A complete, step-by-step guide for new users – from downloading the addon to seeing the Dairy menu in Odoo for the first time.
Overview
This page is for you if you have just received the Dairy Management application and want to install it on your Odoo system. You do not need to be a programmer. You only need access to your Odoo server (or someone on your IT team who can copy a folder and restart the service).
After you finish all steps below, you will be able to:
- See the Dairy menu in the top bar of Odoo
- Open the Dashboard, Animals, Farmers, Milk Collection, and other screens
- Give your staff login accounts access to use the app
- Optionally explore sample demo farmers and animals that come with the addon
How long does this take?
If you have server access, the full setup usually takes 15–30 minutes. If your IT team installs the folder for you, your part (activating the app and setting user permissions) takes about 10 minutes.
How It Works
Odoo applications (called addons or modules) are delivered as a folder. That folder must sit inside your Odoo addons directory on the server. Once the folder is in place and Odoo is restarted, you turn the app on from the Apps screen inside Odoo – the same way you install any other app.
Installing the app is only half the job. Each person who logs in also needs the correct user permission (called an access group). Without it, they will not see the Dairy menu even though the app is installed.
The nine steps below follow the exact order you should use. Do not skip steps – especially restarting Odoo after copying the folder, and assigning user permissions at the end.
Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1 – Download the latest copy of the addon
- Get the latest Dairy Management addon package from your vendor (for example WebbyCrown Solutions) or from your company’s download link.
- Save the file to your computer. It is usually a .zip file.
- Extract (unzip) the file. Inside you should see a folder named
odoo_dairy_management. This folder is the addon – keep the name exactly as it is; do not rename it. - Check that the folder contains files like
__manifest__.pyand subfolders such asmodels,views, andsecurity. If you only see another folder inside, open it until you findodoo_dairy_management.
Step 2 – Upload the addon folder to your Odoo server
- Connect to the computer or cloud server where Odoo is installed (using FTP, SFTP, remote desktop, or ask your hosting provider).
- Find your Odoo addons path. Common folder names are:
addonscustom_addonsextra-addons
Your IT person can confirm the correct path from the Odoo configuration file.
- Copy the entire
odoo_dairy_managementfolder into that addons directory. - Make sure the result looks like this:
.../custom_addons/odoo_dairy_management/__manifest__.py– the manifest file must be directly inside the addon folder, not nested one level deeper. - Set folder permissions so the Odoo service account can read the files (your server administrator normally handles this).
Step 3 – Restart the Odoo service
- After copying the folder, restart Odoo. Odoo only detects new addons when it starts up.
- How you restart depends on your setup:
- Windows service: Open Services, find Odoo, click Restart.
- Linux server: Your admin runs something like
sudo systemctl restart odoo. - Odoo.sh / managed hosting: Use the hosting panel or ask support to reload after uploading the addon.
- Wait until Odoo is fully running again before opening the browser.
- If Odoo does not start after adding the folder, ask your administrator to check the server log for errors – often the folder was placed in the wrong path or renamed incorrectly.
Step 4 – Activate Developer Mode in Settings
- Log in to Odoo with an Administrator account.
- Click the Settings app (gear icon) in the main menu.
- Scroll to the bottom of the General Settings page.
- Click Activate the developer mode (sometimes shown as “Developer Tools”).
- The page may reload. You will know developer mode is on when you see extra technical menus and a bug icon in the top bar.
Alternative shortcut Add ?debug=1 at the end of your Odoo URL in the browser address bar, then press Enter. Example: https://yourcompany.odoo.com/web?debug=1
Step 5 – Update the Apps list
- Go to the Apps menu from the Odoo home screen.
- Click the ⋮ (three dots) menu or look for Update Apps List.
- Confirm when Odoo asks you to update. This scans all addon folders and refreshes the list of available applications.
- Wait for the update to finish. This step is required so Odoo can “see” the new Dairy Management folder you copied.
Update Apps List is hidden without Developer Mode
If you do not see this option, go back to Step 4 and activate developer mode first.
Step 6 – Search for the addon and activate it
- Still in the Apps screen, clear any filter that says “Apps” only – click Remove filter or search All so uninstalled modules appear.
- In the search box, type Dairy Management.
- You should see the app with the dairy icon and description about milk collection, herd health, and processing.
- Click Activate or Install (wording may vary by Odoo version).
- Wait while Odoo installs the module. This can take one to three minutes. Do not close the browser tab.
- When installation is complete, you should see a success message and the app status changes to Installed.
Step 7 – Demo data (sample records)
- When Dairy Management installs successfully, the system automatically loads sample demo data – example farmers, animals, routes, and products – so you can explore the app before entering your own real data.
- After installation, open Dairy → Dashboard or Dairy → Masters → Farmers and check whether sample records appear (for example demo farmer names).
