Actions: Automation in Odoo

The Power of "It Just Happens"

Your client says: "When a lead is marked as won, I want a project to be created automatically, the account manager notified, and the lead data synced to our accounting software."

Without code, you can make all of this happen. Odoo's action system is one of the most powerful tools for functional consultants.

Three Types of Automation Actions

Type	Purpose	Trigger	Location
Server Actions	Manual actions from UI	User clicks	Settings > Technical > Actions > Server Actions
Scheduled Actions	Time-based recurring tasks	Cron schedule	Settings > Technical > Automation > Scheduled Actions
Automated Actions	Event-driven rules	Record changes	Settings > Technical > Automation > Automated Actions

Server Actions (ir.actions.server)

Server Actions are manual actions that users trigger from the UI. They appear in the "Actions" menu or can be added as buttons.

Action Types Available (Odoo 19)

Action Type	Technical State	What It Does	Example Use Case
Update Record	object_write	Modify field values on records	Bulk assign salesperson, Mark as priority
Create Record	object_create	Create new record with values	Create task from lead
Duplicate Record	object_copy	Copy an existing record	Clone template records
Execute Code	code	Run custom Python code	Complex calculations, integrations
Send Webhook	webhook	POST data to external URL	Notify external system
Multi Actions	multi	Execute multiple child actions	Update + email + create task

Additional Action Types (from modules)

When you install additional modules like Discuss (mail), SMS, or others, more action types become available:

• Send Email - Send email using template (requires mail module)
• Add Followers - Add users as followers (requires mail module)
• Create Next Activity - Schedule follow-up activity (requires mail module)
• Send SMS - Send SMS messages (requires sms module)

Example: Mark Leads as High Priority

Scenario: Sales manager wants a quick action to mark selected leads as high priority.

1. Go to Settings > Technical > Actions > Server Actions
2. Click Create
3. Set Name: "Mark as High Priority"
4. Set Model: CRM Lead (crm.lead)
5. Set Action Type: Update Record
6. Add field update: Priority = "3" (High)
7. Click "Create Contextual Action" to add to Actions menu

Usage: Select leads → Actions menu → "Mark as High Priority"

Example: Send Data to External System

Scenario: Sync won opportunities to accounting software.

1. Create Server Action on CRM Lead model
2. Set Action Type: Send Webhook Notification
3. Set Webhook URL: https://accounting.company.com/api/opportunities
4. Select Fields to Send: Name, Partner, Expected Revenue, Date Closed

Payload sent:

{
  "_id": 42,
  "_model": "crm.lead",
  "_name": "Sync Won Opportunities",
  "name": "Website Redesign Project",
  "partner_name": "TechCorp Solutions",
  "expected_revenue": 250000
}

Incremental Mass Edit (List View Feature)

A built-in list view feature that allows you to update multiple records using mathematical operators.

Supported Operators

Operator	Meaning	Example	Result (if current = 100)
+=	Add to current value	+=10	110
-=	Subtract from current	-=25	75
*=	Multiply current value	*=1.15	115 (15% increase)
/=	Divide current value	/=2	50

Example: 10% Price Increase

1. Go to Sales > Products > Products
2. Select products to update (checkbox)
3. Click on the Sales Price column header
4. Enter: *=1.10
5. Confirm the update

Result: Each selected product's price increases by 10%.

Scheduled Actions (ir.cron)

Scheduled Actions run automatically at specified intervals. Perfect for maintenance, reports, and batch processing.

Scheduling Options

Interval Type	Example	Use Case
Minutes	Every 15 minutes	Real-time monitoring
Hours	Every 2 hours	Regular sync jobs
Days	Every 1 day at 9:00 AM	Daily reports
Weeks	Every Monday	Weekly summaries
Months	First of month	Monthly billing

Key Configuration Fields

Field	Purpose
Execute Every	Interval value (e.g., "2" hours)
Interval Unit	Minutes, Hours, Days, Weeks, Months
Next Execution Date	When it will run next
Number of Calls	-1 = unlimited, or specific count
Priority	Lower number = higher priority
Active	Must be checked to run

How Scheduled Actions Work

• Execution: Runs in background worker thread
• User Context: Runs as the "OdooBot" user
• Failure Handling: After 5+ consecutive failures over 7+ days, auto-deactivates
• Manual Trigger: Use "Run Manually" button to test
• Concurrency: Only one instance runs at a time (prevents overlap)

Example: Send Daily Report

1. Create Scheduled Action
2. Set Model: Sale Order (sale.order)
3. Set Execute Every: 1 Day
4. Set Next Execution Date: Tomorrow at 9:00 AM
5. Create Server Action: Execute Code → Generate and email report

Automated Actions (base.automation)

Automated Actions trigger automatically when specific events occur. They're the backbone of workflow automation.

