Manual Sync - Pull Fresh Data on Demand

Manual Sync

Manual sync in MerchantFlow lets you pull fresh data from your connected integrations on demand, without waiting for the next automatic background cycle. It is useful when you need up-to-the-minute metrics for reporting, after reconnecting an integration, or when troubleshooting stale data.

How to Run a Quick Sync from the Dashboard

From most merchant dashboards:

1. Click the Live indicator in the header
2. Open the Integration Health dropdown
3. Choose Sync All Integrations

This submits a background sync request for every connected provider, and a second request for your connected fulfilment (3PL) providers. It does not keep you on a blocking loading screen, so you can continue using the dashboard while the sync processes.

How to Run a Detailed Sync from Settings

For more control, open Settings > Integrations and click Manual Sync Runner in the Control Panel. That opens the Manual Sync Runner modal.

Under Sync Scope, the runner shows All Integrations plus one button for every provider you have actually connected:

• All Integrations
• Google Services
• Shopify Store
• WooCommerce
• Meta Ads
• Snapchat Ads
• TikTok Ads
• Pinterest
• Klaviyo
• Speedfulfill
• CJ Dropshipping
• Gooten
• Printful

Providers you have not connected are hidden, so your list will usually be shorter than the one above. Pinterest and Printful only ever appear for workspaces where MerchantFlow has switched their feature flags on -- both integrations ship disabled by default, so most workspaces cannot connect them and never see those two buttons.

When Meta is selected and you have two or more enabled ad accounts, an extra picker appears so you can narrow the sync to specific Meta ad accounts.

Understanding Sync Depth Modes

Under Sync Depth, the Manual Sync Runner offers two options:

• Normal Sync - "Incremental updates from last sync point."
• Full History - "Force re-fetch 5 years of historical data."

The modal also warns: "Full historical syncs are resource-intensive and may take up to 30 minutes depending on catalog size."

Operationally:

• Normal Sync is the first choice for day-to-day refreshes
• Full History is the recovery option when data was reconfigured, you changed providers, or you need a broader rebuild
• Full historical runs can take up to 30 minutes depending on workspace size

The action button reflects your choice: it reads Execute Standard Sync in Normal mode and Execute Force Sync in Full History mode, then shows Queuing Job... while the request is submitted.

For fulfilment providers such as Speedfulfill, Normal mode focuses on unfulfilled orders and Full History broadens the pull.

Requirements for Manual Sync

Manual sync is only available when:

• onboarding is complete - otherwise you see "Please complete onboarding before syncing data"
• the workspace has active trial or subscription access
• you have permission to trigger syncs (owner, admin, or analyst role) - otherwise the request returns "Insufficient permissions"

What Happens After You Click Sync

MerchantFlow submits a background request and returns one of the current job states:

• Idle - no sync is running
• Queued - waiting for a worker
• Running - actively syncing
• Completed - finished successfully
• Failed - needs review

The confirmation message names what was submitted, for example "Full sync queued." or "Shopify sync started in the background."

Only one sync can run per workspace at a time. If another sync is already in progress, the new request is rejected with "Sync already in progress".

You can leave the page and return later. See Sync Status for details on what each state means.

What Manual Sync Does Not Do

• It does not bypass billing or onboarding requirements
• It does not guarantee that provider-side latency disappears immediately
• It does not currently expose a customer-facing cancel button for an in-flight job
• It does not run in parallel with an existing sync for the same workspace

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a manual sync take?

A Normal (incremental) sync usually completes in a few minutes. The Manual Sync Runner warns that a Full History sync "may take up to 30 minutes depending on catalog size."

Can I cancel a manual sync once it starts?

There is no customer-facing cancel button in the current dashboard UI. If a job appears stuck, wait a few minutes and then contact [email protected].

A run that has genuinely stopped is cleared automatically, which frees the way for a new request: a run whose worker died is marked failed after 30 minutes with the message "Sync timed out after 30 minutes", and a run that is alive but has gone silent is abandoned after 45 minutes of no progress (2 hours for a full-history sync). A long sync that is still making progress is not cancelled -- see Sync Status.

Does a manual sync override the automatic schedule?

No. A manual sync runs in addition to the regular background cadence. The automatic sync schedule continues unaffected.

Why does my manual sync show "Failed"?

Common causes include disconnected integrations, expired OAuth tokens, and missing account selections. Fix the underlying issue and then rerun the sync. See Sync Troubleshooting for detailed resolution steps.

Does a manual sync pull my full order history?

Not by default. A Normal sync fetches changes since the last sync point, with a one-day overlap for safety. The first sync for a workspace starts seven days before the date of your oldest order (found by querying the commerce platform), or 90 days back if no orders are found. Full History re-derives that window from scratch and can reach back up to five years.

Related Pages

• Sync Overview - How background sync works
• Selective Sync - Target a specific provider
• Sync Status - Job state reference
• Sync Troubleshooting - Fix stale or failed syncs
• No Data Troubleshooting - Empty dashboard fixes

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Last updated: September 16, 2026