---
title: Configuring autolinks to reference external resources
intro: You can add autolinks to external resources like JIRA issues and Zendesk tickets to help streamline your workflow.
product: '{% data reusables.gated-features.autolinks %}'
redirect_from:
  - /articles/configuring-autolinks-to-reference-external-resources
  - /github/administering-a-repository/configuring-autolinks-to-reference-external-resources
versions:
  fpt: '*'
  ghes: '*'
  ghae: '*'
topics:
  - Repositories
shortTitle: Configure autolinks
---
Anyone with admin permissions to a repository can configure autolink references to link issues, pull requests, commit messages, and release descriptions to external third-party services.

If you use Zendesk to track user-reported tickets, for example, you can reference a ticket number in the pull request you open to fix the issue.  

{% data reusables.repositories.navigate-to-repo %}
{% data reusables.repositories.sidebar-settings %}
3. In the left sidebar, click **Autolink references**.
![Autolink references tab in the left sidebar](/assets/images/help/repository/autolink-references-tab.png)
4. Click **Add autolink reference**.
![Button to fill out autolink reference information](/assets/images/help/repository/add-autolink-reference-details.png)
5. Under "Reference prefix", type a short, meaningful prefix you want collaborators to use to generate autolinks for the external resource.
![Field to type abbreviation for external system](/assets/images/help/repository/add-reference-prefix-field.png)
6. Under "Target URL", type the link to the external system you want to link to. Make sure to keep `<num>` as a variable for the reference number.
![Field to type URL to external system](/assets/images/help/repository/add-target-url-field.png)
7. Click **Add autolink reference**.
![Button to add autolink reference](/assets/images/help/repository/add-autolink-reference.png)