Record sync delay

How to configure a delay between when Whalesync detects a record change to when Whalesync syncs the change

Summary

The Problem

• Certain apps like Airtable save data instantly as you type

• This can cause problems if you're typing in an email address and instantly syncing that to an app like Memberstack

• The result is sending email addresses like this: "johndoe@gmai"

The Solution

• Whalesync lets you add a record sync delay on specific tables

• For example, if you add a 10-second delay, Whalesync waits 10 seconds after you've finished editing a record in Airtable before syncing it to Memberstack

• This allows you to finish typing email addresses in Airtable before they sync

Setting Up Sync Delays

• When you connect certain apps like Memberstack, Whalesync intelligently defaults to a longer sync delay

• You can change the default settings from the Whalesync table mapping edit screen

Detailed Explanation

The problem with instant saving apps

Some apps, such as Airtable or Notion, save your data immediately as you edit. For example, if you're editing a text field in an Airtable record, every keystroke gets saved. As Whalesync detects these changes, it syncs these edits immediately.

For example, if you're syncing a blog post from Airtable to Webflow and type the title "10 Best Restaurants in NYC", this could sync over as:

• "10 B"

then

• "10 Best Res"

then

• "10 Best Restaurants in NYC"

When instant saving can be a problem

While usually harmless, this can be problematic when syncing to the Bubble users table or the Webflow Memberships table. When creating new users, if you are typing in an email address in Airtable, you could end up sending an incomplete email address (e.g. "matthew@whale"). Once a user is created in Bubble or Webflow, the email cannot be edited.

Whalesync's record sync delay

To solve this, Whalesync lets you set a "delay before syncing (seconds)" setting on a table. When this setting is enabled, Whalesync will wait at least that many seconds until after the record is no longer being edited before it syncs the record.

For example, let's say you are syncing from Airtable to Webflow and you set a delay of 30 seconds on a table in Airtable. When you start editing a record within Airtable, Whalesync will not immediately sync that record. After you stop typing changes into the Airtable record, Whalesync waits. Whalesync will make sure the record has not changed for at least 30 seconds until it syncs the value over to Webflow.

You can change the delay setting on the "Map Tables" screen for a base: