How to Upgrade Odoo When You Use Third-Party Modules

Upgrading Odoo is a project, not a button. It becomes a much bigger project when your database uses third-party modules, because each module has its own author, its own release schedule and its own idea of which Odoo version it supports. The good news is that a calm, ordered plan removes most of the risk.

This guide is for the person who owns the upgrade: an administrator, an implementer or a business owner who wants to know what to ask for. It assumes you already run Odoo and want to move to a newer major version.

Step 1: list every module you actually use

Open the Apps menu with filters removed and write down every installed module that did not come from Odoo itself. For each one record:

• its technical name and its current version;
• who maintains it (an author you can contact, or your own team);
• whether anyone uses it every day, occasionally or never.

You will probably find modules nobody remembers. Uninstalling an unused module before the upgrade is the cheapest risk reduction you can buy, but do it on a copy first and look at what data it created.

Step 2: check what each author supports

For every module you keep, find out whether a version for your target Odoo release exists. On a marketplace, the product page lists supported platform versions and a changelog; for a module from your own developers, ask. Put the answer in your list as one of three states:

Do not start the real upgrade while important modules are still "missing". Decide first what you will do about each one.

Step 3: make a copy and upgrade the copy

Restore a recent backup of the production database to a separate server, and run the upgrade there. Never rehearse on production. A copy lets you see the problems with real data, measure how long the upgrade takes and give your team time to try their daily work on the new version.

Step 4: upgrade in a sensible order

The order that causes the fewest surprises is usually:

1. Upgrade Odoo's own modules and the database to the new version.
2. Install the new releases of your third-party modules, starting with those that other modules depend on.
3. Update the modules, one group at a time, and read the log for warnings after each group.
4. Run your checklist of daily processes: quotation to invoice, purchase to receipt, payroll or whatever your company relies on.

Keep notes as you go. The notes become the runbook for the real upgrade.

Step 5: ask your authors the right questions

When a module author has a release for your target version, ask three short questions: Which exact Odoo version did you test on? Does the upgrade need a data migration script? Is there anything that changed in behaviour that I should warn my users about? Good authors answer in a few lines. If you bought the module from a marketplace with a support period, make sure your upgrade falls inside it, so questions are included.

Step 6: plan the switch and the way back

On the day of the real upgrade:

• announce a maintenance window and freeze changes;
• take a fresh backup and confirm you can restore it;
• run the upgrade with the notes from your test;
• let a small group of key users check the most important processes before everyone else;
• keep the old server until you are sure, so you can go back if you must.

A rollback plan you never use costs an hour to write. One you need and do not have can cost a week.

After the upgrade

Watch for slow pages, unexpected emails and scheduled actions that stopped running. Check the logs for deprecation warnings: they tell you what will break next year. Then update your module list with the new versions, so next year's upgrade starts from a clear picture.

A short summary

• Know every third-party module you use and who maintains it.
• Check that a release exists for the target version before you commit.
• Always rehearse on a copy, with real data.
• Upgrade in order, test processes and numbers, keep notes.
• Have a backup and a rollback plan.

If you are still choosing modules, start with our checklist on how to choose an Odoo module, and browse the Odoo modules section for items that list the Odoo versions they support.