Custom Workflows Guide

Transform your most frequent Odoo operations into instant slash commands. Execute complex queries, calculations, and reports with a single command and get results in milliseconds.

Sub-Second

Instant execution with smart caching

Parallel

Up to 3x faster with auto-parallelization

5 Step Types

MCP, compute, filter, sort, group

AI Formatted

Beautiful results via your LLM

01.What are Custom Workflows?

Custom workflows are reusable automation scripts that you execute with slash commands like /weekly-sales or /inventory-check. Instead of typing the same complex query every time, you create a workflow once and run it instantly whenever needed.

Benefits of Automation

Speed: Execute instantly without LLM processing - get results in milliseconds
Consistency: Same query structure every time - eliminate human error
Reusability: Create once, use forever - share with team members
Efficiency: Parallel execution for complex multi-step operations

Common Use Cases

Sales & Revenue

Weekly/monthly sales reports
Top customers by revenue
Sales pipeline analysis
Revenue forecasting

Inventory & Stock

Low stock alerts
Stock valuation reports
Product movement analysis
Warehouse capacity checks

Finance & Accounting

Pending invoice summaries
Payment status tracking
Overdue accounts report
Cash flow projections

Team & HR

Employee performance metrics
Attendance summaries
Leave balance reports
Team productivity analysis

02.Creating Your First Workflow

You can create workflows in two ways: from a chat conversation (recommended for beginners) or manually via API (for advanced users).

Method 1: Create from Chat (Recommended)

Why this method?

The AI automatically analyzes your conversation, extracts the query logic, generates optimized workflow steps, and handles all technical details. Perfect for users who want automation without writing code.

Start a conversation about a repetitive task

Ask the AI to perform a task you need regularly. Be specific about what data you want and how it should be filtered or sorted.

Example: "Show me all sales orders from this week with their totals, sorted by amount, and tell me which customers ordered the most."

Review the AI's response

The AI executes your query and shows you the results. Verify that this is exactly what you want to automate.

Click "Create Workflow"

After the AI completes your query, you'll see a "Create Workflow" button in the chat interface. Click it to start the workflow creation process.

Review auto-generated workflow

The system analyzes your conversation and automatically generates workflow steps, including:

MCP calls to query Odoo data
Calculations and data transformations
Filtering and sorting operations
Context variables for dynamic dates

Name and save your workflow

Give your workflow a slash command name (e.g., /weekly-sales) and save it.

Tip: Use descriptive names that match the workflow's purpose. Examples: /top-customers, /low-stock, /pending-invoices

Test immediately

Type your new slash command in the chat to test it. Results appear instantly!

/weekly-sales

Method 2: Manual Creation (Advanced)

For advanced users who want full control over workflow structure, you can create workflows manually by calling the workflows API:

API EndpointPOST

POST /api/workflows
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "trigger_command": "/my-custom-report",
  "display_name": "My Custom Sales Report",
  "description": "Weekly sales with top customers",
  "category": "sales",
  "workflow_steps": {
    "version": "1.0",
    "steps": [
      {
        "type": "mcp_call",
        "description": "Get sales orders from this week",
        "tool": "execute_method",
        "params": {
          "model": "sale.order",
          "method": "search_read",
          "args": [[["state", "=", "sale"], ["date_order", ">=", "{{week_start}}"]]],
          "kwargs": {
            "fields": ["name", "partner_id", "amount_total", "date_order"],
            "order": "amount_total DESC",
            "limit": 50
          }
        },
        "store_as": "orders"
      },
      {
        "type": "compute",
        "description": "Calculate total revenue",
        "expression": "{{orders}}.reduce((sum, o) => sum + o.amount_total, 0)",
        "store_as": "total_revenue"
      },
      {
        "type": "group_by",
        "description": "Group by customer",
        "source": "{{orders}}",
        "key": "partner_id",
        "aggregate": {
          "total": "sum(amount_total)",
          "count": "count(id)"
        },
        "store_as": "by_customer"
      }
    ]
  },
  "required_params": [],
  "is_public": false
}

03.Workflow Examples

Real-world workflow examples you can adapt for your needs. Each example includes the complete workflow structure and usage instructions.

