> ## Knowledge Base Index
> Fetch the complete knowledge base index at: https://help.syncbase.app/sitemap.xml
> Use this file to discover available pages before exploring further.
> Pure-Markdown content can be obtained by appending a '.md' suffix to the content URLs listed in the sitemap (without the trailing slash).

# 🔄 How syncing works: real-time updates, creations & bulk operations

SyncBase keeps Shopify and Airtable in sync bi-directionally, in near real-time. It also handles much bigger volumes of data in one go when you need it. Here's how each Sync mode works, and when to use which.

# Real-time sync, both ways

For everyday changes, there's nothing to trigger — simply make your update on either side, Shopify or Airtable, and the sync happens instantly.

|| Some Shopify changes don't trigger a webhook, that's why we built the Super Sync. 👉 [Learn more about Shopify webhooks](https://help.syncbase.app/en/article/understanding-webhooks-cu609z/)

# One-time bulk sync: Shopify → Airtable

Do you want to make bulk changes directly in Shopify — a mass import, a big catalog update, a migration, etc. ? Use the **Refresh** feature in the app to pull the latest Shopify data into Airtable in one go without hitting Shopify API limits.

👉 [Refresh your data on demand](https://help.syncbase.app/en/article/refresh-your-data-on-demand-t0v5yg/)

# One-time bulk operations: Airtable → Shopify

Need to push a large batch of changes from Airtable to Shopify at once? Two resources for this:

* The [Bulk operations guide](https://help.syncbase.app/en/article/bulk-operations-guide-edit-create-and-more-1rpi3n3/) — the full safe workflow for large catalogs: batching, timing, and avoiding API limits.
* The [Bulk update from Airtable feature](https://help.syncbase.app/en/article/bulk-update-your-shopify-data-from-airtable-11oqivs/) — available on **Elite** and **Enterprise** plans.


|| Using the correct workflow matters: If you push mass updates without using the right workflow you will risk hitting [API limits](https://help.syncbase.app/en/article/shopify-airtable-api-limits-hscxl7/) and your sync will slow down - live updates won't sync instantly anymore and the [task queue](https://help.syncbase.app/en/article/how-the-queue-system-works-1cnljg5/) will be maxed out.

# Creating and updating records from Airtable

You can sync your data both ways instantly between Shopify and Airtable. For the **Airtable → Shopify** direction specifically, there are two things you can do:

* **Update** existing records — changes made in Airtable push to Shopify.
* **Create** new records directly from Airtable — some data types support this, others don't.

All your Shopify information syncs into the **matching Airtable tables and columns**. But each operation — updating a field, creating a record — needs to follow Shopify's and Airtable's own rules to work correctly. We've written a guide for each action.

👉 Find your data type below, check which operations it supports, and follow the matching guide to make sure your workflow is set up correctly.

||| If you use the wrong workflow, the sync will either not happen at all, or come back as an error in your base's `Errors sync` tab.

### Always test on a single record first

Before rolling out a new workflow across many records, test it on one:

1. Did Shopify come back with a valid **ID**?
2. Did the record's `Last successful update` field update?
3. Is there no error for that record in the `Errors sync` tab?

Only deploy the workflow more broadly once all three check out.

