Sync Modes
A sync mode dictates how Fivetran handles data changes, including additions, updates, and deletes, when we sync data from your source to your destination. You can choose whether your destination marks deleted rows, mirrors the current source state, or preserves a full history of changes.
Sync mode options
You can choose the sync mode in the schema settings of your connection.
We offer the following sync modes:
- Soft delete mode: We mark rows as deleted in the destination after they are deleted in the source. Each source row corresponds to one destination row, letting you quickly see its current state.
- Live mode: We reflect source record changes and deletes in the destination. The destination table is an exact copy of the source table.
- History mode: We record every version of your source row in the corresponding table in your destination. Each source row corresponds to multiple destination rows, letting you track its history over time.
Sync mode default
For connectors that support multiple sync modes, you can set a connection-level Sync mode default in Schema change settings. New tables that support the selected mode use this default. Existing tables with a named table-level sync mode keep that selection until you select Default for the table.
New tables that support the selected mode use the connection default. Existing tables with Soft delete mode, Live mode, or History mode selected keep that table-level selection when you change the connection default. To make an existing table use the connection default, select Default from the table's Sync mode menu in the Schema tab. Tables set to Default follow later changes to the connection default when the selected mode is supported by the table.
Connector sync mode support
Soft delete mode is available for the vast majority of connectors. Live mode and history mode are available only for certain connectors and tables. Check the Features table on your connector's documentation page for connector-defined History mode behavior. Use your connection's Schema tab to see the modes available for each connection and table.
The History mode row in the Features table has the following meanings:
| History mode row in Features table | What it means |
|---|---|
| No checkmark | The connector uses soft delete mode for all tables. History mode is not available. |
| Checkmark, Notes starts with "Selectable for" | You can switch between history mode and soft delete mode for the listed tables in your connection schema. |
| Checkmark, Notes says "All tables" or "All tables except…" | The connector uses history mode for all or most tables. You cannot switch to soft delete mode. |
| Checkmark, Notes lists specific tables (without "Selectable") | The listed tables are set to history mode by default and cannot be changed. All other tables use soft delete mode. |
Connection and table mode availability
For a table configured to use the connection default, Fivetran resolves the effective sync mode from the table-level setting, the connection's Sync mode default, and the sync modes supported by the table.
The sync mode settings are resolved in the following order:
- If the table has a valid explicit sync mode, Fivetran uses that mode.
- Otherwise, the table inherits the connection's Sync mode default if the table supports it.
- Otherwise, Fivetran selects the first supported mode in this order: Soft delete mode, Live mode, then History mode.
An explicit table-level sync mode is a named mode selected for a table in the Sync mode menu instead of Default. The connection and each table can support different sets of sync modes. The Schema tab is the source of truth for the modes available for each table. The Default option indicates that the table can inherit the connection default. Named sync mode options identify table-level selections and display the Overrides default label. A table that supports only Soft delete mode may not show a selector because it has no meaningful alternative.
For example, you have set History mode as a Sync mode default. A new table that supports History mode uses History mode. An existing table with Live mode selected remains in Live mode until you select Default for that table. After you select Default, the table follows the connection default when History mode is supported. A table that supports only Soft delete mode and Live mode cannot use a History default, so it uses Soft delete mode based on the fallback order.