TableSyncDashboard

What to Do When a Sync Fails

Sync failures happen occasionally due to various reasons. This guide helps you diagnose and fix common issues quickly.

Step 1: Check the Sync Status

  1. Go to your Dashboard
  2. Find the failed sync (shows a red "Failed" status)
  3. Note the error message shown in the sync card

[Screenshot: Dashboard showing a failed sync with red status indicator]

Step 2: View Detailed Sync Logs

For more information:

  1. Click on the failed sync card
  2. Look at the Logs tab or section
  3. Review the detailed error message and timestamp
  4. Check which specific step failed

[Screenshot: Sync detail page showing log entries and error details]

Common Failure Types

Authentication Errors

Symptoms:

  • "Authentication failed"
  • "Unauthorized"
  • "Token expired"
  • "Access denied"

What happened: Your connection to the source (HubSpot, Shopify, Mailchimp) or Airtable has expired or been revoked.

Solution:

  1. Go to your Dashboard
  2. Find the integration showing issues
  3. Click Reconnect
  4. Complete the authorization process again
  5. Your syncs will resume automatically

[Screenshot: Integration card showing Reconnect button]

Rate Limit Errors

Symptoms:

  • "Rate limit exceeded"
  • "Too many requests"
  • "429 error"

What happened: Too many API requests were made in a short period. Each platform has limits.

Solution:

  1. Wait 15-60 minutes (limits usually reset within an hour)
  2. Click Sync Now to retry manually
  3. If persistent, reduce your sync frequency
  4. Consider spreading syncs across different times

Prevention: Use hourly or daily syncs instead of every 15 minutes for large datasets.

Airtable Structure Errors

Symptoms:

  • "Table not found"
  • "Field not found"
  • "Base not found"

What happened: Your Airtable structure changed - a table or column was renamed or deleted.

Solution:

  1. Click Edit on the failed sync
  2. Re-select the correct base and table
  3. Update field mappings if columns changed
  4. Save the sync
  5. Click Sync Now to retry

[Screenshot: Edit sync showing table selection]

Data Type Errors

Symptoms:

  • "Invalid field value"
  • "Cannot convert type"
  • "Field type mismatch"

What happened: The data doesn't match the Airtable column type (e.g., text in a number field).

Solution:

  1. Edit the sync and check field mappings
  2. Look for type warnings (yellow/red indicators)
  3. Either:
  • Change the Airtable column type
  • Map to a different column
  • Skip the problematic field

Source Data Errors

Symptoms:

  • "Invalid data format"
  • "Record processing failed"
  • Partial sync completion

What happened: Some records in your source have invalid or corrupted data.

Solution:

  1. Check the sync log for specific record IDs
  2. Review those records in your source system
  3. Fix or remove the problematic data
  4. Retry the sync

Note: TableSync will sync valid records even if some fail. Check the record count.

Step 3: Retry the Sync

After addressing the issue:

  1. Return to your Dashboard
  2. Find the failed sync
  3. Click the Sync Now button
  4. Monitor the status

[Screenshot: Sync card showing Sync Now button]

Tip: If the first retry fails, wait a few minutes before trying again.

Still Having Issues?

If you've tried the above and syncs are still failing:

Gather This Information

Before contacting support, collect:

  1. Sync ID - Visible in the URL when viewing the sync (e.g., /syncs/abc123)
  2. Exact error message - Copy the full text
  3. Timestamp - When did the failure start?
  4. What changed - Did you modify anything recently?

Contact Support

Email support@tablesync.io with:

  • The information above
  • Screenshots if helpful
  • Your account email address

We typically respond within 24 hours on business days.

Preventing Future Failures

Best Practices

  1. Don't change Airtable structure during active syncs - Pause syncs first if making changes
  2. Keep connections fresh - If you change passwords, reconnect right away
  3. Monitor your Dashboard - Check periodically for warnings
  4. Start with lower frequency - Test with daily syncs before going faster
  5. Clean source data - Ensure your source data is valid and consistent

Setting Up Notifications

Stay informed about failures:

  1. Go to Settings from your Dashboard
  2. Enable email notifications for sync failures
  3. You'll receive an alert when any sync fails

[Screenshot: Settings page showing notification options]

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