alert in Plota for the area and categories you want, and note its alert id.
How to connect Plota to Zoho CRM
Bridge through Zapier, Make or Zoho Flow
Set up the Plota webhook as in the Zapier guide. Zoho Flow works the same way if you would rather keep it inside Zoho: its Webhook trigger gives you a URL to register with Plota.
Add the Zoho CRM action
Choose Zoho CRM → Create Record. A custom module for planning applications is cleaner than reusing Leads, and it keeps sales reporting separate from planning volume.
Map from data.application
The event is application.match.created and the record sits at data.application. Map category.label for anything a person reads and category.slug for anything a workflow rule tests - labels are written for people and can be reworded, slugs are stable.
Handle the optional fields
links.plota is always there; links.council is null where the authority publishes no per-application page, and date_decided is null until a decision is issued. Map both as optional, or Zoho will reject the record on precisely the applications you most want to see.
Verify deliveries
Each webhook is signed - verify the Plota-Signature header (HMAC-SHA256 over timestamp.body). Full details in the API docs.
Zoho CRM integration FAQ
Can I send UK planning applications to Zoho CRM?
Yes. When a new application matches a saved Plota alert, Plota fires a signed webhook that reaches Zoho CRM through Zapier or Make. Each record includes the planning reference, authority, address, description, classified category, dates, and links to the official council source and the Plota page.
Do I need to write code to connect Plota to Zoho CRM?
No. You wire Plota's webhook into Zoho CRM through Zapier or Make, then map the planning application fields - no code required.
What planning data comes through to Zoho CRM?
Every event carries the application reference, authority, address, postcode, description, Plota's classified category, status, received / validated / decision dates, coordinates, the Plota page URL and the official council source URL.
How current is the planning data?
Plota checks UK council planning portals daily and classifies new applications, so matches reach Zoho CRM as they are processed - not on a manual schedule.
Is the Zoho CRM integration free?
You can test the API with a free demo key. Live webhook delivery into Zoho CRM is available on the Starter plan and above; Plota's public planning search and email alerts stay free.