External Objects in Salesforce are special objects that map to data stored outside of your Salesforce organization. Unlike standard and custom objects that store data within Salesforce, external objects connect to external data sources such as SAP, Oracle, Microsoft, or any system accessible via OD…External Objects in Salesforce are special objects that map to data stored outside of your Salesforce organization. Unlike standard and custom objects that store data within Salesforce, external objects connect to external data sources such as SAP, Oracle, Microsoft, or any system accessible via OData or Salesforce Connect protocols.
External objects function similarly to custom objects but with a key distinction - the data remains in the external system and is accessed in real-time when users query it. This approach eliminates the need to copy or migrate large datasets into Salesforce, saving storage space and ensuring data remains current.
In Object Manager, external objects are identified by a unique suffix of '__x' rather than the '__c' suffix used for custom objects. Administrators can define external object fields, relationships, and page layouts just as they would with standard objects. External objects support various relationship types including external lookups, lookup relationships, and indirect lookups to connect with other Salesforce objects.
Salesforce Connect is the primary technology enabling external object functionality. It provides adapters for OData 2.0, OData 4.0, and cross-org connections. Each adapter allows seamless integration with different external system types.
Key characteristics of external objects include: they do not consume Salesforce data storage, data is fetched on-demand rather than stored locally, they support limited Salesforce features compared to standard objects, and they can be included in list views, reports, and search results.
In Lightning App Builder, external objects can be incorporated into Lightning pages and apps, allowing users to view and interact with external data alongside native Salesforce records. However, some Lightning components may have limited functionality with external objects compared to standard object support.
Administrators should consider latency and rate limits when implementing external objects, as performance depends on the external system's response time and connection quality.
External Objects in Salesforce: Complete Study Guide
What Are External Objects?
External Objects are a special type of Salesforce object that maps to data stored outside your Salesforce organization. Unlike standard or custom objects that store data within Salesforce, external objects provide a live, real-time connection to external data sources such as databases, ERP systems, or other enterprise applications.
External objects are identified by the __x suffix (e.g., Orders__x), which distinguishes them from custom objects that use the __c suffix.
Why Are External Objects Important?
• No Data Duplication: External objects allow you to access external data in real-time, eliminating the need to copy and store data in Salesforce • Storage Optimization: Since data remains in the external system, you don't consume Salesforce data storage limits • Data Freshness: Users always see the most current data because it's retrieved live from the source system • Integration Simplification: Provides a point-and-click way to integrate external data rather than building complex API integrations • Unified User Experience: Users can interact with external data using familiar Salesforce interfaces
How External Objects Work
External objects connect to external data through Salesforce Connect, which uses adapters to communicate with external systems:
1. OData Adapter: Connects to external systems that support OData 2.0 or 4.0 protocols 2. Cross-org Adapter: Connects to data in another Salesforce organization 3. Custom Adapter: Built using Apex to connect to any external system via callouts
Key Components:
• External Data Source: Defines the connection parameters to the external system • External Object: Maps to a table in the external system • External Lookup Relationship: Links a standard, custom, or external object to an external object • Indirect Lookup Relationship: Links an external object to a standard or custom object using an external ID
Relationship Types with External Objects
• External Lookup: Used when the parent is an external object • Indirect Lookup: Used when the child is an external object and needs to relate to a standard or custom object parent • Note: Standard lookup and master-detail relationships cannot be used with external objects
Limitations of External Objects
• Cannot use triggers on external objects • Cannot use workflow rules or Process Builder • Limited support for Apex (cannot use DML operations) • Cannot create roll-up summary fields • Search functionality is limited • Reports and dashboards have restricted capabilities • Record access is controlled by the external data source, not Salesforce sharing rules
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on External Objects
Tip 1: Remember the suffix - external objects always end with __x, while custom objects end with __c
Tip 2: When a question mentions accessing data from an external system in real-time with no storage impact, think External Objects and Salesforce Connect
Tip 3: Know the relationship types - if the question asks about linking to an external object parent, the answer is External Lookup. If linking an external object child to a Salesforce object parent, use Indirect Lookup
Tip 4: If a scenario requires automation like triggers or workflow rules on external data, external objects are NOT the solution since they don't support these features
Tip 5: Questions about reducing data storage while maintaining data visibility often point to external objects as the correct answer
Tip 6: Remember that Salesforce Connect is the licensed feature required to use external objects with OData adapters
Tip 7: Cross-org adapter questions typically involve scenarios where organizations need to share data between multiple Salesforce orgs
Common Exam Scenarios
• A company wants to view SAP order data in Salesforce but cannot duplicate the data → External Objects • Users need to see real-time inventory levels from an external database → External Objects with OData • Two Salesforce organizations need to share account data → Cross-org adapter with External Objects