Setting Up Advance Dashboard

Updated 13 July 2026

Watch Tutorial Buy Now

A complete, step-by-step guide to install Advance Dashboard in Odoo – written for new users with no technical background.

Overview

Advance Dashboard is an Odoo application that lets you build interactive dashboards with charts, KPI numbers, and data tables – all connected to your real business data. Before you can use it, the app must be installed on your Odoo server and activated for your company.

This guide walks you through the entire setup process from start to finish. You do not need to be a developer. If you can download a file, copy a folder, and click buttons inside Odoo, you can follow along.

By the end of this chapter, you will have:

Installed the Advance Dashboard addon on your Odoo server
Activated the app inside Odoo
Given the right people permission to use it
Confirmed that the Advance Dashboard menu appears in your Odoo home screen

Who should do this?
Usually your Odoo administrator, IT person, or whoever manages your Odoo server does the installation (Steps 1–6). Giving user permissions (Steps 7–9) can be done by any administrator inside Odoo.

How It Works

Odoo applications (also called addons or modules) are delivered as a folder containing all the files the app needs. To use Advance Dashboard, that folder must be placed on the same computer (or server) where Odoo is running.

Here is what happens behind the scenes during setup:

Download – You get the latest copy of the addon folder (named odoo_advance_dashboard).
Upload / Copy – The folder is placed inside your Odoo addons directory so Odoo can find it.
Restart – Odoo is restarted so it scans for new addons.
Activate Developer Mode – This unlocks the “Update Apps List” button, which tells Odoo to look for newly added addons.
Update Apps List – Odoo refreshes its catalogue of available applications.
Install the App – You search for “Advance Dashboard” and click Activate. Odoo installs the app and its data.
Demo Data – If the addon includes sample dashboards, they may be loaded automatically during installation (or you can import them later from Settings).
User Permissions – Each person who should use dashboards needs the correct access rights assigned to their user account.
Verify – After permissions are set, users refresh Odoo and see the Advance Dashboard menu on their home screen.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1 – Download the Latest Copy of the Addon

Download the most recent version of the

Advance Dashboard

addon from your purchase source (Odoo Apps Store, your vendor, or your development team). You should receive a ZIP file. Extract (unzip) it on your computer. Inside, you will find a folder named odoo_advance_dashboard. This is the folder you need – keep it intact; do not rename it.

Tip: Always download the version built for Odoo 17 Using a version made for a different Odoo release will cause errors.

Step 2 – Upload the Addon Folder to Your Odoo Server

Copy the entire odoo_advance_dashboard folder to the addons directory on the machine where Odoo runs. This folder is usually called addons or custom_addons.

Where to put it:

Odoo.sh / hosted Odoo: Upload via Git or the platform’s file manager into your custom addons path.
Windows server: Copy to something like C:\odoo\custom_addons\odoo_advance_dashboard
Linux server: Copy to something like /opt/odoo/custom_addons/odoo_advance_dashboard

Make sure the folder structure looks like this:
custom_addons / odoo_advance_dashboard / __manifest__.py (and other files inside).

Important: Place the folder itself inside addons – not a ZIP file, and not a parent folder that wraps it twice. Odoo must be able to read __manifest__.py directly inside odoo_advance_dashboard.

Step 3 – Restart the Odoo Service

After copying the folder, restart Odoo so it picks up the new addon. The method depends on how Odoo is installed:

Windows service: Open Services, find the Odoo service, and click Restart.
Linux (systemd): Run sudo systemctl restart odoo in the terminal.
Docker: Restart the Odoo container.
Odoo.sh: Push your code – the platform restarts automatically.

Wait until Odoo is fully running again before continuing. This usually takes 30 seconds to 2 minutes.

Step 4 – Turn On Developer Mode in Settings

Log in to Odoo as an administrator. Go to Settings (the gear icon on 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 tools that administrators need – including the ability to update the apps list. It does not change anything visible to regular employees; it only shows additional options for admins.

