---
title: Index external content
slug: '3086'
canonical_url: https://docs.coveo.com/en/3086/
collection: coveo-for-sitecore-v5
source_format: adoc
---
# Index external content
When you index Sitecore items for the first time, you typically add two Sitecore sources to your [Coveo organization](https://docs.coveo.com/en/185/), one for the `master` database and the other for the `web` database.
Testing a Coveo for Sitecore search interface in the Sitecore **Experience Editor** or using the **Preview** mode targets the `master` source, whereas a published search interface targets the `web` source.

## Adding external content in your Coveo organization

You might also want to index _external content,_ that is, content that doesn't come from your Sitecore instance.
You can add external content to your Coveo organization by creating sources through the [Coveo Administration Console](https://docs.coveo.com/en/183/).
See [Create an external source](https://docs.coveo.com/en/3087/) for more details.

Hence, after adding an external source to your Coveo organization, you'll have `Sitecore` sources and a source of another _type._

![Venn diagram showing a Coveo organization with two Sitecore sources and an external sources set containing a Web source](https://docs.coveo.com/en/assets/images/c4sc-v5/organization-source-structure.svg)


<div class="footnote">
  <p id="footnote1">Structure of an example Coveo organization containing <code class="highlighter-rouge">Sitecore</code> sources for the <code class="highlighter-rouge">master</code> and <code class="highlighter-rouge">web</code> databases, and an <code class="highlighter-rouge">external source</code> of type <code class="highlighter-rouge">Web</code>.</p>
</div>

## Targeting external sources in a Coveo for Sitecore search interface

You can easily configure a Coveo for Sitecore search page to search across your Sitecore content and entire external content simultaneously, if this is what you want to do.
Otherwise, you can configure filter rules in Sitecore (with the Enterprise Cloud license) or through Query Pipelines to ensure that a query is only applied to one or a few specific sources in your Coveo organization.
You can also set up source filtering on your search page tabs.

When you reach the [Build Search](https://docs.coveo.com/en/2473/) stage of your Coveo for Sitecore implementation, you'll want to refer to the articles below for instructions on how to configure your search interface to target external sources:

* [Display external content in a Sitecore search interface](https://docs.coveo.com/en/2269/)
* [Apply filtering rules](https://docs.coveo.com/en/2300/)