Setup Guide

Updated 8 October 2026

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A complete, beginner-friendly walkthrough to install Advanced Validations in your Odoo system and make it visible to your team.

Overview

This chapter explains how to install the Advance Validations addon in Odoo from start to finish. You do not need any programming knowledge. You only need access to your Odoo server (or your hosting provider’s file manager) and an administrator account inside Odoo.

By the end of this guide, the addon will be installed, activated, and ready for your users to access from the main menu.

Before you begin

Make sure you have:

  • The latest copy of the odoo_advance_validations addon folder (downloaded from your provider)
  • Administrator access to your Odoo server files
  • An Odoo login with Settings access (Administrator role)

How It Works

Installing an Odoo addon follows a simple pattern:

  • You place the addon folder on the server where Odoo can find it.
  • You restart Odoo, so it picks up the new folder.
  • You tell Odoo to scan for new apps and then activate the addon.
  • You give the right users permission to see and use the addon’s menus.

Once these steps are done, the Advance Validations menu appears in your Odoo home screen, and you can start creating validation rules.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Download the Latest Copy of the Addon

Start by getting the most recent version of the addon from your provider (for example, from the Odoo App Store, your purchase email, or your company’s download portal).

The download is usually a .zip file. After downloading, extract (unzip) it on your computer. You should see a folder named odoo_advance_validations containing files like __manifest__.py, a models folder, and a views folder.

Always use the latest version

Using an old copy may cause errors or missing features. If you already have an older version installed, replace the entire folder with the new one.

2. Upload the Addon Folder to Your Odoo Server

Connect to the computer or server where Odoo is installed. This can be done through:

  • FTP or SFTP (using a tool like FileZilla)
  • Your hosting control panel (cPanel, Plesk, etc.)
  • Direct server access (SSH or remote desktop)

Find your Odoo addons directory. Common locations are:

  • /opt/odoo/addons/
  • /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/odoo/addons/
  • A custom folder such as /opt/odoo/custom_addons/

Copy the entire odoo_advance_validations folder into that directory. The final path should look like:

.../addons/odoo_advance_validations/  or  .../custom_addons/odoo_advance_validations/

Custom addons folder?

If your company uses a separate custom_addons folder, that is the correct place. Ask your system administrator if you are unsure which folder Odoo reads from.

3. Restart the Odoo Service

After uploading the files, Odoo needs to be restarted so it can detect the new addon folder. The restart method depends on how Odoo is hosted:

  • Linux server (systemd): Run sudo systemctl restart odoo in the terminal
  • Docker: Restart the Odoo container using docker restart <container_name>
  • Managed hosting (Odoo.sh, Odoo Online): Follow your provider’s process – often a button in the dashboard or a support request
  • Windows local install: Stop and start the Odoo service from Windows Services, or close and reopen the Odoo application

Wait until Odoo is fully running again before moving to the next step. You can confirm this by opening your Odoo URL in a browser and making sure the login page loads normally.

Do not skip this step

If you skip the restart, Odoo will not see the new addon folder and the app will not appear in the Apps list.

4. Activate Developer Mode in Settings

Log in to Odoo with an administrator account. Then:

  • Click the Settings app (gear icon) in the main menu.
  • Scroll to the very bottom of the Settings page.
  • Click Activate the developer mode (sometimes shown as “Activate Developer Mode”).

Developer mode unlocks extra options that administrators need – including the ability to update the app list and install new modules. You will see additional menus and technical options appear across Odoo after activating it.

Alternative shortcut

Add ?debug=1 to the end of your Odoo URL (for example, https://mycompany.odoo.com/web?debug=1) and press Enter. This also activates developer mode.

5. Update the Apps List

Now tell Odoo to scan for newly added addons:

  • Go to the Apps menu from the Odoo home screen.
  • Click the ⋮ (three dots) menu or the Update Apps List option at the top.
  • A confirmation popup appears – click Update.
  • Wait for the process to finish. This may take a few seconds to a minute.

This step tells Odoo to re-read all addon folders and register any new applications it finds, including Advance Validations.

Developer mode required

The “Update Apps List” button only appears when developer mode is active. If you do not see it, go back to Step 4.

6. Find and Activate the Addon

Still inside the Apps menu:

  • Remove any active search filters by clicking the ✕ on filter chips (especially “Apps” filter that hides non-app modules).
  • In the search bar, type Advance Validations (or odoo_advance_validations).
  • The app card titled “Advance Validations – Configurable Rules for Any Odoo Model” should appear.
  • Click the Activate button on the app card.
  • Wait for the installation to complete. Odoo may take a moment to load all the module’s data and menus.

When installation finishes, you should see an Advance Validations entry in your main Odoo app menu.

Installation successful?

