---
title: Advanced Templates – Fetching external data with Data Sources
description: "In this example we will show how to create and add a sample Data Source ### What is Data Source? Data Source is an external system from which users wants to get data to a template. This can be Azure…"
url: "https://templatise.it/docs/advanced-templates-fetching-external-data-with-data-sources/"
updated: "2024-05-27"
category: Getting Started
---

# Advanced Templates – Fetching external data with Data Sources

In this example we will show how to create and add a sample Data Source

### What is Data Source?

Data Source is an external system from which users wants to get data to a template. This can be Azure (Entra) AD, CRM, ERP or any other professional system.

### When to use?

You want to fetch data from external system into your template.

### Prerequisites

By default all subscriptions have Azure AD Data Source enabled. This Data Source allow end users to search for other users in Azure AD. To allow this Templatise add-in must be installed by company admin that must accept permissions of the add-in.

For this example we are using a template for Board Meeting Minutes from [this link](https://storage.googleapis.com/templatise-tutorial-docs/BoardMeetingMinutesDataSources.docx).

1. Download and open document
2. Open Templatise Add-in and create new template

### Example

1. Create new variable with title Chairperson Name, type **Data Source** and selected data source - **Azure AD.**
2. In list of variables you will see new Data Source variable with different fields.
3. Select FIRSTNAME in a document, double click on child variable Given Name, check 'Connect 2 similar instances in the document', click **Connect** and **Save**.
4. Do the same with LASTNAME text and Surname variable.
    [https://templatise.it/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/DataSourceAzureAD.mp4](https://templatise.it/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/DataSourceAzureAD.mp4)

Now goto Template Filling tab and open our template form. You can search by name from your Active Directory.

 [https://templatise.it/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/DataSourceAzureADResult.mp4](https://templatise.it/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/DataSourceAzureADResult.mp4)

[Read more about **Data Source** variable here.](https://templatise.it/docs/data-source/)