Review Sync Frequency and Timing

The 15-Minute Sync Cycle

Every 15 minutes, ResponseIQ runs a background sync job that checks each of your connected locations for new reviews. This interval balances responsiveness with efficient use of Google API rate limits. For most businesses, a 15-minute cycle means that new reviews are detected and have an AI response generated within 20 minutes of being posted — fast enough for same-hour response times.

The sync cycle runs continuously, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It does not require your dashboard to be open or for anyone on your team to be logged in. As long as your Google account is connected and your subscription is active, reviews are being monitored.

What Happens During Each Sync

Each sync cycle follows a consistent sequence of steps for every connected location on your account.

1. The sync job authenticates with Google using your stored OAuth tokens, refreshing the access token if necessary.
2. It queries the Google Business Profile API for reviews that have been posted or updated since the last sync.
3. New reviews are stored in your ResponseIQ database with their full metadata — reviewer name, star rating, review text, and timestamp.
4. For each new review, an AI response is generated using your configured tone, custom instructions, and AI preferences.
5. If auto-publish is enabled for the review's star rating, the response is immediately published to Google.
6. If auto-publish is not enabled, the response is queued in your Pending Responses list for manual review.
7. A sync timestamp is updated so the next cycle knows where to pick up.

Quota Checks During Sync

Before generating an AI response for a new review, the sync process checks your current quota usage against your plan limits. If you have reached your monthly quota, new reviews will still be detected and stored, but AI responses will not be generated until quota becomes available — either at the start of your next billing cycle or if you upgrade your plan.

Error Handling and Retries

Network issues, API rate limits, and temporary Google outages can occasionally interrupt a sync cycle. ResponseIQ is designed to handle these gracefully with automatic retries and clear error reporting.

• If a sync fails due to a transient error (network timeout, rate limit), it is automatically retried in the next 15-minute cycle.
• If a Google API error indicates an authentication problem, the system marks the connection as needing re-authentication and notifies you.
• If a specific location consistently fails to sync, it is flagged on your dashboard with details about the error.
• Temporary Google API outages do not cause data loss — the next successful sync picks up all reviews posted during the outage.
• If sync errors persist for more than one hour, an email alert is sent to the account owner so the issue can be investigated.