What Are External Data Sources?

The External ID Tracking tool provides useful record information on both Individuals and Organizations from various outside sources. This info would be ID Numbers and other indentifiers from external software programs and data sources. Adding this tool adds a new section to the entity record where more details can be included.

To begin you’ll first need to add an External Data Source. Under the Tools tab, select External ID Tracking. On the resulting screen will be several tabs: Active, Inactive, and All. Here you’ll be able to see any External Data Sources already created in your database. Click any existing name to edit the source.

To add a new source, click the Add External Data Source button at the bottom. A new window will appear and will contain a field labeled Data Source Name. Add the name and click Add External Data Source to add the new source to your database. At this point, you’re ready to add the identifier to a record.

When inside the entity record, locate the External Identifiers section. In the top right corner, click the Add symbol. In the window that opens, will be a text field for External Identifier. Here you can provide specific ID info about the source. Below that field is a dropdown for External Data Source. This menu will contain all External Data Sources found on the External ID Tracking page under the Tools tab.