Trigger Types (Odoo 19)

Trigger	Technical Name	When It Runs	Example Use Case
Stage is set to	on_stage_set	Specific stage reached	Create project when won
User is set	on_user_set	Responsible assigned	Notify assignee
Tag is added	on_tag_set	Specific tag added	Notify when "urgent"
State is set to	on_state_set	State field changes	Create invoice on confirm
Priority is set to	on_priority_set	Priority changes	Alert on high priority
On archived	on_archive	Record archived	Log archival, cleanup
On unarchived	on_unarchive	Record restored	Re-enable subscriptions
On create	on_create	New record created	Assign leads to salesperson
On create and edit	on_create_or_write	Created or modified	Validate data
On update	on_write	Record modified (deprecated)	Use "On create and edit" instead
On deletion	on_unlink	Before record deleted	Archive instead of delete
On UI change	on_change	Field changed in form	Real-time validation
Based on date field	on_time	X time before/after date	Reminder before deadline
After creation	on_time_created	X time after created	Follow-up email 7 days later
After last update	on_time_updated	X time after modified	Reminder for stale records
On incoming message	on_message_received	Email/message received	Auto-reply (requires mail)
On outgoing message	on_message_sent	Email/message sent	Log communications (requires mail)
On webhook	on_webhook	External HTTP request	Receive external data

Before/After Update Filters

For "On Update" triggers, use these domains to detect specific changes:

Filter	Purpose	Example
Before Update Filter	State before change	[('state', '=', 'draft')]
After Update Filter	State after change	[('state', '=', 'sale')]
Trigger Fields	Only trigger for these fields	['state', 'user_id']

Example: Auto-Assign Leads by Region

1. Create Automated Action on CRM Lead
2. Set Trigger: On Create
3. Set Apply on: [('state_id.name', '=', 'Maharashtra')]
4. Add Server Action: Update Record → Sales Team = "Pune Regional"

Result: Leads from Maharashtra automatically assigned to Pune team.

Example: Escalate Unassigned Tickets

1. Create Automated Action on Helpdesk Ticket
2. Set Trigger: After creation (2 hours)
3. Set Apply on: [('user_id', '=', False)]
4. Add Server Action: Send Email to manager + Update priority

Result: Unassigned tickets escalate after 2 hours.

All Action Types Reference

Odoo has seven distinct action types. While automation actions are most common, understanding all types helps with customization:

Action Type	Technical Model	Purpose
Window Actions	ir.actions.act_window	Open views, navigate between records
Server Actions	ir.actions.server	Execute business logic
URL Actions	ir.actions.act_url	Open external URLs, downloads
Client Actions	ir.actions.client	Custom JS widgets, dashboards
Report Actions	ir.actions.report	Generate PDF/HTML reports
Window Close Actions	ir.actions.act_window_close	Close dialog windows
Scheduled Actions	ir.cron	Time-based recurring tasks

Window Actions (ir.actions.act_window)

Window Actions open views and are used for:

• Menu items linking to list/form views
• Smart buttons that navigate to related records
• Action buttons that open specific records
• Wizards (transient models in popup)

Key fields:

Field	Purpose	Example
res_model	Model to display	sale.order
domain	Filter which records to show	[('state', '=', 'sale')]
context	Pass default values, flags	{'default_partner_id': active_id}
view_mode	Available views (comma-separated)	list,form,kanban,calendar
target	Where to open	current, new (popup), fullscreen, main
res_id	Specific record ID (form view)	42
limit	Default list view limit	80
view_id	Specific view to use	Reference to ir.ui.view

Target options:

• current - Replace current view (default)
• new - Open in modal/popup dialog
• fullscreen - Full browser window
• main - Main content area only

URL Actions (ir.actions.act_url)

URL Actions open external URLs or trigger downloads.

Key fields:

Field	Purpose	Values
url	Target URL	Any valid URL or download path
target	How to open	new (new tab), self (same tab), download

Common use cases:

• Open external documentation: https://docs.example.com
• Download files: /web/content/model/id/field/filename
• Open external applications: mailto:, tel:

Example - Download attachment:

return {
    'type': 'ir.actions.act_url',
    'url': '/web/content/%s/%s/datas/%s' % (model, record.id, filename),
    'target': 'download',
}

Client Actions (ir.actions.client)

Client Actions execute custom JavaScript code in the browser. Used for dashboards, custom widgets, and special interfaces.

