---
title: Manage external tasks
slug: content-marketing-platform/docs/manage-external-tasks
docTags: 
createdAt: 2026-07-20T15:45:42.541Z
---

Optimizely Content Marketing Platform (CMP) lets you connect tasks within CMP to external systems. You can register a new webhook with the API endpoint of the external system that you want to connect. This lets CMP tasks be automatically updated based on the progress of the work in the external system.

## Manage external work events 

:::hint{type="info"}
**Note**

Only admins can register webhooks.
:::

1. Go to your avatar > **Apps & Webhooks** > **Webhooks**.
2. Click **Register New** and select **General Webhook**. See [Register webhooks](docId\:kRmBdOtag7105U_C_70QA) for more details. 

   ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/coZeu45pRFHfN0GGpWSfL-20260720-145932.png)
3. Under **External Work Management**, select the checkboxes for the events to which you want to subscribe. When one of these events occurs, the webhook triggers and you receive a notification on CMP, and the respective step in the task workflow gets updated. 

## ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/cEQ0-WtPQNBtr985wMdjI-20260720-145932.png)

After you register the webhook, you can create a workflow with external steps or edit an existing workflow. See [Manage workflows](docId\:z4qRq7wJIEQt3sS3PK_jn) for more details.

:::hint{type="info"}
**Note**

Only admins can create and edit workflows.
:::

When you add the external step in the workflow: 

1. Click **Manage External System** and select **Add External System**.
2. Give the external system that you want to connect to a name. You can add multiple external systems such as Jira, InDesign, and so on.
3. Select from the list of external systems for the specific workflow that you create or edit.

   ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/jxZHJWtIV8Bm_JULC1Czc-20260720-145932.png)
4. You can select the **Allow User Actions** checkbox if you want to let users make changes to the external workflow step.

   :::hint{type="info"}
   **Note**

   If you select the **Allow User Actions** checkbox, users can choose to skip this step completely.
   :::

:::Paragraph{indent="1"}
If you don't select it, only the external system's communication updates the workflow step, such as when the step starts, is in progress, and completes. 
:::

Now, you can create a task using the workflow with the external steps and monitor the progress of external work. See [Manage tasks](docId\:W7zf5eJAPZhHgHjzWK_m2) for more information.