> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.olira.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Add external identifiers to patient

> Adds one or more external identifiers to a patient without touching any that are already stored.

<CodeGroup>
  ```python Python theme={null}
  olira.add_patient_external_identifiers(
      patient_id: str,
      identifiers: list[ExternalIdentifier],
  ) -> ExternalIdentifierMutationResult
  ```

  ```csharp C# theme={null}
  OliraModule.AddPatientExternalIdentifiers(
      string patientId,
      IReadOnlyList<ExternalIdentifier> identifiers,
  )  // -> ExternalIdentifierMutationResult
  ```
</CodeGroup>

**Requires scope:** `api:manage-patients`

Idempotent — an identifier already present (matched on system + value) is skipped, not modified. integration\_id is platform-owned and rejected (422) if present in the request.

## Parameters

<ParamField body="patient_id" type="str" required>
  Olira patient id.
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="identifiers" type="list[ExternalIdentifier]" required>
  Identifiers to add. Only system and value are sent — integration\_id is stripped even if set on the objects you pass in.
</ParamField>

## Returns

`ExternalIdentifierMutationResult`

<ResponseField name="patient_id" type="str">
  Olira patient id.
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="added" type="int">
  Number of identifiers added.
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="removed" type="int">
  Always 0 for this call.
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="skipped" type="int">
  Number already present (matched on system + value).
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="external_identifiers" type="list[ExternalIdentifier]">
  The patient's full external identifier list after the mutation.
</ResponseField>

## Raises

| Exception         | When                                                                                                                  |
| ----------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `AuthError`       | HTTP 401 or 403 — invalid API key or insufficient OAuth scope for this endpoint.                                      |
| `ValidationError` | HTTP 400, 404, or 422 — malformed JSON, unknown patient, or validation failure (message includes response excerpt).   |
| `ServerError`     | HTTP 409 (e.g. conflicting external identifier) or repeated 5xx after retries; includes status\_code when applicable. |
| `RateLimitError`  | HTTP 429 — rate limited; check retry\_after (seconds).                                                                |
| `NetworkError`    | Connection timeout, DNS failure, or read error after retries.                                                         |

<RequestExample>
  ```python Python theme={null}
  import olira
  from olira import ExternalIdentifier

  olira.init(api_key="YOUR_API_KEY")
  result = olira.add_patient_external_identifiers(
      patient_id="8a4fde23-0f1b-4c2a-9d7e-b36c1a5f0e82",
      identifiers=[ExternalIdentifier(system="my-crm", value="CRM-4471")],
  )
  print(result.added, result.skipped)
  ```

  ```csharp C# theme={null}
  using Olira;

  OliraModule.Init(apiKey: "YOUR_API_KEY");
  var result = OliraModule.AddPatientExternalIdentifiers(
      patientId: "8a4fde23-0f1b-4c2a-9d7e-b36c1a5f0e82",
      identifiers: [new ExternalIdentifier { System = "my-crm", Value = "CRM-4471" }]);
  Console.WriteLine($"{result.Added} {result.Skipped}");
  ```

  ```http HTTP theme={null}
  POST /v1/patients/8a4fde23-0f1b-4c2a-9d7e-b36c1a5f0e82/external-identifiers
  Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY
  Content-Type: application/json

  {
    "identifiers": [{ "system": "my-crm", "value": "CRM-4471" }]
  }
  ```
</RequestExample>

<ResponseExample>
  ```python 200 theme={null}
  ExternalIdentifierMutationResult(
      patient_id="8a4fde23-0f1b-4c2a-9d7e-b36c1a5f0e82",
      added=1,
      removed=0,
      skipped=0,
      external_identifiers=[
          ExternalIdentifier(system="my-crm", value="CRM-4471", integration_id=None),
      ],
  )
  ```

  ```json 401 theme={null}
  {
    "error": true,
    "status_code": 401,
    "error_type": "authentication_error",
    "message": "Could not validate credentials",
    "details": [
      {
        "type": "authentication_error",
        "message": "Could not validate credentials"
      }
    ],
    "timestamp": "2026-05-06T12:00:00+00:00"
  }
  ```

  ```json 403 theme={null}
  {
    "error": true,
    "status_code": 403,
    "error_type": "authorization_error",
    "message": "Insufficient OAuth scope for this endpoint",
    "details": [
      {
        "type": "authorization_error",
        "message": "Insufficient OAuth scope for this endpoint"
      }
    ],
    "timestamp": "2026-05-06T12:00:00+00:00"
  }
  ```

  ```json 404 theme={null}
  {
    "error": true,
    "status_code": 404,
    "error_type": "not_found_error",
    "message": "Patient not found",
    "details": [
      {
        "type": "not_found_error",
        "message": "Patient not found"
      }
    ],
    "timestamp": "2026-05-06T12:00:00+00:00"
  }
  ```

  ```json 422 theme={null}
  {
    "error": true,
    "status_code": 422,
    "error_type": "validation_error",
    "message": "Request validation failed (1 error)",
    "details": [
      {
        "type": "missing",
        "message": "Field required",
        "field": "patient_id",
        "location": ["body", "patient_id"],
        "input_value": null
      }
    ],
    "timestamp": "2026-05-06T12:00:00+00:00"
  }
  ```

  ```json 429 theme={null}
  {
    "error": true,
    "status_code": 429,
    "error_type": "server_error",
    "message": "Rate limit exceeded",
    "details": [
      {
        "type": "rate_limit",
        "message": "Too many requests; retry after backoff"
      }
    ],
    "timestamp": "2026-05-06T12:00:00+00:00"
  }
  ```

  ```json 500 theme={null}
  {
    "error": true,
    "status_code": 500,
    "error_type": "internal_server_error",
    "message": "An internal server error occurred",
    "details": [
      {
        "type": "internal_server_error",
        "message": "An unexpected error occurred while processing your request"
      }
    ],
    "timestamp": "2026-05-06T12:00:00+00:00"
  }
  ```
</ResponseExample>