This guide describes reviewed Odoo 19 documentation. Standard Ask AI does not change database records. Customized agents use configured topics, tools, and sources; verify availability in your installation.
1. Check the actual installation and first use case
Record the Odoo version, edition, hosting arrangement, installed apps, and account permissions. Verify that the AI features needed for the task are available. Do not assume that another release or a demonstration database has the same configuration as your system.
Choose one bounded purpose, such as helping support staff find approved product guidance. Odoo 19 describes Ask AI for information, opening views, and assistance with summaries, translation, and drafting. The standard Ask AI agent does not create or alter business records; a requirement to write records needs separate agent and tool planning.
2. Review the AI app and provider settings
The reviewed documentation requires the AI app for creating and customizing agents. It describes provider configuration for OpenAI and Gemini. Odoo.sh and on-premise AI use require provider API keys; Odoo Online has different default access behavior and can also use your own keys.
Have the authorized account owner confirm access, billing, and the selected provider settings for your deployment. Store credentials through the appropriate configuration rather than in source files or shared prompts. Provider usage costs are separate planning items; an Odoo hosting choice alone does not establish the total cost of an AI feature.
3. Create a narrowly scoped agent
In the AI app, create an agent and give it a clear name and purpose. Configure its model and system instructions for the intended task. Define what it should do when information is missing, conflicting, or outside its scope.
Topics contain instructions and assigned tools that describe the actions available to the agent. The tools present depend on installed apps. An agent without topics can provide information but cannot perform database-changing tasks. Start with information retrieval, and add a write capability only after its permissions and review behavior have been checked.
4. Add sources and verify indexing
The documented source options include PDFs, web links, Documents files, and Knowledge articles. Add a small approved collection and wait until the source reports that it has been indexed, then activate the sources intended for the agent. A file that is still processing is not evidence that retrieval works.
The documented Restrict to Sources option limits the information the agent should use to uploaded, active sources. Test how the agent handles a question those sources do not answer. Source restrictions do not replace normal application access checks or prove that every generated claim is accurate.
5. Test the agent as the people who will use it
Use the agent’s test conversation with representative questions and compare the result with the source material. Include missing information, similar product names, stale documents, and different user permissions. Verify actual tool effects separately from what the response says happened.
Keep a record of the source set, instructions, model, topics, and important test cases. Assign owners for updating content and reviewing failed requests. Before enabling broader use, confirm who maintains provider settings, investigates incorrect behavior, and approves changes to the agent’s available tools.
6. Frequently asked questions
Can standard Ask AI create leads or change records?
The reviewed Odoo 19 documentation says the standard Ask AI agent cannot change database records. Customized agents can use assigned tools through topics, with available tools depending on installed apps.
Does every Odoo installation have the same AI features?
No assumption should be made from the version name alone. Verify the edition, hosting, installed applications, permissions, and provider configuration in the actual installation.
Does Restrict to Sources guarantee a correct answer?
It is a documented source-use control, not proof of answer correctness or a replacement for record authorization. Test supported questions, unsupported questions, sources, and user access.
7. Related articles and next steps
Bring representative inputs, expected outputs, and the systems involved. Discuss your requirements with OdooMatrix.