Context - The Hidden Parameter

The Mystery of the Pre-Filled Form

You click "Create Invoice" from a Sales Order, and the form already has the customer, products, and amounts filled in. Magic? No - it's context.

You navigate to Contacts from a Sales Team and only see contacts for that team. How does it know? Context.

Context is the invisible messenger that carries information between screens in Odoo. Understanding it helps you troubleshoot "why is this pre-filled?" and "why can't I see my record?"

What is Context?

Definition

Context is a Python dictionary of key-value pairs that travels with every action in Odoo. It tells views and actions how to behave, what defaults to set, and how to filter data. Think of it as instructions whispered behind the scenes.

Context Flow

graph LR
    A[User Action] --> B[Context Created]
    B --> C[Passed to View/Method]
    C --> D[View Behavior Modified]
    D --> E[Default Values Set]
    D --> F[Filters Applied]
    D --> G[Display Customized]

What Context Controls

Common Context Keys

Context Key	What It Does	Example
default_*	Pre-fills fields when creating	default_partner_id: 5 pre-selects customer ID 5
search_default_*	Activates search filter automatically	search_default_my_tasks: 1 shows only your tasks
group_by	Groups records by a field	group_by: stage_id groups by stage
active_test	Controls archived records visibility	active_test: False shows archived records too
lang	Sets language for translations	lang: 'fr_FR' shows French translations
tz	Sets timezone	tz: 'Europe/Paris' for time display
uid	Current user ID	Used internally
allowed_company_ids	Multi-company access	Which companies user can access

Default Values (default_*)

The default_ prefix pre-fills fields when creating new records:

# Context on "Create Order" button
{
    'default_partner_id': 42,      # Customer pre-selected
    'default_team_id': 3,          # Sales team assigned
    'default_user_id': 15,         # Salesperson assigned
    'default_date_order': '2024-12-15',  # Date pre-filled
}

Search Filters (search_default_*)

The search_default_ prefix activates predefined search filters:

# Context on "My Tasks" menu item
{
    'search_default_my_tasks': 1,    # Activates "My Tasks" filter
    'search_default_open': 1,        # Activates "Open" filter
}

Filter Activation

The value 1 (or any truthy value) activates the filter. The filter name must match a <filter> element's name attribute in the search view XML.

Where You See Context in Action

Smart Buttons

When you click a smart button, context filters related records:

# "Invoices" button on customer form
{
    'search_default_partner_id': 42,  # Filter invoices for this customer
    'default_partner_id': 42,         # New invoices get this customer
}

Result: You see only that customer's invoices, and creating new ones pre-fills the customer.

Menu Items

Menu items can include context to customize the view:

# "My Quotations" menu item
{
    'search_default_my_quotations': 1,  # Only show my quotes
    'search_default_draft': 1,          # Only show drafts
}

Kanban Views

Kanban views use context for grouping:

# CRM Pipeline view
{
    'group_by': 'stage_id',           # Group by stage
    'default_type': 'opportunity',    # New records are opportunities
}

Create Buttons

"New" buttons pass context to pre-fill the form:

# "New Task" button in a project
{
    'default_project_id': 15,         # Link task to this project
    'default_user_ids': [(6, 0, [8])], # Assign to current user
}

Common Context Patterns

Pattern 1: Team-Based Filtering

# Clicking "Quotations" from Sales Team
{
    'default_team_id': 3,           # New quotes assigned to team
    'search_default_team_id': 3,    # Show only team's quotes
}

Pattern 2: Document Creation from Parent

# "Create Invoice" from Sale Order
{
    'default_partner_id': order.partner_id.id,
    'default_invoice_origin': order.name,
    'default_invoice_line_ids': [...],
}

Pattern 3: Multi-Company Control

# Switching companies
{
    'allowed_company_ids': [1, 3],  # Can access companies 1 and 3
    'default_company_id': 1,        # New records in company 1
}

Pattern 4: Archived Records

# Show archived products
{
    'active_test': False,  # Include archived (active=False) records
}

Why Context Matters for Consultants

Understanding Filters

When data seems filtered unexpectedly:

1. Check if context is applying a search_default_*
2. Look at the action/menu configuration
3. Clear all filters to see all records

Default Values

If new records auto-fill with specific values:

1. It's likely from default_* in context
2. Check the button/action that opened the form
3. Look at related record (parent) for source

Studio Customization

When configuring menu items or buttons:

1. You can set context to control behavior
2. Add default_* for field values
3. Add search_default_* for filters

Debugging

Enable Developer Mode → Debug Menu → Edit Action to see context.