Alternative path: Add ?debug=1 to the end of your Odoo URL in the browser address bar, then press Enter. Example: https://mycompany.odoo.com/web?debug=1

Step 5 – Update the Apps List

With developer mode active, go to the Apps menu (click the grid icon on the Odoo home screen, then select Apps). Click the Update Apps List button in the top menu bar. Odoo will ask you to confirm – click Update.

This step tells Odoo to scan the addons folder again and register any new applications it finds – including Advance Dashboard. It may take a few seconds. When finished, you are ready to install the app.

Step 6 – Search for the Addon and Activate It

Still on theAppspage, clear any filters at the top (remove “Apps” filter if active, so you see all modules). In the search bar, type Advance Dashboard. You should see the app appear with the title “Advance Dashboard – Interactive KPI Builder, Charts, TV Mode & Custom SQL for Odoo”. Click the Activate button (or Install, depending on your Odoo version).

Odoo will install the module. This creates the database tables, menus, security rules, and default settings. Installation typically takes less than a minute. When done, the button changes to Installed or shows a green checkmark.

Can’t find it? Double-check that the folder is in the correct addons path, Odoo was restarted, and you clicked “Update Apps List.” Also remove the “Apps” filter in the search bar – the module may be classified differently.

Step 7 – Demo Data (Sample Dashboards)

Advance Dashboard comes with 70 ready-made sample dashboards covering Sales, CRM, HR, Inventory, Accounting, and many more Odoo apps. Some demo data may load automatically when you install the app.

If you do not see sample dashboards after installation, you can import them manually later:

Go to Settings
Find the Advance Dashboard section
Click Import All Demo Data to load all 70 sample dashboards
Or choose a specific app (e.g., Sales, HR) and click Import Selected Addon Demos

Demo data is safe to import multiple times – existing dashboards are kept, and only missing items are added.

Good to know: Sample dashboards only show meaningful data if the related Odoo app (e.g., Sales, HR) is also installed in your system. A Sales dashboard will look empty if you have not installed the Sales app.

Step 8 – Give Users Permission to Access Advance Dashboard

By default, all internal Odoo users receive basic Advance Dashboard User access when the app is installed. However, if a person cannot see the menu, you need to check their permissions manually.

How to assign permissions:

Go to Settings → Users & Companies → Users
Open the user account (e.g., “John Smith”)
Click the Access Rights tab
Scroll down to find the section called Advance Dashboard
Choose the right level:
- User – Can view dashboards, change date filters, export PDF, and use TV mode
- Manager – Can do everything a User can, plus create dashboards, add widgets, configure SQL queries, and manage access
Click Save

Repeat for every person who needs access. Administrators (Settings access) automatically get Manager rights.

Step 9 – Refresh Odoo and Confirm the Menu Appears

After saving user permissions, ask the user to refresh their browser (press F5 or Ctrl+R). They should now see Advance Dashboard on the Odoo home screen (the main app grid).

When they open it, they will find:

Overview – List of all dashboards they can access
Dashboard Items – Widget list (visible to Managers only)
Configuration → Import Dashboard – Import shared dashboards (Managers only)

Click any dashboard and press Open Dashboard to see it live. If the menu appears and dashboards open correctly – congratulations, your setup is complete!

Setup complete! Continue to Finding Your Way Around to learn what each screen does, or jump to Creating & Designing Dashboards to build your first dashboard.

Setup Checklist – Key Items at a Glance

Use this table as a quick reference while you work through the setup steps above.

