Sync Configuration

What you’ll learn

• All available sync configuration settings and what they control
• Default values and recommended ranges
• How to configure quiet hours to avoid uploads during peak times
• Which settings can be locked by IT administrators

Accessing sync settings

Open the desktop client and navigate to Settings > Sync. All sync behavior is controlled from this panel. Changes take effect immediately — you do not need to restart the client or disable sync first.

Configuration reference

The table below lists every sync configuration setting, its type, default value, and description.

Setting	Type	Default	Description
enabled	boolean	true	Master toggle for the sync system. When false, file watching is paused and no new encounters are detected or uploaded.
watched_directories	string[]	[]	List of absolute directory paths the client monitors for new files. Subdirectories are watched recursively.
debounce_seconds	integer	300	How long (in seconds) the client waits after the last file event before processing a batch. Set lower for faster response, higher to avoid processing incomplete file copies.
quiet_hours_start	time	none	Start of the daily quiet period (24-hour format, e.g., 22:00). During quiet hours, the client continues to detect and stage new encounters but does not upload them.
quiet_hours_end	time	none	End of the daily quiet period (e.g., 06:00). Uploads resume automatically when quiet hours end.
max_concurrent_uploads	integer	2	The maximum number of image files uploaded simultaneously. Higher values use more bandwidth but complete faster.
bandwidth_limit_mbps	number | null	null	Maximum upload bandwidth in megabits per second. null means unlimited. This cap is shared across all upload activity (both onboarding and sync).
auto_confirm	boolean	false	When true, staged encounters are uploaded automatically without waiting for manual confirmation.
notification_style	string	"notification"	How the client alerts you to staged encounters. Options: "notification" (desktop notification with details), "badge_only" (icon badge, no popup), "silent" (no notification).

Debounce timing

The debounce_seconds setting controls how long the client waits after the last detected file change before processing. The default of 300 seconds (5 minutes) works well for typical workflows where you copy a batch of files from a camera card or external drive.

Tip

If you work with smaller, frequent additions (one or two images at a time), consider lowering the debounce to 60—120 seconds. If you regularly copy large batches over slow connections, increase it to 600 seconds or more.

Quiet hours

Quiet hours let you prevent uploads during periods when network bandwidth is needed for other activities. When quiet hours are active:

• File watching and detection continue normally.
• New encounters are staged and you are notified (if notifications are enabled).
• No upload traffic is generated.
• When quiet hours end, all pending uploads resume automatically.

Set both quiet_hours_start and quiet_hours_end to enable this feature. Leave both unset to disable it.

Note

Quiet hours use your system’s local time zone. If the start time is later than the end time (e.g., 22:00 to 06:00), the quiet period spans midnight.

Bandwidth limits

The bandwidth_limit_mbps setting applies a global cap on upload bandwidth. This is useful on shared or metered connections. The limit is enforced across all concurrent uploads — if you set 10 Mbps with 2 concurrent uploads, each upload gets up to 5 Mbps.

Set the value to null (the default) to use all available bandwidth.

Auto-confirm

When auto_confirm is false (the default), every staged encounter requires your explicit approval before uploading. This gives you a chance to review metadata, edit details, or skip encounters that should not be uploaded.

When auto_confirm is true, staged encounters are uploaded as soon as they pass through the pipeline. You can still review uploaded encounters in the sync history.

Caution

Enable auto-confirm only if you are confident in your directory structure and naming conventions. Once uploaded, encounters exist on the server and must be managed through the web application.

Managed settings

If your organization uses group policy or MDM to manage the desktop client, some settings may be locked. Locked settings display a “Managed by your organization” label and cannot be changed in the UI. See Deployment for details on which settings can be locked.

Related

• How Sync Works — The sync pipeline, file watching, and confirmation flow
• Sync Troubleshooting — Diagnosing sync issues
• Deployment — Locking settings via group policy or MDM
• Network Requirements — Bandwidth and connectivity requirements