How to Override the ObjectModel in PrestaShop

In PrestaShop, overriding the ObjectModel is a common way to extend core entities like Customer, Product, or Order without modifying core files.

In this guide, we’ll walk through a real-world implementation:
Adding a blacklist flag to customers by overriding the Customer ObjectModel.

What You’ll Build

By the end of this tutorial, you will:

• Add a new field is_black_listed in the customer table
• Extend the Customer ObjectModel
• Set a default value for new customers
• Keep everything upgrade-safe inside a module

Step 1: Create Module Structure

Create the following folder structure:

modules/
└── customerblacklist/
    ├── customerblacklist.php
    ├── classes/
    │   └── CustomerBlackListInstall.php
    └── override/
        └── classes/
            └── Customer.php

Step 2: Add a New Column to the Customer Table

We first extend the database schema by adding a new column.

classes/CustomerBlackListInstall.php

class CustomerBlackListInstall
{
    public function addColumn()
    {
        return Db::getInstance()->execute(
            'ALTER TABLE `' . _DB_PREFIX_ . 'customer`
             ADD COLUMN `is_black_listed` TINYINT(1) NOT NULL DEFAULT 0'
        );
    }

    public function removeColumn()
    {
        return Db::getInstance()->execute(
            'ALTER TABLE `' . _DB_PREFIX_ . 'customer`
             DROP COLUMN `is_black_listed`'
        );
    }
}

Step 3: Override the Customer ObjectModel

Now we extend the core Customer model.

override/classes/Customer.php

class Customer extends CustomerCore
{
    public $is_black_listed;

    public function __construct($id = null)
    {
        self::$definition['fields']['is_black_listed'] = [
            'type' => self::TYPE_BOOL,
            'validate' => 'isBool',
            'default' => 1,
        ];

        parent::__construct($id);

        if (!$this->id) {
            $this->is_black_listed = 1;
        }
    }
}

What’s happening here?

• We extend CustomerCore
• Add a new field to $definition
• Set a default value for new customers

Step 4: Create the Main Module File

customerblacklist.php

class Customerblacklist extends Module
{
    public function __construct()
    {
        $this->name = 'customerblacklist';
        $this->version = '1.0.0';
        $this->author = 'Webkul';
        $this->bootstrap = true;

        parent::__construct();

        $this->displayName = 'Customer Blacklist';
        $this->description = 'Adds blacklist flag to customers';
    }

    public function install()
    {
        require_once __DIR__ . '/classes/CustomerBlackListInstall.php';
        $installer = new CustomerBlackListInstall();

        return parent::install() && $installer->addColumn();
    }

    public function uninstall()
    {
        require_once __DIR__ . '/classes/CustomerBlackListInstall.php';
        $installer = new CustomerBlackListInstall();

        return parent::uninstall() && $installer->removeColumn();
    }
}

Step 5: Install and Enable Override

1. Go to Module Manager
2. Upload and install the module
3. Clear cache:
   • Advanced Parameters → Performance
4. Make sure:
   • Disable Overrides = NO

Verify the Implementation

After installing the module, you can verify that the new field has been added and is working correctly.

1. Register a new customer from the storefront or back office.
2. Navigate to:
   Advanced Parameters → Database → SQL Manager
3. Click on “Add new SQL query” and use the following query:

SELECT id_customer, firstname, lastname, email, is_black_listed FROM ps_customer;

4. Execute the query.

In the results, you will see the newly added column is_black_listed.
For newly created customers, its value will be set automatically based on the default defined in the override.

Result

Now:

• A new field is_black_listed is added to customers
• Default value = 1
• Accessible via $customer->is_black_listed
• When a new customer is created, the is_black_listed field is populated with the desired data as per the override.

Conclusion

Overriding ObjectModel in PrestaShop allows you to extend core entities in a clean and upgrade-safe way.

In this example, we successfully:

• Extended the Customer model
• Added a custom database field
• Controlled default behavior

This same approach can be used for:

• Adding custom product attributes
• Extending order logic
• Enhancing customer data

That’s all about this blog. Hope it will help you.

If you are facing any issues or have any doubts about the above process, please feel free to contact us through the comment section.

Also, you can explore our Prestashop Development Services and a large range of quality Prestashop Modules.

For any doubt, contact us at support@webkul.com