Syncing & data freshness¶
Once your warehouse management system (WMS) is connected, Packr keeps your orders, inventory, and shipments fresh on a schedule. This page explains how often data refreshes, how to read the connection and last-run times, and what to do when a screen looks out of date.
Admin only
Triggering a manual sync is an admin-only task — you need a workspace admin role. Anyone who can open Settings -> Integrations can see the connection status and use Refresh.
Overview¶
After you connect your WMS, Packr syncs warehouse data automatically. You don't need to refresh manually for normal operation — the most-used screens (Orders, Inventory) reflect changes from your WMS within a few minutes. From Settings -> Integrations, you can:
- See when the connection was made and check its current status.
- Refresh the connection status on the WMS Connected card.
- Trigger a manual sync (admin only) and watch its progress.
Connecting and disconnecting your WMS is covered separately in Connecting your WMS.
Screenshot: The WMS Connected card on the Integrations page. (pending capture)
How often your data refreshes¶
Each type of warehouse data has its own refresh cadence. High-volume, fast-changing data (orders and inventory) refreshes most often; near-static configuration data refreshes once a day. These are the default intervals.
| Data | Refreshes about every | Drives |
|---|---|---|
| Orders | 5 minutes | Orders list and order details |
| Inventory | 5 minutes | Stock levels and order stock checks |
| Inbound shipments | 15 minutes | Inbound Shipments page |
| Products | 1 hour | Product catalog |
| Customers | 1 hour | Customer data |
| Shipping methods | 24 hours | Shipping configuration |
| Warehouses | 24 hours | Warehouse configuration |
These are typical defaults and can vary by workspace. If you need a different cadence for a data type, contact support — see Getting help.
Note
Changes you make in Packr — such as creating an order, updating a hold, cancelling, or creating an inbound shipment — are sent to your WMS right away. A list may take a moment to visually catch up, but the action itself is applied immediately.
Read the connection time¶
The WMS Connected card on Settings -> Integrations shows when the connection was made, written as a relative time such as "Connected: 2 days ago." Hover over it to see the exact date and time. This is the connection's age, not the time of the last data refresh.
To see when each data type last refreshed, open the manual sync window (see below). Workspace sync state — latest run per table lists the most recent run for every data type, with its Started and Completed times. If the latest run for a data type is much older than the cadence in the table above, the data on that screen may be behind. See Data looks out of date below.
Refresh the connection status¶
The Refresh action on the WMS Connected card re-checks the current connection state and reloads what the Integrations page shows. Use it when you want to confirm the connection is still healthy or after making a change.
- Go to Settings -> Integrations.
- On the WMS Connected card, select Refresh.
- The page reloads the current status.
Note
Refresh re-reads the connection status. It does not pull new orders or inventory by itself — for that, trigger a manual sync (below). Day to day, Packr already syncs on its own.
Screenshot: The Refresh action on the WMS Connected card. (pending capture)
Trigger a manual sync¶
If a screen looks behind and you don't want to wait for the next scheduled refresh, an admin can trigger a sync immediately and watch it run.
- Go to Settings -> Integrations.
- On the WMS Connected card, open the manual sync controls (next to Refresh).
- In the manual sync window, find Trigger incremental and choose the Target entity you want to refresh (for example, orders or inventory).
- Select Run. The job appears with a live status you can watch as it progresses.
- To see the latest run for every data type, use Workspace sync state — latest run per table and select Refresh there.
A manual sync runs in the background. Once it finishes, the affected screen reflects the new data — usually within a minute.
Tip
If you only need one screen up to date, trigger a sync for that Target entity rather than a broader run. It finishes faster and is gentler on your WMS.
Admin only
The manual sync controls are available to workspace admins only.
Screenshot: Triggering a manual sync from the manual sync window. (pending capture)
Data looks out of date¶
If a screen shows stale orders, inventory, or shipments, work through these steps before contacting support.
- Check the connection time on Settings -> Integrations. If the WMS Connected card is missing, your WMS isn't connected — see Connecting your WMS.
- Confirm the brand you're viewing is mapped to the right warehouse account. See Brand WMS mapping.
- Trigger a manual sync for the data type that looks behind (see above), then wait about a minute and reload the screen.
- If it's still stale, contact support. See Troubleshooting and Getting help.
Note
If a sync for the same data type is already running, starting another one has no effect — the in-progress sync finishes and updates the screen.
Common questions¶
How often does my data update? Orders and inventory refresh about every 5 minutes, inbound shipments about every 15 minutes, and configuration data (products, customers, shipping methods, warehouses) less often. See the cadence table above for the full list.
Why is my order or inventory out of date? Most likely the next scheduled sync hasn't run yet, or you're viewing a brand that isn't mapped to the right warehouse account. Trigger a manual sync, confirm the brand mapping in Brand WMS mapping, then reload.
How do I force a sync? On Settings -> Integrations, open the manual sync controls on the WMS Connected card, pick the Target entity under Trigger incremental, and select Run. The sync runs in the background and the screen updates when it finishes.
When did my data last refresh? The WMS Connected card shows when the connection was made ("Connected: X ago"), not the last refresh. To see the last run for each data type, open the manual sync window and check Workspace sync state — latest run per table.
Does Refresh pull new data? Refresh on the connected card re-checks the connection status; it doesn't pull new orders or inventory on its own. Use a manual sync to pull fresh data immediately. Day to day, Packr syncs automatically.
Who can trigger a sync? Triggering a manual sync is admin-only — you need a workspace admin role. Checking the connection status and using Refresh are available to anyone who can open Settings -> Integrations.