---
title: "External Data Sources"
description: "External data sources let you connect Brainfish to systems where your team already maintains content. Once a source is connected, Brainfish keeps your AI agents' knowledge current automatically, so you don't have to manually copy content between platforms."
canonical_url: "https://help.brainfi.sh/articles/external-data-sources-aIcYeVnM9e"
md_url: "https://help.brainfi.sh/articles/external-data-sources-aIcYeVnM9e.md"
---
# External Data Sources

External data sources let you connect Brainfish to systems where your team already maintains content. Once a source is connected, Brainfish keeps your AI agents' knowledge current automatically, so you don't have to manually copy content between platforms.

## Where to find External Data

In the Brainfish platform navigation, open **Knowledge → External data**.

You'll see a card for every connected source with its current sync status, last sync time, and a three-dot menu for editing the configuration or running a manual sync.

## Connecting a source

The setup flow is the same for every source type:

1. Click **+ Source**.
2. Pick a source type from the list.
3. Enter the source name and the credentials Brainfish needs (usually an API key — see the per-source guides below).
4. Pick the catalog scope (specific spaces / categories / collections, or "all").
5. Toggle **Enable daily sync** to keep content current.
6. Click **+ Add Source**.

For the generic walkthrough, see [Connecting a New External Data Source](/articles/connecting-a-new-external-data-source-URO2mdxHME). For daily sync details, see [How do I enable the Content Sync?](/articles/how-do-i-enable-the-content-sync-b4rT95YOi4).

## Supported sources

### Help desk knowledge bases

* [Zendesk Knowledge Sync](/articles/zendesk-knowledge-sync-62yMkByyPf)

* [Intercom Knowledge Sync](/articles/intercom-knowledge-sync-W6lFWTAH9F) · helper: [How to get Intercom access token](/articles/how-to-get-intercom-access-token-8lH57NB3u1)

* [Freshdesk Knowledge Sync](/articles/freshdesk-knowledge-sync-9G9IOZpZFl)

* [Helpscout Knowledge Sync](/articles/helpscout-knowledge-sync-7LJmEoFz9o)

* [HelpJuice Knowledge Sync](/articles/helpjuice-knowledge-sync-SNJoaZCuhI)

### Wikis and product docs

* [Notion Knowledge Sync](/articles/notion-knowledge-sync-lPGReTfVYA)

* [Confluence — How to Connect](/articles/how-to-connect-confluence-as-an-external-data-source-in-brainfish-V4brYr2UhA)

* [ReadMe V2 Knowledge Sync](/articles/readme-v2-knowledge-sync-MAnZNoe5DT) **(recommended)**

### Developer / API content

* [OpenAPI Specification (OAS) API Documentation Sync](/articles/openapi-specification-oas-api-documentation-sync-44eThAIs7j)

* [Brainfish OAS GitHub Actions Sync](/articles/brainfish-oas-github-actions-sync-mSe3TY5Zi9) — automate OAS uploads from a repo on every PR.

* [Create Knowledge from GitHub PRs](/articles/create-knowledge-from-github-prs-hzYjCUU473) — auto-generate KB drafts from merged code changes.

### Web crawls and exports

* [Website Knowledge Sync](/articles/website-knowledge-sync-XGrnW3F8mV) — crawl or pin specific pages from a public site.

* [HubSpot CSV Export](/articles/hubspot-csv-export-3w79b8X27Y) — export Brainfish content into a HubSpot-import-friendly CSV.

## Managing connected sources

Once connected, each source becomes a **catalog**:

* **Enable / disable.** Three-dot menu on a card → **Enabled / Disabled**. Disabled sources stop syncing and are hidden from agents.

* **Per-agent access.** Open the relevant **Agent → Knowledge Settings** to pick which sources it can answer from. Defaults to "All sources".

* **Explicit matching.** To pin specific sources for specific user segments (e.g., Premium customers see the premium-only catalog), see [How to Use Explicit Matching for Knowledge Sources](/articles/how-to-use-explicit-matching-for-knowledge-sources-06UoMs4nDI).

* **Review queue.** Some sources (Discover, Slack threads, PR drafts) produce *suggestions* that route to **Knowledge → Articles → Knowledge waiting for your review** instead of publishing directly. See [Generate, Review, and Publish Knowledge Base Article Suggestions](/articles/generate-review-and-publish-knowledge-base-article-suggestions-from-videos-session-replays-slack-and-apis-wowQ0LdleP).

## Troubleshooting

* **Missing External Data option:** confirm you have admin or knowledge-manager permissions on the workspace.

* **Source stuck in "Syncing":** open the card; if it shows the same status for more than an hour, click the three-dot menu and trigger a manual sync.

* **Articles not showing up in agent answers:** confirm the source is **Enabled** *and* that the agent's Knowledge Settings include the source.

* **Need a source not listed here?** Contact your account team or `hello@brainfi.sh` — connector requests are reviewed quarterly.

## Related

* For *creating* content directly in Brainfish, see [Creating & Managing Articles](/articles/creating-managing-articles-y7ENoHshEt).

* For *migrating* an entire content base into Brainfish in one go, see [Migrating and Bulk-Importing Content](/articles/bulk-upload-knowledge-into-brainfish-4s8T85GM7w).