Lead Mining in Odoo 18 CRM
By Braincuber Team
Published on January 13, 2026
Your B2B software company just launched in Germany. You need leads—specifically, technology companies with 50-200 employees in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and North Rhine-Westphalia. Your sales team could spend weeks researching companies manually, or they could use Odoo's Lead Mining feature and have 100 qualified leads in their pipeline within minutes. The leads come with company names, contact details, industry classification, and employee counts—ready for your sales reps to start calling.
Lead Mining in Odoo 18 CRM automatically generates new leads based on criteria you define: country, state, industry, company size, and even specific job roles. Instead of waiting for prospects to find you through marketing, you actively acquire potential customer data from external sources directly within Odoo. The feature uses Odoo's IAP (In-App Purchase) credits to fetch verified business data, giving your sales team a steady flow of qualified leads to pursue without manual research or external tools.
What is Lead Mining? An automated lead generation tool that pulls business data into your CRM based on filters you set. Choose the country, industry, company size, and target roles—Odoo delivers matching prospects directly to your pipeline. Uses IAP credits for each lead generated.
Why Use Lead Mining?
Targeted Prospecting
Filter by country, state, industry, and company size. Get leads that match your ideal customer profile instead of random contacts.
Save Research Time
No more manual LinkedIn searches or buying outdated contact lists. Get verified business data instantly within your CRM.
Consistent Lead Flow
Never run out of prospects. Generate new leads whenever your pipeline needs filling—on demand, automated, predictable.
CRM Integration
Leads go directly into your pipeline with assigned salesperson, tags, and team. No import/export—just click and start selling.
Lead Mining Workflow
LEAD MINING WORKFLOW IN ODOO 18 CRM ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ STEP 1: ENABLE LEAD MINING ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Location: CRM → Configuration → Settings Section: Lead Generation Action: Enable "Lead Mining" checkbox Result: "Generate Leads" button appears on Pipeline STEP 2: CONFIGURE LEAD CRITERIA ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── What do you need? • Companies only • Companies and their Contacts Geographic Filters: • Countries (e.g., Germany, France, United States) • States/Regions (e.g., Bavaria, California) Industry Filters: • Select from industry categories • Multiple industries supported Company Size: • Filter by employee count • Ranges: 1-10, 11-50, 51-200, 201-500, 500+ STEP 3: ASSIGN TO SALES TEAM ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── • Sales Team: Enterprise Sales, SMB Direct, etc. • Salesperson: Specific assignee for follow-up • Default Tags: Auto-tag for segmentation STEP 4: GENERATE LEADS ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── • Specify number of leads to generate • Click "Generate Leads" • Uses IAP credits (check balance first) • Leads appear in pipeline immediately STEP 5: SALES FOLLOW-UP ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── • Leads show in assigned salesperson's pipeline • Contact info includes: name, email, phone, company • Additional data: industry, size, website • Sales rep qualifies and converts to opportunity
Enable Lead Mining
Access CRM Settings
- Navigate to CRM → Configuration → Settings
- Scroll to the Lead Generation section
- Check the box next to Lead Mining
- Click Save
Verify Generate Leads Button
- Go to CRM → Pipeline
- Look for the Generate Leads button in the toolbar
- If visible, Lead Mining is successfully enabled
Generate Leads: Step by Step
Open Lead Generation Form
- From CRM Pipeline, click Generate Leads
- The lead generation configuration form opens
Define What You Need
- Number of leads: Enter how many leads to generate (e.g., 50, 100)
- Lead type: Choose "Companies" or "Companies and their Contacts"
Set Geographic Filters
- Countries: Select target countries from dropdown
- States: Optionally narrow down to specific regions
Apply Industry and Size Filters
- Industries: Select relevant industries (Technology, Manufacturing, Healthcare, etc.)
- Company Size: Filter by number of employees
Assign Sales Team and Tags
- Sales Team: Assign to appropriate team
- Salesperson: Assign to specific rep or leave blank for team distribution
- Default Tags: Add tags like "Lead Mining", "Q1 2026", or industry name
Generate and Review
- Click Generate Leads
- Leads are created and appear in your pipeline
- Each lead includes company info, contact details, and your assigned tags
Lead Mining Configuration Example
LEAD MINING CONFIGURATION EXAMPLE
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
SCENARIO: B2B Software Company Expanding to Germany
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
OBJECTIVE
Target mid-size technology companies in Germany
for our enterprise software solution.
CONFIGURATION
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
What do you need?
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Number of Leads: 100
Lead Type: Companies and their Contacts
Geographic Filters
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Countries: Germany
States: Bavaria
Baden-Württemberg
North Rhine-Westphalia
(Top 3 tech hubs)
Industry Filters
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Industries: Information Technology
Software Development
IT Services
Technology Consulting
Company Size Filter
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Min Employees: 50
Max Employees: 500
(Mid-market focus)
Role Filters (Optional)
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Preferred Role: IT Director
CTO
IT Manager
Other Roles: CEO
Operations Director
Assignment
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Sales Team: Enterprise Sales - DACH
Salesperson: Marcus Weber
Default Tags: Germany Expansion
Q1 2026
Enterprise
Technology
EXPECTED RESULTS
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Lead Example 1:
Company: TechSolutions GmbH
Contact: Dr. Hans Mueller (CTO)
Email: h.mueller@techsolutions.de
Phone: +49 89 123456
Location: Munich, Bavaria
Employees: 180
Industry: IT Services
Lead Example 2:
Company: DataWorks AG
Contact: Anna Schmidt (IT Director)
Email: a.schmidt@dataworks.de
Phone: +49 711 654321
Location: Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg
Employees: 95
Industry: Software Development
Lead Example 3:
Company: CloudBase Solutions
Contact: Thomas Becker (CEO)
Email: t.becker@cloudbase.de
Phone: +49 221 789012
Location: Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia
Employees: 220
Industry: Technology Consulting
CREDITS USED: 100 leads × credit rate = Total IAP credits
Managing Lead Mining Requests
Odoo maintains a history of all lead mining requests. You can track which requests have been processed, how many leads were generated, and the criteria used.
