diff --git a/aries_cloudagent/resolver/did_resolver.py b/aries_cloudagent/resolver/did_resolver.py
index 60dcdf0efe..7fcc4dec82 100644
--- a/aries_cloudagent/resolver/did_resolver.py
+++ b/aries_cloudagent/resolver/did_resolver.py
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ async def resolve(
         self, profile: Profile, did: Union[str, DID]
     ) -> ResolvedDIDDoc:
         """Retrieve did doc from public registry."""
+        # TODO Cache results
         if isinstance(did, str):
             did = DID(did)
         for resolver in self._match_did_to_resolver(did):
@@ -61,10 +62,11 @@ def _match_did_to_resolver(self, did: DID) -> BaseDIDResolver:
             raise DIDMethodNotSupported(f"{did.method} not supported")
         return resolvers
 
-    async def dereference_external(
+    async def dereference(
         self, profile: Profile, did_url: str
     ) -> ResolvedDIDDoc:
-        """Retrieve an external did in doc service from a public registry."""
+        """Dereference a DID URL to its corresponding DID Doc object."""
+        # TODO Use cached DID Docs when possible
         did_url = DIDUrl.parse(did_url)
         doc = await self.resolve(profile, did_url.did)
         return doc.dereference(did_url)
diff --git a/aries_cloudagent/resolver/tests/test_did_resolver.py b/aries_cloudagent/resolver/tests/test_did_resolver.py
index 166bb982d1..315cc7318f 100644
--- a/aries_cloudagent/resolver/tests/test_did_resolver.py
+++ b/aries_cloudagent/resolver/tests/test_did_resolver.py
@@ -179,9 +179,9 @@ def test_match_did_to_resolver_registration_order():
 
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
-async def test_dereference_external(resolver, profile):
+async def test_dereference(resolver, profile):
     url = "did:example:1234abcd#4"
-    assert DOC["verificationMethod"][1] == await resolver.dereference_external(
+    assert DOC["verificationMethod"][1] == await resolver.dereference(
         profile, url
     )