---
schema_version: "1"
id: 0cacf576d327a530b564c5bd6de1ee70385cc13c517d56bfd5a8a4a8442842de
title: Search for Files Connect External Files
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/experience/264-0-0/collab_files_connect_search.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=experience.collab_files_connect_search.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: 1a395650cee2f9b20554d1c51e601ba6a9c3db076a88e08bfe5beca70812ae43
description: Search an external data source, like Google Drive, Box, or SharePoint, right within Salesforce.
products:
  - Experiences
release: "264"
---
# Search for Files Connect External Files

Search an external data source, like Google Drive, Box, or SharePoint, right within Salesforce.

### Required Editions

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small edition"><colgroup><col></colgroup><tbody><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Available in: both Salesforce Classic and Lightning Experience</td></tr><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Files Connect for cloud-based external data sources is available in: <strong>Professional</strong>, <strong>Enterprise</strong>, <strong>Performance</strong>, <strong>Unlimited</strong>, and <strong>Developer</strong> Editions</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small permission">
      <colgroup>
        <col style="width:50%">
        <col style="width:50%">
      </colgroup>
      <thead class="slds-text-title_caps ">
        <tr class="">
          <th scope="colgroup" class="slds-cell-wrap" colspan="2" style="text-align:center;vertical-align:top;" id="d8869e71">User Permissions
            Needed</th>
        </tr>
      </thead>
      <tbody>
        <tr class="">
          <td data-label="User Permissions Needed" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d8869e71 ">To access cloud-based data sources like SharePoint Online:</td>

          <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d8869e71 ">Files Connect Cloud</td>

        </tr>
      </tbody>
    </table>

## Search in a Specific External Data Source

In Salesforce Classic:

1. From the left column of Files home or your Chatter feed, click the data source name.
2. In the search box, enter terms such as _document title_ or _author_. (The specific information that you can search for depends on the configuration of the external data source.)

![Search box for a specific external data source](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-experience-collaboration-264-0-0-production-enus/1aab5b5e-c990-4b8c-840a-6fb18af49709/collaboration/images/fc_xds_search.png)

![Note](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-experience-collaboration-264-0-0-production-enus/1aab5b5e-c990-4b8c-840a-6fb18af49709/images/icon_note.png)

Note You can also search external data sources from the file selector when attaching a file to a Chatter post. In Salesforce Classic, click **File** above the feed, and then select a file from Salesforce. In Lightning Experience, click the paperclip icon below the post to open the Select File window.

## Search Globally for Salesforce and External Data

If your administrator enables global search for an external data source, you can search its contents along with your Salesforce data.

In Salesforce Classic:

1. In the global search box at the top of the Salesforce window, enter your search terms.
2. To filter the results down to a specific external data source, click its name in the left column (for example, “SharePoint Online”).

![Global search results for external files](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-experience-collaboration-264-0-0-production-enus/1aab5b5e-c990-4b8c-840a-6fb18af49709/collaboration/images/fc_search_results.png)

![Tip](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-experience-collaboration-264-0-0-production-enus/1aab5b5e-c990-4b8c-840a-6fb18af49709/images/icon_tip.png)

Tip If you often want to see content from a specific external data source, pin it to the top of global search results. To pin it, in the left column, hover over the data source name, and click the pin icon. (If you don’t see the data source listed, click Search All.)

In Lightning Experience:

1. From Files home, enter a search term into the global search box in the header.
2. Optionally, filter your search results to return only Files.
    - Select **in Files** after entering your search in the global search box.
    - Do a global search and then select **Files** from the global search results.
    - Select **Files** from the global search Suggested For You menu, and then enter your search term.