Skip to main content

Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.codecobra.ai/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

CodeCobra’s agent can talk to your real Odoo databases through the MCP (Model Context Protocol) bridge. Adding an environment lets the agent read records, run searches, and — if you opt in — write changes in your live Odoo instance instead of only the disposable onboard pod. This guide walks you through every step. No prior MCP knowledge needed.
You can add an Odoo environment in two places:
  • During project creation, in the Odoo step of the setup wizard.
  • Anytime later, in Project → Settings → Odoo Environments.
Both flows use the same form and validation. The wizard is identical to the settings page — pick whichever is easier.

​
Before you start

You’ll need three things:
  1. The base URL of your Odoo instance — the same address you’d type into a browser, e.g. https://acme.odoo.com or https://erp.example.com.
  2. An Odoo user that the agent will log in as. We strongly recommend creating a dedicated user instead of reusing your admin account — see Create a dedicated user below.
  3. An API key for that user (or, on legacy Odoo, the user’s password).
CodeCobra encrypts your API key at rest, but the agent can only do what the linked Odoo user is allowed to do. Tier (Read / Yolo) controls what kinds of actions the agent can attempt — it does not restrict which records the agent can see. Scoping by record / model / module is configured on the Odoo side via groups and record rules.

​
Create a dedicated Odoo user

Skip this if you already have a user you want the agent to act as.
1

Open Odoo's user list

In your Odoo instance, go to Settings → Users & Companies → Users and click New.
2

Fill in the basics

  • Name: CodeCobra Agent (or whatever you want to see in audit logs)
  • Email / login: a unique address, e.g. codecobra@yourcompany.com
  • User type: Internal User
3

Grant the right access rights

Under the Access Rights tab, give the user only the modules and record-rule groups the agent should be able to touch. If you only want read access, do not grant any manager roles.For a first try, copy the access rights from a normal employee account — that’s usually enough for the agent to explore data without being able to break anything sensitive.
4

Save

Click Save. You’ll come back to this user in a moment to create the API key.

​
Generate an API key

Odoo 14+ supports per-user API keys, which are safer than passwords.
1

Open the user's preferences

Click the user’s avatar in the top-right corner of Odoo (while logged in as that user) and choose My Profile (or Preferences).
2

Open the Account Security tab

Find the Account Security tab. You’ll see a section labelled Developer API Keys.
3

Create a new key

Click New API Key. Give it a name like CodeCobra and a sensible expiration (e.g. 1 year).Odoo will ask you to re-enter the password to confirm.
4

Copy the key — it's only shown once

Copy the generated key immediately. You won’t be able to view it again — if you lose it, you’ll have to delete the key and create a new one.Paste it into a temporary note; you’ll need it in the next section.
If you’re on a very old Odoo (≤13) that doesn’t have API keys, you can use the user’s password instead. Pick Password (legacy) as the Auth method in the form below. We strongly recommend upgrading or using a dedicated low-privilege user.

​
Find the database name

Most users only have one database, in which case CodeCobra will detect it automatically. Some self-hosted setups host multiple databases on a single Odoo instance — here’s how to be sure:
  • Odoo Online (*.odoo.com): the database name is the subdomain. acme.odoo.com → acme.
  • Self-hosted: open /web/database/manager on your Odoo instance (e.g. https://erp.example.com/web/database/manager). Each row is a database; the column on the left is the name.
  • Already logged in? In Odoo, open Settings → Technical → Database Structure → Database (or look at the Sentry / Grafana setup your team uses).
If the database picker in the form below shows a warning that the server won’t list databases, your Odoo admin has set list_db = False in odoo.conf (a common production setting). It’s not a bug — type the name in by hand.

