---
schema_version: "1"
id: 4b7ba4e9b8f4299b555be2605afcf3186096b3455ead5fd3cca48a46d2b5f7cf
title: Indirect Lookup Relationship Fields on External Objects
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/platform/264-0-0/external_object_indirect_lookup_relationships.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.external_object_indirect_lookup_relationships.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: 2452b3b70ac2750a9e241d5dacd3ae42faa7403e7f4e4da23a8355000da9610e
description: Use an indirect lookup relationship when the external data doesn’t include Salesforce record IDs.
products:
  - Salesforce Platform
  - Security
release: "264"
---
# Indirect Lookup Relationship Fields on External Objects

Use an indirect lookup relationship when the external data doesn’t include Salesforce record IDs.

### Required Editions

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small edition">
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        <col>
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          <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Available in: both Salesforce Classic
            and Lightning Experience</td>

        </tr>
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          <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">
            <p>Salesforce Connect is available in: <strong>Developer</strong> Edition and for an extra
              cost in: <strong>Enterprise</strong>, <strong>Performance</strong>, and <strong>Unlimited</strong> Editions</p>
            <p><span id="external_object_indirect_lookup_relationships__files_connect_cloud_editions"><a name="external_object_indirect_lookup_relationships__files_connect_cloud_editions"><!-- --></a>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</span></p>
            <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Federated Search is available in: <strong>Enterprise</strong>,
              <strong>Professional</strong>, <strong>Unlimited</strong>, and <strong>Developer</strong> Editions
            </p>
          </td>

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

An indirect lookup relationship links a child external object to a parent standard or custom object. When you create an indirect lookup relationship field on an external object, you specify the parent object field and the child object field to match against each other.

Specifically, you select a custom unique, external ID field on the parent object to match against the child’s indirect lookup relationship field, whose values are determined by the specified External Column Name.

If the external system uses case-sensitive values in the specified External Column Name, make sure that the parent object field is also case-sensitive. When you define the parent object’s custom field, select **External ID**, **Unique**, and **Treat "ABC" and "abc" as different values (case sensitive)**.

![Note](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-platform-extend_click-264-0-0-production-enus/5f7d9219-b7b1-4552-8891-f1aba9b289fc/images/icon_note.png)

Note Only objects that have a custom field with the `External ID` and `Unique` attributes are available as parent objects in indirect lookup relationships. If you don't see the desired object when you create an indirect lookup relationship field, add a custom unique, external ID field to that object.

![Example](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-platform-extend_click-264-0-0-production-enus/5f7d9219-b7b1-4552-8891-f1aba9b289fc/images/icon_example.png)

Example

- Account record (parent standard object) displays a related list of SAP sales orders (child external object) with matching customer IDs that aren’t Salesforce IDs.
- Contact record (parent standard object) displays a related list of social media posts (child external object) with matching social media handles.

#### See Also

- [External Object Relationships](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.external_object_relationships.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "External objects support standard lookup relationships, which use the 18-character Salesforce record IDs to associate related records with each other. However, data that’s stored outside your Salesforce org often doesn’t contain those record IDs. Therefore, two special types of lookup relationships are available for external objects: external lookups and indirect lookups.")
- [Create Custom Fields](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.adding_fields.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Change the Data Type of a Custom Field](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.customize_fieldtype.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "You can modify the data type of a custom field. For example, you can change a field from Text to Text Area (Long).")
- [Considerations for Object Relationships](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.relationships_considerations.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Review these considerations before creating relationships between objects.")
- [Include a Files Connect Data Source in Global Search](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=experience.admin_files_connect_search.htm&type=5&language=en_US)