# Custom Integration Templates

Fides supports custom integration templates that can be uploaded at runtime to extend or override the built-in connector library. This feature is available to admin users from the **System > Integrations** tab.

## Requirements

An integration template is uploaded to Fides in the form of a zip file. This zip file must be created manually outside of Fides and include the following:

- SaaS config (required) file must end in config.yml
- Dataset (required) file must end in dataset.yml

Both the SaaS config and dataset must have a `fides_key` with a value of `<instance_fides_key>`. Refer to the docs for guidance on how to write a [SaaS config](/content/docs/integrations/saas-integrations/developer-reference/saas-config/index.html) and [dataset](/content/docs/integrations/guides/datasets/index.html).

You can optionally also include the following in the zip file:

- Icon (optional) An svg icon to be used in the UI to represent your custom integration

## Upload integration template

Clicking the **Upload integration** button will present you with a modal to upload your custom integration templates. From here, you can click the drop zone to open the file selector or drag and drop your custom integration template zip file.

If the template passes validation, your new integration template will be saved and available for use. Custom integrations are marked with a gear icon in the UI to distinguish them from built-in Fides integrations.

## Behind the scenes

- The SaaS config and dataset are validated to ensure proper formatting and compliance with the Fides system requirements.
- The files in the custom integration template are written to the `custom_connector_template` table in the Fides database to be available between server restarts.

## Updating custom templates

Custom integration templates do not use version-based update tracking. When you upload a new version of a custom template, Fides applies the changes immediately — all existing connections of that integration type are updated to use the new template as soon as the upload completes.

This differs from built-in templates, which are tied to Fides release versions and update automatically on server restart when a new version of the integration is available.

In both cases, if the integration's dataset has been customized (e.g., added data categories or removed fields), Fides performs a [three-way merge](/content/docs/integrations/guides/datasets/edit-saas-datasets#behavior-on-integration-update/index.html) to preserve your changes during the update.

## Reverting to a built-in template

If a custom integration template shares the same type as a built-in Fides integration (e.g., a custom `zendesk` template overriding the official one), you can revert to the Fides-provided template by removing the custom template.

To remove a custom template, use the **Remove** button in the UI or call the delete endpoint via the API:

```
DELETE /api/v1/connector-templates/{connector_template_type}
```

When a custom template is removed, Fides automatically reverts all connections of that integration type to use the built-in template. Any dataset customizations made to individual connections are preserved through the same three-way merge process described above.

A custom template can only be removed if a built-in Fides template with the same integration type exists. Custom templates that define an entirely new integration type (i.e., one not shipped with Fides) cannot be deleted through this mechanism, as there is no built-in template to fall back to.