--- schema_version: "1" id: 05600d04b36cf6439f4c1e72957dfcb2c087919a7e02a4a169c32d8586b80bda title: OData Query String Options collection: admin version: current locale: en-us portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/platform/264-0-0/odata_query_string_options.md canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.odata_query_string_options.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 source_site: help.salesforce.com content_type: documentation content_hash: 2b24dfa650d7b6a8aa7600aacb1209b87d0e8a539f85e002bc0ff248be01d07d description: The OData adapters for Salesforce Connect use a subset of the OData 2.0 and 4.0 and 4.01 system functions and filter expression constructs to query external systems. products: - Salesforce Platform - Security release: "264" --- # OData Query String Options The OData adapters for Salesforce Connect use a subset of the OData 2.0 and 4.0 and 4.01 system functions and filter expression constructs to query external systems. ### Required Editions
Available in: both Salesforce Classic and Lightning Experience (not for high-data-volume external objects)

Available in: Developer Edition

Available for an extra cost in: Enterprise, Performance, and Unlimited Editions
Salesforce automatically creates the OData queries so that you, as an administrator or developer, don’t have to. However, understanding how OData queries are generated—or even attempting manual OData queries—can help you troubleshoot issues with the external system’s OData producer. For details about each system query option, go to [www.odata.org](http://www.odata.org). Salesforce Connect supports only the following OData system query options. All other options in the OData 2.0, 4.0, and 4.01 specifications are unused. - [`$count` (OData 4.0 and 4.01)](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.odata_query_string_options.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5) - [`$filter`](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.odata_query_string_options.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5) - [`$inlinecount` (OData 2.0 only)](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.odata_query_string_options.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5) - [`$orderby`](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.odata_query_string_options.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5) - [`$search` (OData 4.0 and 4.01)](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.odata_query_string_options.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5) - [`$select`](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.odata_query_string_options.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5) - [`$skip`](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.odata_query_string_options.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5) - [`$top`](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.odata_query_string_options.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5) A query search string to an external system is sent as a case-sensitive single phrase after removing all ASCII punctuation characters except hyphens (-). For example, if the search string is Sales & Marketing, the external system receives Sales Marketing. ## `$count` (OData 4.0 and 4.01) Specifies that the response must include the number of rows that the URI identifies after `$filter` system query options are applied, but before `$top` and `$skip` system query options are applied. For OData 4.01, `$count=true` is hard coded and for OData 4.0, `$count=true` when Request Row Counts is enabled on the external data source. The total items in the result set is the same as the LIMIT value in the query for values less than 202. If the LIMIT value is greater than 202, then 202 items are returned to indicate that more records exist in the next batch. For OData 4.0, if Request Row Counts is disabled, Salesforce includes `$count=false` in all OData 4.0 queries of the external data source, and 2000 items are returned in each result set. | Examples |   | | --- | --- | | User action in Salesforce | View or access an external object. | | SOQL query | Any SOQL query of an external object | | Resulting OData query | `http://services.example.org/my.svc/Suppliers?$select=SupplierID&​**$count=true**&$top=26` | ## `$filter` Filters the collection of resources that’s addressed by a request URL. The response contains the results that evaluate to `true`. | Examples |   | | --- | --- | | User action in Salesforce | Open a list view of cities from supplier records that are filtered so that the country is USA. | | SOQL query | `SELECT City__c FROM Suppliers__x **WHERE Country__c = 'USA'** ORDER BY City__c ASC LIMIT 26` | | Resulting OData query | `http://services.example.org/my.svc/Suppliers?$orderby=City&​$select=City,SupplierID&$inlinecount=allpages&**$filter=Country+eq+'USA'**&​$top=26` | ## `$inlinecount` (OData 2.0 only) Specifies that the response must include a count of the number of rows that the URI identifies after `$filter` system query options are applied but before `$top` and `$skip` system query options are applied. When Request Row Counts is enabled on the external data source, Salesforce uses `$inlinecount` in all OData 2.0 queries of that external data source to determine the total number of items in each result set. If Request Row Counts is disabled, `$inlinecount` is excluded from all OData 2.0 queries of the external data source. | Examples |   | | --- | --- | | User action in Salesforce | View or access an external object. | | SOQL query | Any SOQL query of an external object. | | Resulting OData query | `http://services.example.org/my.svc/Suppliers?