How to Use Storage Categories in Odoo Inventory

Table of Contents

• The Problem with Basic Putaway Rules
• What Are Storage Categories?
• Setting Up Storage Categories
  • Step 1: Enable Storage Locations
  • Step 2: Configure a Storage Category
  • Step 3: Assign Locations to the Category
  • Step 4: Update Your Putaway Rule
• Sublocation Routing Options
• Storage Categories in Action
• Key Takeaways

The Problem with Basic Putaway Rules

Standard putaway rules in Odoo tell the system exactly where to store a product. Vinyl records go to Shelf 1. Done.

But what happens when Shelf 1 is full? You carry a heavy pallet all the way to the back of the warehouse, only to discover there is no room. Now you need to figure out an alternative location on the spot.

Storage categories solve this by checking for available space before you even leave the receiving dock.

What Are Storage Categories?

Storage categories act as smart putaway rules. They define capacity limits for storage locations, including maximum weight and per-product quantity caps. When an incoming shipment would exceed a location's limit, Odoo automatically directs the extras to an alternative location within the same category.

Instead of one rigid destination, you define a group of locations. Odoo fills them intelligently.

Setting Up Storage Categories

Step 1: Enable Storage Locations

1. Open the Inventory app
2. Go to Configuration > Settings
3. Scroll down to the Warehouses section
4. Enable the Storage Locations checkbox
5. Click Save

Enabling storage locations automatically enables storage categories as well.

Step 2: Configure a Storage Category

1. Go to Configuration > Storage Categories
2. Open an existing category or create a new one (e.g., "Zone A")
3. Set the Max Weight if needed
4. Under the Capacity by Product tab, define per-product limits
   • For example, set "Vinyl Records" with a maximum quantity of 100

When incoming stock exceeds this limit, Odoo routes the overflow to another location in the same category.

Step 3: Assign Locations to the Category

Each location that should participate in the category needs to be tagged:

1. Go to Configuration > Locations
2. Open the target location (e.g., WH/Stock/Shelf 3)
3. Set the Storage Category field to your category (e.g., "Zone A")
4. Save

You can verify which locations belong to a category by clicking the Locations smart button on the storage category form.

Tip: Click a location and then the Products smart button to see current on-hand quantities.

Step 4: Update Your Putaway Rule

The key change is pointing the putaway rule at the parent location rather than a specific shelf:

1. Go to Configuration > Putaway Rules
2. Edit the rule for your product
3. Change the Store To field from a specific shelf (e.g., WH/Stock/Shelf 1) to the parent location (e.g., WH/Stock)
4. Set the Sublocation field to Closest Location
5. Set the Having Category field to your storage category (e.g., "Zone A")

Odoo will now automatically choose the best available sublocation within WH/Stock that belongs to the specified category.

Sublocation Routing Options

When configuring a putaway rule with storage categories, you have three sublocation options:

Option	Behavior
No	Products go directly to the location in the "Store To" field
Closest Location	Routes to the nearest available sublocation within the storage category
Last Used	Routes to the sublocation where the product was most recently stored

For most warehouse setups, Closest Location is the recommended choice. It minimizes travel distance while respecting capacity limits.

Storage Categories in Action

Here is a practical example of how it works:

1. Starting state: Shelf 1 already holds 90 vinyl records. The category limit is 100 per location.
2. First receipt: 10 vinyl records arrive from Vendor A. Odoo routes them to Shelf 1 (90 + 10 = 100, within limit). Shelf 1 is now full.

3. Second receipt: Another 10 vinyl records arrive from Vendor B. Odoo detects Shelf 1 is at capacity and automatically routes these to Shelf 2.

No manual overrides needed. No wasted trips to a full shelf.

Key Takeaways

• Storage categories add capacity awareness to Odoo's putaway system
• Set per-product quantity limits and max weight on each category
• Assign the category to multiple locations so Odoo can route overflow automatically
• Point putaway rules at a parent location and let the storage category handle sublocation selection
• Use Closest Location for efficient routing that minimizes warehouse travel

To get started, enable storage locations in your Inventory settings, create a storage category with capacity limits, and update your putaway rules to use parent locations with the closest location option.

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References

• Storage Categories | Odoo Inventory — Odoo