Let’s be honest—modern software ecosystems are messy. APIs everywhere, third-party tools knocking on your door, mobile apps demanding access, and partners asking for integrations yesterday. That’s exactly where an External Client App Manager steps in—like a traffic cop at a busy intersection.

It brings order, security, and control to how external applications access your platform.

An External Client App is any application that lives outside your core platform but requires secure access to your data or APIs. Examples include mobile apps, partner platforms, third-party SaaS tools, or custom web apps built by vendors.

They are not employees.
They are not internal tools.
They are outsiders—and that’s why they require a different security and governance model.

A defining characteristic of External Client Apps is their Distribution State, which determines whether an app is restricted to a single environment or can be shared across multiple organizations or customers.

APIs are the backbone of modern digital businesses. If APIs are doors, External Client Apps are guests knocking constantly.

Without proper management, you’re effectively leaving those doors unlocked and hoping nothing goes wrong. That’s no longer acceptable.

Managing external access is no longer optional—it’s foundational.

An External Client App Manager is a centralized system used to register, manage, secure, monitor, and govern access for External Client Apps.

Its mission is simple:

Give external apps exactly what they need—and nothing more.

This includes managing authentication, authorization, lifecycle events, and distribution behavior.

Traditional app management was designed for internal users operating in trusted environments. External Client App Management is built for zero-trust architectures.

It assumes:

• Apps may be compromised

• Access must be limited

• Everything must be observable

Connected Apps are user-centric and legacy-oriented. External Client Apps are:

• App-to-app focused

• Token-driven

• Designed for modern OAuth flows

• Built for scalable, distributed usage

Most importantly, External Client Apps introduce explicit Distribution State control, which Connected Apps lack entirely.

Internal apps assume trust. External apps assume risk.

That assumption changes everything—from authentication strategy to monitoring and revocation capabilities.

One dashboard. All external apps. No chaos.

You can instantly see:

• Which apps exist

• What data they can access

• Their distribution scope

• When they last authenticated

OAuth 2.0, JWT, scopes, and token policies are handled cleanly—without custom workarounds.

Tokens are powerful. The manager enforces:

• Expiry policies

• Rotation rules

• Immediate revocation

Comprehensive logs, alerts, and audit trails help meet compliance requirements and detect anomalies early.

Every External Client App must be registered before it can access APIs.

During registration, administrators define:

• OAuth settings

• Permission scopes

• Distribution State (Local or Distributable)

No registration means no access.

The app:

1. Requests access

2. Receives a token

3. Uses the token securely

4. Renews or rotates it as required

No passwords. No shared credentials.

Access is granular by design. Each app receives only the scopes it explicitly needs.

External apps are actively managed throughout their lifecycle:

• Suspend access instantly

• Rotate secrets

• Retire unused or risky apps

Fewer attack surfaces. Stronger controls. Clear visibility.

Whether you manage 10 apps or 10,000, policies scale without complexity—especially when using Distributable External Client Apps.

Clear standards mean faster integrations and fewer security reviews.

Stable authentication, clear documentation, and predictable behavior keep developers productive.

Salesforce introduced External Client Apps to modernize integrations—especially for API-first, headless, and multi-tenant architectures.

A key enhancement is the Distribution State, allowing apps to be:

• Local to a single org

• Distributable across multiple customer orgs

Salesforce enforces:

• Token-based authentication

• Granular OAuth scopes

• No dependency on user sessions

• Mobile apps accessing Salesforce APIs

• Middleware syncing multiple systems

• SaaS platforms serving many Salesforce customers

Analytics tools, CRMs, ERPs, and automation platforms—often using Distributable External Client Apps.

One backend, many frontends—secured without user licenses.

Collaborate securely without exposing internal systems.

Perfect for microservices and composable platforms.

If an app doesn’t need it—don’t grant it.

Dormant or unused apps pose hidden risks.

Short-lived tokens limit damage from compromise.

Clear ownership and standards prevent security drift.

Centralized management eliminates sprawl.

Strong scopes, strict distribution control, and monitoring are essential.

Immediate revocation and rotation mitigate impact.

Connected Apps = legacy flexibility
External Client Apps = modern security + distribution control

Choose it when:

• Apps are headless

• Users are not involved

• Multi-org or SaaS distribution is required

• Security is critical

• Re-evaluate scopes

• Define correct Distribution State

• Test across environments

Trust nothing. Verify everything—continuously.

Smarter alerts and predictive risk detection.

Security is no longer optional—it’s enforced.

The External Client App Manager is not just an administrative tool—it’s the backbone of secure, scalable digital collaboration.

By combining OAuth, granular permissions, lifecycle management, and Distribution State control, it enables organizations to safely open their platforms to the outside world.

Whether you’re securing Salesforce APIs, building SaaS integrations, or managing partners, this approach is essential—not optional.

What is an External Client App Manager used for?
It manages authentication, authorization, lifecycle, and security for external applications accessing APIs or platforms.

Is External Client App Manager better than Connected Apps?
For app-to-app, API-first, and multi-org use cases—yes.

Do External Client Apps require user licenses?
No. They operate independently of user sessions.

Is OAuth mandatory for External Client Apps?
Yes. OAuth is the required and most secure authentication method.

Can External Client Apps be revoked instantly?
Yes. Tokens and access can be revoked immediately.

What role does Distribution State play?
Distribution State determines whether an app is limited to one org (Local) or shared across multiple orgs and customers (Distributable), making it a foundational design decision.