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id: 8b1dd97776b3c9e646dc5dc7d660f6c785960ab6fea7f8a2d1a5c16a3fe4c88c
title: The InsightsExternalData Object
collection: developer
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/developer/current/en-us/analytics/bi-dev-guide-ext-data/guides/reference/bi-ext-data-object-externaldata.md
canonical_url: https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/analytics/bi-dev-guide-ext-data/guide/bi-ext-data-object-externaldata.html
source_site: developer.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: c535b929388d7e4709476f5750bc1a3ce1993f941b632276bf1c4240fd2c05ae
products:
  - Analytics External Data API Developer Guide
  - analytics
---

# The InsightsExternalData Object

With the InsightsExternalData object, you can configure and control external data uploads. You can use it to provide metadata, trigger the start of the upload process, check status, and request cancellation and cleanup.

The InsightsExternalData object is used with the InsightsExternalDataPart object, which holds the parts of the data to be uploaded. Together, they provide a programmatic way to upload a large file in parts and trigger a dataflow into a dataset. The first step is to insert a row into the InsightsExternalData object. Data parts are then uploaded to InsightsExternalDataPart objects. The Mode field is used to enable faster uploads. The Action field of the InsightsExternalData object is updated to start processing and request cancellations. After the Action field is updated to request processing, no user edits are allowed on the objects, except to request cancellation.

**note:** The standard system fields (`CreatedById`, `CreatedDate`, `LastModifiedById`, `LastModifiedDate`, and `SystemModstamp`) are documented in [System Fields](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/atlas.en-us.object_reference.meta/object_reference/system_fields.htm) in the _Salesforce Object Reference_.

The InsightsExternalData object is available in API version 31 and later.

## Supported Calls

`create()`, `delete()`, `describeSObjects()`, `query()`, `retrieve()`, `update()`, `upsert()`

## Fields

Use the following fields with the `InsightsExternalData` object.

## Action

**Type:** Picklist

**Properties:** Create, Filter, Group, Sort, Update

**Description:** Action to perform on this data. Values: `Abort`, `Delete`, `None`, `Process`.

## CompressedMetadataLength

**Type:** Int

**Properties:** Create, Filter, Group, Nillable, Sort, Update

**Description:** Length of the compressed metadata JSON file. This is a system field.

## Dataflow

**Type:** String

**Properties:** Create, Filter, Group, Nillable, Sort, Update

**Description:** Dataflow ID used to create the dataset (API v34+). This is a system field.

## Description

**Type:** String

**Properties:** Create, Filter, Nillable, Sort, Update

**Description:** Description of the dataset used during dataset creation.

## EdgemartAlias

**Type:** String

**Properties:** Create, Filter, Group, Sort, Update

**Description:** Unique dataset alias (maximum 80 characters).

## EdgemartContainer

**Type:** String

**Properties:** Create, Filter, Group, Nillable, Sort, Update

**Description:** App developer name or app ID that contains the dataset.

## EdgemartLabel

**Type:** String

**Properties:** Create, Filter, Group, Nillable, Sort, Update

**Description:** Dataset display name (maximum 255 characters).

## FileName

**Type:** String

**Properties:** Create, Filter, Group, Nillable, Sort, Update

**Description:** External data file identifier (maximum 255 characters).

## Format

**Type:** Picklist

**Properties:** Create, Filter, Group, Sort, Update

**Description:** Uploaded data format. Values: `Csv`, `Binary`.

## isDependentOnLastUpload

**Type:** Boolean

**Properties:** Create, Defaulted on create, Filter, Group, Sort, Update

**Description:** Reserved for future use.

## isIndependentParts

**Type:** Boolean

**Properties:** Create, Defaulted on create, Filter, Group, Sort, Update

**Description:** Reserved for future use; indicates whether parts can be processed independently.

## LicenseType

**Type:** Picklist

**Properties:** Create, Defaulted on create, Filter, Group, Nillable, Restricted picklist, Sort, Update

**Description:** License type of the external data file. Default: `EinsteinAnalytics`.

## MetaDataLength

**Type:** Int

**Properties:** Create, Filter, Group, Nillable, Sort, Update

**Description:** Length of metadata JSON file. This is a system field.

## MetadataJson

**Type:** Blob (Base64-encoded string)

**Properties:** Create, Nillable, Update

**Description:** Metadata JSON that describes uploaded file structure.

## Mode

**Type:** Picklist

**Properties:** Create, Filter, Group, Nillable, Restricted picklist, Sort, Update

**Description:** Upload mode. Values: `Incremental`, `None`.

## NotificationEmail

**Type:** String

**Properties:** Create, Filter, Group, Nillable, Sort, Update

**Description:** Email address used for upload notifications.

## NotificationSent

**Type:** Picklist

**Properties:** Create, Filter, Group, Nillable, Sort, Update

**Description:** Notification condition for upload events. Default: `WarningsFailures`.

## Operation

**Type:** Picklist

**Properties:** Create, Filter, Group, Sort, Update

**Description:** Dataset load operation. Values: `Append`, `Delete`, `Overwrite`, `Upsert`.

## Status

**Type:** Picklist

**Properties:** Create, Filter, Group, Sort, Update

**Description:** Data upload job status. Default value: `New`.

## StatusMessage

**Type:** String

**Properties:** Create, Nillable, Update

**Description:** Error or warning reason for the upload status.

## SubmittedDate

**Type:** String

**Properties:** Create, Filter, Nillable, Sort, Update

**Description:** Time when upload was submitted or set to Process. This is a system field.

## Target

**Type:** Picklist

**Properties:** Create, Filter, Group, Nillable, Restricted picklist, Sort, Update

**Description:** Target for external data. Valid value: `Dataset`.