- If you do not see sample data, your manager can load it manually:
- Go to Dairy → Configuration → Import sample data (manager access required)
- Click the import button and wait for the success message
- Refresh the page
- When you are ready to use the system for real work, you can keep demo records for training or ask your administrator to remove them and start fresh.
What demo data includes
Sample farmers, animals, collection routes, milk products, and other records so you can click through every menu and understand the app without typing everything yourself.
Step 8 – Give users permission to access Dairy Management
- Installing the app does not automatically show the Dairy menu to every user. You must assign access to each person who needs it.
- Go to Settings → Users & Companies → Users.
- Open the user account (for example a collection centre operator or manager).
- Click the Access Rights tab.
- Find the section named Dairy Management.
- Tick the correct role:
- Dairy User – for daily staff (milk collection, health records, feed, processing, stock). Cannot open Configuration or see bank account numbers.
- Dairy Manager – for supervisors and owners. Full access including Configuration, routes, breeds, medicines, and sensitive payment fields.
- Click Save.
- Repeat for every user who needs access to the dairy facility.
Administrator is not enough
Even if someone is an Odoo Administrator, verify the Dairy User or Dairy Manager box is ticked if they will work inside the Dairy menus daily.
Step 9 – Refresh Odoo and confirm the Dairy menu appears
- Ask each user to log out and log back in, or press Ctrl + F5 (hard refresh) in the browser.
- After login, look at the top main menu bar. You should see a menu called Dairy with the dairy app icon.
- Click Dairy and confirm sub-menus appear: Dashboard, Masters, Operations, Animal Health, Feed Management, Processing, Inventory, Product Catalog, and (for managers) Configuration.
- Open Dairy → Dashboard to confirm the screen loads without errors.
- If the menu is still missing, check again that the user has Dairy User or Dairy Manager enabled in Step 8, then refresh once more.
You are ready!
Once you see the Dairy menu, continue with Getting Started to learn daily workflows, or open Routes, Breeds & Settings to set up your own farmers and collection routes.
Quick Reference Table
| Step | What you do | Where |
|---|---|---|
1 |
Download and unzip the addon |
Your computer – folder |
2 |
Copy addon folder to server |
Server |
3 |
Restart Odoo service |
Server / hosting panel |
4 |
Turn on Developer Mode |
Settings → Activate the developer mode |
5 |
Refresh available apps |
Apps → Update Apps List |
6 |
Install Dairy Management |
Apps → search “Dairy Management” → Activate |
7 |
Check demo / sample data |
Dairy → Dashboard or Configuration → Import sample data |
8 |
Assign Dairy User or Manager role |
Settings → Users → Access Rights tab |
9 |
Refresh browser and verify Dairy menu |
Top menu bar after login |
Important Terms Explained
Addon / Module
The Dairy Management application package – the odoo_dairy_management folder you copy to the server.
Addons folder
The directory on the server where all Odoo apps live. Your IT team knows its exact path.
Developer Mode
An Odoo setting that unlocks technical tools like “Update Apps List.” Needed once during installation.
Update Apps List
Tells Odoo to scan for newly copied addon folders after a restart.
Activate / Install
Turns the addon on for your database so you can use it.
Demo / sample data
Practice records (farmers, animals, etc.) loaded automatically or via Import sample data – useful for training.
Dairy User
Access group for staff who record milk, health, feed, and stock daily.
Dairy Manager
Access group for supervisors – includes Configuration and sensitive financial fields.
Dairy menu
The main application menu in Odoo’s top bar – proof that installation and permissions are correct.
Tips
- Do installation with an Administrator account Only administrators can install apps and change user access rights. Regular staff accounts cannot complete these steps.
- Keep a backup before installing Ask your IT team to backup the Odoo database before adding new addons – good practice for any production system.
- Use demo data for training first Let new collection staff practice on sample farmers before you enter real payment and milk data.
- Turn off Developer Mode later if you prefer After installation is complete, you can deactivate developer mode for everyday use. The Dairy app will keep working.
Common Mistakes
- Copying the zip file without extracting it – Odoo needs the unpacked
odoo_dairy_managementfolder, not a .zip archive. - Nested folder by mistake – Wrong:
custom_addons/odoo_dairy_management/odoo_dairy_management/__manifest__.py. The manifest must be one level insideodoo_dairy_management. - Skipping the Odoo restart – New addons will not appear until the service restarts.
- Searching in Apps without removing the “Apps” filter – You may not find the module; search in “All” modules.
- Forgetting user permissions – The most common reason users say “I installed it but I see nothing.” Always complete Step 8.
- Not refreshing after permission changes – Users must log out/in or hard-refresh the browser to see the Dairy menu.