---
schema_version: "1"
id: cd561b26594c5bee299c705265b23a4413b06481f219f8671117f622827228bd
title: Generate Flow Choice Options From External Data
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/platform/264-0-0/flow_elements_screen_choose_external_data.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.flow_elements_screen_choose_external_data.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: cf4d776d2ebc5bd2bb7f39b6cc2972593b6186c87fec86e53537fbe895928e98
description: If your business process interacts with external data, your users can select from it on flow screens.
products:
  - Flow Builder
  - Salesforce Platform
release: "264"
---
# Generate Flow Choice Options From External Data

If your business process interacts with external data, your users can select from it on flow screens.

### 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;"><a href="https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.flow_ref_supported_editions.htm&amp;release=264.0.0&amp;type=5" title="Learn about the editions and user interfaces that support Flow Builder. Some Flow Builder features integrate with other Salesforce products that require additional licenses.">View supported editions.</a></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:left;vertical-align:top;" id="d343719e57">User Permissions Needed</th>
          </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="User Permissions Needed" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d343719e57 ">To open, edit, create, activate or
              deactivate a flow using all flow types, elements, and features available in Flow
              Builder, including Einstein and Agentforce for Flow:</td>

            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d343719e57 ">Manage Flow</td>

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

![Note](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-platform-platform_automation-264-0-0-production-enus/60568438-ec7e-4665-acd1-7c80dcbe60d5/images/icon_note.png)

Note You don't need to be an admin to have the Manage Flow permission. Ask your admin to add it to your profile or permission set.

You can allow users to select external data.

1. Create a collection choice set and reference an Apex-defined collection from an external service, Apex action, or another screen component.
2. Add your collection choice set to the appropriate choice component, such as a picklist.

![Example](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-platform-platform_automation-264-0-0-production-enus/60568438-ec7e-4665-acd1-7c80dcbe60d5/images/icon_example.png)

Example

For example, a car dealership stores car inventory data outside of Salesforce. They have an external service to access the inventory, and now their users can select which cars to view.

At runtime, the picklist options are generated based on whatever data was populated in the referenced Apex-defined collection.