How to Automate Dropshipping in Odoo?

Dropshipping is one of the easiest ways to sell products online without keeping them in stock. Instead of storing items yourself, you buy them from a supplier who ships directly to your customer. It’s a great model for saving money and growing your business faster.

But managing dropshipping manually can be time-consuming and error-prone. That’s where automation helps.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to automate dropshipping in Odoo 18 using the Purchase Module. With just a few setup steps, you can let Odoo handle vendor orders, delivery processes, and inventory updates — all without lifting a finger.

If you’re looking for a step-by-step dropshipping setup in Odoo Purchase Module, this article will walk you through everything you need to know.

What Is Dropshipping in Odoo?

In Odoo, dropshipping means delivering products directly from your vendor to your customer, without sending the item through your own warehouse. The system automatically creates a purchase order when a sales order is confirmed, and links it to the delivery order.

Setting up Odoo drop shipping is simple and powerful when done correctly. Odoo’s flexible system supports multiple vendors, delivery methods, and real-time order tracking.

By choosing to automate dropshipping in Odoo 18, you can save time, reduce mistakes, and improve customer satisfaction. No more manually creating purchase orders or updating shipping details — Odoo can do it all for you with the right setup.

Why Automate Dropshipping Using Odoo ERP?

Automating dropshipping in Odoo helps your business run smoother and faster. When everything is set up right, Odoo ERP can automatically create purchase orders and send shipping instructions to your vendor without any manual work.

Here are a few key benefits of automating dropshipping in Odoo 18:

1. Saves Time: You don’t have to manually track every order or send emails to vendors.
2. Reduces Errors: No more missed deliveries or wrong orders — Odoo does the work accurately.
3. Improves Customer Experience: Orders are fulfilled faster, and your customers stay happy.
4. Supports Business Growth: As your sales increase, automation keeps things running smoothly.

Whether you’re a small business or scaling up, learning how to automate dropshipping is a smart move to keep up with customer demand and manage your operations better.

Prerequisites for Automation (Odoo 18 Version)

Before setting up dropshipping, make sure you have the right modules and settings in Odoo 18. This is the first step in any Odoo drop shipping setup.

1. Required Modules:

• Sales
• Purchase
• Inventory
• Dropshipping (enable it from the Inventory settings)

2. Set Up Vendors:

• Add your supplier or vendor details in Odoo, including their price lists and delivery times.

3. Set Up Products:

For each product you want to dropship:

• Mark it as “Storable”
• Assign the “Dropship” route
• Link it to the right vendor

4. Enable Routes:

• Go to Inventory → Configuration → Routes and make sure the Dropshipping route is active.

Once this is done, you’re ready for the next step: the full configuration. In the next section, we’ll walk you through the step-by-step dropshipping setup in Odoo Purchase Module.

Step-by-Step Guide to Automate Dropshipping in Odoo

Step 1: Enable dropshipping

To enable dropshipping follow these steps:

1. Go to purchase module
2. Configuration→settings
3. Under the logistics section
4. Enable dropshipping

Step 2: Set up Product for Dropshipping

The following steps explain how to set up a product so it can be delivered directly by the supplier:

1. Go to sales module→products
2. Select product
3. Go to inventory tab→routes section
4. Tick on dropship→save it

5. Go to purchase tab→add vendor

Step 3: Create Order Using Dropshipping

When a sales order is created for a drop shipped product, an associated request for quotation (RfQ) is automatically generated to purchase the product from the vendor.

• Go to sales module
• Create sale order→add customer name, add product
• After confirming the sale order click the purchase smart button at the top right of a sales order to view the RFQ.

• Once the RFQ is confirmed, it becomes a purchase order, and a dropship receipt is created and linked to it.
• The receipt can be viewed by clicking the dropship smart button.

• The dropship receipt displays partners/vendors in the source location field, and partners/customers in the destination location field.

• Click on the validate button for confirming the delivered quantity.

• Now you can prepare the invoice for the item and send it to the customer.

Step 4: View dropship orders

Follow these steps for view dropship orders:

• Go to inventory module→dashboard
• Scroll down →click on dropship
• Open dropship orders

• If you want to print a delivery slip so click on print button

Optional Dropshipping Customizations

Once your basic dropshipping setup is working in Odoo 18, you can take it a step further with some useful customizations. These tweaks help make the process even more efficient and tailored to your business.

1. Automated Email Notifications: Odoo can send automatic emails to vendors when a purchase order is created. This ensures your supplier gets order details instantly, without any delays or manual follow-ups.
2. Shipping Integrations: You can connect Odoo with third-party shipping providers (like DHL, FedEx, or UPS) to track shipments directly from within your system. This helps improve visibility and speeds up the dropshipping process.
3. Use Odoo Studio for Workflow Automation: With Odoo Studio, you can create custom workflows — like automatic invoice creation or custom order status updates.

Adding these enhancements to your Odoo drop shipping setup will make your dropshipping model more reliable and automated.

Common Pitfalls While Automating Dropshipping & How to Avoid Them

When trying to automate dropshipping in Odoo 18, it’s easy to make small mistakes that can cause big problems later. Here are a few common issues and how to avoid them:

1. Missing Route Configuration:

• If the “Dropship” route isn’t enabled in both the product settings and system configuration, Odoo won’t trigger the automation.
• Solution: Double-check that the Dropship route is active and properly applied to each product.

2. Incorrect Product Type:

• Using the wrong product type (e.g., “Service” instead of “Storable”) can break the dropshipping workflow.
• Solution: Make sure products are set to “Storable” in the product form.

3. No Vendor Assigned:

• If a product doesn’t have a vendor set in its Purchase tab, Odoo won’t generate a purchase order when a sale is made.
• Solution: Assign at least one vendor to each dropshipped product and ensure pricing details are correct.

By avoiding these common mistakes, your step-by-step dropshipping in Odoo Purchase Module will run smoothly and efficiently.

Final Words

Learning how to automate dropshipping in Odoo 18 is a game-changer for online businesses that want to grow without dealing with warehouse hassles. By using the Purchase Module and properly configuring routes, vendors, and product settings, you can create a smooth, hands-off workflow.

Whether you’re new to Odoo or looking to improve your current setup, following a smart Odoo drop shipping setup will help you build a faster, more reliable, and scalable system.

Take the time to test your setup carefully, avoid common mistakes, and explore advanced features like shipping integrations and workflow automations. With the right setup, dropshipping can become one of the easiest and most profitable parts of your business.

Need Help Automating Dropshipping in Odoo 18?

Setting up and optimizing automated dropshipping in Odoo 18 can be tricky — but you don’t have to do it alone.
We specialize in Odoo implementation, customization, and workflow automation, including complete Odoo drop shipping setup and integration with third-party tools.

Whether you’re just starting out or want to streamline your existing process, our team can help you save time, reduce errors, and scale your business confidently.

Contact us today for a free consultation and discover how we can tailor Odoo to fit your dropshipping needs!