Spark Optimized Sync

🔁 How Syncing Works

Spark Shipping connects your store to your suppliers and syncs the following data at regular intervals:

• Inventory stock levels

• Product pricing

• Order tracking

We pull data from vendor feeds (API, FTP, etc.) and push updates to your store’s platform — all while balancing performance, accuracy, and system load.

We only pull inventory from vendors as fast as their published inventory update schedule allows. If they update every hour, we pull every hour. If it's every 15 minutes, we pull every 15 minutes. No faster.

We also always run a delta sync. That means we pull the full feed from the vendor and then pre-process the data to identify only the stock quantities that have changed since the last sync. This drastically reduces the number of API calls we need to make to your site because we only send updates when something has actually changed.

⚙️ Introducing Optimized Sync

Our Optimized Sync acts as a smart traffic controller:

1. Vendor Side:

   • We pull inventory updates based on vendor limits and schedules.

   • We analyze data using delta processing, min/max quantity thresholds, and batching to reduce noise and unnecessary updates.

2. Site Side:

   • Updates are pushed to your site within API rate limits (e.g., Shopify API caps).

   • We share these limits across all updates — inventory, orders, tracking, etc.

   • Spark Shipping constantly balances how fast updates are made, staying just under platform-imposed limits.

⚡ The result: Fast, efficient syncing that won’t choke your vendor or site APIs.

🔍 Why Sync Times Vary

Several factors influence sync timing:

1. Vendor Rate Limits

Vendors dictate how often we can access their data.

• If a vendor allows updates once per hour, that’s our max.

• Some (like Turn 14) allow updates every 15 minutes — we take full advantage.

2. API Load Balancing

We avoid overloading your site or violating API rate limits:

• High-priority vendors and large, dynamic catalogs = faster syncs

• Smaller or low-priority vendors = standard intervals

• We manage this across all customers in real-time

3. Time of Day

Some scheduled jobs (e.g., large catalog imports or mapping changes) can temporarily delay inventory updates.

• These typically run during evening hours

• Helps reduce impact on real-time business activity

4. Data Volume

Large or complex catalogs take longer to process:

• More SKUs = more sync time

• More product attributes = heavier loads

• We batch large updates to keep the system fast

5. Subscription Plan & Custom Settings

Higher-tier plans unlock additional syncing flexibility and capacity.

🔧 How You Can Optimize Syncs

Want to speed up your syncing without changing plans? Here’s a quick win:

Reduce your Max Inventory Quantity.

• Example: If your threshold is set to 50, Spark Shipping only updates your store when vendor stock drops below 50.

• Lowering this number = fewer site-side updates = fewer API calls = faster syncs

• Helps reduce the chance of rate limiting

This small tweak can dramatically improve sync efficiency — especially on platforms like Shopify with strict rate limits.

✅ Benefits of Optimized Sync

• Real-time(ish) stock levels for your customers

• Lower chance of overselling

• Reduced API throttling and faster updates

• Leaner, smarter, more predictable inventory flows

🙋 Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does syncing affect my storefront speed?
A: Not at all. Syncs happen server-to-server. Your customers won’t feel a thing.

💬 Still Have Questions?

We’re here to help. Contact Support if you’d like help adjusting sync settings or understanding your sync schedule.