Sync from live brings changes from the original live site into Tracy’s copy; it does not send Tracy’s edits back to the original site.
Only an Owner can sync an imported Joomla site that still has a working connection to its live original. Editors and Viewers cannot start a sync. WordPress and EmDash are not supported by Sync from live, and sites built in Tracy have no imported original to sync from.
How do I bring live-site changes into Tracy’s copy?
Open the imported Joomla site’s “Sync from live” dialog and start a sync as an Owner.
- In “My Sites”, open the site’s “More” menu.
- Select “Sync from live” and read the current sync status.
- Select “Sync now” for the first sync, or “Sync again” after a completed sync.
- Wait for the result, then review any reported conflicts and inspect the affected pages on Tracy’s copy.
The progress steps are “Read your live site”, “Combine it with this copy” and “Put the result in place”. The copy changes at the final stage, after the live read and merge.
If this does not work: Check that you are an Owner, the site was imported from Joomla, and Tracy can still connect to the original site. If the option is missing or the connection needs attention, contact Tracy Discord.
What happens when both sites changed the same thing?
When both sites changed the same place differently, Tracy keeps the copy’s version there and reports what it kept.
For conflicting text-file edits, Tracy keeps its lines where both sites changed them and merges the other live-site lines. When a conflict involves deleting or replacing a whole file, Tracy keeps the copy’s version of that file. A deletion can therefore be part of the version kept.
After the sync, expand the reported places. For content and settings conflicts, compare “Kept (Tracy):” with “On the live site:”. A removed value is shown as “deleted”. This is a record of the decision made during the sync, rather than a preview for choosing each conflict before it is applied.
If this does not work: Inspect the affected page and the reported values before making another edit. For recovery, use the backup guidance below and Undo and backups.
Why does the sync need my decision about new records?
A sync pauses without changing the copy when both sites added new records that Tracy cannot safely keep side by side.
The “Needs your decision” state lists the affected live records or references. This differs from conflicting edits to an existing record: continuing keeps Tracy’s colliding records and can omit live records from the merged copy. A listed reference can also involve an extension that Tracy cannot update safely. Review those entries before explicitly choosing to continue with Tracy’s records; do not assume that continuing repairs every extension reference.
If you do not accept that result, close the dialog without choosing to continue. The held sync has not applied its merge.
If this does not work: Share the listed tables, record identifiers and any error through Tracy Discord, without sharing private record contents or connection secrets.
Can I keep editing or close the window during a sync?
Closing the window does not cancel a sync that has started.
Wait for active Tracy edits to finish before starting a sync, and wait for the sync result before requesting more edits. Sync holds the site’s editing lock while it runs, so edits through Tracy’s normal write tools must wait. If the copy changes despite that protection, the sync checks for the change before replacing it and can refuse to apply the result.
Use “Close” to leave the sync dialog, then reopen “Sync from live” to check the result.
If this does not work: If Tracy says it is changing the site, let the current edit finish and try again. Do not treat closing the window as confirmation that the sync stopped.
How do I know whether the sync finished?
Check the final sync status and inspect the affected pages on Tracy’s copy.
“Up to date” shows when the live site was read, and the result reports the files and records brought into the copy. If the live site had not changed, the result says “Nothing had changed on your live site.” This does not mean that Tracy’s copy has no edits of its own.
If the status cannot be read, select “Try again”. An unreadable status does not prove that the sync succeeded or failed.
If this does not work: Reopen “Sync from live” and report the displayed error and support code through Tracy Discord.
What should I do if the sync fails?
Read the specific failure message before retrying or restoring, because some failures occur after live changes have reached the copy.
If the live site keeps changing while Tracy reads it, wait until activity is quieter and retry. If Tracy cannot read it, check that the original site is online and that the Claude Cowork connector remains installed there. The connector is Tracy’s CMS integration. If the copy changed during the sync, let editing finish before retrying. If the message reports insufficient server space, contact Tracy Discord.
Those live-read, copy-changed and server-space refusals leave the copy unchanged. However, a Joomla menu or category rebuild failure can happen after the merged data has been put in place. For that failure, use the pre-sync backup to recover the copy rather than assuming nothing changed.
If this does not work: Preserve the displayed support code and check the copy before retrying. Do not assume that every failed sync left the copy unchanged.
Can I recover the copy from before a sync?
Before putting a merged result in place, Tracy creates a backup of the copy’s files and database.
An Owner or Editor can restore a usable full backup; a Viewer cannot restore it. The automatic point is identified as “Before restore” in the sync recovery message. Restoring it returns the copy to that point and can remove later files, content, settings, users, orders and other database changes. It is not a selective undo of only the live-site changes.
- Open “Site changes” for the copy.
- Find the automatic backup taken immediately before that sync applied its result.
- Follow Undo and backups to review its scope and confirm the restore.
- Inspect the affected pages after the restore.
If the live site had not changed, sync can finish without making a new backup or replacing the copy.
If this does not work: Check that the chosen point has a usable database and read the restore error. Share unresolved errors through Tracy Discord.
Should I sync before exporting a ZIP?
Sync before exporting if the ZIP should include changes made on the live original since Tracy last read it.
Only an Owner can export the site.
- Open “Export site as ZIP” from the site’s “More” menu.
- Choose “Sync from live, then export” to sync the supported imported Joomla copy before preparing the ZIP.
- Choose “Export without syncing” instead if you want to export the copy as it stands.
The ZIP contains site files and the database, including personal data and site secrets. Keep it private. Exporting a ZIP does not publish those changes to the original host.
If this does not work: Resolve any sync failure or pending record decision before relying on a newly synced export. Read Publish and go live for the separate publishing process.
How long does Tracy keep the saved live-site read?
The retention period for the saved live-site read is 30 days from the last sync.
That read includes the live site’s database, which can contain personal data such as users and orders. Tracy schedules deletion of the saved live read after the retention period; a later sync reads the live site afresh. This retention applies to the saved live read, rather than promising deletion of the copy’s content or its backups at the same time.
If this does not work: Send questions about your site’s data through Tracy Discord, without including personal data or connection secrets.
Frequently asked questions
Who can use Sync from live?Only an Owner can sync an imported Joomla site that still has a working connection to its live original.
Does Sync from live publish my edits to the original site?Sync from live brings changes from the original live site into Tracy’s copy; it does not send Tracy’s edits back to the original site.
What happens when both sites changed the same thing?When both sites changed the same place differently, Tracy keeps the copy’s version there and reports what it kept.
Can I close the sync window?Closing the window does not cancel a sync that has started.
Can I recover the copy from before a sync?Before putting a merged result in place, Tracy creates a backup of the copy’s files and database.
Should I sync before exporting?Sync before exporting if the ZIP should include changes made on the live original since Tracy last read it.
How long does Tracy keep the saved live-site read?The retention period for the saved live-site read is 30 days from the last sync.