How to Create Barcode in Odoo 18 (Step-by-Step Guide)

Introduction

Barcodes are black and white lines with numbers that help you identify products quickly. Many businesses use them to save time, reduce errors, and manage inventory more efficiently. With the right tools, it’s easy to create barcode in Odoo and make your daily operations smoother.

Odoo 18 comes with a built-in barcode feature that makes it simple to track products, scan items, and print barcode labels. You don’t need to be a tech expert — just follow a few easy steps, and you’ll be ready to use barcodes in your Odoo system.

In this blog, we will show you how to create barcode in Odoo 18, step by step. This will help you speed up your work and keep your product records more accurate.

Step 1: Install the Required Modules

Before you can use barcodes in Odoo 18, you need to install the right modules. These modules help Odoo understand and work with barcodes.

Follow these steps:

• Go to the Apps menu – On your Odoo dashboard, click on the Apps button.
• Search for the modules – In the search bar, type “Inventory” and install it (if it’s not already installed). Then search for “Barcode” and install that too.
• Wait for installation – Odoo will take a few seconds to install these modules. After that, you’re ready for the next step.

Why are these modules needed?

1. Inventory: This module helps you manage your stock and products.
2. Barcode: This adds barcode scanning and printing features to your Odoo system.

Step 2: Enable barcode scanner feature

After installing the modules, you need to turn on the barcode feature in your settings. This allows you to use barcodes in your inventory system.

Follow these steps:

1. Go to Inventory Settings – From the Odoo dashboard, click on Inventory.
2. Open Configuration – At the top menu, click on Configuration, then choose Settings.
3. Enable Barcode – Scroll down until you find the Barcode option. Check the box next to Barcode to enable it.
4. Save your changes – Click the Save button at the top to apply the settings.

Now the barcode feature is turned on in your Odoo system, and you’re ready to add barcodes to your products.

Step 3: Adjust Inventory Using Barcodes

Inventory adjustment means checking the real stock in your warehouse and comparing it with what’s shown in Odoo. This helps make sure your records are correct and prevents stock errors.

Warehouse managers usually give counting tasks to staff. These staff members go to specific areas, scan product barcodes, and change the quantity if it’s different from what’s in the system.

You can do inventory adjustments using:

• A barcode scanner with the Barcode app.
• The Odoo mobile app

Odoo’s Barcode app also comes with demo barcodes you can use for practice or testing. You can print these demo barcodes from the app’s home screen.

Steps to Start Inventory Adjustment:

• Open the Barcode app.
• Click on the Demo Data Sheet or Barcode to begin testing.

Step 4: Assign Inventory Counts to Employees

Before starting a stock count, managers can assign specific products and locations to employees.
Steps to Assign a Count:

1. Go to the Inventory app.
2. Click on Operations → Physical Inventory.
3. Choose the location and products to be counted.
4. Assign the task to a selected user.

Once assigned, employees will see their counting tasks in the Barcode app. On the dashboard, the Inventory Count button will show how many products need to be counted.

Step 5: Performing an inventory count

To perform an inventory adjustment follow these steps:

1. Go to barcode app.
2. Tap inventory count to view pending task.
3. Adjust quantities by tapping the edit icon.
4. If necessary edit the number in the quantity line to change the quantity.

Process receipts and deliveries with barcodes

The Barcode app can be used to process receipts, deliveries, and other types of operations in real time using a barcode scanner or the Odoo mobile app.

This makes it possible to process operations on the warehouse floor when they happen, instead of having to wait to validate transfers from a computer. Processing operations this way can help to properly attribute barcodes to the appropriate products, pickings, locations, and more.

Step 6: Add barcode to products

Adding barcodes to your products in Odoo makes inventory tasks faster and easier. Each product gets a unique barcode, so warehouse staff can quickly scan items instead of typing product names or codes. This helps reduce mistakes and saves time.

Barcodes are useful during:

• Receiving goods
• Delivering orders
• Adjusting stock
• Moving products inside the warehouse

When a barcode is scanned, Odoo automatically finds the product and updates the quantity right away. You can also print barcode labels and stick them on your products for easy scanning.

Steps to Add a Barcode to a Product:

1. Go to the Inventory module.
2. Click on Products → Select the product you want to update.
3. In the General Information tab, find the Barcode field.
4. Enter or scan the barcode number.
5. Click Save.

Now your product is ready to be scanned during inventory operations.

Step 7: Set up packaging types

Packaging types are used to define how products are packed and handled in inventory and shipping operations. Each packaging can be associated with its own barcode, making warehouse operations faster and more accurate during picking, packing, and shipping.

Follow these steps for set up packaging types:

1. Go to inventory module→open product
2. Select product→go to inventory tab
3. Add packaging, packaging type
4. And save it

Step 8: Create purchase order

When creating a Purchase Order, you can specify the product packaging to indicate how the items will be delivered by the vendor. This is especially useful when products are delivered in bulk packaging like boxes, cartons, or pallets. After selecting the product in the order line, Odoo will automatically suggest the default packaging.

Follow these steps to select packaging on a purchase order:

1. Go to purchase module→go to quotation
2. Create RFQ
3. Add vendor name, product, add packaging
4. Change the quantity
5. And confirm the order

Step 9: Scan packaging

In Odoo, you can scan packaging barcodes using the Barcode app to speed up warehouse operations. Scanning a packaging barcode automatically adds the total quantity of products in that package, so you don’t need to scan each item individually.This is especially useful during receipts, deliveries, and internal transfers. It helps save time and reduce errors. To use this feature, make sure each packaging has a barcode set up in the product form.

Follow these steps to scan packaging:

• Go to barcode app
• Click on operations button
• Open receipt

• Select receipt
• Click on product →quality check
• And simply validate it

• The system validated the transfer after validation.

Step 10: Print Barcodes

Odoo allows you to print barcodes for products directly from the system. This is useful for labeling items in your warehouse or store, making it easy to scan products during sales, inventory operations, and deliveries.

Follow these steps for print barcodes of the product:

1. Go to purchase module
2. Open purchase order→Select purchase order
3. Go to action button
4. Click on print →choose label layout
5. Print barcode labels

• Here are the printed barcode labels

Conclusion

Using barcodes in Odoo 18 is a smart way to make your inventory process faster, easier, and more accurate. With just a few steps, you can create barcode in Odoo, install the needed modules, enable the barcode feature, and add barcodes to your products. You can also print barcode labels and scan them for tasks like stock updates, deliveries, and more.

Barcodes help reduce human errors and save time by removing the need for manual data entry. Whether you run a small business or manage a big warehouse, creating barcodes in your Odoo system can make a big difference.

Try setting up barcodes in Odoo 18 today and see how it helps you work smarter!

Need help setting up barcodes or customizing Odoo? Contact us today for expert Odoo consultation and support!