Knowledge Management in Odoo 18

The Knowledge module in Odoo is a centralized digital workspace that enables users to create, organize, share, and collaborate on internal documentation across the organization. It functions as an internal wiki or documentation hub designed to enhance productivity, team collaboration, and institutional memory.

Whether you’re onboarding new employees, documenting internal processes, or providing self-service support content, Odoo Knowledge provides a unified platform for all organizational knowledge.

Key Features

• Users can create articles from scratch, templates, or generate them using AI.
• Articles can be organized hierarchically using parent-child (nested) relationships.
• The sidebar categorizes articles into Favorites, Workspace, Shared, and Private sections.
• Articles support rich HTML content including text, images, links, and embedded views.
• The text editor includes formatting options and supports slash (/) commands for quick actions.
• Users can add dynamic article items such as Kanban boards, lists, calendars, and cards.
• Custom properties (fields) can be added to article items or nested articles for structured data.
• Cover pictures and title emojis can be added for better visual presentation.
• Articles can be moved, locked, copied, exported, or deleted with simple menu actions.
• Articles and article items can be converted back and forth as needed.
• The drag-and-drop interface allows easy rearrangement of articles in the sidebar.
• Articles can be shared with internal or portal users, with configurable access rights.
• Visibility settings control who can see articles in the sidebar or find them via search.
• Public URLs can be generated for articles if the Website app is installed.
• Previous versions of articles can be restored using the version history feature.
• Articles can be accessed via a command palette or from other Odoo apps.
• A semantic and advanced search helps quickly locate relevant articles.
• Deleted or archived articles can be restored from the trash or archive filters.
• Views from other Odoo apps can be embedded or linked within articles.
• The Knowledge module enhances team collaboration and centralizes business knowledge.

Workflow

Knowledge Master Management

• Members
• Favourites
• Trashed
• Stages

Members

Overview

In Odoo Knowledge Management, Members refer to the specific users or user groups who are granted access to particular knowledge articles or workspaces. This concept allows fine-grained control over who can view, edit, or contribute to the content, supporting secure and collaborative knowledge sharing within the organization.

Process Flow

Business Rules / Features

• Each member is associated with specific knowledge articles or workspaces for access control.
• Permissions can be explicitly assigned or inherited from parent workspaces or user groups.
• Users can have different permission levels: Reader, Editor, or Owner.
• The “Partner?” field allows external users (partners) to be included as members.
• Inherited permissions automatically apply from parent elements unless overridden.
• Members listed with “No access” may be included for future collaboration or visibility.
• Permissions can be updated directly from the list view interface for ease of management.
• Permission changes in parent articles or workspaces can propagate to child elements.
• The system maintains visibility into how each member’s permissions are granted (explicit vs. inherited).
• Access rights support collaborative content creation while ensuring content security and control.

Screenshot

Members List View

Members Form View

Favorites

Overview

In Odoo Knowledge, Favorites is a personal bookmarking feature that allows users to quickly access important articles by marking them with a star. These favorited articles appear in the Favorites section of the sidebar, providing a convenient way to organize and retrieve frequently used knowledge content. This feature is user-specific, meaning each user’s Favorites list is unique and does not affect other users’ views.

Process Flow

Business Rules / Features

• Only users with read access can add articles to Favorites.
• Favorites are personalized and unique to each user; other users cannot see your Favorites.
• Adding or removing articles from Favorites does not affect your access permissions to those articles.
• You can only add articles to Favorites if you have access to them.
• If your access to an article is revoked, it is automatically removed from your Favorites.
• You can remove articles from Favorites at any time without impacting your access rights.

Screenshot

Favorites List View

Trashed

Overview

The Trashed section in Odoo Knowledge Management helps users manage deleted articles that are temporarily removed from the system. These articles are not permanently deleted right away but are instead stored in the Trashed category for a specific period. This feature allows users to recover content that may have been deleted by mistake or temporarily archived.

Process Flow

Business Rules / Features

• When an article is deleted, it is moved to the Trashed section.
• Articles remain in Trash for 30 days before permanent deletion.
• Articles in Trash are not visible in the main knowledge base or user workspaces.
• Only admins or users with proper permissions can view and manage trashed articles.
• Articles can be restored from Trash within the 30-day period to their original location.
• Restored articles become accessible again to the relevant users.
• After 30 days, trashed articles are permanently deleted and cannot be recovered.
• Only admins or the article owner can access and manage trashed articles.
• Regular users cannot see or restore trashed articles unless granted permission.
• Users can filter searches to view articles currently in the Trash section.

Screenshot

Trashed List View

Send to Trash Button View

Restore to Trash Button View

Stages

Overview

In Odoo Knowledge Management, the Stages feature allows users to organize and manage articles through different workflow stages. This functionality is especially useful for teams working on content that needs to go through multiple steps, such as review, approval, or publication, before it becomes publicly available or ready for widespread use.

Process Flow

Business Rules / Features

• Articles must always be assigned to one stage (e.g., Draft, Review, Published).
• Only users with the right permissions can move articles between stages.
• New articles start in the Draft stage by default.
• Articles in Draft or Review stages are visible only to authorized users.
• Articles can be published only after approval.
• Stage changes are logged for tracking.
• Admins can customize stages to fit workflows.

