Preparing for an Odoo developer interview is easier when you know the types of questions hiring managers normally ask. A strong understanding of core concepts, such as ORM, Python, XML views, APIs, module structure, Odoo.sh, security rules, helps you stay confident and show your experience clearly. This guide collects the most common Odoo developer interview questions and answers across all levels.

Preparing for the Odoo Developer Interview

Interview preparation is easier when you know how these questions are actually used in the hiring process. That’s why it’s useful to look at how both sides benefit from structured interview questions.

How Sample Interview Questions Help Recruiters

Recruiters use sets of sample questions to compare candidates in a clear and fair way. These questions help them see how well a developer understands the Odoo framework and how the person approaches real technical problems. Recruiters also use these questions to understand if the developer fits the company’s working style and project requirements.

How Sample Interview Questions Help Technical Specialists

Sample Odoo software developer interview questions are useful for developers because they show what hiring managers expect during an interview. Practicing these questions helps developers speak more confidently and avoid long pauses during the interview. It also helps them organize their answers in a simple, clear way. Reviewing these questions also helps you prepare for other topics that often appear in Odoo interviews, including Odoo consultant interview questions and basic system or integration tasks.

List of 100 Odoo Developer Questions and Answers for Interview

Below is a complete list of 100 interview questions for Odoo developer, divided by level and topic. These cover Python, XML, ORM, security, performance, module development, integrations, and system design.

Junior Odoo Developer Interview Questions

(Odoo developer basic interview questions)

  1. What is Odoo?
    Answer: Odoo is an open-source ERP framework built in Python, offering business apps such as Sales, CRM, Accounting, and Inventory.
  2. What is an Odoo module?
    Answer: A module adds or modifies features in Odoo. It contains models, views, data files, security rules, and Python logic.
  3. Explain the basic folder structure of an Odoo module.
    Answer: A module includes: __manifest__.py, __init__.py, models/, views/, security/, data/.
  4. What is the purpose of __manifest__.py?
    Answer: It defines metadata like name, version, dependencies, and installation instructions.
  5. What is __init__.py used for?
    Answer: It imports Python files so Odoo can load them as part of the module.
  6. How do you define a model in Odoo?
    Answer: By creating a Python class that inherits from models.Model.
  7. What is the role of api.model, api.multi, and api.depends?
    Answer: They define how methods behave: model-level, recordset-level, or computed fields based on dependencies.
  8. What is a computed field?
    Answer: A field calculated dynamically based on other fields using compute=.
  9. How do you create a many2one field?
    Answer: field_name = fields.Many2one(‘model.name’)
  10. What is a QWeb template?
    Answer: It is Odoo’s XML-based templating engine used for reports and website pages.
  11. What is an action in Odoo?
    Answer: An action tells Odoo what to display, such as a form view or a tree view.
  12. Explain the purpose of views.
    Answer: Views control how data is displayed: form, tree, kanban, calendar, etc.
  13. How do you inherit an existing view?
    Answer: Using <xpath> expressions with inherit_id.
  14. What is an XML ID?
    Answer: A unique identifier for referencing records in XML and Python.
  15. What is a domain filter?
    Answer: A domain restricts record selection using logic like [(‘field’, ‘=’, value)].
  16. What is the difference between sudo() and normal environment?
    Answer: sudo() ignores record rules and gives elevated access.
  17. What is a record rule?
    Answer: It defines which records a user can see or edit.
  18. What is the difference between create() and write()?
    Answer: create() adds new records; write() updates existing ones.
  19. How do you load demo data?
    Answer: By setting demo in the manifest.
  20. What is an onchange method?
    Answer: Triggers logic when a field changes in the UI but doesn’t write to the database.
  21. What is the difference between server actions and automated actions?
    Answer: Server actions perform backend logic; automated actions trigger based on conditions.
  22. Explain Odoo inheritance types.
    Answer: Classical inheritance (Python) and prototype inheritance (XML).
  23. How do you restart Odoo?
    Answer: Using service commands like sudo service Odoo restart.
  24. How do you update a module?
    Answer: Use the Apps module, CLI (-u module_name), or Odoo shell.
  25. What is Odoo Shell?
    Answer: A debugging tool providing interactive access to Odoo environments.

