diff --git a/app/models/Group.ts b/app/models/Group.ts
index d59c20d217..328f308c10 100644
--- a/app/models/Group.ts
+++ b/app/models/Group.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ class Group extends Model {
   @observable
   name: string;
 
+  @observable
+  externalId: string | undefined;
+
   @observable
   memberCount: number;
 
diff --git a/server/commands/groupCreator.ts b/server/commands/groupCreator.ts
index 6151cd1b7b..052deaef4b 100644
--- a/server/commands/groupCreator.ts
+++ b/server/commands/groupCreator.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { Event, Group, type User } from "@server/models";
 
 type Props = {
   name: string;
+  externalId: string | undefined;
   actor: User;
   ip: string;
   transaction?: Transaction;
@@ -10,6 +11,7 @@ type Props = {
 
 export default async function groupCreator({
   name,
+  externalId,
   actor,
   ip,
   transaction,
@@ -17,6 +19,7 @@ export default async function groupCreator({
   const group = await Group.create(
     {
       name,
+      externalId,
       teamId: actor.teamId,
       createdById: actor.id,
     },
diff --git a/server/commands/groupUpdater.ts b/server/commands/groupUpdater.ts
index 98ddb966fc..b694604212 100644
--- a/server/commands/groupUpdater.ts
+++ b/server/commands/groupUpdater.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@ import { Event, type Group, type User } from "@server/models";
 
 type Props = {
   group: Group;
-  name: string;
+  name: string | undefined;
+  externalId: string | undefined;
   actor: User;
   ip: string;
   transaction?: Transaction;
@@ -12,11 +13,17 @@ type Props = {
 export default async function groupUpdater({
   group,
   name,
+  externalId,
   actor,
   ip,
   transaction,
 }: Props): Promise<Group> {
-  group.name = name;
+  if (name) {
+    group.name = name;
+  }
+  if (externalId) {
+    group.externalId = externalId;
+  }
 
   if (group.changed()) {
     await group.save({ transaction });
diff --git a/server/migrations/20241219023150-group-external-id.js b/server/migrations/20241219023150-group-external-id.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b4f239a203
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/migrations/20241219023150-group-external-id.js
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+"use strict";
+
+/** @type {import('sequelize-cli').Migration} */
+module.exports = {
+  async up(queryInterface, Sequelize) {
+    await queryInterface.sequelize.transaction(async transaction => {
+      await queryInterface.addColumn("groups", "externalId", {
+        type: Sequelize.STRING,
+      }, { transaction });
+      await queryInterface.addIndex("groups", ["externalId"], { transaction });
+      await queryInterface.addIndex("group_permissions", ["documentId"], { transaction });
+      await queryInterface.addIndex("group_permissions", ["sourceId"], { transaction });
+    });
+  },
+
+  async down(queryInterface, Sequelize) {
+    await queryInterface.sequelize.transaction(async transaction => {
+      await queryInterface.removeIndex("group_permissions", ["sourceId"], { transaction });
+      await queryInterface.removeIndex("group_permissions", ["documentId"], { transaction });
+      await queryInterface.removeIndex("groups", ["externalId"], { transaction });
+      await queryInterface.removeColumn("groups", "externalId", { transaction });
+    });
+  },
+};
diff --git a/server/models/Group.ts b/server/models/Group.ts
index 5b69ad13c7..dee4873bf1 100644
--- a/server/models/Group.ts
+++ b/server/models/Group.ts
@@ -65,6 +65,9 @@ class Group extends ParanoidModel<
   @Column
   name: string;
 
+  @Column
+  externalId: string;
+
   static filterByMember(userId: string | undefined) {
     return userId
       ? this.scope({ method: ["withMembership", userId] })
diff --git a/server/presenters/group.ts b/server/presenters/group.ts
index 91a8057add..a7819c31f3 100644
--- a/server/presenters/group.ts
+++ b/server/presenters/group.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ export default async function presentGroup(group: Group) {
   return {
     id: group.id,
     name: group.name,
+    externalId: group.externalId,
     memberCount: await group.memberCount,
     createdAt: group.createdAt,
     updatedAt: group.updatedAt,
diff --git a/server/routes/api/groups/groups.test.ts b/server/routes/api/groups/groups.test.ts
index a0a0a8d0a6..415e5f102a 100644
--- a/server/routes/api/groups/groups.test.ts
+++ b/server/routes/api/groups/groups.test.ts
@@ -12,11 +12,13 @@ describe("#groups.create", () => {
       body: {
         token: user.getJwtToken(),
         name,
+        externalId: "123",
       },
     });
     const body = await res.json();
     expect(res.status).toEqual(200);
     expect(body.data.name).toEqual(name);
+    expect(body.data.externalId).toEqual("123");
   });
 });
 
