# Bring business context with external custom properties

By Steven Van · 2026-09-29

Now in public preview, read-only properties synced from a CMDB or developer portal can drive repo search, views and ruleset targeting.

[GitHub](<https://creatorstoolbox.com/tools/github>) now lets an external system of record, such as a CMDB, an internal developer portal or an in-house system, supply business context about repositories through external custom properties. The feature is in public preview. It can carry details like ownership, service tier, lifecycle stage and compliance status, with updates managed by the external system.

GitHub says to use regular custom properties when you want to manage this context in GitHub itself. External custom properties are for cases where another system should own and continuously update it:

- **Read-only in the GitHub UI:** users can't edit the values in GitHub, which prevents conflicting updates across systems.

- **Ongoing synchronization:** the external integration uses the external custom properties APIs to keep values current as the source data changes.

- **Dedicated namespace:** each integration manages properties under its own prefix, separate from properties managed by other sources.

They work anywhere custom properties do today, including repository views, repository filtering and ruleset targeting, so existing governance can use the synced values.

Port.io is the first partner to integrate. In [its own announcement](<https://www.port.io/blog/github-external-custom-properties>), Port says the sync is in closed beta and that Port customers need to contact it to opt in. Any enterprise can also build its own integration with the external custom properties APIs, which have fine-grained permissions to control access.

[View media](<https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/Cj3FWb3Hips>)

Launch video for external custom properties, part 1

[View media](<https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/Y613f_v0xeo>)

Launch video for external custom properties, part 2

[View media](<https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/R7LwSItqUPY>)

Launch video for external custom properties, part 3

[View media](<https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/JchlwxzfD8A>)

Launch video for external custom properties, part 4

![GitHub](<https://github.githubassets.com/assets/GitHub-Mark-ea2971cee799.png>)

GitHub

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[View GitHub →](<https://creatorstoolbox.com/tools/github>)

[Read the original announcement →](<https://www.port.io/blog/github-external-custom-properties>)

[Read Bring business context with external custom properties on Creators Toolbox](<https://creatorstoolbox.com/blog/github-bring-business-context-with-external-custom-properties>)

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Canonical source: https://creatorstoolbox.com/blog/github-bring-business-context-with-external-custom-properties