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How to Set Up Reordering Rules in Odoo 19 (Step by Step)

By · · Updated · 7 min read · Odoo Odoo 19 Setup Inventory Purchase Inventory Management Stock Control Procurement

Short answer: in Odoo 19, open Inventory ‣ Operations ‣ Replenishment, click New, choose the product and location, and enter a Min and Max. When the product’s forecasted quantity falls below Min, Odoo creates a request for quotation or a manufacturing order for enough to bring the forecast back up to Max. The product must be a tracked good with a vendor (to buy) or a bill of materials (to manufacture).

This is the step-by-step setup guide. If you’re still deciding between reordering rules, buying to order and other replenishment strategies, start with my explainer on replenishment in Odoo.

Applies to

  • Odoo version: Odoo 19. Odoo 20 was released in September 2026; check its documentation for changes before applying these steps to an Odoo 20 database.
  • Edition: Community and Enterprise. Reordering rules are part of the Inventory app’s core, so both editions have them.
  • Apps: Inventory, plus Purchase (to buy) and/or Manufacturing (to make).

Before you start

  1. The product is a tracked good. On the product form (Inventory ‣ Products ‣ Products), the Product Type is Goods and Track Inventory is ticked. Untracked goods and services can’t use reordering rules, because Odoo has no stock figure to compare.
  2. For bought products: the Purchase app is installed, the product’s Purchase checkbox is ticked, and at least one vendor is on the Purchase tab. Odoo uses the vendor at the top of that list unless you choose another on the rule.
  3. For manufactured products: the Manufacturing app is installed and the product has a bill of materials. Without a BoM, Odoo can’t create a manufacturing order.
  4. Lead times are realistic. The vendor line’s Lead Time (and any purchase or manufacturing lead times you use) controls how far ahead Odoo looks when it calculates the forecast. Wrong lead times are the most common reason rules trigger too late.

Step by step

  1. Go to Inventory ‣ Operations ‣ Replenishment and click New. (You can also use the Reordering Rules smart button on the product form.)
  2. Product: choose the product.
  3. Location: choose the stock location the rule protects, usually your warehouse’s main stock location, for example WH/Stock.
  4. Min: the lowest forecasted quantity you’re willing to reach. When the forecast falls below this number, the rule is triggered.
  5. Max: the level the rule restocks up to. If you leave it empty or set it below Min, Odoo sets it equal to Min.
  6. Show the optional columns you need: click the column settings icon at the far right of the list header and tick Trigger, Route, Vendor, Bill of Materials or Multiple. They’re hidden by default.
  7. Trigger: keep Auto to let Odoo create orders itself, or choose Manual if a buyer should review each need on the Replenishment report first.
  8. Route: if the product can be both bought and manufactured, pick the preferred route here. Without one, Odoo uses Buy first, then Manufacture.
  9. Vendor or Bill of Materials (optional): pick a specific vendor from the vendor pricelist, or a specific BoM when the product has several.
  10. Multiple (optional): if the supplier only sells in packs, choose that packaging so orders are rounded up to whole packs. Only packagings listed on the vendor pricelist appear here.
  11. Save the line.

Worked example: a distributor buying in cases

A stationery distributor stocks A4 copier paper (box). The supplier, Sharma Paper Traders, is first on the vendor pricelist with a Lead Time of 3 days and only sells cases of 10 boxes.

Setting Value
Location WH/Stock
Min 40 boxes
Max 120 boxes
Trigger Auto
Route Buy
Multiple Case of 10

On Monday there are 60 boxes on hand. A customer order for 30 boxes is confirmed, with delivery in two days, inside the three-day lead-time window.

  • Forecast: 60 on hand − 30 outgoing = 30, which is below Min (40).
  • Quantity needed: 120 (Max) − 30 (forecast) = 90, already a whole number of cases.
  • Because the rule is Auto and the confirmed order pushed the forecast below Min, Odoo creates a draft RFQ to Sharma Paper Traders for 90 boxes straight away. It doesn’t wait for the nightly scheduler.

If the forecast had been 28 instead, Odoo would need 92 boxes, round up to the next case and propose 100. That takes stock slightly above Max, and Odoo shows a warning about possible excess stock.

What you should see

  • Auto rule: a draft RFQ in Purchase ‣ Orders ‣ Requests for Quotation, or a draft manufacturing order in Manufacturing ‣ Operations ‣ Manufacturing Orders, for the To Order quantity.
  • Manual rule: the product appears on Inventory ‣ Operations ‣ Replenishment under the To Reorder filter, with the suggested To Order quantity. You can edit that quantity, then click Order.
  • The rule doesn’t order the same need twice: quantities already in progress, such as a draft RFQ it created earlier, count towards the forecast.

Troubleshooting

The rule never triggers. Check that the product is a Goods product with Track Inventory ticked, and that the rule’s location matches where the stock and demand actually sit. Then compare the rule’s Forecast column with Min: the rule only fires when the forecast is below Min, not equal to it.

An Auto rule hasn’t created an order yet. Auto rules run when the scheduler runs (once a day by default) or when a confirmed sales order lowers the forecast below Min. To run it now, enable developer mode and use Inventory ‣ Operations ‣ Run Scheduler. Be aware this also runs other scheduled actions.

Stock still runs out. The forecast only looks as far ahead as the lead times allow. If vendor lead times are understated, or demand is lumpy, raise Min or correct the lead times. For Manual rules, horizon days on the Replenishment report extend how far ahead Odoo looks, so needs appear earlier.

The RFQ went to the wrong vendor. Odoo uses the top vendor on the product’s vendor pricelist. Reorder the vendor lines or set the Vendor column on the rule.

A manufacturing order appeared when you expected a purchase, or the reverse. The product has more than one route and no preferred route on the rule. Set the Route column.

A manufactured product never triggers. It has no bill of materials, or the Manufacture route isn’t enabled on the product’s Inventory tab.

You can’t see your Auto rules on the Replenishment report. Auto rules are hidden by default there. Remove the default filter to show them.

Official references

How this guide was checked: menu paths, field names and behaviour were checked against the Odoo 19 documentation and the reordering-rule code in Odoo 19’s Inventory module in October 2026. The worked example is illustrative and wasn’t run on a live database, so there are no screenshots; labels can vary slightly with your installed apps and language.

? Frequently asked questions

Do Odoo reordering rules use on-hand or forecasted quantity?

Forecasted quantity. Odoo compares the forecast (on hand, plus confirmed incoming, minus confirmed outgoing, within the lead-time window) with the rule's Min. When the forecast drops below Min, the rule is triggered and orders enough to bring the forecast back up to Max.

What is the difference between Auto and Manual reordering rules?

Both calculate the same quantities. An Auto rule creates the purchase or manufacturing order itself, when the scheduler runs (once a day by default) or when a confirmed sales order pushes the forecast below Min. A Manual rule only lists the need on the Replenishment report, and someone clicks Order.

Why did my reordering rule order more than the Max?

Usually because of the Multiple field. Odoo rounds the To Order quantity up to the next multiple of the purchase packaging, which can take stock slightly above Max, and shows a warning about possible excess stock.

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