diff --git a/course/externallib.php b/course/externallib.php
index 62e868fb4be..6b00cccea27 100644
--- a/course/externallib.php
+++ b/course/externallib.php
@@ -2458,6 +2458,15 @@ class core_course_external extends external_api {
                     ),
                     'Course filters', VALUE_OPTIONAL
                 ),
+                'courseformatoptions' => new external_multiple_structure(
+                    new external_single_structure(
+                        array(
+                            'name' => new external_value(PARAM_RAW, 'Course format option name.'),
+                            'value' => new external_value(PARAM_RAW, 'Course format option value.'),
+                        )
+                    ),
+                    'Additional options for particular course format.', VALUE_OPTIONAL
+                ),
             );
             $coursestructure = array_merge($coursestructure, $extra);
         }
@@ -3084,6 +3093,14 @@ class core_course_external extends external_api {
             if (isset($coursesdata[$course->id]['lang'])) {
                 $coursesdata[$course->id]['lang'] = clean_param($coursesdata[$course->id]['lang'], PARAM_LANG);
             }
+
+            $courseformatoptions = course_get_format($course)->get_config_for_external();
+            foreach ($courseformatoptions as $key => $value) {
+                $coursesdata[$course->id]['courseformatoptions'][] = array(
+                    'name' => $key,
+                    'value' => $value
+                );
+            }
         }
 
         return array(
diff --git a/course/format/lib.php b/course/format/lib.php
index 0e1e23eabb1..045d0499f94 100644
--- a/course/format/lib.php
+++ b/course/format/lib.php
@@ -1261,6 +1261,17 @@ abstract class format_base {
 
         return ['modules' => $modules];
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Return the plugin config settings for external functions,
+     * in some cases the configs will need formatting or be returned only if the current user has some capabilities enabled.
+     *
+     * @return array the list of configs
+     * @since Moodle 3.5
+     */
+    public function get_config_for_external() {
+        return array();
+    }
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/course/format/singleactivity/lib.php b/course/format/singleactivity/lib.php
index f803e5985cc..e91036660e1 100644
--- a/course/format/singleactivity/lib.php
+++ b/course/format/singleactivity/lib.php
@@ -478,4 +478,14 @@ class format_singleactivity extends format_base {
         return false;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Return the plugin configs for external functions.
+     *
+     * @return array the list of configuration settings
+     * @since Moodle 3.5
+     */
+    public function get_config_for_external() {
+        // Return everything (nothing to hide).
+        return $this->get_format_options();
+    }
 }
diff --git a/course/format/social/lib.php b/course/format/social/lib.php
index c44e0f6ff44..972f30c62e4 100644
--- a/course/format/social/lib.php
+++ b/course/format/social/lib.php
@@ -120,4 +120,15 @@ class format_social extends format_base {
     public function allow_stealth_module_visibility($cm, $section) {
         return true;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Return the plugin configs for external functions.
+     *
+     * @return array the list of configuration settings
+     * @since Moodle 3.5
+     */
+    public function get_config_for_external() {
+        // Return everything (nothing to hide).
+        return $this->get_format_options();
+    }
 }
diff --git a/course/format/topics/lib.php b/course/format/topics/lib.php
index c2a33fb42d4..547f218ff40 100644
--- a/course/format/topics/lib.php
+++ b/course/format/topics/lib.php
@@ -399,6 +399,17 @@ class format_topics extends format_base {
         $rv['section_availability'] = $renderer->section_availability($this->get_section($section));
         return $rv;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Return the plugin configs for external functions.
+     *
+     * @return array the list of configuration settings
+     * @since Moodle 3.5
+     */
+    public function get_config_for_external() {
+        // Return everything (nothing to hide).
+        return $this->get_format_options();
+    }
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/course/format/upgrade.txt b/course/format/upgrade.txt
index 75408ab9a4e..394bf21362b 100644
--- a/course/format/upgrade.txt
+++ b/course/format/upgrade.txt
@@ -2,6 +2,12 @@ This files describes API changes for course formats
 