Middle Odoo Developer Questions

(interview questions for Odoo developers with 2–4 years experience)

  1. Explain the Odoo ORM.
    Answer: It maps Python classes to database tables and handles CRUD operations automatically.
  2. What is lazy loading in Odoo ORM?
    Answer: Records aren’t loaded until accessed, improving performance.
  3. How do you override create() safely?
    Answer: Call super() and modify values before saving.
  4. How do you prevent infinite recursion in computed fields?
    Answer: Set proper depends() and avoid writing inside compute without conditions.
  5. What is context?
    Answer: A dictionary used to pass parameters like language, default values, or UI behavior.
  6. How do you add custom filters to a search view?
    Answer: Using <filter> tags inside the <search> view.
  7. How do you handle access rights in custom modules?
    Answer: Use ir.model.access.csv and record rules.
  8. How do you load external Python libraries?
    Answer: Install system-level packages and import them in the module.
  9. Explain API constraints.
    Answer: @api.constrains validates data after saving.
  10. What is the difference between stored and non-stored computed fields?
    Answer:Stored fields write to the database; non-stored recompute on access.
  11. Explain how to add a button to a form view.
    Answer: Use <button> in XML and define its method in Python.
  12. What is a Many2many relation?
    Answer: A bidirectional relationship using a relational table.
  13. How do you trigger scheduled cron jobs?
    Answer: Define XML records with ir.cron.
  14. Explain the difference between API v7 and v8+.
    Answer: v8 introduced the new API with decorators and recordsets.
  15. How do you debug Odoo Python code?
    Answer: Using pdb, logging, or Odoo shell.
  16. How do you debug QWeb templates?
    Answer: Enable developer mode and use t-debug options.
  17. What is the purpose of sudo(False)?
    Answer: Runs methods without superuser privileges.
  18. Explain how Odoo handles translations.
    Answer: Using .po files in i18n/.
  19. How do you optimize slow SQL queries in Odoo?
    Answer: Use read_group, limit joins, add indexes, and avoid loops.
  20. What are server actions used for?
    Answer: Executing Python code, creating records, or updating data.
  21. What is a computed Many2many?
    Answer: A dynamic Many2many field without stored values.
  22. How do you manage multi-company behavior?
    Answer: Use companies in context and proper domain restrictions.
  23. What is Odoo’s caching mechanism?
    Answer: Caches computations and RPC calls to improve performance.
  24. How do you use name_get()?
    Answer: Customize how records display in dropdowns.
  25. What is the difference between filtered() and search()?
    Answer: filtered() works on existing recordsets; search() queries the database.

Senior Odoo Developer Questions

(Odoo full stack developer interview questions)

  1. How do you design a modular Odoo architecture?
    Answer: Split domain logic into small, independent modules with clear dependencies.
  2. Explain the Odoo ORM’s prefetching system.
    Answer: Prefetching loads fields for multiple records in batches to reduce queries.
  3. How do you handle large datasets efficiently?
    Answer: Use read_group, SQL indexes, batch processing, and server-side pagination.
  4. How would you optimize a heavy compute method?
    Answer: Use stored fields, batch operations, and avoid nested loops.
  5. Explain how Odoo handles multi-threading.
    Answer: Workers process requests separately; shared resources must be carefully managed.
  6. How do you scale Odoo for thousands of users?
    Answer: Use multiple workers, separate Postgres, caching layers, and load balancing.
  7. How do you design custom APIs in Odoo?
    Answer: Use controllers and JSON routes with authentication.
  8. Explain the difference between RPC, JSON-RPC, and XML-RPC.
    Answer: Transport formats differ; JSON-RPC is preferred for modern integrations.
  9. How do you integrate third-party systems with Odoo?
    Answer: Using REST APIs, webhooks, or direct SQL with caution.
  10. Explain the role of compute_sudo.
    Answer: Allows computed fields to run with elevated rights.
  11. How do you implement custom security layers?
    Answer: Record rules, access rights, secure controllers, and field-level filters.
  12. What is the purpose of prefetch=False?
    Answer: It disables prefetching when needed to reduce memory overhead.
  13. Explain Odoo’s bus service.
    Answer: Real-time communication system for notifications and POS.
  14. How do you use Odoo’s multi-website framework?
    Answer: Assign domains, menus, and themes per website.
  15. How do you optimize Python code in Odoo?
    Answer: Use caching, avoid heavy loops, and use vector operations.
  16. How do you debug worker crashes?
    Answer: Check logs, isolate worker processes, and test with multithread disabled.
  17. Explain the deployment steps for Odoo Enterprise.
    Answer: Install packages, configure folders, database, workers, reverse proxy.
  18. What is your approach to version migrations?
    Answer: Analyze custom modules, use OpenUpgrade, rewrite incompatible code.
  19. How do you structure complex business flows in Odoo?
    Answer: Use mixins, reusable models, and clear separation of domains.
  20. How do you secure API endpoints?
    Answer: Using tokens, session validation, rate limiting.
  21. Explain DB indexing strategy in Odoo.
    Answer: Add indexes for frequently searched fields; avoid unnecessary ones.
  22. What is the purpose of test cases in Odoo?
    Answer: Ensure stable upgrades and prevent regressions.
  23. How do you test performance?
    Answer: Use profiling tools and Odoo logs to detect slow queries.
  24. How do you manage module dependencies?
    Answer: Keep them minimal and clearly declared in manifests.
  25. Explain your experience with Odoo.sh.
    Answer: Branches, staging builds, CI/CD, deployments, logs, and submodules.