Key fields:

Field	Purpose	Example
tag	Client-side action identifier	board.board, mail.action_discuss
context	Data passed to JS	{'default_model': 'sale.order'}
params	Additional parameters	Custom JS configuration
res_model	Optional related model	For needaction badges

Built-in client actions:

• board.board - Dashboard display
• mail.action_discuss - Discuss/messaging interface
• website.action_website_edit - Website editor
• account_dashboard.action_account_dashboard_main - Accounting dashboard

Report Actions (ir.actions.report)

Report Actions generate PDF, HTML, or text reports using QWeb templates.

Key fields:

Field	Purpose	Values/Example
model	Model the report applies to	sale.order
report_type	Output format	qweb-pdf, qweb-html, qweb-text
report_name	QWeb template name	sale.report_saleorder
print_report_name	Downloaded filename	'SO - %s' % object.name
paperformat_id	Paper size/margins	Reference to report.paperformat
attachment	Save as attachment	'SO_%s.pdf' % object.name
attachment_use	Reuse saved attachment	True/False

Report types:

• qweb-pdf - PDF via wkhtmltopdf (most common)
• qweb-html - HTML rendered in browser
• qweb-text - Plain text output

Example - Print Sales Order:

<record id="action_report_saleorder" model="ir.actions.report">
    <field name="name">Sales Order</field>
    <field name="model">sale.order</field>
    <field name="report_type">qweb-pdf</field>
    <field name="report_name">sale.report_saleorder</field>
    <field name="print_report_name">'Sale Order - %s' % (object.name)</field>
    <field name="binding_model_id" ref="model_sale_order"/>
    <field name="binding_type">report</field>
</record>

Comparing the Three Automation Types

Feature	Server Actions	Scheduled Actions	Automated Actions
Trigger	Manual (user clicks)	Time-based (recurring)	Event-driven (automatic)
When to use	User controls when	Regular maintenance	Respond to changes
Runs on	Selected records	All matching (batch)	Individual record
User context	Current user	Scheduler user	User who triggered
Visibility	Actions menu, buttons	Background	Background
Performance	Only when run	Periodic	Every matching change

Choosing the Right Action Type

Use Server Actions when:

• Users need to decide when to run
• Works on multiple selected records
• Should not happen automatically
• Examples: Bulk updates, export data, custom workflows

Use Scheduled Actions when:

• Needs to run at specific intervals
• Batch processing is more efficient
• Maintenance-related (cleanup, sync, reports)
• Examples: Daily reports, nightly sync, monthly billing

Use Automated Actions when:

• Response should be immediate
• Rule should apply consistently
• Workflow needs to progress automatically
• Examples: Lead assignment, notifications, escalations

Best Practices

Automation Best Practices

• Use precise domains: Don't trigger on all records; filter to relevant ones
• Avoid infinite loops: Be careful when automation updates fields that trigger other automations
• Specify trigger fields: For "On Update", list specific fields to avoid unnecessary triggers
• Test thoroughly: Use test records to verify automation works
• Keep it simple: Complex logic is better in custom code
• Document rules: Use Description field to explain purpose
• Monitor performance: Too many automation rules can slow saves

Knowledge Check

Q1: Which action type for "10% price increase on selected products"?

Answer: Server Action (Update Record)

Server Actions work on selected records from the Actions menu. Use the incremental mass edit feature (*=1.10) for the actual update.

Q2: Which action type for "Send daily sales report at 9 AM"?

Answer: Scheduled Action

Scheduled Actions run at specified intervals. Set to run daily at 9 AM with a Server Action that generates and emails the report.

Q3: Which action type for "When lead is won, create project"?

Answer: Automated Action

Automated Actions respond to events. Use "Stage is set to" trigger with the "Won" stage, then Create Record action.

Q4: How to detect state change from draft to confirmed?

Answer: Before Update Filter + After Update Filter

Set Before: [('state','=','draft')] and After: [('state','=','sale')] to catch that specific transition.

Q5: Why might an automated action cause performance issues?

Answer: It runs on every matching record change

Unlike scheduled actions (periodic) or server actions (manual), automated actions fire on every save. Too many or complex ones slow down all saves.