How to set up Odoo 19 in PyCharm on Windows

Why develop Odoo on Windows

Production Odoo servers are almost always Linux. For local development, Windows works well if it is the machine you already use every day: you get PyCharm’s debugger, PostgreSQL and Git without a virtual machine or a second operating system.

Step 1: install Python 3.12

Odoo 19 needs Python 3.12 or later. Check what you have by running python --version in Command Prompt. If Python is missing or older than 3.12, download the installer from python.org.

• Run the installer and choose Customize installation.
• Tick Add python.exe to PATH.
• On the Optional Features screen keep everything selected.
• On Advanced Options tick the first five settings, then click Install.

Step 2: install PostgreSQL

Download PostgreSQL 16 or later for Windows x86-64 from postgresql.org and run the installer.

• On Select Components, keep every component ticked, including pgAdmin 4 and Stack Builder.
• Set a password for the postgres superuser and keep it somewhere safe.
• Leave the port at 5432 and the other settings at their defaults.
• When Stack Builder opens at the end, select your PostgreSQL instance and install the components under Database Drivers.

Step 3: create the Odoo database user in pgAdmin

1. Open pgAdmin 4 and set a master password when asked.
2. Expand Servers → your PostgreSQL instance → Login/Group Roles.
3. Right-click Login/Group Roles → Create → Login/Group Role.
4. On General, name the role odoo19.
5. On Definition, set a password.
6. On Privileges, switch on every option, then save.

Step 4: install the C++ build tools

Several Python packages that Odoo depends on compile native code during installation. Download Build Tools for Visual Studio from Microsoft, select the Desktop development with C++ workload, install it and restart Windows.

Step 5: download the Odoo 19 source

Open the official repository at github.com/odoo/odoo, switch the branch to 19.0, then Code → Download ZIP. Extract it to a folder in your home directory, for example C:\Users\you\odoo-19.0. If you use Git, clone it instead:

git clone https://github.com/odoo/odoo.git --branch 19.0 --depth 1 odoo-19.0

Step 6: install PyCharm

Download PyCharm from jetbrains.com and install it with the default options. The free edition is enough for Odoo development.

Step 7: configure the project in PyCharm

Open PyCharm, choose Open, and select the Odoo folder. In the project root, create a file named odoo.conf:

[options]
; master password for database operations
admin_passwd = admin
db_host = localhost
db_port = 5432
db_user = odoo19
db_password = your_password
addons_path = C:\Users\you\odoo-19.0\addons
http_port = 8019

Use the role name and password you created in pgAdmin, and point addons_path at the addons folder inside your Odoo directory.

Next, set the interpreter: Settings → Project → Python Interpreter → Add Interpreter. A virtual environment is the cleaner choice; the system interpreter also works. Then install the requirements from PyCharm’s terminal:

pip install -r requirements.txt

Finally, create a run configuration: Run → Edit Configurations → + → Python, and fill in:

• Name: Odoo 19
• Script path: the odoo-bin file in the Odoo folder
• Parameters: -c odoo.conf
• Working directory: the Odoo folder
• Interpreter: the one you set above

Step 8: run Odoo and create a database

Click Run. When the log shows the server is listening, open http://localhost:8019. On the database screen enter the master password from admin_passwd, a database name, the admin email and password, and optionally a language and country. Untick demo data if you want a clean database, then click Create database.

From here you can install apps, add your own addons folder to addons_path, and set breakpoints in your modules with PyCharm’s debugger.