Definition:
In software development, a token is a small piece of data that represents authentication, authorization, or other contextual information in a secure, compact format. Tokens are typically used to verify the identity of a user or system, grant access to resources, and maintain session state across distributed applications.
There are several types of tokens, with the most common being:
Access Tokens – Used to authorize access to an API or resource.
Refresh Tokens – Used to obtain new access tokens without re-authenticating the user.
CSRF Tokens – Used to prevent cross-site request forgery attacks.
JWT (JSON Web Tokens) – Self-contained tokens that include encoded information and can be verified without database lookups.
Common Use Cases:
API Authentication: A client application sends a token with each request to authenticate and access a protected resource.
Single Sign-On (SSO): Tokens allow users to log in once and access multiple systems without re-authenticating.
Session Management: Tokens are used instead of cookies to manage user sessions in stateless applications, especially in mobile and modern web apps.
Definition:
Carrier filtering refers to the process mobile carriers use to detect, block, or throttle SMS and voice messages that may be unwanted, spammy, or non-compliant. It’s part of their effort to maintain network integrity and protect consumers from abuse.
How it works:
Filters evaluate messages based on patterns like high-frequency sends, repetitive content, lack of opt-in verification, or sending messages to invalid numbers (like landlines). If flagged, your messages may be silently dropped, delayed, or cause your number to be blacklisted.
Why it matters:
Even if you’re sending messages legally and ethically, failing to account for carrier filtering rules can result in poor delivery rates and a damaged sender reputation. This is especially true in mass SMS marketing campaigns.
Definition:
An API call is a request made by one application to another through an Application Programming Interface (API) to retrieve or send data, or to execute a specific function. It’s how different systems “talk” to each other over the internet.
Why it matters:
API calls are the foundation of modern automation and integration. Whether it’s verifying a phone number via Twilio, pulling customer records from Zoho CRM, or sending transactional emails, API calls allow platforms to work together without manual intervention.
Cost considerations:
Some services charge per API call, like Twilio ($0.05 per phone number lookup), so understanding and optimizing these requests is essential for managing operational costs.
Definition:
Phone number reputation refers to the trustworthiness and credibility of a phone number as perceived by mobile carriers and messaging platforms. Just like email sender reputation, it plays a critical role in whether SMS or voice communications are delivered successfully or flagged as spam.
Why it matters:
If your number develops a poor reputation—due to sending high volumes of messages to landlines, spamming users, or failing to follow opt-in protocols—carriers may block your messages entirely. This can cripple marketing campaigns, prevent transactional messages from reaching users, and cause long-term deliverability issues.
Maintaining a good phone number reputation involves sending messages only to valid mobile numbers, respecting user consent, and monitoring deliverability performance.
Deluge stands for Data Enriched Language for the Universal Grid Environment and is Zoho’s proprietary scripting language used to build custom functions and automate processes within Zoho’s suite of applications. It is a lightweight, structured language tailored for business logic and is designed to work seamlessly across Zoho CRM,
${EXECUTION_TIME} is a system variable in Zoho CRM workflows that dynamically inserts the exact date and time when the workflow is executed. It’s commonly used to populate date/time fields with real-time stamps. For example, you can automatically log the moment an incoming email is received or when a reply is sent, enabling precise response tracking without manual input.
A Scheduled Function is an automation feature in Zoho CRM that executes a custom function at recurring time intervals (e.g., every 6 hours). This is especially useful for background processes that need to run without user interaction, such as scanning contact records for stale communication or recalculating custom KPIs. Scheduled functions help maintain data accuracy in cases where real-time updates via workflows are not feasible due to platform limitations.
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