More Features Supported by Salesforce Connect

External objects are available to Salesforce APIs, SOQL queries, SOSL and Salesforce searches, packages, Metadata API, change sets, and Lightning Experience app.

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

API Query

To know how Salesforce Connect accesses the external data in real time via Web service callouts, see query(), queryAll(), and queryMore().
To understand the limitations that apply to queryAll() and queryMore() calls on external data, see External Objects in the SOAP API Developer Guide.
To implement server-driven or client-driven paging for external object data that’s obtained by a custom adapter, see Paging with the Apex Connector Framework.

SOQL

To know about the specific limits SOQL applies to external objects, see External objects in SOQL Limits on Objects.
To understand the limitations for external objects when you design SOQL relationship queries, see Understanding Relationship Query Limitations.

SOSL and Salesforce Searches

To know about the specific limits SOSL applies to external objects in search results, see SOSL Limits on External Object Search Results.
To learn about how to add RETURNING clause to a SOSL query with external objects, see RETURNING FieldSpec.
To understand how search works with external objects, look for external objects in Searchable Fields by Object in Lightning Experience and Searchable Fields by Object in Salesforce Classic.
(Salesforce Classic only) Search results for external object display only the top 25 rows.

Packaging

To understand how packaging affects external data sources and external objects, see Special Behavior of Components in Packages.
To know what components are automatically included in the package when you add external data sources and external objects, see Components Automatically Added to Packages.
To learn about the behavior of external data sources and external objects with permission sets or profile settings, see About Permission Sets and Profile Settings.

Deployment via the Metadata API

In Metadata API, external objects are represented as CustomObject.

Change Sets

External objects are included in the Custom Object component.

Lightning Experience App

When you access external objects from the Lightning Experience app, the associated external data sources must have the High Data Volume option deselected. This requirement doesn’t apply to the cross-org adapter for Salesforce Connect.