Horizontal Groups Odoo 18
By Braincuber Team
Published on December 29, 2025
Multi-company corporation preparing annual financial reports creates comparison nightmare: balance sheet showing all companies combined unable filtering by specific subsidiary making investor analysis impossible, CFO needing USA subsidiary balance sheet separately but standard report mixing all company data requiring manual Excel extraction 8 hours monthly, year-over-year comparison requiring side-by-side 2024 versus 2023 data but vertical report layout forcing manual spreadsheet creation, budget versus actual analysis needing horizontal comparison but report showing only single column preventing variance identification, and consolidated financial statements requiring company-specific filtering but no mechanism excluding specific subsidiaries from aggregated totals—generating investor reporting delays manual data manipulation errors executive decision delays stakeholder confusion and audit complications from inflexible financial report filtering without customizable horizontal grouping domain-based filtering and side-by-side comparison capabilities requiring advanced report customization features.
Odoo 18 Horizontal Groups enables advanced financial report customization through domain-based filtering applying conditions to report data display, horizontal layout arrangement presenting related data side-by-side in rows versus traditional vertical columns, company-specific filtering showing balance sheet profit loss for individual subsidiaries, year-based filtering comparing financial data across fiscal periods horizontally, multi-period comparison displaying 2024 2023 2022 columns simultaneously, budget versus actual layout showing planned versus realized figures side-by-side, custom field filtering using any model field for report segmentation, report template integration applying groups to balance sheet P&L cash flow statements, visual clarity improvement enhancing pattern recognition anomaly identification, and rule-based configuration defining filter logic through domain syntax—reducing report preparation time 75 percent through automated filtering eliminating manual Excel manipulation enabling executive decision-making through instant comparisons supporting investor relations via subsidiary-specific reporting and achieving audit compliance through accurate segmented financial statements providing flexible powerful report customization through systematic horizontal grouping implementation.
Horizontal Group Features: Domain filtering, Horizontal layout, Company filtering, Year filtering, Multi-period comparison, Budget comparison, Custom fields, Report integration, Visual clarity, Rule configuration
Horizontal Groups Concept
Understanding report organization:
Traditional vs Horizontal Layout:
| Aspect | Vertical Layout (Traditional) | Horizontal Groups |
|---|---|---|
| Data Flow | Top to bottom rows | Left to right columns |
| Comparison | Sequential difficult to compare | Side-by-side easy comparison |
| Space Usage | Long vertical reports | Compact horizontal display |
| Multi-Period | Separate reports per period | Multiple periods one view |
| Analysis | Manual comparison required | Instant visual comparison |
What Horizontal Groups Do:
- Filter Report Data: Apply domain conditions showing only relevant records
- Arrange Horizontally: Present filtered data in columns versus rows
- Enable Comparison: Display multiple filtered views side-by-side
- Support Analysis: Identify patterns variances trends instantly
- Customize Reports: Tailor balance sheet P&L to specific needs
Accessing Horizontal Groups
Navigation:
- Go to Accounting → Configuration → Accounting → Horizontal Groups
- List of existing horizontal groups displayed
- Shows:
- Group name
- Associated reports (Balance Sheet P&L)
Creating Horizontal Group
Configuration Steps:
- In Horizontal Groups list click New
- Configuration form opens
- Fill details
Basic Configuration:
- Name: Descriptive identifier e.g. Company Wise or Year Comparison
- Reports: Select applicable reports:
- Balance Sheet
- Profit and Loss
- Cash Flow Statement
- Executive Summary
Adding Filter Rules:
- Click Add a Line
- Pop-up opens for rule configuration
- Define rule parameters:
- Field Name: Display label for this filter
- Domain: Filter logic conditions
- Click Save and Close
- Rule added to horizontal group
- Repeat for multiple filters
Domain Syntax
Filter logic configuration:
Basic Domain Format:
[('field_name', 'operator', 'value')]Components:
- field_name: Model field to filter on
- operator: Comparison operator (= != > < in not in)
- value: Filter value
Common Operators:
| Operator | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| = | Equals | [('company_id', '=', 1)] |
| != | Not equals | [('state', '!=', 'draft')] |
| in | In list | [('id', 'in', [1,2,3])] |
| not in | Not in list | [('type', 'not in', ['out'])] |
| > | Greater than | [('date', '>', '2024-01-01')] |
| < | Less than | [('amount', '<', 1000)] |
Example: Company-Wise Filtering
Use Case:
Corporation with USA Europe Asia subsidiaries needing separate balance sheets per company.
