# Start Sync

### But first, what is a sync?

Also known as a “bulk sync”. It’s when Reactify Search downloads all the products and collections in the Shopify catalogue and uploads them back into the app. A sync needs to happen so that the app knows that it's working with the most up-to-date data.

![In the Dashboard, you'll be able to find the Start Sync button which is where you can manually trigger a bulk sync](/files/IsxHfVW9AOb1LfdQy6Ea)

### What products are included in the sync?

Products and collections in your Shopify catalogue that meet all the criteria:

* Status: Active
* Status: Daft (only if the checkbox is ticked in the `Manage > Product` section)
* Added to sales channel: Online Store

Archived products are excluded from the sync.

### When do I need to press the ‘Start Sync’ button?

* Whenever an update is made to a Merged Value, a sync will need to occur for the filter value to appear on the front end.

Most of the time, there won’t be a need to press the Start Sync button as the majority of updates will reflect on the front end almost instantly.

### How long does it take for a bulk sync to happen?

A bulk sync takes no longer than 20 minutes from start to completion. A bulk sync is automatically scheduled to happen every few hours, depending on the settings set out in the "[automations](/manage/automations.md)" section of the app. The schedule can be adjusted but for most merchants, we recommend keeping the bulk sync at the 4-hour mark. [More info here.](/manage/automations.md)

### Syncing Shopify Collections

If global boost rules are not set and no curations exist for a collection, the sort order will refer to the default sort of the collection in Shopify.

### Learn how to sync a selection of products instantly

{% content-ref url="/pages/FhKeYsKVdRmbKaj5KiA9" %}
[Products](/catalogue/products.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="/pages/xSpjWr80x7ZCRxbKwOuz" %}
[Collections](/catalogue/collections.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

### I just made an update in the app, why isn't it appearing on the front end?

If you don’t see an update reflecting instantly on the front end, then it’ll be due to the cache. In case your cache hasn’t expired within the time of making the update, we recommend allowing up to 5 minutes. After 5 minutes have passed, you should see your changes reflect on the front end.


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