Discuss (Internal Messaging)¶

Last Updated: February 2026

Discuss is Odoo's built-in messaging and communication platform. It handles internal chat, group channels, email notifications, and the chatter (message thread) on every record in the system. Every employee uses Discuss daily — it's how Odoo delivers notifications, activity reminders, and team communication.

What Discuss Does¶

Direct Messages — Private 1-on-1 conversations between employees
Channels — Group conversations organized by topic (e.g., "Driver Arrivals", "Sales Team")
Notifications — Inbox alerts when you're mentioned, assigned an activity, or a record you follow changes
Chatter — The message thread on every record (customers, pickups, invoices, etc.)
Activities — Task reminders and follow-ups attached to records

Open Discuss from the main Odoo menu bar or click the chat icon in the bottom-right corner.

Discuss
├── Inbox          (notifications requiring your attention)
├── Starred        (messages you've starred for reference)
├── Channels       (group conversations)
└── Direct Messages (1-on-1 chats)

Inbox¶

Your inbox collects all notifications that need your attention:

Someone mentioned you with @YourName
You were assigned an activity (task, reminder, call)
A record you follow was updated
Someone replied to a message you're part of

Click a notification to open the related record. Use the Mark as Done button to clear it from your inbox.

Keep Your Inbox Clean

Treat your inbox like an email inbox — process items and mark them done. This helps you distinguish new notifications from ones you've already seen.

Channels¶

Channels are group conversations visible to specific teams or the whole company.

Channel Types¶

Type	Visibility	Use Case
Channel	Public or group-restricted	Team-wide announcements, department communication
Group	Invitation-only	Private group discussion
Chat	Private, 2 people max	Quick 1-on-1 conversation

Scott Recycling Channels¶

Channel	Purpose
Driver Arrival Notification	Alerts when drivers arrive at locations
Pre-Expiry Notification	Alerts for upcoming document/certification expirations

Using Channels¶

Join a channel: Click Channels in the sidebar, then browse or search for the channel name
Create a channel: Click the + next to Channels, enter a name, and set visibility (public or group-restricted)
Post a message: Type in the message box at the bottom and press Enter
Mention someone: Type @ followed by their name — they'll get an inbox notification
Share a file: Click the paperclip icon to attach documents
Pin a message: Click the three-dot menu on a message and select Pin

Direct Messages¶

Start a private conversation with any employee:

Click the + next to Direct Messages in the sidebar
Search for the person's name
Type your message and press Enter

Direct messages stay between the two participants. Use these for quick questions that don't belong in a channel.

The Chatter¶

The chatter appears at the bottom of almost every record in Odoo (customers, pickups, invoices, tasks, etc.). It combines:

Messages — Comments and email history
Activity Log — Scheduled follow-ups and reminders
Tracking — Automatic log entries when fields change (e.g., "Stage changed from New to In Progress")

Posting a Message¶

Open any record (customer, pickup, etc.)
Scroll to the chatter at the bottom
Click Log note (internal) or Send message (external email)
Type your message, mention people with @, attach files
Click Send

Action	Who Sees It
Log note	Only internal employees who follow the record
Send message	Internal followers AND the customer/partner via email

Following Records¶

When you follow a record, you receive notifications when it's updated:

Click the Follow button on any record
Click the bell icon next to Follow to choose which updates you want (e.g., only stage changes, only comments)
Click Unfollow to stop receiving updates

Activities¶

Activities are task reminders attached to records. They appear in your inbox and on the record itself.

Creating an Activity¶

Open any record
Click Schedule Activity in the chatter
Choose the Activity Type (To-Do, Call, Email, Upload Document, etc.)
Set the Due Date
Assign it to yourself or another user
Add a summary/note
Click Schedule

Managing Activities¶

Due today: Shows in yellow in your inbox
Overdue: Shows in red
Upcoming: Shows in green
Mark as Done: Click the checkmark when complete — you can log feedback
Reschedule: Change the due date if you need more time
Cancel: Remove the activity entirely

Use Activities Instead of Mental Notes

Whenever you need to follow up on something — a call to make, a document to review, a price to update — schedule an activity. It shows up in your inbox on the right day so nothing falls through the cracks.

Notification Preferences¶

Control how Odoo notifies you:

Click your profile icon (top right) > Preferences
Under Notification, choose:
Handle by Emails — Get email for every notification
Handle in Odoo — See notifications only in the Discuss inbox

Email vs. Odoo Notifications

Most employees should use Handle in Odoo to avoid inbox overload. Switch to email notifications only if you frequently work outside of Odoo and need email alerts.

Tips¶

Use @Mentions Liberally

When you need someone's attention on a record, @mention them in the chatter. It's more reliable than Slack or email because the message is attached to the actual record.

Star Important Messages

Click the star icon on any message to save it. Access starred messages from the Starred section in Discuss.

Search Messages

Use the search bar in Discuss to find old conversations by keyword, sender, or date.

Security¶

Group	Access
All Employees	Send messages, join public channels, create direct messages, schedule activities
Portal Users	See messages on records shared with them (public subtypes only)
Administrators	Configure email servers, manage all channels, edit email templates