Configuration:
Horizontal Group Setup:
- Name: Company Wise
- Reports: Balance Sheet
Filter Rules:
Rule 1: USA Company
Field Name: USA
Domain: [('company_id', '=', 1)]Rule 2: Europe Company
Field Name: Europe
Domain: [('company_id', '=', 2)]Rule 3: Asia Company
Field Name: Asia
Domain: [('company_id', '=', 3)]Report Output:
Balance Sheet displays three columns:
- USA column: Shows accounts belonging to Company 1
- Europe column: Shows accounts belonging to Company 2
- Asia column: Shows accounts belonging to Company 3
Side-by-side comparison enabling instant subsidiary performance analysis.
Example: Year-Over-Year Comparison
Configuration:
Horizontal Group Setup:
- Name: Year Comparison
- Reports: Profit and Loss
Filter Rules:
Rule 1: 2024
Field Name: 2024
Domain: [('date', '>=', '2024-01-01'), ('date', '<=', '2024-12-31')]Rule 2: 2023
Field Name: 2023
Domain: [('date', '>=', '2023-01-01'), ('date', '<=', '2023-12-31')]Rule 3: 2022
Field Name: 2022
Domain: [('date', '>=', '2022-01-01'), ('date', '<=', '2022-12-31')]Applying Horizontal Groups
Using in Reports:
- Go to Accounting → Reporting
- Select report:
- Balance Sheet
- Profit and Loss
- Cash Flow Statement
- Report displays with horizontal group selector
- Choose horizontal group from dropdown
- Report refreshes showing filtered columns
Report Display:
Example: Balance Sheet with Company Wise group
| Account | USA | Europe | Asia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Assets | 500000 | 350000 | 200000 |
| Fixed Assets | 300000 | 250000 | 150000 |
| Current Liabilities | 200000 | 150000 | 100000 |
| Equity | 600000 | 450000 | 250000 |
Benefits
Enhanced Readability
Side-by-side comparison easier visual pattern recognition faster analysis
Space Efficiency
Compact horizontal layout versus long vertical reports better page utilization
Instant Comparison
Multi-period multi-company data viewed simultaneously no manual compilation
Export Ready
Clean formatting for Excel PDF exports professional presentation
Customizable
Flexible domain syntax supporting any filter criteria business-specific needs
Decision Support
Quick variance identification trend spotting anomaly detection for executives
Best Practices
Use Descriptive Field Names Enabling Immediate Column Recognition: Generic names Column1 Column2 equals confusion requiring legend. Descriptive names USA Europe Asia or 2024 2023 2022 equals instant understanding. Users immediately recognize data category without reference documentation improving report usability reducing interpretation errors.
Combine Company and Year Filters for Comprehensive Analysis: Single dimension filtering limits insights. Multi-dimensional horizontal group: Company + Year showing USA-2024 USA-2023 Europe-2024 Europe-2023 columns equals powerful comparison capability. Identify company-specific trends year-over-year performance geographic variations supporting strategic planning.
Export Horizontal Group Reports to Excel for Stakeholder Distribution: Odoo reports optimized internal use. Excel export maintains horizontal layout enabling stakeholder sharing board presentations investor relations audit submissions. Professional formatting preserved formulas calculable supporting downstream analysis without manual reformatting.
Conclusion
Odoo 18 Horizontal Groups enables advanced financial report customization through domain-based filtering horizontal layout arrangement company-specific filtering year-based filtering multi-period comparison budget versus actual layout custom field filtering report template integration visual clarity improvement and rule-based configuration. Reduce report preparation time through automated filtering eliminating manual Excel manipulation enabling executive decision-making through instant comparisons supporting investor relations via subsidiary-specific reporting achieving audit compliance through accurate segmented financial statements providing flexible powerful report customization and enhancing stakeholder communication through professional clear financial reporting achieving business intelligence operational efficiency strategic planning support through systematic horizontal grouping implementation transforming static vertical reports into dynamic comparative analysis tools.