Practice-Based Odoo Developer Technical Questions

Below are simple, practice-oriented tasks that often appear in Odoo technical interviews:

  1. Write a method that calculates a discounted price.
    Answer: Create a Python method that takes price and discount, applies the formula, and returns the new value.
  2. Add a server action that creates a record from context values.
    Answer: Use Python code inside the server action to read context values and call env[‘model’].create().
  3. Add a new tab in a form view using inheritance.
    Answer: Inherit the form view in XML and insert a new <page> inside the <notebook> using <xpath>.
  4. Create a Many2many relation with a custom relation table.
    Answer: Use fields.Many2many() and define the table name and column keys manually.
  5. Override unlink() to restrict deletion.
    Answer: Override unlink() and raise a UserError for restricted records, then call super() for valid ones.
  6. Build a controller that returns JSON data.
    Answer: Create a route with @http.route() and return JSON using json.dumps().
  7. Create an automated action to archive old records.
    Answer: Add an automated action that checks dates and sets active to False.
  8. Add a computed field showing overdue invoices.
    Answer: Create a computed field and search for unpaid invoices with past due dates.
  9. Create a cron job running daily at midnight.
    Answer: Define an ir.cron XML record with the midnight schedule.
  10. Add a QWeb report for a custom document.
    Answer: Create a QWeb template and link it to a report action in XML.
  11.  Write a domain filter selecting active partners only
    Answer: Use the domain [(‘active’, ‘=’, True)].
  12. Add a security rule restricting access per department.
    Answer: Write a record rule that filters records based on the user’s department.
  13. Build a wizard that updates multiple records.
    Answer: Create a transient model and apply updates to selected records in a confirm method.
  14. Add assets (JS/CSS) to a frontend module.
    Answer: Register the files in the assets section of the manifest.
  15. Implement caching using tools.misc.
    Answer: Use a caching helper like lru_cache to store repeated values.

Tricky Odoo Developer Questions

(each tricky Odoo developer question for interview tests deeper understanding)

  1. What happens if you forget super() in create/write?
    Answer: Important system logic is skipped, causing bugs or broken behavior.
  2. Why is writing inside compute dangerous?
    Answer: It can cause endless loops or slow performance.
  3. How does Odoo handle circular dependencies in XML?
    Answer: Odoo stops loading the view and shows an error.
  4. Why might sudo() cause security problems?
    Answer: It bypasses all access rights and may expose sensitive data.
  5. Why is editing Odoo core files not recommended?
    Answer: Changes disappear during updates and cause instability.
  6. Why does onchange not write to DB?
    Answer: It updates the form temporarily but does not save data.
  7. Why can computed fields slow down list views?
    Answer: They recalculate on every load if not stored.
  8. Why is importing data via ORM safer than SQL?
    Answer: ORM triggers validations; SQL skips them.
  9. Why does a Many2many search sometimes fail?
    Answer: The relation table or domain may not match the expected structure.
  10. Why is modifying a selection field risky across modules?
    Answer: Other modules may depend on the original values.

Tips for Odoo Interview Preparation for Candidates

Stepping into an Odoo interview is much easier with a bit of structure. A quick preparation plan helps highlight real experience, stay confident, and show a clear understanding of the platform.

  • Review common Odoo developer technical interview questions and practice answering aloud.
  • Prepare examples from your real projects, especially ORM logic and integrations.
  • Be ready to explain Odoo module structure, inheritance, and view architecture.
  • Know Odoo.sh basics: staging, builds, logs, submodules.
  • Review your past work so you can discuss it clearly and confidently.
  • Update your Odoo developer resume to match the job description.
  • Know your expected compensation and understand the Odoo developer hourly rate in your region.
  • Practice explaining your code and reasoning in simple language.

Conclusion

Preparing for an interview becomes much easier when you know what to expect. Reviewing common interview questions and answers helps you stay confident and explain your ideas clearly. Use this list to practice, update your developer resume, and get a better sense of what companies look for. With steady preparation, every interview becomes less stressful and your chances of receiving an offer increase.