Email in Odoo

How Email Works in Odoo

Odoo can both send and receive emails. Outgoing emails deliver invoices, quotes, and notifications. Incoming emails can create leads, tickets, or update existing records. Email is deeply integrated with the Chatter system for seamless communication tracking.

Email Flow Overview

Outgoing Emails

graph LR
    U[User clicks Send] --> O[Odoo creates email]
    O --> Q[Mail Queue]
    Q --> S[Outgoing Server SMTP]
    S --> R[Recipient's Inbox]

Incoming Emails

graph LR
    C[Customer sends email] --> I[Incoming Server IMAP/POP]
    I --> O[Odoo fetches email]
    O --> P[Odoo processes]
    P --> R[Creates/Updates record]

Email Configuration

Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP)

Setting	Description	Example
SMTP Server	Mail server address	smtp.gmail.com
SMTP Port	Server port	587 (TLS) or 465 (SSL)
Connection Security	Encryption type	TLS (Recommended)
Username	SMTP account	noreply@company.com
Password	SMTP password	App-specific password

Location: Settings → Technical → Email → Outgoing Mail Servers

Gmail/Google Workspace

For Gmail, use an App Password instead of your regular password:

1. Enable 2-Factor Authentication on Google account
2. Go to Security → App Passwords
3. Generate password for "Mail" on "Other"
4. Use this 16-character password in Odoo

Incoming Mail Server (IMAP/POP)

Setting	Description	Example
Server Type	IMAP (recommended) or POP	IMAP
Server Name	Mail server address	imap.gmail.com
Port	Server port	993 (SSL)
Username	Email account	sales@company.com
Password	Account password	App-specific password

Location: Settings → Technical → Email → Incoming Mail Servers

Common Email Features

Feature	What It Does	Example
Email Templates	Pre-written emails with dynamic placeholders	Invoice reminder that auto-fills customer name and amount
Email Alias	Auto-create records from emails to specific addresses	sales@company.com creates new CRM leads
Mail Gateway	Route incoming emails to correct records	Reply to invoice email updates that invoice's chatter
Scheduled Emails	Queue emails to send later	Send newsletter at 9 AM tomorrow
Mass Mailing	Send to many recipients	Marketing campaigns
Email Tracking	Track opens and clicks	Know when customer reads email

Email Aliases

Aliases automatically create records when emails arrive at specific addresses.

How Aliases Work

graph LR
    E["Email arrives at
    sales@company.com"] --> A[Alias matched]
    A --> M[Model: crm.lead]
    M --> R[New Lead created]
    R --> C[Email attached to Chatter]

Common Aliases

Alias	Creates	Module
sales@yourcompany.com	CRM Lead	CRM
support@yourcompany.com	Helpdesk Ticket	Helpdesk
jobs@yourcompany.com	HR Application	Recruitment
info@yourcompany.com	Lead or Message	CRM
purchase@yourcompany.com	RFQ/Vendor Bill	Purchase

Setting Up Aliases

1. Go to the module settings (e.g., CRM → Configuration)
2. Find the Alias section
3. Set the alias prefix (e.g., "sales")
4. Configure the domain in Settings → Technical → Parameters

Catchall Alias

The catchall alias (configured in Settings → Technical → Alias Domain) routes replies to existing records. When someone replies to an Odoo email, the catchall matches it to the original record.

Email Templates

Templates save time by pre-filling common emails with dynamic data.

Template Structure

Component	Purpose	Example
Subject	Email subject line	"Invoice {{ object.name }} - {{ object.partner_id.name }}"
Body	Email content	Dynamic HTML with placeholders
From	Sender address	Can be fixed or dynamic
Reply-To	Where replies go	Usually catchall or specific
Attachments	Files to include	Reports, documents

Dynamic Placeholders (Jinja2/QWeb)

Templates use placeholders that get replaced with real data:

Placeholder	Resolves To	Example Result
{{ object.partner_id.name }}	Customer's name	"Acme Corp"
{{ object.amount_total }}	Invoice total	"$1,500.00"
{{ object.date_order }}	Order date	"2024-12-15"
{{ object.user_id.name }}	Assigned salesperson	"Sarah Johnson"
{{ object.company_id.name }}	Company name	"My Company"
{{ object.name }}	Record reference	"SO/2024/001"

Location: Settings → Technical → Email → Email Templates

Creating a Template

1. Go to Settings → Technical → Email → Email Templates
2. Click Create
3. Set Name (internal reference)
4. Select Applies to (model: sale.order, account.move, etc.)
5. Design Subject and Body with placeholders
6. Test with Preview button

Common Template Types

Template	Applies To	Trigger
Quotation Sent	sale.order	Send Quotation button
Invoice Reminder	account.move	Automated action or manual
Order Confirmation	sale.order	Order confirmed
Delivery Notification	stock.picking	Delivery validated
Welcome Email	res.partner	Contact created

Email Actions

Sending Emails Manually

1. Open the record (order, invoice, etc.)
2. Click Send by Email or Send & Print
3. Review/edit the pre-filled template
4. Click Send

Automated Email Sending

Use Automated Actions to send emails automatically:

Trigger	Action	Example
On Create	Send Email	Welcome email for new contacts
On Update (state change)	Send Email	Confirmation when order confirmed
Based on date	Send Email	Reminder 3 days before deadline
Scheduled	Send Email	Weekly summary every Monday

Mail Queue

Emails don't send immediately - they go to a queue processed by a scheduled action.

