Who this guide is for: administrators who want to connect their Odoo with WorkMeter to automatically receive absences and holidays of the staff and, if desired, send the clock-ins recorded by WorkMeter to Odoo.
Odoo manages HR (employees, absences, holidays, attendances) and WorkMeter measures activity and working time. Connecting them avoids double data entry and improves the calculation of expected time.
| Direction | Data | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Odoo → WorkMeter | 🌴 Absences | Vacations, sick leaves, permissions… approved in the Absences app of Odoo, including half days. It is key for WorkMeter to correctly calculate the expected time. |
| Odoo → WorkMeter | 📅 Holidays | The Holidays configured in Odoo, applied to each employee according to their company and work schedule. |
| WorkMeter → Odoo | ⏱️ Clock-ins (optional) | The presence periods of each day recorded by WorkMeter are written in the Attendances app of Odoo. It is activated with a checkbox on the card. |
The integration does not create or delete employees: it links each WorkMeter employee with their Odoo record (WorkMeter proposes the links automatically by email).
Synchronization is overnight: every night WorkMeter reads Odoo and applies changes to the calendars; you can also run it manually with Synchronize now.
🔒 Security. WorkMeter connects with an API key of an Odoo user created for the integration, with the minimum necessary permissions. The key is stored encrypted, never shown again, and you can revoke it at any time from Odoo or disconnect the integration from WorkMeter. Only https addresses are allowed.
In WorkMeter:
In Odoo:
Compatible Odoo modalities and versions
By Odoo modality:
| Modality | Compatibility |
|---|---|
| Odoo Online (Odoo S.A.’s cloud Odoo, `*.odoo.com`) | ✅ Compatible. This is the modality with which WorkMeter has validated the integration. Requires the Custom plan: the One App Free and Standard plans do not include API access. |
| Odoo.sh | ✅ Compatible. Same API as Odoo Online, no plan restrictions. |
| Self-hosted installation (on-premise or on your own cloud provider) | ✅ Compatible if the instance is accessible from the Internet via https with a public domain. `http` and internal network addresses are not supported. |
By Odoo version:
| Odoo Version | Compatibility |
|---|---|
| 18 | ✅ Compatible. This is the version with which WorkMeter has validated the end-to-end integration (Odoo 18 Enterprise, on Odoo Online). |
| 16 and 17 | ✅ Compatible. The connector uses the same API and takes into account the differences in the absences module between versions. |
| 19 or higher | ⚠️ Compatible, with warning. It works normally, but Odoo has announced the retirement of the API that WorkMeter uses today (in Odoo Online, scheduled for winter 2027). The card reminds you to plan the migration with support. |
| 15 or lower | ❌ Not supported. |
Both Enterprise and Community editions are valid: the integration only uses the standard Employees, Absences, and Attendances modules. WorkMeter detects the version when connecting and at each nightly synchronization, so you don’t have to specify it or reconfigure anything when Odoo updates your instance.
During the process you will handle four pieces of data. Write them down in a safe place:
| Data | Source | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Odoo URL | The address you use to access Odoo | `https://miempresa.odoo.com` |
| Database | In Odoo Online it usually matches the subdomain. In Odoo.sh or self-hosted installation, your administrator provides it | `miempresa` |
| User (login) | The integration user login (Step 1) | `workmeter@miempresa.com` |
| API key | You generate it in Odoo (Step 2). Shown only once | — |
The steps 1 and 2 are done in Odoo; the rest, in WorkMeter. We recommend having both tabs open at the same time.
The API key is linked to an Odoo user: what that user can see is what WorkMeter will be able to read. We recommend a dedicated user (for example, `WorkMeter`) instead of an administrator's personal account.
| App | Minimum Permission | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Employees | Officer: manage all employees | Read the list of employees (name, email, schedule, and time zone) |
| Leaves | Officer: manage all requests | Read approved leaves of the entire staff and holidays |
| Attendances | Administrator | Only if you are going to send check-ins: create and replace attendances of any employee |
⚠️ With insufficient permissions, Odoo does not return an error: it returns incomplete data (for example, only the leaves of the user itself). If later employees or leaves are missing in WorkMeter, first check these permissions.
