Scheduled actions

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Introduction

In today’s fast-paced business environment, automation is key to efficiency and scalability. Scheduled actions in Odoo provide a powerful way to automate repetitive and time-sensitive tasks, helping businesses operate smoothly without constant manual oversight.

Step-by-Step Instructions

 

What Are Scheduled Actions?

Scheduled actions are pre-configured processes that allow users to automate specific operations within an Odoo database, triggered either at set intervals or based on specific conditions. Common tasks include:

  • Sending email reminders
  • Generating invoices
  • Cleaning up data
  • Managing subscriptions

By default, some scheduled actions are already active to ensure critical backend processes are running. Others exist in the system but must be manually activated depending on your business requirements.

 

Scheduled Actions in Odoo Subscriptions

A key area where scheduled actions shine is in Odoo’s Subscriptions module. Two core scheduled actions manage the lifecycle of recurring subscriptions:

  1. Sale Subscription: Generate Recurring Invoices and Payments
  2. Sale Subscription: Subscriptions Expiration

These scheduled actions are active by default, automating invoice creation and subscription closures based on billing cycles and payment statuses. However, they can be deactivated for businesses preferring manual control over billing operations.

 

Accessing Scheduled Actions

Developer Mode Required

To access scheduled actions:

  1. Activate Developer Mode in Odoo.

Navigate to Settings App → Technical → Scheduled Actions.

 

This opens a Scheduled Actions Dashboard that lists all actions within the database. Searching “Subscription” in the dashboard will bring up relevant subscription-related actions, including the two mentioned above.

 

How to Check If a Scheduled Action Is Active:

  • Look at the “Active”
  • A green checkbox means the action is currently running.

To activate or deactivate a scheduled action:

  • Click into the specific action.
  • Toggle the Active switch in the form.

You can also control how frequently the action runs by adjusting the “Execute Every” field.

Important: Execution time must be at least five minutes apart for scheduled actions to function properly.

 

1. Generate Recurring Invoices and Payments

This scheduled action automatically generates invoices and charges customers based on their subscription’s billing cycle.

 

Pre-requisites:

  • Ensure Deferred Revenue and Deferred Expense accounts are set up via:
    Accounting App → Configuration → Settings → Default Accounts

On the Subscription Sales Order:

  • Look at the Recurring Plan and Date of Next Invoice
  • When the system date matches the “Date of Next Invoice,” an invoice is generated.

Invoicing Policy Warning:


 If the subscription product uses “Based on Delivered Quantities (Manual)” and nothing has been delivered, no invoice is created, and the subscription is treated as a free one. A system message confirms this with:
 “Automatic renewal succeeded. Free subscription. No email sent.”

 

Payment Processing:

  • If a Payment Token exists on the subscription, Odoo attempts to charge automatically.
  • If no token is present, the invoice is generated but must be paid manually.
  • Payment token info is under the Other Info tab of the sales order.

Note:
 If the Online Payment checkbox is selected, invoices are only generated when the client manually pays. To automate billing, this box should be unchecked.

 

2. Subscriptions Expiration

This scheduled action manages subscription closures based on expiration dates or overdue payments.

How It Works:

  • It first checks if the End Date on the subscription sales order has passed.
  • Then, it checks whether invoices are unpaid beyond the limit set in the Automatic Closing field in the Recurring Plan.

Example:

If the Next Invoice Date is July 1st, and Automatic Closing is set to 30 Days, the subscription will be automatically closed on August 1st if the invoice remains unpaid.

You can view this field by navigating to the Recurring Plan linked to the subscription.

 

When Scheduled Actions Close a Subscription

The Sale Subscription: generate recurring invoices and payments scheduled action will close a subscription if:

  • No Payment Token is available → Create and post the invoice manually.
  • A Payment Token exists → Attempt to charge:
    • If successful → Invoice is posted.
    • If it fails → Odoo will retry and send reminders.
    • If it continues to fail for more than 14 days, the subscription is closed.

Tips

 

Scheduled actions in Odoo are vital tools that enhance automation, accuracy, and operational efficiency. For businesses using Odoo Subscriptions, understanding and managing these scheduled actions is crucial to ensure timely billing, payment tracking, and automated closures. Whether you choose to run your processes automatically or prefer a more hands-on approach, scheduled actions give you the flexibility and control needed to streamline your operations.

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