---
schema_version: "1"
id: 8a10f954182b6fe352bd4644fe9225b191802464d55ae81c4f2363346d393f39
title: Create or Edit an External Credential
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/xcloud/264-0-0/nc_create_edit_external_credential.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.nc_create_edit_external_credential.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: 3ae17530702c7c39dc4d51eeb2b53be85d50bcefa67a0972c9f33cdcb1d34617
description: To use named credentials, you must first configure an external credential. The external credential represents the details of how Salesforce authenticates to an external system via an authentication protocol.
products:
  - Security
release: "264"
---
# Create or Edit an External Credential

To use named credentials, you must first configure an external credential. The external credential represents the details of how Salesforce authenticates to an external system via an authentication protocol.

### 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 (not available in all orgs) and Lightning Experience</td></tr><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="d85952e41">User Permissions
              Needed</th>
          </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="User Permissions Needed" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d85952e41 ">To view external credentials:</td>

            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d85952e41 ">View Setup and Configuration</td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="User Permissions Needed" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d85952e41 ">To create, edit, or delete external credentials:</td>

            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d85952e41 ">Manage Named Credentials or Customize Applications</td>

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

Before creating a named credential, you must create at least one external credential to map the named credential to. The specific steps to create an external credential vary depending on the authentication protocol you choose. For more on authentication protocols, see [Authentication Protocols for Named Credentials](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.nc_auth_protocols.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Your connections between Salesforce and external systems use an authentication protocol to confirm secure communication between the two systems. Choose the authentication protocol that matches the configuration of the external system that you connect to. When you do, keep the strengths and considerations of each authentication protocol in mind.").

- **[Create or Edit an AWS Signature v4 External Credential](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.nc_create_edit_awssig4_ext_cred.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)**  
    To authenticate callouts to resources in Amazon Web Services over HTTP, create an external credential that uses the AWS Signature v4 protocol.
- **[Create or Edit a Basic Authentication External Credential](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.nc_create_edit_basic_auth_ext_cred.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)**  
    To authenticate directly into an external system with a static username and password, create an external credential that uses the Basic authentication protocol.
- **[Create or Edit a Custom Authentication External Credential](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.nc_create_edit_custom_auth_ext_cred.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)**  
    To account for web service providers that use unique headers for authentication, create an external credential that uses the Custom authentication protocol.
- **[Create or Edit a JWT External Credential](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.nc_create_edit_jwt_ext_cred.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)**  
    To manage your authentication into the external system with a JSON Web Token (JWT), create an external credential that uses the JWT authentication protocol. The JWT authentication protocol supports server-to-server integration.
- **[Create or Edit a No Authentication External Credential](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.nc_create_edit_noauth_ext_cred.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)**  
    To support callouts to endpoints without authentication, create an external credential that uses the No Authentication protocol.
- **[Create or Edit an OAuth External Credential](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.nc_create_edit_oath_ext_cred.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)**  
    External credentials support four different variants of the OAuth authentication protocol.