Odoo Search Panel Guide: Side Filters for List and Kanban Views

What Is the Search Panel?

The search panel is a sidebar filter panel that appears on the left side of list and kanban views. It provides persistent, visual filtering — similar to category navigation in e-commerce sites. Users click categories or checkboxes to filter records without typing search queries.

<search>
    <searchpanel>
        <field name="categ_id" icon="fa-th-list" enable_counters="1"/>
        <field name="state" select="multi" icon="fa-filter" enable_counters="1"/>
    </searchpanel>
</search>

Selection Modes

Single select is best for categories (one active at a time). Multi select is best for tags, states, or any field where users want to combine filters.

Basic Configuration

<search>
    <!-- Regular search fields -->
    <field name="name"/>
    <field name="partner_id"/>

    <!-- Search panel (sidebar) -->
    <searchpanel>
        <!-- Category: single select, hierarchical -->
        <field name="categ_id" icon="fa-th-list" enable_counters="1"/>

        <!-- Tags: multi select -->
        <field name="tag_ids" select="multi" icon="fa-tags" enable_counters="1"/>

        <!-- State: multi select -->
        <field name="state" select="multi" icon="fa-filter" enable_counters="1"/>
    </searchpanel>
</search>

enable_counters

The enable_counters="1" attribute shows the count of matching records next to each filter option. This helps users see at a glance how many records match each category:

Product Category
  All               (150)
  Electronics       (45)
  Furniture         (32)
  Clothing          (73)

Without counters, users cannot tell if a category has records without clicking it. Always enable counters unless performance is a concern (large datasets with many categories).

Hierarchical Categories

For Many2one fields that have a parent_id (hierarchical models), the search panel automatically shows a tree structure:

<!-- product.category has parent_id, so it shows as a tree -->
<field name="categ_id" icon="fa-th-list" enable_counters="1"/>

<!-- Renders as:
  All
    Electronics
      Computers
        Laptops
        Desktops
      Phones
    Furniture
      Chairs
      Tables
-->

Clicking a parent category shows records from all child categories too.

Custom Search Panel on Specific Views

Search panels are defined in the search view. To add a search panel to a specific list/kanban view, create or inherit the model's search view:

<record id="view_product_search_panel" model="ir.ui.view">
    <field name="name">product.template.search.panel</field>
    <field name="model">product.template</field>
    <field name="inherit_id" ref="product.product_template_search_view"/>
    <field name="arch" type="xml">
        <search position="inside">
            <searchpanel>
                <field name="categ_id" icon="fa-th-list"
                       enable_counters="1" limit="200"/>
                <field name="type" select="multi"
                       icon="fa-cubes" enable_counters="1"/>
            </searchpanel>
        </search>
    </field>
</record>

Search Panel with Grouped Data

You can group search panel options by another field:

<searchpanel>
    <field name="user_id" select="multi"
           groupby="team_id" enable_counters="1"/>
</searchpanel>

<!-- Renders as:
  Sales Team Alpha
    [ ] John
    [ ] Jane
  Sales Team Beta
    [ ] Bob
    [ ] Alice
-->

Limit and Performance

For models with thousands of category values, the search panel can be slow. Use the limit attribute:

<field name="partner_id" select="multi" enable_counters="1" limit="100"/>

This limits the number of options shown. If there are more values than the limit, the search panel shows a "Too many items" message.

Search Panel on Kanban Views

Search panels work on both list and kanban views. On kanban, they provide category navigation alongside the card layout:

<!-- The search panel is defined in the search view, not the kanban view -->
<!-- It automatically appears when viewing the model in kanban mode -->

<!-- Action that shows kanban with search panel -->
<record id="action_products_with_panel" model="ir.actions.act_window">
    <field name="name">Products</field>
    <field name="res_model">product.template</field>
    <field name="view_mode">kanban,tree,form</field>
    <field name="search_view_id" ref="view_product_search_panel"/>
</record>

Color-Coded Options

For Many2many fields with a color attribute (like tags), the search panel can show colored indicators:

<field name="tag_ids" select="multi"
       icon="fa-tags" enable_counters="1"
       color_field="color"/>

Limitations

• Search panels work in list (tree) and kanban views only — not in form, pivot, or graph views
• Only stored fields can be used — computed non-stored fields are not supported
• Counters add a query per panel field, which can slow down large datasets
• Maximum one single-select (category) field recommended — multiple categories confuse users
• The panel takes horizontal space — on small screens it can feel cramped

Best Practices

• Use one category field (single select) for primary navigation
• Use multi-select for tags, states, or any combinable filter
• Always enable counters for user-facing views
• Set reasonable limits (50-200) for fields with many values
• Combine search panel with search filters for power users
• Test with production data volumes to catch performance issues