Understand what happens during your first MerchantFlow sync, how long it takes, where to monitor progress, and how to verify data.

Your First MerchantFlow Data Sync

The first sync is the process where MerchantFlow pulls data from your connected integrations for the first time. It is the handoff between setup and live workspace use -- once complete, your dashboard populates with real products, orders, ad spend, and analytics data.

When the First Sync Starts

MerchantFlow starts live sync activity after the workspace is ready for production data. For most merchant workspaces, that means three conditions are met:

A commerce platform is connected (Shopify or WooCommerce)
Onboarding is complete
Billing approval is complete (Stripe checkout for web workspaces, or Shopify billing approval for embedded installs)

Demo mode does not start a live sync because it uses sample data.

What Data the First Sync Pulls

Depending on your connected integrations, the first sync can import:

Products -- catalog data from Shopify or WooCommerce
Orders -- historical and recent order data
Analytics data -- traffic and conversions from Google Analytics
Search data -- organic performance from Search Console
Merchant Center diagnostics -- product feed status from Google Merchant Center
Ad performance -- spend and ROAS from Meta, Snapchat, and TikTok Ads
Fulfillment data -- 3PL cost data from Speedfulfill, if connected

The exact scope depends on what is connected and configured in your workspace.

Why the First Sync Takes Longer Than Recurring Syncs

The first sync is typically the slowest because it includes:

Initial account validation -- confirming access and permissions for each provider
Historical import -- pulling existing products and order history, not just recent changes
First-time configuration checks -- verifying provider settings are correct
Larger data backfills -- importing more data than the standard recurring delta cycle

Most first syncs complete within a few minutes, but large catalogs with thousands of products may take longer.

Where to Monitor Sync Progress

You can check sync status in four places:

Live indicator -- the real-time status badge in the dashboard header
Integration Health dropdown -- shows per-provider connection status
Settings > Integrations -- detailed view of each connected service
Settings > Logs -- timestamped log entries for sync events and errors

Background syncs keep running even if you navigate away from the starting page.

What a Successful First Sync Looks Like

After a healthy first sync, you should see:

Products appearing in the products table
Data on the main dashboard, P&L views, and marketing reports
Connected integrations marked as healthy or warning (not disconnected)
A recent last-sync timestamp in the Live indicator

What to Do If Only Some Data Appears

Partial data population is not always a failure. Check whether:

Only some integrations were connected (for example, Shopify is connected but Google is not yet configured)
The Google property or ad account selection was not saved after OAuth (a common setup mistake)
The provider itself has a natural reporting delay (ad platforms often lag by several hours)
The sync completed with warnings rather than a clean success

How to Rerun the Sync

If you need another pull:

Use Sync All Integrations from the Live indicator for a quick rerun of all providers
Use Manual Sync Runner for a targeted or full rerun of specific integrations

For more details, see Manual Sync.

Recurring Syncs After Setup

After the first import, MerchantFlow switches to recurring background delta syncs:

The default recurring cadence is roughly every 30 minutes
Providers may still expose data later than that depending on their own reporting delays
You can trigger additional syncs manually at any time

For more about the sync system, see Sync Overview.

Troubleshooting: Dashboard Still Empty After First Sync

If the dashboard still looks empty after the first sync, work through this checklist:

Confirm you are not still in demo mode
Confirm billing approval actually finished (pricing plans)
Check connection health in Settings > Integrations
Check the current state in the Live indicator
Rerun the specific provider that looks stale from the Manual Sync Runner

If data still does not appear, see Sync Troubleshooting or No Data Showing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the first MerchantFlow sync take?

Most first syncs complete within 2 to 5 minutes. Larger stores with thousands of products or extensive order history may take up to 15 minutes. Recurring syncs after the first import are significantly faster.

Does MerchantFlow import historical data?

Yes. The first sync pulls available historical data from your connected platforms, including past orders and product catalog information. The depth of historical data depends on each provider's API limits.

Can I use MerchantFlow while the sync is running?

Yes. You can navigate the dashboard while the sync runs in the background. Data will appear progressively as each integration completes.

Related Guides

Dashboard Overview -- Understand your workspace after sync
Manual Sync -- Trigger on-demand data pulls
Sync Status -- Monitor ongoing sync health
Sync Troubleshooting -- Fix sync failures
Connect Integrations -- Add more data sources

Last updated: March 14, 2026