---
schema_version: "1"
id: 06759fea2d22a5ff22e19be64f0d31b398a2895462b87b2678e1fad886bec753
title: Connect External Objects to Your Salesforce Org
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/xcloud/264-0-0/connect_external_objects.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.connect_external_objects.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: 3299a8f44cfa17ce4d3534329e2312f91de9b9b7f33c7e9a7ca3a31baf378669
description: Set up the OData service as an External Data Source, and customize object tabs and External Object layouts.
products:
  - Security
  - Cross Cloud
release: "264"
---
# Connect External Objects to Your Salesforce Org

Set up the OData service as an External Data Source, and customize object tabs and External Object layouts.

### 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: all editions</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:center;vertical-align:top;" id="d26597e34">User Permissions Needed</th>
          </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="User Permissions Needed" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d26597e34 ">To set up the OData service as an External Data Source:</td>
            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d26597e34 ">ModifyAllData and PrivacyCenter</td>
          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="User Permissions Needed" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d26597e34 ">To customize object tabs and External Object layouts:</td>
            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d26597e34 ">ModifyAllData and PrivacyCenter</td>
          </tr>
        </tbody>
      </table>

![New External Data Source panel](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-xcloud-data_protection_and_privacy-264-0-0-production-enus/27d1bf87-a47b-491a-8339-f53ef6540aec/data_protection_and_privacy/images/new_external_data_source.png)

1. From Setup, in the Quick Find box, enter External, then select **External Data Sources** in the dropdown. Click **New External Data Source**.
2. Enter an External Data Source and Name, and select **Salesforce Connect: OData 4.0** as the Type.
3. Paste the OData 4.0 Service URL into the URL parameter.
4. To use the read/write capabilities of OData 4.0, select **Writable External Objects.**
5. Choose **Named Principal** as the Identity Type and **Password Authentication** as the Authentication Protocol.
6. Enter your username and password.
7. Save your work.
8. Click **Validate and Sync**. Check your connection to the external system, and select the tables you want as External Objects.
    
    ![Note](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-xcloud-data_protection_and_privacy-264-0-0-production-enus/27d1bf87-a47b-491a-8339-f53ef6540aec/images/icon_note.png)
    
    Note Initially, table names have $ characters instead of periods, but you can edit the labels later.
9. To create custom object tabs and customize layouts for External Objects, click **Edit** beside the name of the object you want to update.

To make SOQL queries against your external object, use the API name \[object name\]\_x. For example, for the external object public\_customer, the associated API name is public\_customer\_x.