---
title: Updating existing records using external_id
slug: updating-existing-records-using-externalid
docTags: 
createdAt: 2023-04-13T06:51:25.000Z
---

Many entities in Brella (eg: invites, speakers, sponsors, timeslots etc.) support a field called `external_id`

- This field is not visible in the Admin Panel, and is only accessible via the API or CSV imports / exports
- The field is of the String data-type and supports almost any data.
- The most common use-case for this field is to write a 3rd party app's unique identifier to Brella when creating an entity. This allows for a common unique attribute that can be used when updating, finding or deleting the created entity.
  - *For example,* when creating an invite from a 3rd party CRM (eg: Hubspot), you would write the Hubspot `contact_id` (generated by Hubspot) to the `external_id` field in the Brella invite. 
  - Then, if you need to update the invite later (for example, if the Hubspot contact changes their email, or drops out of the event), you can **find the invite** by it's `external_id,` using the "Find invite by external Id" endpoint, get the unique Brella UUID ("id") from the response, and update that invite record using the "Update invite" endpoint — which accepts the Brella UUID in the URL.