Glossary
MCP server
Odoo's MCP server is the Odoo 20 feature that lets users connect an external AI agent to a database through the Model Context Protocol, an open standard, so that it reads or modifies records with the identity and permissions of the user who connects it.
According to the Odoo 20.0 documentation, accessed October 17, 2026, the Model Context Protocol is an open-source standard that lets large language models interact securely with external applications and access their data. In Odoo’s setup, the database acts as the server and the user’s agent as the client: the user asks for a task in plain language, the client requests the tools it needs from the server, Odoo runs them and the client answers with the result.
Each user connects it from their own AI client. OAuth is the recommended authentication method and is only available to internal users; portal users connect with an API key. Out of the box, the database exposes five query tools, and any other tool is enabled by hand from the server actions. Each connection shows up as an API key in the user’s preferences, and deleting the key revokes it. The server is part of Odoo’s AI app, and installing that app on a database with the Standard plan triggers the switch to the Custom plan.
What Odoo 20’s AI brings and what to decide before opening the MCP server is covered in the Odoo 20 upgrade guide.
Quantum Garage team · Updated