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How to Edit and Customize Forms in Zoho People

Take Control of Your HR Data with Custom Forms

Every organization is unique — and so is the information it needs to collect from employees. Whether it’s personal details, time-off preferences, or project assignments, the ability to tailor your HR forms to match your company’s workflow is essential.

In this tutorial, Carol DenHartog from Amazing Business Results walks you through how to edit forms inside Zoho People — step by step. You’ll learn how to modify existing fields, add new ones, manage permissions, and make your HR system fully aligned with your organization’s needs.

If you’ve ever wished Zoho People could collect data your way, this guide is exactly what you need.

Understanding Forms in Zoho People

Before diving into editing, it’s important to understand what a “form” means inside Zoho People.

In Zoho CRM, we talk about modules — sections like Leads, Contacts, or Deals. In Zoho People, the equivalent concept is a form.

Each form stores data for a specific function within your HR system, such as:

Self-Service — for employees to update personal information.
Time Off — to manage leave requests and balances.
Timesheet — to log hours worked.

These forms are visible on the left-hand panel inside Zoho People. Editing them allows you to modify the fields that appear within each section, so you can collect the exact information you need from your employees.

Accessing the Forms Customization Area

To begin customizing forms in Zoho People, follow these simple steps:

Click the gear icon in the upper-right corner of your screen.
Select a Service e.g. time off
Go to the Extend Service tab

Once you’re there, you’ll see a list of all the forms available for your organization. Each form can be opened and edited based on your administrative permissions.

Exploring and Editing Form Fields

When you open a form, you’ll enter the editable view, where you can see every field currently used in that form.

Here’s what you’ll notice:

Some fields are locked — these are system fields (like “Employee ID”) that come built into Zoho People and cannot be deleted.
Other fields can be modified, rearranged, or disabled as needed.

If you need to collect additional information — for example, “Preferred Work Location” or “Emergency Contact Relationship” — you can simply drag and drop a new field from the left panel into your form layout.

Adding New Fields

Adding fields in Zoho People is straightforward and flexible.

Once you drag and drop a field into the form:

Give it a Display Name: This is the name users will see when filling out the form.
Assign a Label Name: This defines how the field is stored and referenced within the system or basically its API name.

By carefully naming and organizing your fields, you ensure clarity for both users and administrators.

Disabling and Hiding Fields

Sometimes you don’t want to delete a field permanently — you just want to hide it.

In Zoho People, you can disable fields instead of deleting them.

When you hover over a field, you’ll see an option to disable it. This hides the field from users but keeps it in the system in case you need it later.

This feature is especially helpful when updating HR processes or when you want to preserve old data while simplifying forms for employees.

Setting Field Permissions and Visibility

Not all users should have access to the same information — and Zoho People gives you full control over this.

When editing a field, you can modify its permissions, choosing who can view or edit that field.

For example:

A team member might only need to view their own information.
A manager might need to view and edit details for their direct reports.
HR administrators might require full access across all employees.

When configuring visibility, Zoho People provides three options:

All Data: Allows users to view all records across the company (not common).
Their Reports and Their Own Data: Allows users to view data for themselves and anyone reporting to them.
Own Data Only: Restricts visibility to the user’s own profile.

This flexibility ensures that sensitive information stays secure, while employees still have access to the data they need.

Customizing Across Multiple Forms

The best part of Zoho People’s customization tools is that they apply across all available forms.

You can open and modify:

Self-Service forms for personal data.
Employee Exit Details forms for offboarding.
Time-Off forms for leave management.
Timesheet forms for work hours and projects.

Each form can be fine-tuned to match your organization’s structure, policies, and reporting requirements.

By customizing these forms, you create a system that feels tailor-made for your business — not just a generic HR platform.

When to Customize Forms

Here are a few common situations where editing forms makes a big difference:

Collecting new types of employee data (e.g., certifications, equipment issued, or preferences).
Aligning HR processes with company policies or regional regulations.
Simplifying employee self-service forms to make them easier to complete.
Improving reporting accuracy by standardizing field formats.
Managing growth as your organization expands and roles evolve.

By routinely reviewing and updating your forms, you ensure your Zoho People system stays relevant and efficient over time.

Best Practices for Editing Forms

To get the most out of Zoho People’s form customization tools, keep these best practices in mind:

Plan Before Editing: Identify what data you truly need before adding new fields.
Use Consistent Naming: Keep field names simple and clear for easy reporting.
Test Changes First: Review how edits affect form visibility and permissions.
Document Customizations: Maintain an internal list of what’s been added, removed, or disabled.
Train Your Team: Make sure employees understand where to find and update information.

Following these steps keeps your HR data clean, organized, and reliable.

Create an HR System That Fits Your Business

Editing forms in Zoho People gives you complete control over your HR data. With just a few clicks, you can tailor every field, control access, and design workflows that match your organization’s unique structure.

Whether you’re updating an existing form or building a new one, Zoho People provides the flexibility your HR team needs to stay organized and efficient.

At Amazing Business Results, we help businesses like yours get the most out of Zoho People — from setup and customization to team training and automation.

👉 Need help customizing your HR forms or training your team?
Reach out to Amazing Business Results and let’s make Zoho People work exactly the way your business does.

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