​
Add the environment in CodeCobra

1

Open the form

  • From the project setup wizard: on the Odoo step, click Add Odoo environment.
  • From an existing project: open Settings → Odoo Environments, then click Add Odoo environment.
2

Fill in the connection fields

  • Name — a label you’ll see in the chat composer. Use names like Production, Staging, Demo so it’s obvious what you’re pointing the agent at.
  • Tier — see Read vs Yolo below. Default to Read if you’re not sure.
  • Base URL — paste the URL exactly as you’d open it in a browser. CodeCobra will auto-add https:// if you forget the scheme. A green checkmark next to the field confirms the URL responds to Odoo’s XML-RPC endpoint.
  • Database — pick from the dropdown. If only one database exists on the server, it’s selected automatically.
  • Login — the email / login of the Odoo user you created above.
  • Auth method — leave as API key unless you’re on Odoo ≤13.
  • API key — paste the key you copied in the previous section.
3

Test the connection

Click Test connection before saving. CodeCobra will:
  1. Reach the /xmlrpc/2/common endpoint.
  2. Authenticate with your login + key against the chosen database.
  3. Return the Odoo version it found.
If something fails, the form tells you exactly what — unreachable, auth_failed, etc. — see Troubleshooting.
4

Save

Click Add environment. The credential is encrypted with the project’s Fernet key and stored in the database. The plaintext key never leaves your browser after this point.

​
Read vs Yolo

Each environment has a tier that decides which MCP tools the agent can call against it.
TierWhat the agent can doWhen to use it
Readsearch_read, read, fields_get, reports — read-onlyProduction. Always.
YoloEverything in Read plus create, write, unlinkStaging / sandbox / dev databases you can roll back.
Yolo mode lets the agent delete and overwrite real records. Use it on disposable databases. Restrictions inside Odoo (record rules, user groups) still apply — Yolo only widens the kinds of operations the agent will attempt.

​
Use an environment in a chat

Once an environment is saved, every chat in that project gets an Odoo selector in the composer:
  1. Click the database icon in the message bar.
  2. Tick the environments the agent should have access to in this conversation. You can pick more than one.
  3. The Onboard pod option always stays available — it’s the disposable Odoo that ships with every chat.
  4. Type your message. The agent will see the selected environments and can call MCP tools against them.
You can change the selection at any time mid-chat. The agent only sees the environments that are ticked when it runs the next turn.

​
Troubleshooting

The XML-RPC endpoint never responded. Common causes:
  • Wrong URL — make sure you can open the same URL in a browser and see the Odoo login page.
  • VPN / firewall — the CodeCobra backend must be able to reach your Odoo instance from the public internet. Self-hosted instances behind a corporate VPN won’t work without a tunnel.
  • Self-signed certificate — CodeCobra refuses unverified TLS. Use a real certificate (Let’s Encrypt is free).
The server replied but Odoo refused the login. Check:
  • Did you copy the API key without trailing whitespace?
  • Is the login field the user’s email/login (not the display name)?
  • Did you pick the right database?
  • Is the user Active in Odoo (not archived)?
Your Odoo instance has list_db = False in odoo.conf (a common production setting). It’s not a bug — type the database name in by hand. See Find the database name above.
Tier (Read / Yolo) only controls the kinds of operations the agent will attempt. Visibility of specific records is controlled by the linked Odoo user’s groups and record rules. Open Odoo as that user and confirm you can see what you expect to see — if you can’t see it as that user, the agent won’t either.
These come straight from Odoo. Read the message carefully — most are self-explanatory (e.g. “Access Denied”, “Database does not exist”). If you can’t make sense of it, copy the full text and contact support.

​
Edit, test, or delete an environment

In Project → Settings → Odoo Environments:
  • The Test button on each row re-runs authentication against the live server. Useful when an API key has been rotated.
  • Edit lets you change everything except the secret. Leave the API key field blank to keep the existing one — only fill it in to rotate.
  • Delete removes the environment. Any chat that had it selected will lose access on the next message.

​
Security notes

  • Secrets are encrypted with Fernet using a per-deployment key (ODOO_ENCRYPTION_KEY). Plaintext keys never appear in logs or API responses — every response shows has_secret: true instead of the key itself.
  • Each environment is scoped to a single project. Members of other projects in the same organization cannot see or use it.
  • Restricting the agent’s footprint inside Odoo is your responsibility via Odoo groups, record rules, and a dedicated user. Tier is a coarse on/off for write actions, not a security boundary.

​
Next steps

Create a task

Use your new Odoo environment in a real chat.

Explore Odoo

Watch the agent introspect your live data.