How Review Syncing Works

The 15-Minute Sync Cycle

ResponseIQ uses a server-side cron job that runs every 15 minutes around the clock. During each cycle, the system iterates through all active, connected locations and queries the Google Business Profile API for any reviews posted since the last successful sync. This means a new review will appear in your dashboard within 15 minutes of being posted on Google, at most.

What Happens During a Sync

Each sync cycle follows a specific sequence of operations to ensure reviews are processed reliably:

1. The system checks which locations are due for a sync based on their last sync timestamp.
2. For each location, it calls the Google Business Profile API to fetch new reviews.
3. New reviews are saved to the ResponseIQ database with their full text, star rating, reviewer name, and timestamp.
4. The system checks the location's quota to confirm there are remaining AI responses available.
5. If quota is available, the AI engine generates a draft response for each new review.
6. The review and its AI response appear in your dashboard with a "Pending" status.
7. The location's last sync timestamp is updated.

Quota Checking During Sync

Before generating an AI response for a new review, the system checks whether the location has remaining quota for the current billing period. If the quota has been reached, the review is still imported and saved but no AI response is generated. You will see these reviews in your dashboard with a notice indicating that the response was skipped due to quota limits.

Sync Reliability and Error Handling

If a sync fails due to a temporary issue — such as a Google API timeout or a network disruption — the system automatically retries on the next 15-minute cycle. No reviews are lost because the system always queries for reviews since the last successful sync. If your Google OAuth token has expired, the sync will fail and you will receive an email notification prompting you to reconnect your Google account.