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Active Sync

Active Sync enables your Sparrow collections to stay in real-time sync with a remote Swagger or OpenAPI definition — hosted via a Swagger/localhost URL.

This ensures your APIs remain up to date with minimal manual intervention while maintaining data integrity.

Key Highlights​

  • Supports only Swagger or localhost links
  • Keeps your Sparrow collection in sync with its source
  • Prevents accidental drifts from source of truth
  • Disables adding or deleting requests manually
  • Allows editing request properties (e.g. headers, params) and testing

Setting Up Active Sync​

1. Start a New Collection​

From your workspace:

  • Click “Add Collection” using any avenue
  • Choose “Paste Text”

Only Swagger/localhost URLs are valid for Active Sync.

Use the “Paste OAS Text or Swagger/Localhost Link” input:

https://api.example.com/swagger

Once validated, the “Enable Active Sync” toggle appears.

ActiveSync

3. Enable Active Sync​

  • Turn on “Enable Active Sync”
  • Click Import Collection

Your collection will be created with Sync On status and locked from structural edits.

ActiveSync

What Happens in an Active Sync Collection?​

  • A sync status appears next to the collection (e.g., Synced just now, Changes Available)
  • The structure mirrors the remote Swagger definition
  • Saving or updates to the API request structure (e.g., adding/deleting endpoints) are disabled

Editing is constrained to avoid breaking sync integrity.

Sync Behaviors & Rules​

When changes are detected in the linked Swagger file, a “Sync” option appears:

Minor Changes (Less than 25%)​

  • Auto-syncs silently in the background
  • Status updates to Synced just now

ActiveSync

Moderate Changes (25 to 75%)​

  • “Changes Available” tag appears
  • Clicking Sync opens a summary modal showing:
    • Modified requests
    • New requests
    • Deleted requests
  • You can choose to Sync Now

ActiveSync

Major Changes (Greater than 75%)​

  • Sync modal shows Replace vs Import as New options:
    • Replace Collection: Overwrites the existing collection
    • Import as New: Preserves existing collection and creates a new one

ActiveSync

ActiveSync

A confirmation prompt warns that replacing will discard manual edits.

Post-Sync Actions​

After a sync completes:

  • A tick icon appears temporarily
  • The “Sync On” badge remains visible in the collection
  • All synced updates are instantly reflected in your workspace

Disabling Active Sync​

Disabling active sync isn’t supported mid-way. To remove sync:

  • Create a new normal collection
  • Manually import APIs from Swagger without enabling sync

Best Practices​

  • Use for evolving APIs that are managed in Swagger
  • Avoid manually editing synced endpoints
  • Enable sync only after validating the Swagger structure
  • Regularly check the Changes Available notification to keep in sync

Active Sync is currently in Beta. Future versions may support Git-based specs, sync diff logs, and rollback options based on your feedback.