Item	Description	Example
Addon Folder Name	The exact name of the module folder you copy to the server	odoo_advance_dashboard
Addons Directory	The folder on the server where custom Odoo apps are stored	/opt/odoo/custom_addons/
Developer Mode	Admin setting that unlocks “Update Apps List” and advanced tools	Settings → bottom of page → Activate the developer mode
Apps Search Term	What to type in the Apps search bar to find the module	Advance Dashboard
User Permission	Basic access – view dashboards, filters, PDF, TV mode	Advance Dashboard → User
Manager Permission	Full access – create, edit, SQL, import/export, manage access	Advance Dashboard → Manager
Main Menu Name	The app name shown on the Odoo home screen after installation	Advance Dashboard
Demo Data Import	Optional step to load 70 sample dashboards after installation	Settings → Advance Dashboard → Import All Demo Data

Field Explanations

Here is a plain-language explanation of every item in the table above.

Addon Folder Name

This is the technical folder name of the application. Odoo looks for this exact folder name inside your addons directory. Do not rename it – if you rename the folder, Odoo will not recognise the app.

Addons Directory

Think of this as the “apps library” on your Odoo server. Every Odoo module (Sales, Inventory, Advance Dashboard, etc.) lives in this folder. Your server administrator configures which folder Odoo reads from. Common names are addons and custom_addons.

Developer Mode

A special administrator view in Odoo that reveals extra buttons and settings. You need it temporarily to run “Update Apps List” after adding a new addon. It is safe to leave on for admins, but regular employees do not need it.

Apps Search Term

The words you type in the Apps screen to locate Advance Dashboard. If the exact name does not appear, try searching just “Dashboard” or “Advance” and remove all filters at the top of the Apps page.

User Permission

The standard access level for employees who need to view dashboards. They can open dashboards, switch date ranges, print PDFs, and use TV mode. They cannot create new dashboards or change widget settings. Most of your team will have this level.

Manager Permission

The full access level for people who build and manage dashboards. Managers can create dashboards, add and edit widgets, write custom SQL queries, import/export dashboards, and control who can see each dashboard. Give this to team leads, analysts, and administrators.

Main Menu Name

After installation, “Advance Dashboard” appears as a new app icon on the Odoo home screen. This is the entry point for everything in the module – viewing dashboards, managing widgets, and importing shared layouts.

Demo Data Import

An optional feature that loads 70 pre-built sample dashboards so you can explore the app immediately. You can import all demos at once or pick specific categories (Sales, HR, CRM, etc.). This is especially helpful for new users who want to see what is possible before building their own dashboards.

Tips

Always use the Odoo 17 version of the addon. Check the version number in the download – it should start with 17.0.
Before installing on a live/production system, test the addon on a staging or copy database first.
After installation, import demo dashboards from Settings to explore features before building your own.
If you manage multiple companies in one Odoo database, dashboards can be assigned per company – set this when creating each dashboard.
Keep a backup of your database before installing any new addon. This is good practice for any Odoo module.
If only one person cannot see the menu, the issue is almost always their user permissions – not the installation itself.
Administrators automatically receive Manager access. You do not need to assign it manually for admin accounts.

Common Mistakes

Putting the ZIP file instead of the folder – Odoo cannot read a ZIP file. You must extract it and copy the odoo_advance_dashboard folder.
Nesting the folder too deep – If you copy odoo_advance_dashboard/odoo_advance_dashboard/ (folder inside folder), Odoo will not find it. The __manifest__.py file must sit directly inside the first odoo_advance_dashboard folder.
Skipping the Odoo restart – After copying the addon, you must restart Odoo. Without a restart, the new app will not be detected.
Forgetting to update the apps list – Even after restart, you must click “Update Apps List” in the Apps menu (with developer mode on) before the app appears in search.
Searching with the “Apps” filter active – This filter hides modules that are not yet installed. Remove it to see Advance Dashboard in search results.
Expecting demo data without related apps – A “Sales Performance” demo dashboard needs the Sales app installed. Without it, widgets will show zero or empty data.
Not saving user permissions – After changing access rights on a user form, always click Save. Changes do not apply until you save.
Not refreshing the browser – After permission changes, users must refresh their browser (F5) to see the new menu. Simply navigating away is not enough.

Image

Popular Searches