$select=SupplierID&​**$inlinecount=allpages**&$top=26` | ## `$orderby` Sorts the result set in ascending or descending order. The fields in the ORDER BY clause of the SOQL query don't always match the properties used by the `$orderby` option in the resulting OData query. If you use the OFFSET clause in the SOQL query, the entity key property is added in the resulting OData query. | Examples |   | | --- | --- | | User action in Salesforce | Open a list view of supplier records that are ordered by company name. | | SOQL query | `SELECT CompanyName__c,ContactName__c FROM Suppliers__x **ORDER BY CompanyName__c ASC** LIMIT 26` | | Resulting OData query | `http://services.example.org/my.svc/Suppliers?**$orderby=CompanyName**&​$select=CompanyName,ContactName,SupplierID&$inlinecount=allpages&$top=26` | ## `$search` (OData 4.0 and 4.01) Requests entities that match the search query string as a free-text search expression. For OData 4.0, enable this option by selecting Use Free-Text Search Expressions on the external data source. By default, Use Free-Text Search Expressions isn’t enabled. The search query string is used as the `contains` value in the `$filter` system query option. | Examples |   | | --- | --- | | User action in Salesforce | View or access an external object. | | SOQL query | Any SOQL query of an external object | | Resulting OData query | `http://services.example.org/my.svc/Shippers?​$select=CompanyName,Phone,ShipperID&​$count=true&**$search=Acme**&$top=25` | ## `$select` Requests a limited set of properties for each entity. | Examples |   | | --- | --- | | User action in Salesforce | Open a list view of supplier records where the page layout displays the company name and contact name. | | SOQL query | `**SELECT CompanyName__c,ContactName__c** FROM Suppliers__x ORDER BY CompanyName__c ASC LIMIT 26` | | Resulting OData query | `http://services.example.org/my.svc/Suppliers?$orderby=CompanyName&​**$select=CompanyName,ContactName,SupplierID**&$inlinecount=allpages&$top=26` | ## `$skip` Specifies the number of items in the queried collection to skip in the result set. | Examples |   | | --- | --- | | User action in Salesforce | Click to view the second page of a list view of supplier records that are ordered by city. | | SOQL query | `SELECT City__c,CompanyName__c FROM Suppliers__x ORDER BY City__c ASC **OFFSET 25**` | | Resulting OData query | `http://services.example.org/my.svc/Suppliers?$orderby=City&​$select=City,CompanyName,SupplierID&$inlinecount=allpages&$top=25&​**$skip=25**` | ## `$top` Specifies the number of items in the queried collection to include in the result. The value in the `LIMIT` clause of a SOQL query doesn’t always match the requested `$top` value, because the latter is modified as needed for client-driven paging and `queryMore()` calls. | Examples |   | | --- | --- | | User action in Salesforce | Open a list view of the top 25 supplier records. | | SOQL query | `SELECT SupplierID__c FROM Suppliers__x **LIMIT 25**` | | Resulting OData query | `http://services.example.org/my.svc/Suppliers?$select=SupplierID&​$inlinecount=allpages&**$top=25**` | - **[OData 2.0 Query Options](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.odata_considerations_search.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)** By default, the search query string is used as the `substringof` value in the `$filter` system query option. - **[OData 4.0 and 4.01 Query Options](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.odata_considerations_search_v4.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)** By default, the search query string is used as the `contains` value in the `$filter` system query option. #### See Also - [OData Producer Considerations for Salesforce Connect OData Adapters](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.platform_connect_considerations_remote_data_service.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Understand the limits and recommendations for the remote data service that exposes the external data via OData 2.0, 4.0, and 4.01 to your Salesforce org.") - [OData Reference for Salesforce Connect OData Adapters](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.odata_reference.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Get to know the Salesforce implementation of the OData protocol for accessing external systems with Salesforce Connect.") - [Client-Driven and Server-Driven Paging for Salesforce Connect OData Adapters](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.odata_paging.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "It's common for Salesforce Connect queries of external data to have a large result set that's broken into smaller batches or pages. You can decide whether to have the paging behavior controlled by the external system (server-driven) or by the OData adapter for Salesforce Connect (client-driven).")