Introduction

Every business has unique workflows that off-the-shelf software cannot fully address. Traditionally, customizing business applications required hiring developers, writing code, and waiting weeks or months for results.

Odoo Studio changes this equation entirely. It puts app development directly in the hands of business users through a visual drag-and-drop interface. You can build fully functional custom apps in minutes, not months.

This guide walks you through building a complete real estate management app using Odoo Studio—demonstrating exactly what you can achieve without writing a single line of code.

What is Odoo Studio?

Odoo Studio is a visual development environment built into Odoo's ERP platform. It allows users to:

Create new applications from scratch
Customize existing Odoo apps
Build custom forms and fields
Design automated workflows
Generate reports and dashboards

The key advantage: no programming knowledge required. If you can use a word processor, you can build apps with Odoo Studio.

Building Your First App: A Real Estate Example

Let's walk through creating a property management app step by step.

Step 1: Create the App

Design the app icon — Choose a visual identifier for your new application
Define what you manage — In this case, "properties"
Select suggested features — Odoo offers pre-built fields like pictures, responsible person, and value

Within seconds, you have a foundation to build upon.

Step 2: Customize Your Form

The property form needs specific fields for your business:

Rename existing fields — Change "Value" to "Asking Price"
Add selection fields — Create a property type field with options: House, Apartment, Land
Drag and drop — Arrange fields in the order that makes sense for your workflow

In just a few minutes, you have a fully functional data entry form.

Step 3: Enhance the List View

As your property database grows, you need better ways to view data:

Add property type and address columns to the list view
Click the Studio icon on any screen to customize it instantly
Reorganize columns by priority

Advanced Features: Kanban and Pipeline Management

Odoo Studio extends beyond basic forms. You can create visual pipeline management for your sales process.

Customize the Kanban View

The Kanban view displays each property as a card in a pipeline:

Add fields to cards — Display property type on each card
Enable color coding — Add a color selector for visual categorization
Rename stages — Customize pipeline stages (e.g., New, Offer Received, Under Contract, Sold)
Add new stages — Create additional pipeline steps as needed

Now you can drag and drop properties between stages to track their progress through your sales pipeline.

Email Gateway: Create Records on the Go

Real estate agents work in the field. They need to create property listings without logging into the system.

Odoo Studio enables an email gateway:

Select the chatter widget on your form
Configure an email address (e.g., properties@realestate.com)
Send emails to create records — The subject becomes the property name

Agents can snap photos on their phones, attach them to an email, and instantly create a new property record with images included.

Analytics: Graph Views and Reports

Data without insights is just noise. Odoo Studio includes built-in analytics.

Activate Graph Views

Enable visual analytics to understand your business:

View Type	Use Case
Bar Chart	Compare values across categories
Pie Chart	Show proportional distribution
Line Chart	Track trends over time

Example Insights

Revenue by property type — See that houses generate 60% of revenue
Offers by pipeline stage — Identify that apartments receive the most offers
Group by any field — Slice data by agent, location, date, or custom fields

Automation: Reduce Repetitive Work

Beyond building apps, Odoo Studio helps automate workflows:

Trigger-based actions — Set rules that execute automatically
Reduce manual work — Let the system handle repetitive tasks
Custom notifications — Alert team members when conditions are met

Document Customization

Odoo Studio also customizes printed documents:

Invoices
Packing slips
Quotes and proposals
Custom reports

Match your documents to your brand without touching code.

Pro Tips

Start with suggested features — They provide a solid foundation and save setup time
Build incrementally — Add fields and views as you discover needs, rather than over-engineering upfront
Use the email gateway — It dramatically improves adoption for field teams
Enable graph views early — Even basic analytics reveal valuable patterns

Conclusion

Odoo Studio eliminates the barrier between business needs and software solutions. In the time it takes to write a requirements document for traditional development, you can have a working app.

The real estate example demonstrates the core workflow: create an app, customize forms, enhance views, add automation, and analyze results. These same principles apply whether you're managing properties, tracking projects, handling inventory, or running any unique business process.

What's Next

Ready to build your first Odoo Studio app? Start by identifying one manual process in your business that could benefit from a custom application. Even a simple tracking app can save hours of spreadsheet management each week.

[IMAGE: Screenshot of Odoo Studio drag-and-drop interface] Alt text: Odoo Studio visual app builder showing drag-and-drop form customization Suggested filename: /images/odoo-studio-interface.jpg

Odoo Studio: Build Custom Apps Without Code