Odoo.sh Watcher: Chrome extension to prevent staging branch expiry
Odoo.sh Watcher, developed by Franyer Hidalgo, is a Chrome extension that alerts Odoo developers and project managers before Odoo.sh staging branches expire. The extension runs background checks and delivers native desktop notifications to prevent accidental loss of test environments. It provides color-coded status indicators, configurable alert thresholds, and direct links to branches to help teams maintain QA cycles. Designed for Odoo developers, DevOps engineers, and QA testers, the tool reduces manual dashboard monitoring.
What is Odoo.sh Watcher used for?
The extension targets accidental loss of test environments by monitoring Odoo.sh projects in the background. It performs periodic checks and surfaces alerts via native desktop notifications, and shows color-coded countdowns for quick triage. The popup dashboard groups instances by project and separates Expiring and Expired tabs, while notifications and dashboard links provide one-click access to the exact branch for immediate action.
How often does it check projects and what resources does it use?
Checks run on a configurable schedule, with intervals selectable from 30 minutes to 24 hours, so teams can match the monitoring cadence to their QA cycles. The extension performs silent background checks without needing an open Odoo.sh tab, and the developer describes a lightweight permission model focused on Odoo.sh monitoring. Those settings help reduce manual dashboard polling while keeping browser impact minimal for routine use.
How does it fit into development and QA workflows?
The tool suits teams that manage many short-lived staging branches by offering ambient lifecycle awareness so work in progress does not vanish unexpectedly. Project managers and QA testers get visual priority cues via red/yellow/green indicators and can jump back to a branch with one click. Integrating the extension into a testing routine reduces the need for manual checks and helps teams preserve in-progress validation and bug reproduction sessions.
Best suited to Odoo teams that centralize monitoring in the browser
The tool suits Odoo developers and managers who track many short-lived branches and who centralize monitoring in the browser. Its single-purpose design reflects the developer's intent to solve expiration risk. The main trade-off is Chromium-only availability, which excludes non-Chromium environments. Adopt it where a browser extension can be part of your team's QA and branch maintenance routines for ongoing reliability.
