# Synchronizing requirements from external tools

> Keep requirements created or updated in an external ALM tool automatically synced with Test Manager after you configure a connection.

Requirements created in an external ALM tool appear in Test Manager, and later changes to their name and description carry over. No initial synchronization of existing artifacts runs when the connection is configured.

## Context

Keeping requirements from external application lifecycle management (ALM) tools in sync with requirements from Test Manager requires configuring a connection first.

Once a connection is configured properly, any requirement which is created in the external tool is also created in Test Manager. The name and description of those requirements are also kept in sync when changed in the external tool. In Test Manager, these attributes are read-only.

:::note
After a connection to an external ALM system has been configured, no initial synchronization of existing artifacts is performed. This avoids creating large amounts of data in Test Manager with no way to predict how long it would take. However, whenever an object in the external tool is updated, it is created in Test Manager if it does not exist.
:::

For details on how to configure a project to be synchronized with an external ALM tool, see [About ALM Tool Connectors](https://docs.uipath.com/test-manager/automation-cloud/latest/user-guide/about-alm-tool-connectors).