ℹ️ Multi-company. The user must have access to all companies whose employees you want to synchronize.
ℹ️ In the screenshot the user has Administrator in all three apps; to read employees and leaves the Officer level indicated in the table is enough.
API keys are created from the user's own preferences, so log in to Odoo with the integration user.
⚠️ The key is equivalent to that user's password. Do not share it or paste it anywhere other than the WorkMeter assistant.
Fill in the four fields with the data you noted:
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Odoo URL | The address of your instance, always with `https://` (for example, `https://mycompany.odoo.com`). Any domain is valid: Odoo Online, Odoo.sh, or self-hosted. |
| Database | The name of the database. On Odoo Online it usually matches the subdomain (`mycompany`). |
| User (login) | The integration user login (Step 1). |
| API key | The key you generated in Odoo (Step 2). It is stored encrypted and will not be shown again. |
Press Connect with Odoo. WorkMeter checks, in this order, that the URL responds, that the credentials are valid, and that the user can read Employees and Absences. If something fails, you will see the specific reason (section 13) and nothing is saved.
If everything is correct, the wizard shows “Odoo is connected”, with the connection date, the last synchronization (Pending at first), the credential status (Correct), errors from the last 7 days, and the detected Odoo version.
At that moment WorkMeter launches an initial load in the background: it reads the employees and absence types from Odoo and prepares the link proposals for the next steps.
⚠️ If your Odoo is version 19 or higher, you will see a permanent notice on the card: that version will retire the API that WorkMeter currently uses. The integration works normally; notify support to plan the migration.
From Settings → Integrations, click the gear ⚙️ on the Odoo card to open Odoo Settings. In the Employees tab:
ℹ️ An Odoo employee already linked to another user appears disabled with the note “Already linked to …”. Only linked employees are synchronized.
This step is only necessary if you want to receive absences from Odoo; holidays are synchronized without it. In the Day Types tab, the Odoo absence types (vacation, sick leave, permission…) are paired with the WorkMeter day types:
⚠️ Absences of an unlinked type do not synchronize. Check that all the types you use are confirmed.
ℹ️ WorkMeter day types that do not change the expected hours (for example, telework) cannot receive absences and appear as Ignored. Odoo types configured as Worked time (instead of Absence) are also not offered.
With the integration connected, the Odoo card shows two checkboxes:
Changes to the checkboxes are saved instantly and applied in the next nightly synchronization.
Before activating it, verify in Odoo that:
ℹ️ WorkMeter does not record clock punches: the segments it sends are the presence derived from the measured activity (and manual reports). Keep this in mind if you use Odoo attendances for time compliance purposes.
ℹ️ Need to load a history earlier than the last week into Odoo? Contact support: it can be done upon request.
What exactly comes from Odoo:
🛡️ Your manual edits are respected. If an administrator has manually marked an absence in an employee’s calendar in WorkMeter, synchronization does not overwrite it: it only manages days coming from Odoo.
In Settings → Integrations, the Odoo card should show Connected, Status: OK, Errors (7d): 0, and the Odoo version. After the first night (or a Sync now), approved absences in Odoo appear on the linked employees' calendar.
If the status shows something else, see section 13.
From Odoo Settings you have:
ℹ️ When disconnecting, the data already synchronized and the links of employees and day types are preserved in WorkMeter; they simply stop exchanging new data. If you reconnect later, you will need to enter the URL, database, user, and an API key again.
⏰ API key expiration. If you set a duration in Odoo, note the date. When it expires (or if you revoke it), the card changes to Status: Invalid or expired, synchronization stops, and in Odoo Settings you will see the warning “The connection to Odoo has expired”. Generate a new key in Odoo (Step 2) and use Replace credentials.
