Alternative to Python for Zoho API Data – Schedule Refresh Without Gateway or VM?

[Mufid]

Hi everyone,

I’m currently working with data from Zoho using their API. I’ve written a Python script to pull and transform the data, then push it into Power BI. The setup works well, but the challenge is scheduling refreshes — since Power BI Service doesn’t support scheduled refresh for Python scripts directly, I’d need to run this via a Virtual Machine or keep my local machine on, which isn’t ideal and adds extra cost.

I'm looking for a better approach. Specifically:

• Is there a way to connect directly to Zoho (CRM or Analytics) from Power BI without using Python?

• Or, is there a free method to schedule refresh via Power BI Service without needing an on-premises gateway or virtual machine?

Any suggestions, experiences, or workarounds would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[v-pnaroju-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi Mufid,

Thank you for your follow-up.

Kindly follow the steps mentioned below, which may help resolve the issue:

1. Please ensure that you are using the correct domain according to your Zoho account region, such as .com (default/global), .eu, .in, etc., for region-specific accounts.
   Example: //analyticsapi.zoho.eu/restapi/…

2. Zoho requires the authorization header in the following format. Please avoid using “Bearer”:
   Authorization: Zoho-oauthtoken YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN

3. In addition to the Authorization header, please include the header ZANALYTICS-ORGID with your organization ID.

4. Tokens expire quickly unless refreshed. Kindly generate a new token from the Zoho OAuth Console and retry the connection.

5. Instead of entering values in the Web UI, please use Power Query directly and verify.

If you find our response helpful, we request you to mark it as the accepted solution and provide kudos. This will assist other community members facing similar queries.

Should you have any further questions, please feel free to contact the Microsoft Fabric community.

Thank you.

[ShivaPatpi]

Thank You

[v-pnaroju-msft]

Hi Mufid,

We are following up to see if your query has been resolved. Should you have identified a solution, we kindly request you to share it with the community to assist others facing similar issues.

If our response was helpful, please mark it as the accepted solution and provide kudos, as this helps the broader community.

Thank you.

[Mufid]

Hi,

It's still not working. I'm putting in web source -> Advanced -> https://analyticsapi.zoho.com/restapi/v2/workspaces/"workspacesID"/views/"viewsID"/data

then in HTTP -> Authorization: Bearer access_token
also tried Zoho-oauthtoken and tried to input also ZANALYTICS-ORGID: <org-id> but it's not working

[v-pnaroju-msft]

Hi Mufid,

We wanted to check in regarding your query, as we have not heard back from you. If you have resolved the issue, sharing the solution with the community would be greatly appreciated and could help others encountering similar challenges.

If you found our response useful, kindly mark it as the accepted solution and provide kudos to guide other members.

Thank you.

[v-pnaroju-msft]

Hi Mufid,

We have not received a response from you regarding the query and were following up to check if you have found a resolution. If you have identified a solution, we kindly request you to share it with the community, as it may be helpful to others facing a similar issue.

If you find the response helpful, please mark it as the accepted solution and provide kudos, as this will help other members with similar queries.

Thank you.

[v-pnaroju-msft]

Thankyou, @Akash_Varuna, for your response.

Hi @Mufid,

We sincerely appreciate your inquiry through the Microsoft Fabric Community Forum.

As per my understanding, you can eliminate the need for Python as well as gateways or virtual machines by directly connecting Power BI to Zoho CRM using the Web API connector. This approach requires obtaining OAuth tokens and configuring Power Query to securely retrieve and transform data. Once this setup is complete, the Power BI Service can refresh your dataset automatically, provided the token management is handled appropriately.

Alternatively, you may use Power Automate to extract data from Zoho’s API and store it in Azure Blob Storage or SharePoint. Power BI can then connect to these sources and refresh the data automatically without requiring any gateway or virtual machine.

If you find this response helpful, kindly mark it as the accepted solution and provide kudos. This will greatly assist other community members who face similar queries.

Thank you.

[Akash_Varuna]

@Mufid You can connect directly to Zoho using Power BI's Web connector and Zoho's API without needing Python. This involves setting up an HTTP request to retrieve data from Zoho and then using Power Query to transform and load it into Power BI. For scheduled refreshes without a gateway or VM, consider using Power Automate or Azure Functions to automate the data pull and refresh Power BI datasets.