Queue Status

Status	Meaning	Action
Outgoing	Waiting to be sent	Will send on next cron run
Sent	Successfully delivered to SMTP	Done
Exception	Failed to send	Check error, retry
Cancelled	Manually cancelled	Won't send

Location: Settings → Technical → Email → Emails

Force Send

To send queued emails immediately:

1. Go to Settings → Technical → Automation → Scheduled Actions
2. Find Mail: Email Queue Manager
3. Click Run Manually

Troubleshooting Email Issues

Common Problems

Problem	Possible Cause	Solution
Emails not sending	Outgoing server misconfigured	Check SMTP settings, test connection
Emails in outbox stuck	Scheduled action not running	Run mail queue manually
Customer not receiving	Spam filters, wrong email address	Check contact's email, ask to check spam
Incoming emails not creating records	Alias not configured	Set up alias in module settings
Replies not linking to records	Catchall not configured	Configure catchall alias
Authentication failed	Wrong password	Use app-specific password
SSL/TLS error	Wrong port or security setting	Match port to security type

Debugging Steps

1. Check outgoing server:

   • Settings → Technical → Outgoing Mail Servers
   • Click Test Connection

2. Check mail queue:

   • Settings → Technical → Email → Emails
   • Look for failed emails with error messages

3. Check scheduled actions:

   • Settings → Technical → Automation → Scheduled Actions
   • Find "Mail: Email Queue Manager"
   • Check Last Execution and Next Execution

4. Check server logs:

   • Look for SMTP connection errors
   • Authentication failures

Email Validation

Check	Where	What to Verify
SPF record	DNS	Authorize Odoo's server to send
DKIM	DNS + Server	Sign emails cryptographically
DMARC	DNS	Policy for handling failures
Reverse DNS	Server	IP resolves to domain

Mass Mailing

Email Marketing Module

For marketing campaigns, use the Email Marketing module:

Feature	Description
Mailing Lists	Manage subscriber lists
Campaigns	Group related mailings
A/B Testing	Test subject lines
Templates	Drag-and-drop email builder
Statistics	Opens, clicks, bounces
Automation	Triggered email sequences

Mass Mailing vs Transactional Email

Aspect	Mass Mailing	Transactional Email
Purpose	Marketing, newsletters	Order confirmations, invoices
Recipients	Many (mailing list)	One (specific contact)
Unsubscribe	Required	Not applicable
Template	Marketing-focused	Document-focused
Tracking	Opens, clicks	Delivery status

Email Best Practices

For Consultants

1. Test templates - Always preview before enabling
2. Check spam score - Avoid spam trigger words
3. Verify sender - Use authenticated domain
4. Monitor queue - Check for stuck emails regularly
5. Document aliases - Keep list of configured aliases

For Deliverability

1. Use custom domain - Not generic Gmail
2. Configure SPF/DKIM - Authenticate your domain
3. Warm up IP - Gradually increase sending volume
4. Clean lists - Remove bounced emails
5. Respect opt-outs - Honor unsubscribe requests

Knowledge Check

Q1: Emails are stuck in the outbox and not sending. What should you check first?

Answer: Check if the Mail Queue scheduled action is running

Go to Settings → Technical → Automation → Scheduled Actions. Find "Mail: Email Queue Manager" and verify it's active and running. You can click "Run Manually" to force processing.

Q2: Customer replies to an invoice email but it doesn't appear on the invoice. Why?

Answer: Catchall alias is not configured or not matching

The catchall alias routes replies to the correct records. Check Settings → Technical → Parameters → Alias Domain, and ensure the catchall is properly configured and the email format matches.

Q3: How do you create a new CRM lead from incoming emails?

Answer: Configure an email alias for the CRM module

Go to CRM → Configuration → Settings. Set up an alias (e.g., "sales"). Emails sent to sales@yourdomain.com will automatically create new leads.

Q4: What's the difference between Send Message and Log Note for email?

Answer: Send Message can trigger emails to followers; Log Note never sends emails

Send Message may send actual emails to followers (depending on their notification preferences). Log Note is purely internal and never generates outgoing email.

Q5: Gmail authentication keeps failing even with the correct password. What's wrong?

Answer: You need to use an App Password, not your regular Gmail password

Gmail requires App Passwords for "less secure apps" like Odoo. Enable 2FA on your Google account, then generate an App Password specifically for Odoo.