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

# Task menu - Open external system in new tab

> Create a task menu item that opens an external system using CRMScript

This tutorial explains how to create a Task menu item that opens a new browser tab linking to an external system, using a CRMScript to generate the URL dynamically.

By the end of this guide, you will have:

* Created a CRMScript that builds a URL with a contact's external ID.
* Configured a Task menu item to open this script result in a new tab.
* Verified that the Task menu opens the external page correctly.

This solution is especially useful when you want to integrate SuperOffice CRM with a third-party system and link entities via a shared ID.

<Note>
  In the SuperOffice data model, a **contact** refers to a **company**. Individuals associated with a contact are referred to as **persons**. This tutorial targets the `Contact` entity and the script uses the `contactId`, which refers to the company.
</Note>

## Step 1: Create the CRMScript

We start by creating a CRMScript, which will be triggered via a Task menu item in SuperOffice.

1. Click <i class="ph ph-list" aria-label="Main menu" /> on the top bar and select **Settings and maintenance**.

2. In the navigator, click <i class="ph ph-code-block" aria-hidden="true" /> **CRMScript** and go to the **Macros and scripts** tab.

3. Click **New script**, then fill in the **Information** tab:

   | Field            | Value                                                   | Description                                  |
   | ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
   | **Name**         | Open contact external                                   | Friendly name for the script                 |
   | **Description**  | Opens an external customer page for the current contact | What this script does                        |
   | **Include name** | openContactExternal                                     | Unique single-word identifier for the script |

4. Go to the **Script** tab and paste in the following code:

   ```crmscript theme={null}
   #setLanguageLevel 4;

   Integer contactId = getCgiVariable("contactId").toInteger();

   if (contactId.isNull() == true || contactId \< 1)
   \{
       exitWithMessage("No contactId given");
   \}

   NSContactAgent contactAgent;
   NSContactEntity contactEntity = contactAgent.GetContactEntity(contactId);
   Map contactCustomFields = contactEntity.GetCustomFields();

   String externalContactId = decodeDBValue(contactCustomFields.get("x_extra_field"));

   setVariable("url", "https://portal.mysystem.com/customers?customerId=" + externalContactId);
   ```

5. Click **OK** to save the script.

### Code explanation

* Read the current contact ID.
* Look up a custom field (`x_extra_field`) from the contact.
* Builds a URL to an external system.

## Step 2: Add a task menu item

Now that our script is ready, we need to add a **Task menu item** to trigger it.

1. In **Settings and maintenance**, go to <i class="ph ph-list-bullets" aria-hidden="true" /> **Lists**.

2. Find **Task menu** in the list selector and click **Add** to create a new item.

3. Fill out the dialog with these values:

   | Field                       | Value                                                                         | Description                                                                                                                         |
   | --------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
   | **Name**                    | Open contact external                                                         | Name of item in Task menu                                                                                                           |
   | **Task menu**               | Company                                                                       | Where you want to show this item                                                                                                    |
   | **Type**                    | URL                                                                           |                                                                                                                                     |
   | **URL**                     | `<csbl>?_sf=4&action=doScript&includeId=openContactExternal&contactId=<cuid>` | The `<cuid>` variable is automatically replaced with the current company's contact ID. This is passed to the script as `contactId`. |
   | **Show in SuperOffice CRM** | <i class="ph ph-check" aria-hidden="true" /> (Checked)                        |                                                                                                                                     |

   <Note>
     Make sure to select the **URL** type. Choosing **CRMScript**, and therefore executing the script directly, will not open in a new tab.
   </Note>

4. Enable any other visibility settings as needed.

5. Click **Save**.

![Edit list item dialog with task menu URL set -screenshot][img1]

## Step 3: Use the task menu item

1. Open a **Company** card in SuperOffice CRM.

2. Click the **Task** menu button (<i class="ph ph-dots-three-circle-vertical" aria-hidden="true" />).

3. Select **Open contact external**.

![Task menu showing custom item -screenshot][img2]

The system should open a new browser tab with a URL like: `https://portal.mysystem.com/customers?customerId=12345`

## Summary

* We created a CRMScript that outputs a URL based on the contact's external ID.
* We configured a **Task menu item** to open this URL in a new tab.
* We tested the menu and confirmed it works as expected.

## Troubleshooting

* **Nothing happens when clicking the task menu item:**

  Make sure the **include name** is set correctly and the script is saved. The script must be saved with an include name that **exactly matches** what you use in the `includeId` parameter of the URL.

* **The script fails with "No contactId given":**

  Confirm that you are using `<cuid>` in the Task menu URL and that it resolves correctly. In this scenario, `<cuid>` will be passed as `contactId` to our script, which expects this value on line 3.

* **The external ID is empty:**

  Ensure that the `x_extra_field` value is populated for the contact you are testing.

[img1]: /media/loc/en/automation/tut-add-task-menu-item-url.png

[img2]: /media/loc/en/automation/tut-task-menu-openexternal-on-company.png


## Related topics

- [How to create a CRMScript](/en/automation/crmscript/overview/envir-and-tools.md)
- [How to create a Task menu item](/en/customization/admin/add-items-to-task-menu.md)
- [Template variables from Service](/en/document/templates/variables/for-service.md)
- [Template variables from the Company card](/en/document/templates/variables/from-company-card.md)