/weekly-sales

Sales

Get weekly sales report with totals and top customers

What it does:

Fetches all confirmed sales orders from the current week
Calculates total revenue for the week
Groups sales by customer to identify top buyers
Returns beautifully formatted results via AI

Usage:

/weekly-sales

View workflow structure

{
  "version": "1.0",
  "steps": [
    {
      "type": "mcp_call",
      "description": "Get confirmed sales orders from this week",
      "tool": "execute_method",
      "params": {
        "model": "sale.order",
        "method": "search_read",
        "args": [[
          ["state", "=", "sale"],
          ["date_order", ">=", "{{week_start}}"]
        ]],
        "kwargs": {
          "fields": ["name", "partner_id", "amount_total"],
          "order": "amount_total DESC"
        }
      },
      "store_as": "orders"
    },
    {
      "type": "compute",
      "description": "Calculate total weekly revenue",
      "expression": "{{orders}}.reduce((sum, o) => sum + o.amount_total, 0)",
      "store_as": "total_revenue"
    },
    {
      "type": "group_by",
      "description": "Group by customer",
      "source": "{{orders}}",
      "key": "partner_id",
      "aggregate": {
        "revenue": "sum(amount_total)",
        "orders": "count(id)"
      },
      "store_as": "by_customer"
    }
  ]
}

/inventory-check

Inventory

Check products with low stock levels requiring reorder

What it does:

Queries all products with stock below minimum threshold
Filters out inactive products
Sorts by urgency (lowest stock first)
Returns product names, current stock, and minimum levels

Usage:

/inventory-check

View workflow structure

{
  "version": "1.0",
  "steps": [
    {
      "type": "mcp_call",
      "description": "Get products with low stock",
      "tool": "execute_method",
      "params": {
        "model": "product.product",
        "method": "search_read",
        "args": [[
          ["active", "=", true],
          ["qty_available", "<", 10]
        ]],
        "kwargs": {
          "fields": ["name", "qty_available", "default_code"],
          "order": "qty_available ASC",
          "limit": 50
        }
      },
      "store_as": "low_stock_products"
    },
    {
      "type": "filter",
      "description": "Only show critical items (stock < 5)",
      "source": "{{low_stock_products}}",
      "condition": "item.qty_available < 5",
      "store_as": "critical_items"
    }
  ]
}

/customer-analysis

CRM

Analyze customer purchase trends and identify VIP customers

What it does:

Fetches all sales orders from the last 3 months
Groups by customer to calculate total spend
Sorts by revenue to identify top customers
Filters to show only VIP customers (over $10,000)

Usage:

/customer-analysis

/invoice-status

Finance

Check pending and overdue invoices requiring attention

What it does:

Queries all unpaid customer invoices
Filters to show overdue invoices (past due date)
Calculates total outstanding amount
Sorts by due date (oldest first)

Usage:

/invoice-status

/team-performance

Analyze sales team performance metrics for the month

What it does:

Fetches all sales orders from current month
Groups by salesperson to calculate individual totals
Sorts by revenue to identify top performers
Calculates average deal size per salesperson

Usage:

/team-performance

04.Workflow Step Types

Workflows support five powerful step types that you can chain together to create sophisticated automation scripts. Each step type serves a specific purpose in data processing.

mcp_call

Execute Odoo operations via MCP (Model Context Protocol). This is your primary interface to query and manipulate Odoo data.

Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Description
tool	string	Always "execute_method"
params	object	Contains model, method, args, kwargs
store_as	string	Variable name to store results

Example:

{
  "type": "mcp_call",
  "description": "Get sales orders from this week",
  "tool": "execute_method",
  "params": {
    "model": "sale.order",
    "method": "search_read",
    "args": [[["date_order", ">=", "{{week_start}}"]]],
    "kwargs": {
      "fields": ["name", "partner_id", "amount_total"],
      "order": "amount_total DESC",
      "limit": 20
    }
  },
  "store_as": "orders"
}

compute

Evaluate JavaScript expressions using workflow variables. Perfect for calculations, transformations, and data manipulation.

