Available Fields in Odoo – A Complete Guide

Odoo is a powerful and flexible ERP platform built on a robust object-relational mapping (ORM) layer. At the heart of every model (models.Model) in Odoo are fields. they define the structure of the data, how it is stored, displayed, and interacted with. Whether you're customising  existing modules or building new ones, understanding Odoo field types is essential.

In this blog, we’ll walk through all the available field types in Odoo, explain how they work, and provide real-world usage examples.

A field in Odoo defines a column in the database and a corresponding element in the user interface. Fields control:

• The type of data stored (e.g., text, number, date)
• The behavior of the field (read-only, computed, default)
• How the field appears in views and forms

1. Basic Field Types

These fields handle standard data types like strings, numbers, and dates.

Field Type	Description	Example
Char	Single-line text	fields.Char(string="Name")
Text	Multi-line text	fields.Text(string="Description")
Boolean	Checkbox (True/False)	fields.Boolean(string="Is Active")
Integer	Whole number	fields.Integer(string="Quantity")
Float	Decimal number	fields.Float(string="Weight")
Date	Date only	fields.Date(string="Start Date")
Datetime	Date and time	fields.Datetime(string="Created On")
Selection	Dropdown options	fields.Selection([ ('draft', 'Draft'), ('done', 'Done') ], string="Status")

2. Relational Fields

These fields are used to create links between different models. Refer  the video  for complete demo

Many2one

Used to select a single record from another model (foreign key).

partner_id = fields.Many2one('res.partner', string="Customer")

One2many

Used to link one record to multiple records in another model.

order_line_ids = fields.One2many('sale.order.line', 'order_id', string="Order Lines")

Many2many

Used to create a many-to-many relationship between records.

tag_ids = fields.Many2many('crm.tag', string="Tags")

3. Computed Fields

Computed fields are automatically calculated using Python logic. Find below video for full demo.

total = fields.Float(string="Total", compute="_compute_total")

@api.depends('price', 'quantity')
def _compute_total(self):
    for rec in self:
        rec.total = rec.price * rec.quantity

Add store=True if you want the value saved in the database.

4. Related Fields

These fields fetch values from a related model.

customer_email = fields.Char(related='partner_id.email', string="Email", store=True)

Useful for referencing fields from related models directly in your current model.

5. Other Special Fields

Field	Use Case
Html	Store rich text content
Binary	Upload and store files (PDF, Excel, etc.)
Image	Store and resize images
Monetary	Float with currency support
Reference	Dynamically refer to any model
Serialized	Store JSON data (technical use only)

Example:

document = fields.Binary(string="Upload Document")
price = fields.Monetary(string="Price", currency_field='currency_id')

6. Common Field Attributes

You can enhance fields using several attributes. Please find below video for full demo

Attribute	Purpose
string	Display label
required=True	Make field mandatory
readonly=True	Make field read-only
default=	Set default value
help=	Tooltip explanation
index=True	Index the field in the database
copy=False	Do not copy value when duplicating
groups=	Restrict visibility based on user group

Example:

price = fields.Float(
    string="Unit Price",
    required=True,
    default=0.0,
    help="The default selling price",
    copy=False
)

7. Full Example: Defining a Product Model

class CustomProduct(models.Model):
    _name = 'custom.product'
    _description = 'Custom Product'

    name = fields.Char(string="Product Name", required=True)
    description = fields.Text(string="Description")
    price = fields.Float(string="Price")
    available = fields.Boolean(string="Available")
    category_id = fields.Many2one('product.category', string="Category")
    image = fields.Image(string="Product Image")
    total_stock = fields.Float(string="Total Stock", compute='_compute_total_stock', store=True)

    @api.depends('stock_line_ids.quantity')
    def _compute_total_stock(self):
        for rec in self:
            rec.total_stock = sum(line.quantity for line in rec.stock_line_ids)

Odoo fields are the core of any model or business logic. By mastering the various field types and their usage, you can build powerful, user-friendly modules that make full use of the Odoo framework. From basic data entry to complex relational logic, Odoo’s fields provide everything you need to create robust applications.