Configure Discuss

Configure Discuss

Set up Odoo Discuss for internal messaging, group channels, and communication between students, faculty, and staff.

Time required: 10-15 minutes

Module: mail, openeducat_core

User role: System Administrator

Prerequisites

• System Administrator role
• User accounts created
• Email configuration complete (for notifications)

Steps

Step 1: Access Discuss Settings

1. Go to Settings -> General Settings
2. Navigate to Discuss section
3. Or go directly to Discuss application

Step 2: Enable Discuss Features

Feature	Description	Recommended
Internal Messaging	User-to-user chat	Yes
Channels	Group discussions	Yes
Email Integration	Email notifications	Yes
Push Notifications	Browser alerts	Yes

Step 3: Create Communication Channels

Set up default channels:

1. Go to Discuss -> Channels
2. Click Create

Channel Name	Type	Members	Purpose
Announcements	Public	All users	Official notices
Faculty Lounge	Private	Faculty only	Staff discussions
IT Support	Public	All users	Technical help
Academic Office	Private	Admin staff	Administrative

Step 4: Configure Channel Settings

For each channel:

Setting	Description
Name	Channel identifier
Description	Channel purpose
Privacy	Public/Private/Invited
Moderation	Enable/disable
Email Alias	Channel email address

Step 5: Set Up Auto-Subscription

Configure automatic channel membership:

1. Go to Settings -> Discuss Settings
2. Set auto-subscription rules:

User Group	Auto-Subscribe To
Students	Announcements
Faculty	Announcements, Faculty Lounge
Admin	All channels

Step 6: Configure Notification Preferences

Set default notification settings:

Notification Type	Default	Options
Direct Messages	Email + Inbox	Immediate/Daily digest
Channel Messages	Inbox only	Based on preference
Mentions	Email + Inbox	Immediate
Reminders	Email + Inbox	Immediate

Step 7: Enable Presence Tracking

Show online status:

1. Enable Online Status feature
2. Users can see who’s available
3. Status: Online, Away, Busy, Offline

Step 8: Save Settings

Click Save to apply configuration.

Channel Types

Type	Visibility	Use Case
Public	Anyone can join	General announcements
Private	Invite only	Department discussions
Group	Specific groups	Class discussions
Direct	One-on-one	Private messaging

Field Reference

Channel (mail.channel)

Technical Field	UI Label	Type	Notes
name	Name	Char	Channel name
description	Description	Text	Channel purpose
channel_type	Type	Selection	chat/channel
public	Privacy	Selection	public/private
moderation	Moderation	Boolean	Enable moderation

Troubleshooting

Messages not sending

Check internet connection and verify user has proper Discuss access rights.

Email notifications not working

1. Verify outgoing email server configured
2. Check user has valid email address
3. Review email queue for errors

Cannot create channels

User needs Discuss Administrator rights to create public channels.

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Related: Configure Email | Set Up Email Notifications