How Better Reports imports and updates your data

When you first install Better Reports and connect your data source, there is a short setup period while we import your data and prepare your reports. This article explains what happens during that time and how your data stays up to date afterwards.

What happens when you first install the app

When you connect Better Reports to a connector, we start a one-time initial import of your historical data. This means we copy all available past data from the connected platform into our own database.

We do this so your reports:

Load quickly
Can be filtered by date and other fields
Remain reliable even when working with large datasets

This import only happens once for each connected data source.

How long the initial import takes

The time it takes to complete the initial import depends on:

How much historical data you have
The response speed of the platform you are connecting

For smaller stores, imports may complete in minutes. For accounts with a large amount of historical data, imports can take several hours and, in some cases, up to a day or more.

You do not need to stay logged in while the import runs.

If your import takes longer than one day, we’re happy to offer a trial reset once the import has completed. This ensures you still get the full 14 days to test Better Reports with your data.

To request a trial reset, reach out to our support team after your import finishes.

How to know when your data is ready

While your data is importing, you will see a banner in the app letting you know the import is still in progress.

Your data is ready when:

The import banner disappears from the app, and
You receive an email confirming that your data import has completed

Once this happens, your reports are fully usable and will include your historical data.

How your data stays up to date

After the initial import is complete, Better Reports keeps your reports updated automatically. We do this using a combination of real-time updates and scheduled checks, depending on the platform and type of data.

Real-time updates (webhooks)

Some platforms send us updates as soon as something changes. These updates are called webhooks.

For example:

When a new order is created
When a payment is completed or refunded
When inventory changes

When these events happen, the platform notifies Better Reports automatically, allowing your reports to update shortly after the change occurs.

Periodic updates (polling)

For data that does not support real-time updates, we use periodic checks. This means Better Reports regularly asks the platform if there is any new or updated data.

This approach is used for:

Less time-sensitive data
Platforms or data types that do not support real-time notifications

Together, these methods ensure your reports stay accurate without requiring any manual refresh or re-import.

💡 Better Reports only has read-only access to your connected platforms. This means we can retrieve your data to build reports, but we cannot change, delete, or write anything back to your store or accounts.

All data access is securely authenticated with each platform, and we only access the data needed to generate your reports.

Need more support?

If you get stuck or have additional questions, you can contact our team directly through the Help widget in the bottom-right corner — we typically respond within one business day.