9.2 Automation: automated actions, approvals & email templates

Automation in Odoo: business logic without code

Odoo pairs Studio's structural customization with an automation layer so that business rules run by themselves. Together they let a functional consultant configure complete workflows — data validation, notifications, follow-ups, and approvals — entirely from the interface, which is exactly the kind of scenario the certification tests.

Automation rules and their triggers

An automation rule lives under Settings ▸ Technical ▸ Automation Rules (technical model base.automation). Each rule watches one model ("Applies to") and fires when a trigger occurs; you then attach one or more actions. The trigger types you should recognize:

For update and timed triggers you narrow the scope with a filter domain (Apply on) and, for updates, a Before Update Domain, so the rule fires only on a genuine transition — for example only when a task's stage moves to "Done" rather than on every save.

Actions the rule performs

When a rule triggers it runs one or more actions to do, which are technically server actions (ir.actions.server). The no-code actions include:

• Update Record — set a value on the triggering record or a linked record.
• Create Activity — schedule a to-do for a responsible user.
• Send Email — send a message built from an email template.
• Send SMS — send a text via an SMS template.
• Add Followers / Remove Followers — manage who is notified about the record.
• Create Record — create a new record in the same model or another one.
• Send Webhook Notification — POST data to an external URL.
• Execute Existing Actions — chain several server actions in order.
• Execute Code — run Python; this is the only action that requires development.

Because the first eight options require no programming, a consultant can build surprisingly rich workflows — such as "when an opportunity is marked Won, create a follow-up activity for the salesperson and email the customer" — without a single line of code.

Server actions

A server action is the reusable unit that defines what to do. The same server action can be triggered by an automation rule, bound to a button on a form, or exposed in the Actions (gear) menu as a contextual command that a user runs on the selected records. Defining logic once as a server action and reusing it keeps behavior consistent across triggers and avoids duplicating configuration.

Approval rules

Some controls need a human decision, and for those Studio adds approval rules to a button. In Studio you select a button, enable Approval, and set the approver group, optionally the number of approvals required, and a message shown to the approver. When a user clicks that button, Odoo blocks the underlying action until an authorized approver signs off; requiring several distinct approvers creates a multi-step approval. This is how a spending limit, a discount ceiling, or a document sign-off is enforced — again, entirely without code.

Email templates and dynamic placeholders

Email templates (technical model mail.template, under Settings ▸ Technical ▸ Email Templates) hold reusable messages tied to a model. A template stores the Applies to model, the subject, recipients (To/Cc or specific partners), the HTML body, attachments, and a language. Dynamic content comes from placeholders written in inline QWeb: {{ object.field }} renders a value, and you add a safe fallback with or, for example {{ object.partner_id.name or '' }}, so an empty field never prints an error. The Dynamic Placeholder helper in the editor lets you pick a field and inserts the correct expression automatically, so you rarely type the path by hand. A template can also localize by rendering in the recipient's language.

Studio and automation working together

The real power appears when the two are combined. Studio provides the structure — a custom Selection field, a new pipeline stage, an approval button — and automation supplies the behavior — when the Selection reaches "Approved," update a date, notify the manager, and send a templated email. A typical exam question hands you a business requirement and asks you to assemble the right no-code pieces: a Studio field, an automation rule with the correct trigger and domain, a server action, an approval rule where a person must sign off, and an email template with placeholders. Recognizing which tool solves which part — and that all of it is achievable without programming — is the core competency this topic assesses.