### What you can do, by data type

| Data type | Sync updates from Airtable | Create from Airtable |
| ---- |
| Products | [How it works](https://help.syncbase.app/en/article/products-and-variants-synchronization-how-does-it-work-1b0bwit/) | [Create a Product](https://help.syncbase.app/en/article/how-to-create-a-new-product-from-airtable-with-syncbase-u5ore0/) |
| Variants | [How it works](https://help.syncbase.app/en/article/products-and-variants-synchronization-how-does-it-work-1b0bwit/) | [Create a Variant](https://help.syncbase.app/en/article/how-to-create-a-new-variant-from-airtable-with-syncbase-mxwrpf/) |
| Collections | [How it works](https://help.syncbase.app/en/article/collections-synchronization-how-does-it-work-tvwph4/) | [Create a Collection](https://help.syncbase.app/en/article/how-to-create-a-new-collection-from-airtable-with-syncbase-15o22lf/) |
| Customers | [How it works](https://help.syncbase.app/en/article/customers-synchronization-how-does-it-work-2x6l76/) | [Create a Customer](https://help.syncbase.app/en/article/how-to-create-a-customer-from-airtable-with-syncbase-1blslk2/) |
| Companies | [How it works](https://help.syncbase.app/en/article/companies-synchronization-how-does-it-work-lrczpr/) | [Create a Company](https://help.syncbase.app/en/article/how-to-create-a-new-company-from-airtable-with-syncbase-1v78roj/) |
| Metaobjects | [How it works](https://help.syncbase.app/en/article/metaobject-synchronization-how-does-it-work-6qd4gf/) | [Create a Metaobject entry](https://help.syncbase.app/en/article/how-to-create-a-new-metaobject-entry-from-airtable-with-syncbase-1jypbf4/) |
| Blogs | [How it works](https://help.syncbase.app/en/article/blogs-synchronization-how-does-it-work-1oqgvim/) | [Create a Blog](https://help.syncbase.app/en/article/how-to-create-a-new-blog-from-airtable-with-syncbase-19haxg3/) |
| Blog posts (articles) | [How it works](https://help.syncbase.app/en/article/blog-posts-articles-synchronization-how-does-it-work-1hq1yb9/) | [Create a Blog post](https://help.syncbase.app/en/article/how-to-create-a-new-blog-post-article-from-airtable-with-syncbase-167yv0u/) |
| Metafields | [How it works](https://help.syncbase.app/en/article/metafields-synchronization-how-does-it-work-i26yl8/) | Metafield records are created automatically in the Metafields tables |
| Orders (and Line Items) | [How it works](https://help.syncbase.app/en/article/orders-and-line-items-synchronization-how-does-it-work-1myzwdz/) | Creating orders from Airtable is on our Roadmap! |
| Refunds | [How it works](https://help.syncbase.app/en/article/refunds-synchronization-how-does-it-work-12p4kks/) | Contact us if you would like to create Refunds in Airtable |
| Returns | [How it works](https://help.syncbase.app/en/article/returns-synchronization-how-does-it-work-1i5d2xl/) | Contact us if you would like to create Returns in Airtable |
| Images | [How it works](https://help.syncbase.app/en/article/images-synchronization-how-does-it-work-1j1a2o/) | [Add images ](https://help.syncbase.app/en/article/images-synchronization-how-does-it-work-1j1a2o/#1-adding-new-images-from-airtable:~:text=Adding%20new%20images%20from%20Airtable) |
| Inventory / Stock | [How it works](https://help.syncbase.app/en/article/inventorystock-synchronization-how-does-it-work-fey4v1/) | [ Add inventory](https://help.syncbase.app/en/article/inventorystock-synchronization-how-does-it-work-fey4v1/#:~:text=Updating%20inventory%20from%20Airtable%20(Variants%20tab)) |
| Translations | [How it works](https://help.syncbase.app/en/article/translations-synchronization-how-does-it-work-122qdhu/) | [Create Translations](https://help.syncbase.app/en/article/translations-synchronization-how-does-it-work-122qdhu/#:~:text=managed%20from%20Airtable.-,Common%20use%20cases,-Here%20are%20a) |

# Customizing your Airtable base structure

Beyond syncing data, you can also safely customize how your base itself is organized.

👉 [See what you can change or add to your synced base](https://help.syncbase.app/en/article/what-can-i-change-or-add-to-my-synced-base-c14uzn/)

|| For more on what's safe to do with your synced base, see our [Do's and Don'ts](https://help.syncbase.app/en/article/dos-and-donts-1tifwu4/).