---
title: Display external content in a search interface
slug: '2269'
canonical_url: https://docs.coveo.com/en/2269/
collection: coveo-for-sitecore-v5
source_format: adoc
---
# Display external content in a search interface
> **Legacy feature**
>
> The Coveo Hive Framework is now in maintenance mode and is no longer recommended for new implementations.
> 
> To build new search experiences, use one of Coveo's more modern, lightweight, and responsive libraries.
> To get started, see the [Build search](https://docs.coveo.com/en/2473/) article.

In addition to the items of your Sitecore Content Tree, a search interface built with Coveo for Sitecore components can return results coming from external systems.

Coveo offers a large array of connectors.
These connectors and their configuration guides are listed in the [connector directory](https://docs.coveo.com/en/1702/).

Once you have indexed your external content, you can include that content in a Coveo for Sitecore search interface.

## Enabling the External Source in Sitecore

> **Note**
>
> This section assumes that you have already indexed an external source in Coveo (see [Index External Content](https://docs.coveo.com/en/3086/)).

After having indexed your external source in Coveo, you must enable it in Sitecore.

To enable the external source

. In the Sitecore **Experience Editor**, open your Coveo-powered search page (or search results page, if you're redirecting searches from a global search box).
. Select the **Coveo Search Interface** component.
. In the floating toolbar, select **Edit the rendering's data source**.
It should be the leftmost option in the toolbar.
. In the **External Content** section, type the name of your external source.

![Adding an external source to the Coveo Search Interface component data source in the Sitecore Experience Editor | Coveo](https://docs.coveo.com/en/assets/images/c4sc-v5/external-component-external-source-name.png)

> **Note**
>
> For multiple external sources, use a comma between your source names or list the sources on separate lines.

. Click **OK**.
. Save and publish your item.
Your external source is now enabled.

> **Important**
>
> Depending on the filtering you have set up (for example, in the **Coveo Search Interface** component data source, in the **Coveo Tab** component data sources, or in a targeted Query Pipeline), documents from your external source may or may not appear in search results.
> 
> [example]
> .Example
In the **Coveo Search Interface** component data source, you have added a `where the item has layout` query filter rule.
Because this rule pertains specifically to Sitecore items, external content items don't meet that rule and are filtered out of the search results.
##### If all your external source documents are being filtered out of the search results unwantedly, you must adjust your filtering rules (see [Adjusting Filtering Rules to Include External Content in Search Results](#adjusting-filtering-rules-to-include-external-content-in-search-results)).
#### == Adjusting Filtering Rules to Include External Content in Search Results

You might face a situation where your external content documents are unwantedly being filtered out of search results.
You might also need to specify only one or a few external sources to be included in your search results.
In both cases, adjust your filtering to include a rule that uses the Coveo for Sitecore `source` field.

**Example**

Documents from an external source aren't appearing in your search results when viewing a tab you labeled `All Content`, in your search page.
You want your search results to include external source documents.
You have an Enterprise Cloud Coveo for Sitecore license and have isolated the issue to be the `where the item has layout` query filter rule set on the `All Content` tab data source.

To display external source documents in your `All Content` tab search results

. In the **Experience Editor**, select the **All Content** tab component.
. In the floating toolbar of the selected component, select **Edit the rendering's data source**.
It should be the leftmost option in the toolbar.
. In the **Query Filter** section, under **Filter expression rules**, add the rule `or where source field is equal to <NAME_OF_YOUR_EXTERNAL_SOURCE>`.

![Adding an or where source field is equal to rule to the existing where the item has layout rule | Coveo](https://docs.coveo.com/en/assets/images/c4sc-v5/add-external-source-filter-rule.png)

. Save your changes.
. Open your `Coveo.SearchProvider.Custom.config` file in a text editor.
. Locate the `/fieldMap/fieldNames` element.
. Within this element, add the following patch to change the `isSourceSpecific` attribute value on the `source` field name to `false`.

```xml
<fieldType fieldName="source" >
  <patch:attribute name="isSourceSpecific" value="false" />
</fieldType>
```

> **Note**
>
> If you don't set the `source` field name to `isSourceSpecific="false"`, the field name `source` you specified in your filtering rule is translated in the advanced query (`aq`) parameter of the search API call, as illustrated below.
> 
> ![Browser tools showing a search call that uses a translated name for the source field rather than simply source | Coveo](:https://docs.coveo.com/en/assets/images/c4sc-v5/aq-rule-set-editor-field-name-when-is-source-specific.png)
> 
> Having the field name you specified translated this way makes your `or` filtering rule ineffective.

. Refresh your search page in the **Experience Editor**.
When viewing the `All Content` tab, you should now have results coming from your external source.
. Publish your search page.

## Adding External Fields

External fields are Coveo fields that aren't found in Sitecore, such as:

* Fields in sources non-related to Sitecore.
* Coveo system fields.

When adding external fields on Sitecore items:

. Locate the `fieldMap` section of the `Coveo.SearchProvider.Custom.config` file (see [About the Coveo Search Provider Configuration File](https://docs.coveo.com/en/2562/)).
. In the `externalFields` node, add the field name in that following format `<field fieldName="myExternalField"/>`.
. Save the file.

With this setting, you may now use these fields in Coveo for Sitecore facets, result templates, sort components, filtering/boosting rules.

## Using External Content with Sitecore Facets

Coveo will index Sitecore fields based on your selection in the **Fields** section of the [Coveo Command Center](https://docs.coveo.com/en/2566#fields).
These fields are extracted from the Sitecore templates, which means that if you plan to create facets to filter using these fields, it will only affect the Sitecore content where it was extracted.

This page explains the steps to populate a field on content external to the Sitecore instance where the field was extracted.

### Step 1: Verify That the Field Doesn't Already Exist in Your Sources

To prevent overwriting an existing field, verify if it already exists in your sources.

. In the **Coveo Administration Console**, go to **Content** > **Content Browser**.
. Choose one of your external items, and click **Properties**.

![Random search results displayed in the Coveo Content Browser | Coveo](https://docs.coveo.com/en/assets/images/c4sc-v5/36176785.png)

. Under **Fields**, verify that your Sitecore field doesn't already exist on the item.

### Step 2: Adding the Field Name to Your External Content

You now need to add the Sitecore field to your external content.
This is done using source mapping explained in the [Manage Source Mappings](https://docs.coveo.com/en/1640/) page.

Once the mapping is in place and the external source rebuilt, both Sitecore and external content should have a value for this field, allowing you to filter and boost on it.