# Magic Text in External Collections

When setting up your external collections, you can use magic text in the base URL and/or as the value of any headers or query params.

![](/files/-MRLRyHRdWI_Xa0vlhYs)

Magic Text in external collections lets you choose any properties of the logged in user as part of the API request to your external collection.  This way, the external data that is displayed to your users when the log in to your app is just the data that is specific to them.

When you add Magic Text to your External Collections, you'll also need to give an example value.  The value only used during the final step of the External Collection set up, when Adalo tests the connection and determines the properties of the External Collection.


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