In today’s fast-paced business environment, automating workflows can save time and boost productivity. If you're using Odoo 18, you can streamline your project management by automatically creating tasks from incoming emails. This feature is a game-changer for teams that rely on email communication but want to keep everything organized in their project pipeline. At Vantagepoint, we’ve seen how automation can transform business operations, and this guide will walk you through setting up this powerful feature in Odoo 18.

Why Automate Task Creation from Emails in Odoo?

Manually creating tasks from emails is tedious and prone to errors. By automating this process, you can:

• Save time by eliminating manual data entry.
• Reduce human errors and ensure no important requests slip through the cracks.
• Improve collaboration by keeping all project-related communication in one place.
• Enhance accountability with automatic task assignments.

Now, let’s dive into the step-by-step process.

Prerequisites for Setting Up Automated Task Creation

Before configuring this feature, ensure you have:

1. Odoo 18 installed (Community or Enterprise edition).
2. Project Management module activated.
3. Incoming Email Server properly configured.
4. User permissions to set up automation rules.

Step-by-Step Guide: Creating Tasks from Incoming Emails

Step 1: Configure Your Incoming Email Server

For Odoo to process incoming emails, you need to set up an incoming email server:

1. Go to Settings → Technical → Email → Incoming Mail Servers.
2. Click Create and fill in the details:
• Server Type: IMAP or POP3 (IMAP is recommended).
• Server Name: Your email provider’s server (e.g., imap.gmail.com).
• Port: 993 (for IMAP with SSL).
• Username & Password: Your email credentials.
3. Enable "Attach Emails to Existing Records" if needed.
4. Click Test & Confirm to verify the connection.

Step 2: Set Up an Automated Action for Email-to-Task Conversion

Odoo’s Automation module allows you to create rules for processing emails:

1. Navigate to Settings → Technical → Automation → Automated Actions.
2. Click Create and configure the following:
• Name: "Convert Email to Project Task" (or a custom name).
• Model: mail.thread (since emails are handled here).
• Trigger: "On Incoming Email".
• Action To Do: "Execute Python Code".
3. Add Python Code to create a task:

python

if object.model == 'project.task': 

    task = env['project.task'].create({ 

        'name': object.subject or "New Task from Email", 

        'project_id': env['project.project'].search([('name', '=', 'Your Project Name')], limit=1).id, 

        'description': object.body, 

        'user_id': env['res.users'].search([('login', '=', 'manager@example.com')], limit=1).id, 

    }) 

(Replace 'Your Project Name' and 'manager@example.com' with your actual project and assignee.)

4. Save the automated action.

Step 3: Test the Automation

Send an email to your configured inbox and check if:

• A new task is created in the specified project.
• The task includes the email subject as the title and body as the description.
• The assignee is correctly set.

If it doesn’t work, double-check:

• Email server settings.
• Python code syntax.
• User permissions.

Advanced Customizations

1. Filtering Specific Emails

You can modify the automation rule to trigger only for emails:

• From specific senders.
• With certain keywords in the subject.

2. Adding Attachments to Tasks

Update the Python code to include email attachments:

python

if object.model == 'project.task': 

    task = env['project.task'].create({ 

        'name': object.subject, 

        'project_id': env['project.project'].search([('name', '=', 'Your Project')], limit=1).id, 

        'description': object.body, 

    }) 

    for attachment in object.attachment_ids: 

        attachment.copy({'res_model': 'project.task', 'res_id': task.id}) 

3. Auto-Assigning Based on Keywords

Use conditions to assign tasks dynamically:

python

if "urgent" in object.subject.lower(): 

    user_id = env['res.users'].search([('login', '=', 'admin@example.com')], limit=1).id 

else: 

    user_id = env['res.users'].search([('login', '=', 'team@example.com')], limit=1).id 

Conclusion

Automating task creation from emails in Odoo 18 can significantly enhance your team’s efficiency. By following this guide, you’ve learned how to set up email servers, configure automation rules, and even apply advanced customizations.

? Need Help? If setting this up seems complex or you want to optimize Odoo for your business, consider hiring an Odoo Implementation Consultant. A professional can tailor the system to your exact needs, ensuring seamless integration and maximum productivity.

Got questions? Drop them in the comments, and we’ll be happy to help!