If you can see “Advance Validations” in the app switcher or main menu, the addon is installed. Continue to the next steps to configure user access.

7. Import Demo Data (Optional)

Advance Validations does not automatically load sample data during installation. If you want to explore the module with ready-made example rules, you can import demo data manually:

  • Go to Settings.
  • Find the Advance Validations section (scroll down or search).
  • Choose one of the demo import options:
    • Import Demo Validations (All) – sample profiles and rules for every installed Odoo app
    • Import Selected App Demos – sample rules for one specific app (e.g., Contacts or Sales)
    • Import Demo Logs & Reports – sample log entries for testing reports (requires rules to exist first)
  • Click the import button and wait for the confirmation message.

Demo data is safe to use for learning and testing. It is marked clearly in logs so you can tell it apart from real validation events. You can delete demo rules later if you no longer need them.

Not required for production

Demo data is optional. If you are setting up a live business system, you can skip this step and create your own rules from scratch.

8. Check User Permissions

By default, only Administrator accounts can see the Advance Validations menus. Regular users will not see the app until you give them the right access group.

To check and assign permissions:

  • Go to Settings → Users & Companies → Users.
  • Open the user account you want to configure (for example, a sales manager or data quality officer).
  • Click the Access Rights tab.
  • Scroll down to the Advance Validations section.
  • You will see two access levels:
    • User – can view validation logs and reports (read-only access to rules)
    • Manager – can create, edit, and delete rules, profiles, audits, and use all tools

Choose the appropriate level for each person. Most team members who only need to see validation history should get User access. People who will create and manage rules should get Manager access.

9. Save, Refresh, and Verify the Menu

After assigning permissions:

  • Click Save on the user form.
  • Ask the user to log out and log back in to Odoo, or press Ctrl + F5 (hard refresh) in the browser.
  • The user should now see the Advance Validations app in their menu.

What each role sees in the menu:

  • Manager sees: Overview, Validation Profiles, Validation Rules, Validation Logs, Validation Reports, Data Audits, and Tools
  • User sees: Validation Logs and Validation Reports only

Even users without any Advance Validations group will still be affected by active validation rules when they work in Sales, Contacts, and other areas. They just cannot see the configuration menus or logs.

You’re all set!

Your Advance Validations module is installed and configured. Continue to Overview Dashboard to learn how to monitor your validations, or jump to Validation Profiles to create your first rules.

Quick Reference Table

Step What You Do Where

1

Download and unzip the addon

Your computer / provider portal

2

Upload folder to server

addons/ or custom_addons/ directory

3

Restart Odoo service

Server terminal / hosting panel

4

Activate developer mode

Settings (bottom of page)

5

Update Apps List

Apps menu → Update Apps List

6

Search and activate addon

Apps menu → search “Advance Validations”

7

Import demo data (optional)

Settings → Advance Validations section

8

Assign user permissions

Settings → Users → Access Rights tab

9

Refresh and verify menu

User’s Odoo home screen

Field Explanations

Advance Validations – User (Access Group)

Gives read-only access to validation rules and profiles, plus full access to Validation Logs and Validation Reports. Choose this for team members who need to monitor validation activity but should not change rules.

Advance Validations – Manager (Access Group)

Gives full control over all validation features – creating rules, managing profiles, running audits, using tools, and viewing the Overview dashboard. Choose this for data quality managers and system administrators.

Developer Mode

A special Odoo mode for administrators that reveals technical options like “Update Apps List.” It is required during installation but can be turned off after the addon is activated.

Demo Data Import

Pre-built sample validation profiles and rules for learning purposes. Demo entries are tagged so they can be filtered out of real reports. Not required for production use.

Tips

  • Keep a backup of your Odoo database before installing any new addon – this is good practice for any module installation.
  • If the app does not appear after updating the list, double-check that the folder name is exactly odoo_advance_validations and that it sits directly inside the addons directory (not inside another subfolder).
  • On Odoo.sh or managed hosting, you may not need to restart manually – uploading via Git often triggers an automatic rebuild.
  • Start with demo data if you are new to validations. It gives you working examples to study before creating your own rules.
  • Assign Manager access only to people who truly need to change rules. Everyone else can work normally – validations apply automatically.

Common Mistakes

  • Placing the folder in the wrong directory – the addon must be directly inside the addons or custom_addons folder, not nested deeper.
  • Forgetting to restart Odoo – without a restart, the new folder is invisible to Odoo.
  • Not activating developer mode – the “Update Apps List” button is hidden without it.
  • Leaving the “Apps” filter on – this filter hides non-standard modules. Remove all filters before searching.
  • Expecting the menu to appear for all users immediately – you must assign the User or Manager access group to each person who needs to see the menus.
  • Not refreshing after changing permissions – users must log out and back in (or hard-refresh the browser) to see newly granted access.