@@ -67,12 +69,14 @@ describe("#groups.update", () => {
         teamId: user.teamId,
       });
     });
+
     it("allows admin to edit a group", async () => {
       const res = await server.post("/api/groups.update", {
         body: {
           token: user.getJwtToken(),
           id: group.id,
           name: "Test",
+          externalId: "123",
         },
       });
       const events = await Event.findAll({
@@ -84,7 +88,9 @@ describe("#groups.update", () => {
       const body = await res.json();
       expect(res.status).toEqual(200);
       expect(body.data.name).toBe("Test");
+      expect(body.data.externalId).toBe("123");
     });
+
     it("does not create an event if the update is a noop", async () => {
       const res = await server.post("/api/groups.update", {
         body: {
@@ -103,6 +109,7 @@ describe("#groups.update", () => {
       expect(res.status).toEqual(200);
       expect(body.data.name).toBe(group.name);
     });
+
     it("fails with validation error when name already taken", async () => {
       await buildGroup({
         teamId: user.teamId,
@@ -275,6 +282,23 @@ describe("#groups.list", () => {
     expect(body.data.groups.length).toEqual(1);
     expect(body.data.groups[0].id).toEqual(group.id);
   });
+
+  it("should allow to find a group by its externalId", async () => {
+    const user = await buildUser();
+    const group = await buildGroup({ teamId: user.teamId, externalId: "123" });
+    await buildGroup({ teamId: user.teamId });
+
+    const res = await server.post("/api/groups.list", {
+      body: {
+        externalId: "123",
+        token: user.getJwtToken(),
+      },
+    });
+    const body = await res.json();
+    expect(res.status).toEqual(200);
+    expect(body.data.groups.length).toEqual(1);
+    expect(body.data.groups[0].id).toEqual(group.id);
+  });
 });
 
 describe("#groups.info", () => {
diff --git a/server/routes/api/groups/groups.ts b/server/routes/api/groups/groups.ts
index 623183b0c7..4764c52e01 100644
--- a/server/routes/api/groups/groups.ts
+++ b/server/routes/api/groups/groups.ts
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ router.post(
   pagination(),
   validate(T.GroupsListSchema),
   async (ctx: APIContext<T.GroupsListReq>) => {
-    const { sort, direction, query, userId, name } = ctx.input.body;
+    const { sort, direction, query, userId, externalId, name } = ctx.input.body;
     const { user } = ctx.state.auth;
     authorize(user, "listGroups", user.team);
 
@@ -55,6 +55,13 @@ router.post(
       };
     }
 
+    if (externalId) {
+      where = {
+        ...where,
+        externalId,
+      };
+    }
+
     const groups = await Group.filterByMember(userId).findAll({
       where,
       order: [[sort, direction]],
@@ -110,18 +117,19 @@ router.post(
 
 router.post(
   "groups.create",
-  rateLimiter(RateLimiterStrategy.TenPerHour),
+  rateLimiter(RateLimiterStrategy.TenPerMinute),
   auth(),
   validate(T.GroupsCreateSchema),
   transaction(),
   async (ctx: APIContext<T.GroupsCreateReq>) => {
-    const { name } = ctx.input.body;
+    const { name, externalId } = ctx.input.body;
     const { user } = ctx.state.auth;
     const { transaction } = ctx.state;
     authorize(user, "createGroup", user.team);
 
     const group = await groupCreator({
       name,
+      externalId,
       actor: user,
       ip: ctx.request.ip,
       transaction,
@@ -140,7 +148,7 @@ router.post(
   validate(T.GroupsUpdateSchema),
   transaction(),
   async (ctx: APIContext<T.GroupsUpdateReq>) => {
-    const { id, name } = ctx.input.body;
+    const { id, name, externalId } = ctx.input.body;
     const { user } = ctx.state.auth;
     const { transaction } = ctx.state;
 
@@ -150,6 +158,7 @@ router.post(
     group = await groupUpdater({
       group,
       name,
+      externalId,
       actor: user,
       ip: ctx.request.ip,
       transaction,
diff --git a/server/routes/api/groups/schema.ts b/server/routes/api/groups/schema.ts
index 4022282aee..74c6d0ac7a 100644
--- a/server/routes/api/groups/schema.ts
+++ b/server/routes/api/groups/schema.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ export const GroupsListSchema = z.object({
       .string()
       .optional()
       .transform((val) => (val !== "ASC" ? "DESC" : val)),
-
     /** Groups sorting column */
     sort: z
       .string()
@@ -21,13 +20,12 @@ export const GroupsListSchema = z.object({
         message: "Invalid sort parameter",
       })
       .default("updatedAt"),
-
     /** Only list groups where this user is a member */
     userId: z.string().uuid().optional(),
-
+    /** Find group matching externalId */
+    externalId: z.string().optional(),
     /** @deprecated Find group with matching name */
     name: z.string().optional(),
-
     /** Find group matching query */
     query: z.string().optional(),
   }),
@@ -45,6 +43,8 @@ export const GroupsCreateSchema = z.object({
   body: z.object({
     /** Group name */
     name: z.string(),
+    /** Optionally link this group to an external source. */
+    externalId: z.string().optional(),
   }),
 });
 
@@ -53,7 +53,9 @@ export type GroupsCreateReq = z.infer<typeof GroupsCreateSchema>;
 export const GroupsUpdateSchema = z.object({
   body: BaseIdSchema.extend({
     /** Group name */
-    name: z.string(),
+    name: z.string().optional(),
+    /** Optionally link this group to an external source. */
+    externalId: z.string().optional(),
   }),
 });