RareMachine for Zoho CRM
RareMachine turns WhatsApp into a working interface for Zoho CRM — ask about leads and deals, log a call, add a note, and approve every change before it happens.
Last updated 13 August 2026
Before you start
- A Zoho CRM administrator to connect the organisation once. Everyone else just connects their own account afterwards — nobody else needs admin rights.
- A RareMachine account and a WhatsApp number for your team to message. Sign up at whitesense.in if you don't have one yet.
- One workspace per person. Colleagues join yours by invitation, rather than creating their own.
1. Install from the Zoho Marketplace
Find RareMachine in the Zoho Marketplace and install it into your Zoho CRM organisation. Zoho adds a settings widget to your CRM — open it from Setup → Developer Hub, or wherever your admin has placed the shortcut.
2. Connect the organisation (admin, once)
The widget walks through two steps, and the labels below are exactly what you'll see:
- “Authorize RareMachine” — Zoho needs your permission before the panel can talk to RareMachine. This is the extension asking to reach your workspace; it does not grant access to your CRM records on its own.
- “Step 1 of 2 — sign in to RareMachine” — sign in or create an account. This tells RareMachine which workspace this Zoho organisation belongs to.
- “Step 2 of 2 — connect this Zoho organisation” — click Connect. You need to be a Zoho CRM administrator for this one step; every later step is open to any team member.
3. Connect your own account (everyone, individually)
Linking the organisation is not enough on its own — each person still connects their own Zoho account, so every action in chat runs under their own permissions, not a shared admin login. In the RareMachine dashboard, go to Connections and click Connect my Zoho account. This is open to any team member — not just admins — the moment the organisation above is connected.
4. Connect WhatsApp
The agent runs in WhatsApp. Link the number your team will message from the dashboard's WhatsApp step. Each person links their own number to their own RareMachine user, so the agent knows who is asking and every CRM change is attributed to the right person.
What the agent can do
| Object | Read | Write |
|---|---|---|
| Leads | Search, view, list | Create, update — with approval |
| Contacts | Search, view, list | Create, update — with approval |
| Accounts (companies) | Search, view, list | Create, update — with approval |
| Deals | Search, view, list, stages | Create, update — with approval |
| Notes | Search | Create — with approval |
| Tasks | Search | Create, update — with approval |
| Calls | Search | Log a call — with approval |
Every write asks first. The agent proposes the change, you approve it in the chat, and only then does it touch your CRM. Every action — approved, denied or failed — is written to an audit trail. RareMachine does not delete records or convert leads today.
If the widget doesn't say Connected
| What you see | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| “Authorize RareMachine” | The connector has not been authorized in this Zoho organisation yet — the first thing every fresh install hits. | Click Authorize and approve. This does not grant CRM access by itself; it only lets the widget reach RareMachine. |
| “Finish setting up your workspace” | You are signed in to RareMachine, but your account has no workspace yet — the common state right after installing from the Marketplace. | Follow the link to finish setup; you are brought straight back here. |
| “Different Zoho organization” | Your RareMachine workspace is already linked to a different Zoho organisation. | Sign in with the account that belongs to this organisation, or ask an admin to link this org to a workspace of its own. |
| Stuck on “Step 2 of 2” | Connecting the organisation is an administrator action. | Ask a Zoho CRM administrator to click Connect once — every later step is open to any team member. |
Disconnecting
Use Disconnect in the RareMachine dashboard to clear stored connection credentials and personal grants. Removing the app in Zoho is a separate provider action. Disconnecting does not erase conversation context, submitted captures or audit records; their retention and deletion follow our privacy policy.
Still stuck?
Support — we answer.