LEAD MINING REQUESTS MANAGEMENT ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ LOCATION: CRM → Configuration → Lead Mining Requests DASHBOARD COLUMNS ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Request # | Leads Generated | Target | Status ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── REQ-2026-001 | 100 | Companies | Completed REQ-2026-002 | 50 | Contacts | Completed REQ-2026-003 | 75 | Companies | Processing REQ-2026-004 | 200 | Contacts | Pending ADDITIONAL FIELDS SHOWN ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── • Countries selected • Sales Team assigned • Salesperson assigned • Tags applied • Date created • Date completed REQUEST STATUSES ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Pending: Request submitted, waiting for processing Processing: Currently fetching leads from data source Completed: All leads generated and added to CRM Failed: Error occurred (check credits/filters) ACTIONS AVAILABLE ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── • View request details • See generated leads • Create new request • Duplicate previous request with same criteria
IAP Credits and Pricing
Important: Lead Mining Uses IAP Credits
Each lead generated consumes IAP (In-App Purchase) credits. Before generating leads, ensure you have sufficient credits in your Odoo account. Purchase credits through: Settings → General Settings → In-App Purchases.
IAP CREDITS FOR LEAD MINING ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ CHECK CREDIT BALANCE ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Location: Settings → General Settings → In-App Purchases View: Current credit balance Action: Buy more credits CREDIT CONSUMPTION ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── • Each lead generated uses credits • Company-only leads may cost less • Company + Contact leads cost more • Pricing varies by data quality/source BEFORE GENERATING LEADS ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 1. Check your current credit balance 2. Calculate credits needed: Leads × Credit per lead 3. Purchase additional credits if needed 4. Generate leads TIPS TO OPTIMIZE CREDITS ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── • Use specific filters to get quality over quantity • Start with smaller batches (25-50) to test criteria • Focus on your ideal customer profile • Avoid overly broad geographic/industry filters
Best Practices
✅ Lead Mining Best Practices:
- Define your ICP first: Know your ideal customer profile before mining. What industry? What size? What location? Clear criteria = better leads
- Start with small batches: Generate 25-50 leads first to test your criteria. Adjust filters based on quality before scaling up
- Use specific industries: "Technology" is broad; "Enterprise Software" or "Cloud Services" is better targeted
- Filter by company size: If you sell enterprise software, filter for 200+ employees. If you target SMBs, filter for 10-50
- Assign to salespeople immediately: Leads sitting unassigned go stale. Assign to specific reps or round-robin to teams
- Tag your leads: Use tags like "Lead Mining Q1 2026" to track source and measure conversion rates
- Follow up quickly: Mined leads are not warm—they don't know you yet. Quick, personalized outreach is essential
- Track ROI: Compare leads mined → opportunities created → deals won to measure return on IAP credits spent
Lead Mining vs Traditional Methods
LEAD GENERATION METHOD COMPARISON
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LEAD MINING MANUAL RESEARCH
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Time to 100 leads Minutes Days/Weeks
Cost IAP Credits Staff time
Data accuracy Verified source Variable
CRM integration Automatic Manual import
Filtering Built-in Manual selection
Consistency Reliable Depends on person
Scalability High Limited
WHEN TO USE LEAD MINING
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
✓ Entering new geographic markets
✓ Launching new product/service
✓ Pipeline is running low
✓ Sales team needs fresh prospects
✓ Scaling outbound sales efforts
WHEN MANUAL RESEARCH IS BETTER
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
✓ Very niche industry (may not be in database)
✓ Specific named accounts (ABM strategy)
✓ Relationship-driven sales
✓ Existing network/referral sources
Common Issues and Solutions
Not Enough Leads Generated
Your filters may be too restrictive. Try: broadening geographic area, expanding industry selection, or widening company size range. The database may not have enough matching records.
Low Quality Leads
Your filters may be too broad. Try: more specific industries, narrower company size range, or targeting specific job roles. Quality improves with precision.
Insufficient Credits Error
Purchase more IAP credits before generating leads. Check balance at: Settings → General Settings → In-App Purchases. Buy credits, then retry your request.
Conclusion
Lead Mining in Odoo 18 CRM transforms prospecting from a time-consuming manual task into an automated, targeted process. By defining clear criteria—country, industry, company size, and roles—you get qualified leads delivered directly to your pipeline. Your sales team spends less time researching and more time selling. For startups entering new markets, growing companies expanding their reach, or established businesses needing a consistent prospect flow, Lead Mining provides the fuel your sales engine needs.
🎯 Key Takeaway: Enable Lead Mining in CRM Settings → Define your criteria (geography, industry, size) → Assign to sales team → Click Generate Leads → Prospects appear in pipeline ready for outreach. Turn IAP credits into qualified leads in minutes.