Screenshot

Stages List View

Knowledge Process Management

• Article Creation
• Edit Articles
• Publish Articles
• Article management

Article Creation

Overview

Knowledge articles can be created either from scratch or using pre-configured templates. Articles can be organized hierarchically, where new articles created under existing ones become nested child articles, helping to maintain a clear content structure. Creation options include building lists, Kanban boards, calendars, or generating content using AI. The interface offers easy-to-use controls such as sidebar plus icons and template browsing to streamline the process.

Process Flow

Business Rules / Features

• Articles can be created from scratch or by loading pre-configured templates.
• Creating an article under another establishes a parent-child relationship (nested article).
• New nested articles are added by clicking the plus (+) icon next to the parent article in the sidebar.
• From scratch, articles can be started by clicking New or the plus icon in Private or Workspace categories.
• Creation options include loading templates, building Kanban views, item lists, calendars, or generating AI-based content.
• After writing the header, the article title can be auto-set by clicking or hovering over “Untitled” in the top bar.
• Templates are accessible via Browse Templates in the sidebar and can be loaded to speed up article creation.

Screenshot

Article Creation From Scratch

 
Article Creation From Templates

Loaded Template Content

Edit Articles

Overview

Articles in the Knowledge module can be edited directly from the sidebar by selecting them and modifying content using a rich text editor. Users can format text, add comments, insert various dynamic views (like Kanban, List, Calendar), and enhance articles with cover images and title emojis. The editor supports powerbox commands for inserting structured content blocks and linking views from other apps, allowing for rich, interactive knowledge content.

Process Flow

Business Rules / Features

• Articles are edited by selecting them in the sidebar and using the text editor toolbar for formatting.
• Users can add comments to selected text via the Comment feature.
• Typing `/` opens the powerbox, enabling insertion of specific Knowledge commands like Index, Item Kanban, Item Cards, Item List, and Item Calendar.
• Article items act as dynamic building blocks within articles and can share properties with their parent articles for consistent data.
• Cover pictures can be added, replaced, repositioned, or removed, with image sources including Unsplash, URLs, or uploads.
• Title emojis can be added or changed by selecting from generated options or manual picks.
• Views or view links from other Odoo apps can be inserted into articles, with access controlled by user permissions.
• Clicking inserted view links opens a pop-up allowing quick access, editing, or copying of the linked view.
• Users without permission for linked views cannot see those views inside Knowledge, even if they can access the article.

Screenshot

Powerbox commands View

Text Editor Toolbar View

Add Cover Picture and Title Emoji

Publish Articles

Overview

Publishing in the Knowledge module allows users to make articles accessible to a broader audience by moving them from draft or private states to shared or public visibility. Published articles can be shared within workspaces or with specific users, facilitating collaboration and knowledge dissemination across the organization. Publishing controls help manage who can see and interact with the content.

Process Flow

Business Rules / Features

• Articles can be published to make them accessible beyond the author’s private space.
• Publishing options include sharing articles with a workspace (internal users) or specific users.
• Only users with the appropriate permissions can publish or unpublish articles.
• Publishing changes the article’s visibility but does not affect ownership or editing rights.
• Published articles appear in the “Shared” or “Workspace” categories based on the scope of sharing.
• Articles can be unpublished or reverted to private, restricting access again.
• Notifications or alerts may be sent to users when an article is published or shared (depending on settings).
• Access control remains enforced: users can only see published articles they have permission to view.

Screenshot

Publish Articles

Manage Articles

Overview

Managing articles in Odoo Knowledge involves organizing, sharing, editing, removing, and retrieving articles efficiently. Users can structure content hierarchically using parent and nested articles, control access and visibility through sharing settings, and maintain article versions for tracking changes. The system supports flexible management actions such as moving, locking, copying, exporting, trashing, and restoring articles, making knowledge management streamlined and collaborative.

Process Flow

Business Rules / Features

• Basic Actions: Move articles within the hierarchy, lock/unlock content to control editing, create copies under Private, export articles, and send articles to Trash.
• Drag and Drop: Articles can be rearranged in the sidebar via drag-and-drop for easy structuring.
• Article Structure: Articles are organized into Favorites, Workspace, Shared, and Private categories to manage visibility and access.
• Parent-Child Hierarchy: Nested articles inherit access rights and shared properties from their parent articles.
• Sharing & Access: Articles can be shared with all internal users (Workspace), specific users (Shared), or kept private; access rights include Can Edit, Can Read, or No Access.
• Visibility Control: Workspace articles’ visibility can be set to Everyone or Members (invited users only), affecting sidebar appearance and searchability.
• User Invitations: Specific internal or portal users can be invited to access private or shared articles with assigned permissions.
• Public Sharing: Articles can be shared via a public URL (requires Website app), but inserted views respect user permissions.
• Removal: Articles can be sent to Trash (retained for 30 days before permanent deletion), permanently deleted, or archived/unarchived.
• Retrieval: Articles can be accessed from various apps using the Knowledge icon and semantic or advanced search, and previous versions can be restored via version history.
• Properties: Custom properties (fields) can be added to nested articles or items for managing structured information, editable by users with edit rights.

Screenshot

Manage Articles