> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.bird.com/applications/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.bird.com/applications/content/external-data-sources.md).

# External Data Sources

Integrating external data sources into email templates allows for highly personalized and dynamic content, improving engagement and relevance. This guide will walk you through setting up external data sources and utilizing them in your email templates.

External data sources provide dynamic content to your email templates by pulling information from external APIs. This is useful for:

* Personalizing content based on an external feed
* Displaying real-time data like flight status from an API
* Customizing links by passing parameters and getting back final links through an external tool


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