Odoo 20 AI fields: generate and review values inside records

1. Check the app, plan, and intended field

This guide follows Odoo 20’s AI Fields workflow, rather than assuming the Odoo 19 agent interface behaves the same way. Confirm that the needed AI capability is available in your database and use a separate test environment with permission to configure the relevant model.

Installing the AI app on Odoo’s Standard plan triggers an upgrade to Custom in the reviewed Odoo 20 documentation. Studio installation can also affect the plan. Have the authorized account owner review this before installing apps or changing a live subscription.

Choose a low-impact purpose such as a two-sentence internal follow-up summary. Do not begin with an automatically generated bank account, tax value, invoice total, or other field whose incorrect value could silently drive a business decision.

2. Add the AI field through Studio

1. Open the model and form where the summary belongs, then open Studio.
2. Drag AI Field into the intended position on the form.
3. In Add an AI Field, choose a text-appropriate Field Type for the summary. The field type must match the output you want to store.
4. Enter a prompt that defines the task, allowed information, and missing-information behavior.
5. Click Add Field, set a clear Label in Studio, then close Studio and return to the record.

Use a label such as “Draft follow-up summary” so people understand that review is required. The feature supports several field types, but a valid type does not make the value accurate. Start with text before designing classifications or linked-record suggestions.

3. Use properties only where the form supports them

Odoo also documents an AI-enabled property-field route. On a form that supports properties, use Actions → Edit Properties, enable the AI option for the property, confirm it, and configure its type and prompt.

Property fields apply to supported form contexts; this is not a way to add an arbitrary database column everywhere. Check where the property definition is shared and who will see it. Verify access to both the source information and generated result as the intended user.

4. Reference real record fields rather than guessing context

In the prompt editor, type /field and use Field Selector to choose the actual source field. Do not assume that typing a field’s visible label inserts a working reference. For this example, insert the relevant notes or description through the selector.

Draft a two-sentence internal follow-up summary.
Use only the notes inserted below.
Do not invent prices, deadlines, promises, or completed actions.
If the notes contain no next step, say "Next step not recorded."
Return the draft summary only.

Notes: [insert the notes field here using /field and Field Selector]

The bracketed instruction is a placeholder, not Odoo expression syntax. Replace it in the editor with the real selected field. Keep credentials and unrelated private data out of the prompt, and verify what information the configured AI service receives.

5. Understand manual refresh and daily filling

After saving the field, click the AI icon next to it to compute or refresh its value. Read the result against the actual source record. A warning can mean missing context or unclear instructions; check those before repeatedly generating another value.

Odoo 20 documents a default daily scheduled action that fills currently empty text and property AI fields. It does not describe that action as automatically rewriting every existing value whenever a source changes. An already populated summary can therefore become stale.

The scheduled action is named AI Fields: Compute AI fields under Technical → Automation → Scheduled Actions. An authorized administrator can inspect it in developer mode. Running it manually may affect more records than your current form; understand the scope before doing so.

6. Test source changes, missing data, and different users

• Use notes with a clear next action and confirm that the summary preserves it.
• Use empty or incomplete notes and check that the result does not invent a next step.
• Change the source after a value exists, inspect whether it is stale, and test the intended refresh procedure.
• Try conflicting statements and confirm a reviewer can identify the issue.
• Test as the actual staff role, including access to the generated value and its source fields.
• Decide who reviews, refreshes, and corrects the value before wider use.

Completion check: you can demonstrate where the prompt gets its facts, when the field computes, who can access it, and how an incorrect or outdated result is handled.

7. Frequently asked questions

8. Related articles and next steps

• Connect an external AI client through Odoo MCP
• Compare the version-specific Odoo 19 agent guide
• Write and evaluate useful business prompts

Reviewed against Odoo 20 documentation. Menu labels, availability, and actions depend on your edition, hosting, installed apps, and permissions. Practise the workflow in a test database before changing production.