# Sync data

> Copy data from Google Sheets, MySQL and hundreds of apps into your warehouse on a schedule: how syncs run, their statuses, and who manages them.

Source: https://tini.so/docs/data/sync

Some data can’t be queried where it lives: spreadsheets, databases Orcabase doesn’t connect to directly, and business apps. **Sync data** copies it into your warehouse and keeps the copy up to date on a schedule. Synced tables work like any other: in Explore, the SQL Editor, data models and the agent.

## Built-in syncs and Fivetran

One page, two engines underneath. You pick the source; Orcabase picks the engine. Each source in the list is labeled “Built-in” or “via Fivetran”.

| Engine | Sources | Where the data lands |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Built into Orcabase | [Google Sheets](https://tini.so/docs/data/google-sheets) and [MySQL](https://tini.so/docs/data/mysql) | Your DuckDB warehouse, one schema per source |
| [Fivetran](https://tini.so/docs/data/fivetran) | Hundreds of apps and databases: Salesforce, HubSpot, Stripe, Google Ads and more | A hosted Postgres server, one schema per source |

When Orcabase has its own connector for something, the catalog offers that one and hides Fivetran’s: built-in MySQL covers MySQL, MariaDB and Aurora, and PostgreSQL and BigQuery are [connected directly](https://tini.so/docs/data) instead of synced.

## Who can do what

Everyone in your organization can see the Sync data page and every source’s status. Adding, changing, running and removing sources is for **admins**, since syncs write into your warehouse (and Fivetran syncs count against a monthly allowance).

## Add a source

1. **Open the catalog**

   Go to **Sync data → Add source**. Built-in connectors are listed first, then databases you can query directly, then everything Fivetran offers.

2. **Connect**

   Fill in the source’s details, pick the warehouse to sync into under **Sync into**, and click **Connect**. Orcabase checks the connection and lists the tables it found. See the page for each source: [Google Sheets](https://tini.so/docs/data/google-sheets), [MySQL](https://tini.so/docs/data/mysql), [Fivetran](https://tini.so/docs/data/fivetran).

3. **Choose tables and a schedule**

   Tick the tables to sync. Tick **Also sync tables added later** to pick up new ones automatically. Then set a **Name**, the **Schema** the tables go in (lowercase letters, digits and underscores), and how often to **Sync**.

4. **Start syncing**

   Click **Start syncing**. The first sync starts right away, and usually takes a couple of minutes.

## How a built-in sync works

- **A full copy every time.** Each sync rebuilds every selected table from the source. The new copy swaps in all at once, so queries never see a half-loaded table.
- **Failures are safe.** If a sync fails, the previous copy stays in place. If one table fails (say, it was deleted at the source), the others still sync and the source shows *Some tables failed*.
- **On your schedule.** Every 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 3 hours, 6 hours (the default), 12 hours or once a day. **Sync now** runs one immediately.
- **Passwords are encrypted**, and never shown again after you save them.

## Statuses

| Status | What it means |
| --- | --- |
| Waiting for first sync | The source is set up; its first sync hasn’t finished yet. |
| Syncing | A sync is running now. |
| Up to date | The last sync finished without errors. |
| Some tables failed | Most tables synced, but at least one didn’t. Open the source to see which, and why. |
| Failed | The last sync didn’t finish. The previous copy of the data is still there. |
| Needs reconnecting | Orcabase can’t sign in to the source any more. Update its connection details (or, for Fivetran, click Reconnect). |
| Finish setup | A Fivetran source whose sign-in wasn’t completed. Click Finish setup. |
| Paused | Someone paused it. Resume it from its menu. |
| Paused: limit reached | Your organization used this month’s Fivetran allowance. See Fivetran. |

## Manage a source

Open a source to see when it **Last synced**, its **Next sync**, and its **Recent syncs**, each with the rows and tables it copied. From the source (or its **⋯** menu in the list), admins can:

- **Sync now**, or **Pause** and **Resume** it.
- **Choose tables** to add or remove tables, and change how often it syncs.
- Update its connection details. Orcabase tests them before saving.
- **Remove** it. Syncing stops, but the tables already synced stay in the warehouse; drop them with SQL if you don’t need them.

> **Tip: Finding synced tables**
>
> Synced tables live in the schema you chose, so a sheet synced into `sheets` shows up as `sheets.orders`. In [Explore](https://tini.so/docs/explore), open your warehouse, then that schema.

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All docs: https://tini.so/llms.txt