To revoke access from Odoo: Preferences → Account Security → API Keys, click Delete API Key (or deactivate the integration user).
| Message / symptom | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| “The URL is not valid: it must start with https and point to a public server.” | The URL does not use `https://` or points to an internal address. | Use your public Odoo address with `https://` (for example, `https://mycompany.odoo.com`). |
| “Could not contact Odoo at that URL. Check the address and that the instance is accessible.” | Typo in the URL, or the instance is not accessible from the Internet. | Check that the URL opens in the browser and that there is no firewall blocking it. |
| “Database, user, or API key incorrect.” | One of the three data is incorrect, or the key has already expired. | Check the database name (in Odoo Online, the subdomain) and the login. If you doubt the key, generate a new one (Step 2). |
| "The user does not have sufficient permissions: needs to read Employees and Time Off." | The integration user lacks permissions. | Assign the permissions from Step 1 and reconnect. |
| "The Time Off app is not installed in your Odoo." | The Time Off app is not installed. | Install it from the Applications menu in Odoo. |
| "This instance does not expose the JSON-RPC API (/jsonrpc) used by WorkMeter. Contact support." | Your Odoo does not respond through the channel used by WorkMeter (for example, in Odoo 19 without the rpc module, or a proxy blocking it). | Contact WorkMeter support. |
| "Odoo is already connected. Disconnect first to reconnect." | There is already an active connection for your account. | Disconnect the current integration before starting a new one. |
| "Disconnect Factorial to activate Odoo." | Another HR integration is connected. | Disconnect it from its card; the Odoo one unlocks instantly. |
| "There is an ongoing Factorial connection…" | A Factorial assistant was left halfway. | Wait 10 minutes: it expires on its own. |
| Status: "Invalid or expired" / warning "The connection with Odoo has expired" | The API key expired or was revoked, the user was deactivated, lost permissions, or an app was uninstalled. | Fix the cause in Odoo, generate a new key if needed, and use Replace credentials. |
| Employees or time offs are missing | Insufficient permissions in Odoo (partial data, no error); unlinked absence type; absence not approved; or it is a balance assignment, not a request. | Check Step 1, the Day Types tab, and the absence status in Odoo. |
| Time punches do not reach Odoo | Checkbox unchecked; Attendances app not installed; user is not Attendance Administrator; employee not linked; it is today. | Check section 9. Days are sent the following night. |
| Hours in Odoo appear shifted | The employee’s timezone in their Odoo record is incorrect. | Correct it in Odoo. The day will be rewritten the next time it changes in WorkMeter. |
| The Odoo card does not appear | The account does not have the time@work feature. | Contact your WorkMeter account manager. |
If the problem persists, contact WorkMeter support at https://help.workmeter.com.
Can WorkMeter modify data in Odoo?
Only if you activate time punch sending: then it creates and replaces attendances of linked employees. It never modifies employees, absences, or holidays.
Can I have Odoo and Factorial connected at the same time?
No. Only one active HR integration per account is allowed.
What happens with my users’ passwords?
WorkMeter does not know them. It only stores, encrypted, the integration user’s API key, which you can revoke at any time from Odoo.
Which Odoo editions and versions are supported?
With Odoo Online (Custom plan), Odoo.sh, and self-hosted installations accessible via https. Versions 16, 17, and 18 (validated on 18); it works with Odoo 19 or higher but with a warning: Odoo will retire the current API and migration will be required. Versions earlier than 16 are not supported. See the tables in section 2.
Do I need to reconfigure anything when Odoo is updated to a new version?
No. WorkMeter detects the version on each connection and every night. If your Odoo upgrades to version 19 or higher, the card will notify you to plan the migration with support.
How often does it synchronize?
Once every night, in both directions. If you don’t want to wait, use Synchronize now (calendar only).
Does it affect the activity data that WorkMeter already measures?
No. The integration only adds absences and holidays so that the expected time calculation is more accurate; activity measurement continues to work the same.