# How to get external ID
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-get-external-id/258777
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [March 20, 2023, 6:30pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-get-external-id/258777 "2023-03-20T18:30:00Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@gormus](https://meta.discourse.org/u/gormus)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2023, 6:30pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-get-external-id/258777/1 "2023-03-20T18:30:01Z")
When I consume [API](https://docs.discourse.org/#tag/Admin/operation/adminGetUser) directly, I can access user’s external authentication ID without any problem:
```http
GET /admin/users/{id}.json
```
However, when I try using the Javascript API, I cannot get the same data for _the current user_. In fact, the `currentUser` doesn’t return any data for external IDs:
```js
import { apiInitializer } from "discourse/lib/api";
export default apiInitializer("1.5.0", api => {
const currentUser = api.getCurrentUser();
if (currentUser) {
const userOAuthID = currentUser?.external_ids?.oauth2_basic;
console.log("userOAuthID:", userOAuthID); // null
}
});
```
How could I access `currentUser`’s external ID via javascript?
#### The Context
I’m trying to push current user’s external ID to `window.dataLayer`.
---
### Author:  [@simon](https://meta.discourse.org/u/simon)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2023, 6:53pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-get-external-id/258777/2 "2023-03-20T18:53:09Z")
> [@gormus](#):
>
> How could I access `currentUser`’s external ID via javascript?
It looks like you are trying to get the user’s `user_associated_account.provider_uid`. From looking at the code, there is a hidden site setting that you need to enable to cause the `associated_account_ids` to be returned from the `CurrentUserSerializer`:
>
The `include_associated_account_ids` setting is hidden: [discourse/config/site\_settings.yml at main · discourse/discourse · GitHub](https://github.com/discourse/discourse/blob/main/config/site_settings.yml#L2078). To enable it, enter your site’s Rails console and run:
`SiteSetting.include_associated_account_ids=true`
---
### Author:  [@gormus](https://meta.discourse.org/u/gormus)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2023, 7:02pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-get-external-id/258777/3 "2023-03-20T19:02:07Z")
> [@simon](#):
>
> The `include_associated_account_ids` setting is hidden: [discourse/site\_settings.yml at main · discourse/discourse · GitHub](https://github.com/discourse/discourse/blob/main/config/site_settings.yml#L2078). To enable it, enter your site’s Rails console and run:
>
> `SiteSetting.include_associated_account_ids=true`
Thanks @simon.
Though, it seems like it cannot be enabled on a hosted instance by myself. I find no option at `/admin/site_settings`
Likely solved! : )
---
### Author:  [@simon](https://meta.discourse.org/u/simon)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2023, 7:04pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-get-external-id/258777/4 "2023-03-20T19:04:05Z")
> [@gormus](#):
>
> it seems like it cannot be enabled on a hosted instance by myself.
If your site is hosted by Discourse, contact their support team. They should be able to set it for you.
---
### Author:  [@system](https://meta.discourse.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2023, 7:04pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-get-external-id/258777/5 "2023-04-19T19:04:16Z")
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