> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.less.tech/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# OData

<Note>
  You need to make sure the Less IPs are whitelisted in the environment your OData endpoint is hosted in. You can find the IPs [here](/guides/less-ip).
</Note>

OData (Open Data Protocol) is a REST-based web protocol for querying and updating data - in Less it is used to extract data from external systems that support the protocol. It provides a standardized way to expose and consume data APIs, making it easier to integrate different systems.

Common systems that use OData include Microsoft Dynamics 365, SAP Gateway, SharePoint, and various enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.

### Setup

There are two parts to setting up an OData source.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Authentication">
    Start by selecting basic or NTLM (Microsoft method) authentication. Then input the **username** and **password**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Tables">
    In the next tab, you can input pairs of table names and URLs. The URL is the endpoint of the OData service while the table name is the name that will be used to identify the table in Less.

    You can add as many table pairs as you want - just click the "+ Add table URL" button.
  </Step>
</Steps>