---
title: "Import configuration"
manual: "External Import"
version: "main"
permalink: "https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/cobweb/external_import:administration@main"
source: "Administration/Index.rst"
rendered: "2026-10-17T19:10:20+00:00"
---

<a id="import-configuration"></a>

# Import configuration {#administration}

To start inserting data from an external source into your TYPO3 CMS
tables, you must first extend their TCA with a specific syntax. This
syntax is comprised of 3 parts:

-   general information ("General TCA configuration")
-   specific information for each column where data will be stored ("Columns configuration")
-   so-called "additional fields" which are read from the external source, but not saved

The first two parts are **required**, the third is *optional*.

This chapter describes all possible configuration options. For each
property, a step or a more general scope is mentioned to help
understand which part of the process it impacts. The names of the
steps correspond to the [process steps](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/cobweb/external_import:user-overview@main).

There are some code examples throughout this chapter. They are
taken either from the [External Import Tutorial](https://docs.typo3.org/p/cobweb/externalimport_tut/main/en-us/Index.html#start)
or from the test extension: [https://github.com/fsuter/externalimport_test](https://github.com/fsuter/externalimport_test).
You are encouraged to refer to them for more examples and more details about
each example (in the Tutorial).

-   [User rights](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/cobweb/external_import:user-rights@main)
-   [General TCA configuration](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/cobweb/external_import:general-tca-configuration@main)
-   [Columns configuration](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/cobweb/external_import:columns-configuration@main)
-   [Additional fields configuration](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/cobweb/external_import:additional-fields-configuration@main)
-   [Transformations configuration](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/cobweb/external_import:transformations-configuration@main)
-   [Mapping configuration](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/cobweb/external_import:mapping-configuration@main)
-   [Child records configuration](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/cobweb/external_import:child-records-configuration@main)
-   [Array Path configuration](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/cobweb/external_import:array-path-configuration@main)
-   [Import configuration examples](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/cobweb/external_import:import-configuration-examples-1@main)
    -   [Substructures and child records](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/cobweb/external_import:substructures-and-child-records@main)
-   [Log cleanup](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/cobweb/external_import:log-cleanup@main)