---
schema_version: "1"
id: 84473e3bf0a05466ea61990c20dbf0ea0978738c282cec2d98e3b475601b679a
title: Unify Individuals or Accounts with an External Link
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/data/264-0-0/c360_a_identity_resolution_unify_externallink.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=data.c360_a_identity_resolution_unify_externallink.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: 93d028476033f55c4ad9f7f4e7c8916ee9f503e030f2c8f0767fbbe0468ce8f2
description: Matching on an external link lets you unify profiles that have been identified as matching in an external data source. Your source data must include an ID that identifies the matched records.
products:
  - Data 360
release: "264"
---
# Unify Individuals or Accounts with an External Link

Matching on an external link lets you unify profiles that have been identified as matching in an external data source. Your source data must include an ID that identifies the matched records.

Matching based on external links improves profile matching in complex situations by ensuring that records stay linked even if attribute data changes. For example, match an anonymous user profile to a logged in user profile by contributing the link during the browser session. Or, add identifiers to source profiles to unify profiles that wouldn’t normally match based on regular rules.

#### See Also

- [_Salesforce Help_: Configure Identity Resolution Match Rules](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=data.c360_a_match_rules_configure.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Specify how identity resolution identifies matching records in Data 360.")