 Overview of this plugin type at http://docs.moodle.org/dev/Course_formats
 
+=== 3.5 ===
+* Course formats should overwrite get_config_for_external function to return the course format settings viewable by the
+  current user.
+  If the course format does not have any setting that could be considerated private (like a private/access key/token),
+  is ok to return all the settigns via the get_format_options function.
+
 === 3.3 ===
 * Javascript code for editing activities and sections was moved to an AMD module, course/rest.php is no longer
   responsible for editing actions, instead it is done in web services. Carefully test all editing actions during upgrade.
diff --git a/course/format/weeks/lib.php b/course/format/weeks/lib.php
index cc8996c41c5..922bb6b592f 100644
--- a/course/format/weeks/lib.php
+++ b/course/format/weeks/lib.php
@@ -565,6 +565,17 @@ class format_weeks extends format_base {
             }
         }
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Return the plugin configs for external functions.
+     *
+     * @return array the list of configuration settings
+     * @since Moodle 3.5
+     */
+    public function get_config_for_external() {
+        // Return everything (nothing to hide).
+        return $this->get_format_options();
+    }
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/course/tests/externallib_test.php b/course/tests/externallib_test.php
index ba36ab0d53f..49636b4e05b 100644
--- a/course/tests/externallib_test.php
+++ b/course/tests/externallib_test.php
@@ -2045,7 +2045,8 @@ class core_course_externallib_testcase extends externallib_advanced_testcase {
 
         $category1 = self::getDataGenerator()->create_category();
         $category2 = self::getDataGenerator()->create_category(array('parent' => $category1->id));
-        $course1 = self::getDataGenerator()->create_course(array('category' => $category1->id, 'shortname' => 'c1'));
+        $course1 = self::getDataGenerator()->create_course(
+            array('category' => $category1->id, 'shortname' => 'c1', 'format' => 'topics'));
         $course2 = self::getDataGenerator()->create_course(array('visible' => 0, 'category' => $category2->id, 'idnumber' => 'i2'));
 
         $student1 = self::getDataGenerator()->create_user();
@@ -2061,15 +2062,25 @@ class core_course_externallib_testcase extends externallib_advanced_testcase {
         $this->assertCount(3, $result['courses']);
         // Expect to receive all the fields.
         $this->assertCount(37, $result['courses'][0]);
-        $this->assertCount(37, $result['courses'][1]);
-        $this->assertCount(37, $result['courses'][2]);
+        $this->assertCount(38, $result['courses'][1]);  // One more field because is not the site course.
+        $this->assertCount(38, $result['courses'][2]);  // One more field because is not the site course.
 
         $result = core_course_external::get_courses_by_field('id', $course1->id);
         $result = external_api::clean_returnvalue(core_course_external::get_courses_by_field_returns(), $result);
         $this->assertCount(1, $result['courses']);
         $this->assertEquals($course1->id, $result['courses'][0]['id']);
         // Expect to receive all the fields.
-        $this->assertCount(37, $result['courses'][0]);
+        $this->assertCount(38, $result['courses'][0]);
+        // Check default values for course format topics.
+        $this->assertCount(2, $result['courses'][0]['courseformatoptions']);
+        foreach ($result['courses'][0]['courseformatoptions'] as $option) {
+            if ($option['name'] == 'hiddensections') {
+                $this->assertEquals(0, $option['value']);
+            } else {
+                $this->assertEquals('coursedisplay', $option['name']);
+                $this->assertEquals(0, $option['value']);
+            }
+        }
 
         $result = core_course_external::get_courses_by_field('id', $course2->id);
         $result = external_api::clean_returnvalue(core_course_external::get_courses_by_field_returns(), $result);
@@ -2112,14 +2123,14 @@ class core_course_externallib_testcase extends externallib_advanced_testcase {
         $result = external_api::clean_returnvalue(core_course_external::get_courses_by_field_returns(), $result);
         $this->assertCount(2, $result['courses']);
         $this->assertCount(30, $result['courses'][0]);
-        $this->assertCount(30, $result['courses'][1]);
+        $this->assertCount(31, $result['courses'][1]);  // One field more (course format options), not present in site course.
 
         $result = core_course_external::get_courses_by_field('id', $course1->id);
         $result = external_api::clean_returnvalue(core_course_external::get_courses_by_field_returns(), $result);
         $this->assertCount(1, $result['courses']);
         $this->assertEquals($course1->id, $result['courses'][0]['id']);
         // Expect to receive all the files that a student can see.
-        $this->assertCount(30, $result['courses'][0]);
+        $this->assertCount(31, $result['courses'][0]);
 
         // Check default filters.
         $filters = $result['courses'][0]['filters'];