A Complete Guide to Using XML-RPC in Odoo for External Integrations

Odoo is a powerful and flexible ERP system used by businesses worldwide. In many real-world scenarios, organizations need to connect external applications—such as websites, mobile apps, or third-party platforms—with their Odoo instance.

This is where XML-RPC plays a crucial role.

XML-RPC enables external systems to communicate with Odoo remotely and perform operations like creating, reading, updating, and deleting records—without direct access to the database.

What is XML-RPC 

XML-RPC (Extensible Markup Language – Remote Procedure Call) is a protocol that allows different applications to communicate over the internet using HTTP and XML.

Using XML-RPC, an external application can:

• Authenticate with Odoo
• Fetch records
• Create new records
• Update existing records
• Delete records
• Execute model methods

This makes XML-RPC an excellent choice for integrating Odoo with external systems.

Why Use XML-RPC in Odoo?

XML-RPC is commonly used in scenarios such as:

• Integrating eCommerce websites with Odoo
• Synchronizing mobile applications
• Connecting third-party accounting systems
• Automating data imports from external platforms

👉 Example:

An eCommerce website can automatically create a Sales Order in Odoo whenever a customer places an order online.

XML-RPC Endpoints in Odoo

Odoo provides two primary XML-RPC endpoints:

These endpoints act as entry points for secure communication with the Odoo database.

Step 1: Authenticate with Odoo

Before performing any operation, you must authenticate the user.

import xmlrpc.client

url = "http://localhost:8069"
db = "odoo_db"
username = "admin"
password = "admin"

common = xmlrpc.client.ServerProxy(f"{url}/xmlrpc/2/common")

uid = common.authenticate(db, username, password, {})
print(uid)

If successful, Odoo returns a user ID (uid), which is required for all subsequent operations.

Step 2: Connect to Odoo Models

Once authenticated, connect to the object endpoint:

models = xmlrpc.client.ServerProxy(f"{url}/xmlrpc/2/object")

This allows you to interact with Odoo models and call their methods remotely.

Step 3: Fetch Records from Odoo

You can retrieve data using the search_read method:

partners = models.execute_kw(
    db, uid, password,
    'res.partner',
    'search_read',
    [[['is_company', '=', True]]],
    {'fields': ['name', 'email'], 'limit': 5}
)

print(partners)

This example fetches the first five company contacts from Odoo.

Step 4: Create Records in Odoo

To create a new record:

partner_id = models.execute_kw(
    db, uid, password,
    'res.partner',
    'create',
    [{
        'name': 'John Doe',
        'email': 'john@example.com'
    }]
)

print(partner_id)

This creates a new contact in Odoo and returns its ID.

Step 5: Update Records

To update an existing record:

models.execute_kw(
    db, uid, password,
    'res.partner',
    'write',
    [[partner_id], {'email': 'newemail@example.com'}]
)

This updates the email address of the created contact.

Step 6: Delete Records

To delete a record:

models.execute_kw(
    db, uid, password,
    'res.partner',
    'unlink',
    [[partner_id]]
)

⚠️ Use this operation carefully, as it permanently removes data.

Security Considerations

When working with XML-RPC integrations, always follow best practices:

• Use strong and secure passwords
• Always prefer HTTPS over HTTP
• Apply proper user access rights and permissions
• Avoid using administrator credentials in production
• Consider IP restrictions or API gateways for added security

Proper security ensures safe and reliable communication between Odoo and external systems.

XML-RPC vs JSON-RPC

Odoo supports both XML-RPC and JSON-RPC.

👉 While JSON-RPC is preferred for modern applications, XML-RPC remains fully supported and widely used in many integrations.

XML-RPC provides a simple yet powerful way to integrate external applications with Odoo. By leveraging its endpoints, developers can:

• Authenticate users
• Retrieve and manipulate data
• Automate workflows
• Build seamless integrations

With proper implementation and security practices, XML-RPC becomes a reliable bridge between Odoo and external systems.