The Contacts module in Odoo is a core component that supports relationship management across various business functions. Often underestimated as just a digital address book, this module actually serves as a centralized platform for handling data related to customers, vendors, partners, and internal stakeholders. It also integrates seamlessly with key applications like CRM, Sales, Accounting, and Helpdesk, making it a critical part of the Odoo ecosystem.
In this blog, we provide a detailed look at the functionality, configuration, and real-world use cases of the Contacts module.
Overview of the Contacts Module
Odoo's Contacts module allows businesses to manage all types of contacts in one place. This includes customers, suppliers, companies, individual partners, and even internal team members. Each contact profile becomes a central point of reference, storing all relevant information and linking to transactions and communications across other Odoo modules.
Key Functionalities of the Contacts Module
The module supports structured contact management by allowing users to create both companies and individual contacts. It also supports hierarchical relationships, where multiple individual contacts can be linked to a parent company. Additionally, contacts can be classified using custom tags or partner categories, enabling effective segmentation.
Each contact record can store a wide range of information. This includes standard fields such as name, phone number, and email, as well as more detailed data like job position, department, social media links, and websites. Financial and legal details such as bank accounts, VAT numbers, fiscal positions, and payment terms are also supported. Users can add internal notes to capture contact-specific insights that are useful across departments.
The module is designed to work well in multi-company environments. Access rights can be configured so that users only see and manage contacts relevant to their company. Odoo also helps prevent data duplication through its intelligent search and matching features.
Customization is another strong point of the module. With Odoo Studio or developer tools, businesses can add custom fields to capture industry-specific data. Users can also tailor the form, list, or kanban views to suit different departmental needs.
Geolocation is integrated within the module, allowing for automatic address geocoding using services like Google Maps or OpenStreetMap. This is particularly useful for route planning and logistics management.
Integration with Other Modules
One of the most powerful aspects of the Contacts module is how it interacts with other applications in Odoo.
In the CRM module, each lead or opportunity is linked to a contact, making it easier for sales teams to manage communication history and relationship data.
In the Sales and Purchases modules, customer and vendor information is pulled directly from Contacts. This includes fiscal position, payment terms, delivery address, and other critical data.
For businesses using the Inventory module, shipping and receiving addresses are tied to contact profiles. This simplifies delivery tracking and supplier coordination.
The Accounting module pulls contact data directly into invoices and vendor bills. Fiscal settings, payment terms, and tax-related configurations are applied automatically based on the contact record.
Within the Calendar module, users can schedule meetings and appointments directly with contacts. Integration with the contact record ensures a complete overview of communication and planning.
Helpdesk operations also benefit from contact integration. Tickets are tracked by contact, allowing teams to monitor performance against service-level agreements and customer satisfaction metrics.
In project-based environments, contacts can be assigned to tasks or entire projects. This enables collaboration with customers, subcontractors, or partners directly within the Projects module.
Configuration Highlights
Tags and partner categories offer powerful ways to classify contacts. For example, businesses can create tags such as “VIP Client,” “Distributor,” or “Retail Partner,” and then filter or segment data for marketing campaigns or reports.
The module supports different address types, including invoicing, delivery, and other addresses, making it easy to manage multiple locations for a single contact.
Fiscal configuration is another key feature. Users can assign fiscal positions, payment terms, and tax rules at the contact level, which is especially useful for businesses operating in multiple regions.
For companies needing tailored layouts, custom views can be built using Odoo Studio or XML coding. This ensures that each department—whether sales, finance, or operations—sees only the information relevant to their workflows.
Security and Access Control
Security is managed through Odoo’s record rules and access controls. This allows businesses to define who can view or edit contact records, based on roles, teams, or companies. For example, sales teams can be limited to viewing only their assigned contacts, while management may have full access to all records.
Best Practices
To maintain clean and reliable data, it is important to regularly deduplicate contact records and ensure they are kept up to date. Tags should be used thoughtfully to segment contacts for email campaigns or reporting. Internal notes provide a useful space to store context that might not fit into structured fields.
Enabling geolocation features can help sales and delivery teams plan their activities more effectively. Integrating Odoo with your email server also ensures that communication is automatically logged against the appropriate contact.
Advanced Capabilities (With Add-ons or Customization)
For organizations that offer memberships—such as associations or clubs—the Membership module can be installed. This adds a membership tab to the contact record, allowing for the tracking of membership status, start and end dates, invoicing, and renewals.
Businesses working with resellers or distributors can use contact tags and custom fields to track partnership level, commission percentages, or sales targets. Partner hierarchy can be used to link resellers to the companies they represent.
Contact profiles can also be published directly to the company’s website. This is ideal for employee directories, partner maps, or public member lists. Publishing is done directly from the contact record, using the Website module.
Odoo also supports bulk importing of contact data using Excel or CSV files. Fields can be mapped during import to ensure that tags, addresses, and custom data are captured correctly. To manage duplicate data, the “Merge Duplicates” feature can be activated in the Contacts settings.
Geolocation tools allow businesses to plot contact addresses on a map. This is useful for logistics and field operations. Security rules can also be configured to restrict data access by user or department.
Real-World Use Cases
| Use Case | Description |
|---|---|
| B2B Sales | Manage companies, decision-makers, and pipelines linked to accounts. |
| Procurement | Store supplier details, track payment terms, and order history. |
| Customer Support | Link support tickets to customers for SLA tracking. |
| HR | Maintain records for external partners or emergency contacts. |
| Marketing | Segment contacts for campaigns using tags and filters. |
The Contacts module in Odoo is an essential tool for managing business relationships in a structured and integrated way. It plays a central role across sales, procurement, support, and financial processes. With the right configuration, businesses can not only streamline operations but also enhance collaboration, visibility, and customer service.
Genie help businesses and partners unlock the full potential of Odoo. If you’re looking to implement or optimize the Contacts module to suit your industry, our team is ready to assist.
