# Reference resources documented in other catalogs

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Use this guide when your catalog references resources that live somewhere else — typically another team's catalog — and the linter reports them as missing:

```
services/order-service/index.mdx
  11:9 ✖ error Referenced event/command/query "PaymentAuthorised" does not exist [receives[0]] (refs/resource-exists)
```

## Declare the resources as dependencies[​](#declare-the-resources-as-dependencies "Direct link to Declare the resources as dependencies")

EventCatalog lets you list external resources in the `dependencies` section of `eventcatalog.config.js`. EventCatalog renders a placeholder page for each one, and the linter treats them as existing:

eventcatalog.config.js

```
export default {
  // ...
  dependencies: {
    events: [
      { id: 'PaymentAuthorised' },
      { id: 'PaymentDeclined', version: '2.0.0' },
    ],
    services: [{ id: 'payment-service' }],
  },
};
```

* Without a `version`, the dependency satisfies any reference to that id (it behaves like `latest`).
* With a `version`, references must match that version, using the same [matching rules](/docs/development/developer-tools/eventcatalog-linter/reference/versions.md) as local resources.
* Dependency messages are never reported as orphans.

Any resource type can be listed: `events`, `commands`, `queries`, `services`, `domains`, `systems`, `channels`, `flows`, `entities`, `containers`, `data-products`, `diagrams`, `agents`, `adrs`, `users`, `teams`.

The linter reads `eventcatalog.config.js` from the directory you point it at. Both CommonJS and ES module configs are supported on current Node.js versions; if the file can't be loaded, the linter prints a warning and continues without dependencies.

## Federated content[​](#federated-content "Direct link to Federated content")

If you use [EventCatalog Federation](/docs/federation/overview.md), resources materialised under `federated/<catalog>/` are scanned like local ones. Owners, services and messages from federated catalogs resolve without any extra configuration.

## Ignore the generated `dependencies` folder[​](#ignore-the-generated-dependencies-folder "Direct link to ignore-the-generated-dependencies-folder")

EventCatalog writes placeholder files for dependencies into a `dependencies/` folder. The linter ignores that folder by default, so you don't need to add it to `ignorePatterns`.

## Related[​](#related "Direct link to Related")

* [Mocking out dependencies (legacy federation guide)](/docs/federation/legacy-federation/setup-team-catalog.md#mocking-out-dependencies-in-your-catalog)
* [Version formats and matching](/docs/development/developer-tools/eventcatalog-linter/reference/versions.md)