External files
If your project uses some files outside of the project root, you will see them grouped under the External Sources node in the Project tree:
![External sources in the Project tree External sources in the Project tree](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2023.3/cl_outsideroot_tree.png)
This helps avoid top-level crowding, for example when generating project files required for coding assistance and compilation.
For CMake projects, CLion also shows a popup suggesting that you change the project root directory. Ignore this message if there is no need to change the project root.
![External sources message External sources message](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2023.3/cl_outsideroot_popup.png)
Last modified: 11 February 2024