Fix Zapier Odoo AccessDenied Error: Authentication Failed
If you are trying to connect Zapier to an Odoo instance and you receive the following error:
Authentication failed: Odoo API Error (AccessDenied): Access Denied
you might think the issue is related to incorrect credentials or user permissions. However, in many cases the real problem is actually a server configuration setting in Odoo.
This article explains why the error happens and how to fix it in seconds.
Why Zapier Shows the "AccessDenied" Error with Odoo
When Zapier connects to Odoo, it communicates through the XML-RPC API.
During the connection process, Zapier first tries to retrieve the list of available databases from the Odoo server before performing authentication.
If your Odoo configuration contains the following setting:
list_db = FalseOdoo blocks the database listing endpoint.
Because Zapier cannot access the database selector, it fails to complete the authentication process and returns the misleading error: AccessDenied — even though your credentials may be perfectly correct.
The Simple Fix (Recommended Solution)
To fix the issue, you need to enable database listing in your Odoo configuration file.
Step 1: Open your Odoo configuration file
Usually located at:
/etc/odoo/odoo.confor
/etc/odoo.confStep 2: Enable database listing
Update or add the following parameter:
list_db = TrueExample configuration:
[options]
admin_passwd = yourpassword
db_host = False
db_port = False
db_user = odoo
db_password = False
list_db = TrueStep 3: Restart the Odoo service
sudo systemctl restart odooAfter restarting the service, try connecting Zapier to Odoo again. In most cases, the connection will work immediately.
Why This Fix Works
Zapier's integration with Odoo requires access to the database listing endpoint during the connection process.
When list_db is disabled
- Zapier cannot retrieve the database name
- Authentication fails
- Odoo returns an AccessDenied error
When list_db is enabled
- Zapier properly discovers the database
- Authentication via XML-RPC succeeds
- Connection works immediately
Additional Troubleshooting Tips
If the issue persists after enabling list_db, verify the following:
| Check | Details |
|---|---|
| Odoo URL | Make sure you are using the correct Odoo instance URL (including https://) |
| Database name | Verify the exact database name used in the connection |
| User credentials | Check the user login (email) and password are correct |
| XML-RPC access | Ensure XML-RPC endpoints are enabled and accessible |
| Firewall | Confirm no firewall is blocking API endpoints on your server |
Conclusion
If you encounter "Authentication failed: Odoo API Error (AccessDenied)" while connecting Zapier to Odoo, the problem is often caused by the configuration:
list_db = False
Simply change it to list_db = True, restart Odoo, and the connection should work.