Situation: by default Odoo numbers your quotations as 'S00001' and your invoices as 'INV/2026/00001'. Fine to start with, but many companies want their own style: a recognisable prefix, the year included, or continuity with the numbering from the old package. Think 'OFF-2026-0001'. Good news: you can arrange that in Odoo without a single line of code.
Where do you find the numbering?
The numbering lives in so-called sequences. These are only visible in developer mode:
- Activate developer mode via Settings → General Settings, right at the bottom under Developer Tools.
- Go to Settings → Technical → Sequences & Identifiers → Sequences.
- Find the sequence you want to change, for example Sales Order or Quotation.
The key fields
- Prefix: fixed text before the number. Using legend codes you add dates:
OFF-%(year)s-gives 'OFF-2026-'. - Sequence size (padding): the number of digits. Padding 4 gives '0001'.
- Step: leave it at 1, otherwise the counter skips numbers.
- Next number: handy during migration — set this to the next number from your old system.
New quotations and orders immediately follow the new format; existing documents keep their old number.
Invoices: this is where the tax authorities are watching
For invoices it works slightly differently: the numbering is tied to the journal. Go to Accounting → Configuration → Journals, open the sales journal and adjust the format there — or simply change the number on your first invoice of the year, and Odoo picks up the pattern itself. But beware: never change the invoice numbering in the middle of a financial year. The Dutch and Belgian tax authorities expect consecutive numbers without gaps. A break halfway through the year leads to awkward questions during an audit.
Praktische tip
Always schedule a change to invoice numbering for 1 January and test it in December on your staging environment (via Odoo.sh or a duplicate database). Want the numbering to follow on from your old package, or unsure what is allowed for tax purposes? Contact DAADit Group — we are happy to think along with you.
Situation: by default, Odoo numbers your quotations as 'S00001' and your invoices as 'INV/2026/00001'. Fine to start with, but many companies want their own style: a recognisable prefix, the year included, or continuity with the numbering from their previous system. Think 'OFF-2026-0001'. Good news: you can arrange this in Odoo without writing a single line of code.
Where do you find the numbering?
The numbering lives in so-called sequences. These are only visible in developer mode:
- Activate developer mode via Settings → General Settings, at the very bottom under Developer Tools.
- Go to Settings → Technical → Sequences & Identifiers → Sequences.
- Find the sequence you want to change, for example Sales Order or Quotation.
The fields that matter
- Prefix: fixed text before the number. Legend codes add dates:
OFF-%(year)s-produces 'OFF-2026-'. - Sequence size (padding): the number of digits. Padding 4 gives '0001'.
- Step: leave at 1, otherwise the counter skips numbers.
- Next number: useful when migrating — set this to the next number after the last one in your old system.
New quotations and orders immediately follow the new format; existing documents keep their old number.
Invoices: where the tax office is watching
Invoices work slightly differently: their numbering is tied to the journal. Go to Accounting → Configuration → Journals, open the sales journal and adjust the format there — or simply edit the number on your first invoice of the year, and Odoo picks up the pattern automatically. But beware: never change invoice numbering in the middle of a financial year. The Dutch and Belgian tax authorities expect sequential numbers without gaps. A break halfway through the year leads to awkward questions during an audit.
Practical tip
Always plan an invoice numbering change for 1 January, and test it in December on your staging environment first (via Odoo.sh or a duplicate database). Want your numbering to continue from your old system, or unsure what the tax rules allow? Contact DAADit Group — we are happy to help you think it through.