Security Note

Compute steps are NOT allowed in public workflows for security reasons. Only private workflows can use JavaScript evaluation.

Common operations:

reduce() - Sum values, calculate totals
map() - Transform array elements
Math.* - Mathematical operations
Date.* - Date calculations

Examples:

Calculate total revenue:

{
  "type": "compute",
  "expression": "{{orders}}.reduce((sum, o) => sum + o.amount_total, 0)",
  "store_as": "total_revenue"
}

Calculate average order value:

{
  "type": "compute",
  "expression": "{{total_revenue}} / {{orders}}.length",
  "store_as": "avg_order_value"
}

filter

Filter array items based on a JavaScript condition. Reduce datasets to only the records that match your criteria.

Security Note

Filter steps are NOT allowed in public workflows. Use Odoo domain filters in mcp_call instead.

Examples:

Filter orders over $1000:

{
  "type": "filter",
  "source": "{{orders}}",
  "condition": "item.amount_total > 1000",
  "store_as": "large_orders"
}

Filter products with critical stock:

{
  "type": "filter",
  "source": "{{products}}",
  "condition": "item.qty_available < 5",
  "store_as": "critical_stock"
}

sort

Sort array items by field value in ascending or descending order. Optionally limit the number of results.

Examples:

Get top 10 customers by revenue:

{
  "type": "sort",
  "source": "{{orders}}",
  "by": "amount_total",
  "order": "DESC",
  "limit": 10,
  "store_as": "top_orders"
}

Sort by date (oldest first):

{
  "type": "sort",
  "source": "{{invoices}}",
  "by": "invoice_date",
  "order": "ASC",
  "store_as": "sorted_invoices"
}

group_by

Group array items by field value and perform aggregations (sum, count, avg, min, max). Essential for analytics and reporting.

Supported aggregations:

sum(field)

Calculate total

count(field)

Count items

avg(field)

Calculate average

min(field)

Find minimum

max(field)

Find maximum

Example:

Sales by customer with multiple aggregations:

{
  "type": "group_by",
  "source": "{{orders}}",
  "key": "partner_id",
  "aggregate": {
    "total_revenue": "sum(amount_total)",
    "order_count": "count(id)",
    "avg_order": "avg(amount_total)",
    "largest_order": "max(amount_total)"
  },
  "store_as": "customer_analytics"
}

05.Advanced Workflow Features

Automatic Parallel Execution

Up to 3x Faster Execution

The workflow engine automatically analyzes step dependencies and executes independent steps in parallel for maximum performance. No configuration needed - it just works!

How it works:

Builds dependency graph from variable references (e.g., {{orders}})
Identifies steps that don't depend on each other
Executes independent steps simultaneously
Waits for dependencies before executing dependent steps

Smart Caching System

Workflow results are cached per-user for instant retrieval. Cache is automatically invalidated after 1 hour or when data changes.

Cache Benefits:

Instant Results: Cached workflows return in milliseconds
Reduced Load: Fewer database queries = better Odoo performance
Per-User Isolation: Your cache is private - no cross-user data leakage
Smart Invalidation: Cache automatically expires after 1 hour

Cache Key Format:

wf:{userId}:{workflowId}:{argsHash}

Context Variables & Arguments

Make workflows dynamic with built-in context variables and user-provided arguments. Perfect for date-based queries and parameterized reports.

Variable	Description	Example Value
{{today}}	Current date (ISO format)	2025-01-21
{{week_start}}	Monday of current week	2025-01-20
{{month_start}}	First day of current month	2025-01-01
{{user_id}}	Current authenticated user ID	uuid-string
{{args}}	User-provided arguments array	["2025-01"]

Using Arguments in Workflows

Pass parameters to workflows by typing them after the slash command. Perfect for date ranges, IDs, or any dynamic values.

