Sources

A source is one connection to a system your business uses. Switchboard syncs it on a schedule, so the data stays current without manual exports.

Resources

A source delivers resources. A resource is one table that the connection provides.

Shopify is a source. Under it sit resources such as orders and customers.

You work with resources when you build a model. A model reads from one or more of them.

What a sync does

A sync copies data from the source into your warehouse. It runs on a schedule. It picks up new and changed records instead of copying everything again. It also handles fields that the source adds over time.

You can also start a sync on demand. Use this after you change something in the source system and do not want to wait for the next scheduled run.

Each source reports its own state. You can see when it last ran, when it runs next, and whether a resource failed.

What arrives

A sync delivers the source's own shape of the data. That means its internal IDs, its status codes, and its choice of what one row represents.

Resources are useful for understanding what raw data you receive from a source. They will not contain any of your custom business logic. Models add that.

The synced data is kept as delivered. It stays the reference point when a model and the source tool's own reporting disagree.

Adding a source

The Add data source button holds a pre-set list of available sources.

Each source has its own authorization flow. Some ask only that you log in. Others need you to generate credentials first, such as an API key. Our team can help with either.

If you need a source that is not on the list, ask us.