---
schema_version: "1"
id: c7897e580bd3f80208c065c4b729b388d92eed46905d740ce228e85f46e404aa
title: Writable External Objects in Salesforce Connect
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/platform/264-0-0/platform_connect_considerations_writable_external_objects.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.platform_connect_considerations_writable_external_objects.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: 751c9fafd3af018eff78905a5a517fce3bc265db9618ca77f310eddf97c45b6a
description: Select Writable External Objects when you define an external data source and use Salesforce Connect external objects to create, update, and delete data. External objects are read only by default.
products:
  - Salesforce Platform
  - Security
release: "264"
---
# Writable External Objects in Salesforce Connect

Select **Writable External Objects** when you define an external data source and use Salesforce Connect external objects to create, update, and delete data. External objects are read only by default.

### 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 (not for high-data-volume
            external objects)</td>

        </tr>
        <tr class="">
          <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">
            <p>Available in: <strong>Developer</strong> Edition</p>
            <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Available for an extra cost
              in: <strong>Enterprise</strong>, <strong>Performance</strong>, and <strong>Unlimited</strong>
              Editions</p>
          </td>

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

![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 For external data sources of Amazon Athena type, writable external objects aren’t supported.

External systems execute write operations initiated from Salesforce and also handle write conflicts, if any.

- It can take some time for changes to external object records to take effect. If you don’t see recent changes when you view or query an external object record, try again later.
- It can’t be guaranteed that all write operations that are initiated from Salesforce are applied in case of write conflicts.

If Salesforce attempts to save changes to an external object and a standard or custom object in the same transaction, an error occurs. As a best practice, we recommend you use a separate transaction to access or modify data in an external system.

Write operations on external object records initiated from different contexts can occur in varying order. When you create, update, or delete external object records via the user interface, processes or flows, operations occur synchronously. When Apex is used to perform external records operations, operations occur asynchronously and an active background queue minimizes potential save conflicts. To monitor an asynchronous job progress, use [`BackgroundOperation`](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/atlas.en-us.object_reference.meta/object_reference/sforce_api_objects_backgroundoperation.htm).

![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 When a custom field on an external object record is edited, leading and trailing spaces are removed from the field value.

#### See Also

- [Salesforce Connect](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.platform_connect_about.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Salesforce Connect provides seamless integration of data across system boundaries by letting your users view, search, and modify data that’s stored outside your Salesforce org. For example, perhaps you have data that’s stored on premises in an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. Instead of copying the data into your org, you can use external objects to access the data in real time via web service callouts.")
- [Salesforce Platform Features Supported by Salesforce Connect](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.platform_connect_considerations.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Salesforce Connect provides seamless integration with the Salesforce Platform and enables users to view, search, and modify external object data.")
- [External Data Sources With Salesforce Connect](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.platform_connect_writable_external_objects.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Salesforce Connect uses external data sources to access data that's stored outside your Salesforce org. You must configure an external data source and synchronize it to map its tables with external objects in Salesforce.")
- [_Apex Developer Guide_: Writable External Objects](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/atlas.en-us.apexcode.meta/apexcode/apex_connector_external_objects_writeable.htm)