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Selective sync and force full resync

Choose between an incremental Re-sync, a Selective sync of just the metadata types you need, and a Force Full Resync that re-retrieves everything.

Updated in Connections & sync

Overview

Each org row in the Sync Center offers three ways to sync. Picking the right one saves time and keeps your data accurate.

ButtonWhat it retrievesTypical speedUse it when
Sync Now / Re-syncOnly metadata types with detected changes (incremental)FastEveryday refreshes — the default choice
SelectiveOnly the types you tickMinutes for code-only picksYou need fresh Apex or flows right now
Force Full ResyncEvery metadata type, ignoring change detectionSlowYou suspect the stored copy is stale or incomplete

Before you start

  • You need the Run sync on demand permission (sync.run) — every built-in role except Viewer.
  • The org must not show Reconnect needed. If it does, fix its credentials first.

Steps

Run a selective sync

  1. In Sync Center, click Selective on the org's row. The Selective Sync — <org> dialog opens.
  2. Click a preset — Apex only, Code & Automation, Security & Access, Schema or Everything — or tick individual types in the grouped checklist. Clear unticks everything.
  3. Check the estimate at the bottom. "Fast — likely a few minutes" means only quick types are selected; types marked slow make the run longer, and selecting everything shows "Full sync — ~30–60 min (heavy)".
  4. Click Sync N types.

Each type is fetched by the fastest API for it: code comes from the Tooling API almost instantly, while configuration uses parallel Metadata API retrieves.

Run a full resync

  1. Click Force Full Resync on the org's row.
  2. Read the confirmation, Force Full Resync — <org>?, which compares Re-sync ("Only types with detected changes — fast, default choice") with Full Resync ("Every type, unconditionally — slow").
  3. Click Force Full Resync to start, or Cancel.

Example

Priya's team deployed an Apex hotfix to acme-uat and she wants SOQL Risk to reflect it before a review. Instead of waiting for tonight's schedule, she opens Selective, clicks Apex only, and starts Sync 4 types. It finishes in minutes and the org is re-indexed automatically. A week later, Code Intelligence shows classes without source, so she runs Force Full Resync to rebuild the copy completely.

FAQs

Does a selective sync remove types I didn't select?

No. Only the selected types are refreshed; everything else keeps its last synced version.

Is the org re-indexed after a selective or full resync?

Yes. Every completed sync triggers indexing. If the index badge still says "· stale", click Index.

Can a schedule run selective or full syncs?

Yes. A schedule's Sync Mode can be Incremental, Force Full Resync or Selective types. See Schedule automatic syncs.

When is a full resync really needed?

When pages show missing Apex bodies, the Home page says "Indexed but 0 components stored — re-run a full sync.", or you suspect changes were missed.

Troubleshooting

The Selective button is disabled

The org is already syncing or queued, or you lack the sync.run permission. Wait for the current run to finish.

"Incremental sync failed for <org> (existing metadata left intact): …"

The incremental run hit an error, but your stored metadata is unchanged. Read the rest of the message; if it mentions credentials, reconnect the org. Otherwise try Force Full Resync.

The selective run seems to have changed nothing

The selected types may not have changed in Salesforce. Check Recent Sync Runs for the component count of that run.

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