Troubleshooting Context Issues

"I created a record but it's not showing in the list!"

Cause: A search_default_* filter is excluding your record.

Solution:

1. Click the ✕ on filter tags to clear filters
2. Or modify your record to match the filter criteria

"Why is this field pre-filled with the wrong value?"

Cause: default_* in context is setting the value.

Solution:

1. Check the action/button context
2. Modify the context if you have access
3. Or simply change the value in the form

"New records keep getting wrong company!"

Cause: default_company_id in context.

Solution:

1. Switch to the correct company first
2. Or create record from a neutral view

How to See Context

Method 1: Edit Action (Developer Mode)

1. Enable Developer Mode
2. Click the bug icon (Debug menu)
3. Select "Edit Action"
4. Look at the Context Value field

Method 2: Technical Menu

For menu items:

1. Settings → Technical → User Interface → Menu Items
2. Find your menu
3. Check the Context field

Method 3: Browser Developer Tools

1. Open browser DevTools (F12)
2. Network tab
3. Look at call_kw requests
4. Context is in the request payload

Setting Context in Studio

When creating custom menu items or buttons in Studio:

For Menu Items

1. Edit menu → Domain & Context tab
2. Set Context field

Example: Create "My Draft Quotes" menu:

{'search_default_my_quotations': 1, 'search_default_draft': 1}

For Buttons

1. Action configuration → Context field
2. Add defaults and filters

For Smart Buttons

1. Configure the action
2. Set search defaults for filtering
3. Set defaults for new record creation

Context in Automation

Automated Actions

Automated actions can pass context when creating records:

# Create task when order confirmed
{
    'default_project_id': lookup_project_id,
    'default_name': 'Follow up: ' + object.name,
    'default_partner_id': object.partner_id.id,
}

Server Actions

Server actions can access and modify context:

# In Execute Python Code
ctx = self.env.context
partner_id = ctx.get('default_partner_id')

Context Best Practices

For Consultants

1. Check context first when troubleshooting visibility issues
2. Document context settings when configuring menus/actions
3. Test with different users - context may vary by permission
4. Use search_default_ wisely* - users can clear filters
5. Use default_ for convenience* - users can change values

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Problem	Solution
Forgetting search_default	Users see all records, not filtered	Add search_default to context
Wrong filter name	Filter doesn't activate	Match name to search view filter
Hardcoded IDs	Breaks in different database	Use dynamic references
Too many defaults	Confusing for users	Only set essential defaults

Knowledge Check

Q1: User creates a task but it doesn't show in the project view. Why?

Answer: A search_default filter is excluding it

The project view likely has search_default_project_id set. The new task may have a different project or no project assigned. Clear filters to see all tasks.

Q2: How do you make new records automatically assigned to the current sales team?

Answer: Add default_team_id to the menu/action context

Set context: {'default_team_id': active_team_id} on the menu item or action. This pre-fills the team when creating new records from that view.

Q3: How do you show archived products in a list view?

Answer: Add active_test: False to the context

Set context: {'active_test': False}. This tells Odoo to include records where active=False (archived) in the query results.

Q4: Smart button shows wrong count. What could cause this?

Answer: The domain or context on the button action is incorrect

Check the action's domain and context. The filter (search_default_*) may not match the count computation. Also verify the domain is correct for the relationship.

Q5: How do you view the context being passed to an action?

Answer: Developer Mode → Debug Menu → Edit Action → Context Value field

Enable Developer Mode, click the bug icon in the top bar, select "Edit Action", and examine the Context Value field to see exactly what's being passed.