User types:

/sales-report 2025-01

Workflow receives:

args = ["2025-01"]

Use in workflow step:

{
  "type": "mcp_call",
  "params": {
    "args": [[
      ["create_date", ">=", "{{args[0]}}-01"],
      ["create_date", "<", "{{args[0]}}-31"]
    ]]
  }
}

06.Best Practices

Do These Things

✓Use context variables like {{today}} instead of hardcoded dates for dynamic queries
✓Store intermediate results with descriptive variable names (orders, not data)
✓Write clear step descriptions for debugging and maintenance
✓Test workflows with different argument values and edge cases
✓Use compute/filter steps to minimize MCP calls and reduce Odoo load
✓Leverage parallel execution by keeping steps independent when possible

Avoid These Mistakes

✗Hardcode dates that change - use {{week_start}} instead of "2025-01-20"
✗Make excessive MCP calls when one comprehensive query would suffice
✗Forget to test with edge cases, empty results, or invalid arguments
✗Use generic variable names like "data", "result", "temp" - be descriptive!
✗Skip step descriptions - they're essential for debugging later
✗Create circular dependencies that prevent parallel execution

Performance Optimization Tips

Minimize Odoo Queries

Fetch all needed data in one MCP call with comprehensive filters, then use compute/filter/sort steps to process it locally. One database query beats ten every time.

Use Field Limits

Only request the fields you need in kwargs.fields to reduce data transfer. Don't fetch 50 fields when you only need 5.

Set Record Limits

Add limit parameters to avoid fetching thousands of records when you only need the top 10. Your workflow (and Odoo) will thank you.

Design for Parallelization

Structure workflows so steps don't depend on each other unnecessarily. The optimizer automatically parallelizes independent steps for up to 3x speedup.

Share your workflows with team members to boost productivity across your organization. Public workflows enable standardized reporting and consistent data access.

Public Workflows

Visible to all team members
Great for standardized reports
Limited to safe step types only
Cannot use compute or filter steps

Security: Public workflows cannot execute arbitrary JavaScript for safety

Private Workflows

Only visible to you
Perfect for personal queries
Can use all step types
Full JavaScript computation power

Recommended: Start with private workflows, make public after testing

Export & Import

Currently, workflows are stored in your account. Future updates will add export/import capabilities for:

Export to JSON

Download workflow definitions for backup or sharing

Import from JSON

Load workflows from files or templates

Next Steps

Manage Your Workflows

View, edit, and organize all your custom workflows from the dashboard.

Effective Prompts Guide

Learn how to write better queries to create more effective workflows.

Quick Start Guide

New to ood.ooo? Start here to connect Odoo and configure your AI assistant.

Troubleshooting

Encountering issues? Check our troubleshooting guide for solutions.

01.What are Custom Workflows?

Common Use Cases

Sales & Revenue

Inventory & Stock

Finance & Accounting

Team & HR

02.Creating Your First Workflow

Method 1: Create from Chat (Recommended)

Why this method?

Start a conversation about a repetitive task

Review the AI's response

Click "Create Workflow"

Review auto-generated workflow

Name and save your workflow

Test immediately

Method 2: Manual Creation (Advanced)

03.Workflow Examples

/weekly-sales

What it does:

Usage:

/inventory-check

What it does:

Usage:

/customer-analysis

What it does:

Usage:

/invoice-status

What it does:

Usage:

/team-performance

What it does:

Usage:

04.Workflow Step Types

mcp_call

Parameters:

Example:

compute

Common operations:

Examples:

filter

Examples:

sort

Examples:

group_by

Supported aggregations:

Example:

05.Advanced Workflow Features

Automatic Parallel Execution

Up to 3x Faster Execution

Smart Caching System

Cache Benefits:

Context Variables & Arguments

Using Arguments in Workflows

06.Best Practices

Do These Things

Avoid These Mistakes

Performance Optimization Tips

07.Sharing Workflows

Public Workflows

Private Workflows

Export & Import

Next Steps

Manage Your Workflows

Effective Prompts Guide

Quick Start Guide

Troubleshooting