[Bug]: File is syncing for long time #913

New Issue

2026-02-28T19:24:49-06:00

GiteaMirror commented

2026-02-28 19:24:49 -06:00

Originally created by @gerardsyd on GitHub (Feb 5, 2024).

Verified issue does not already exist?

I have searched and found no existing issue

Is this related to GoCardless, Simplefin or another bank-sync provider?

I have checked my server logs and could not see any errors there
I will be attaching my server logs to this issue
I will be attaching my client-side (browser) logs to this issue
I understand that this issue will be automatically closed if insufficient information is provided

What happened?

When I enter my actual server, I get the following screen. As you can see M&G (which is my main budget file) says syncing. I can open this file and it is fine. Once in, it doesn't seem to be syncing.

In terms of what has happened / what I did:

I used https://github.com/jhonderson/actual-http-api via docker to access the server via the API
I used M&G Test to test a python script which took a CSV with transactions and split it into each account and then uploaded these transactions into the Actual Budget. I used M&G Test to debug and test and once it was working as I wanted, I tried it on M&G file
The script worked fine and from the API's perspective, it said that the imports were complete. However, when opening the M&G file, it does not show any of the new transactions.
As you can see from the image, the file says syncing on the front page.

Actual Versions
Client version: v24.2.0
Server version: v24.2.0

Other info
I'm running everything via docker on an Ubuntu system. Accessing client side via Chrome on a Win 11 machine.
The script I ran was using Python which simply takes a CSV file, maps the transactions in a dictionary and then uploads transactions in chunks to each account using the import transactions API call.

Server logs (docker):

actual              | 2024-02-04T11:52:39.889414566Z Checking if there are any migrations to run for direction "up"...
actual              | 2024-02-04T11:52:39.919411837Z Migrations: DONE
actual              | 2024-02-04T11:52:39.922303618Z Listening on :::5006...
actual              | 2024-02-04T11:59:13.085833316Z Checking if there are any migrations to run for direction "up"...
actual              | 2024-02-04T11:59:13.107046832Z Migrations: DONE
actual              | 2024-02-04T11:59:13.109802365Z Listening on :::5006...

What error did you receive?

No error messages received.

Where are you hosting Actual?

Docker

What browsers are you seeing the problem on?

Chrome

Operating System

Windows 11

Originally created by @gerardsyd on GitHub (Feb 5, 2024). ### Verified issue does not already exist? - [X] I have searched and found no existing issue ### Is this related to GoCardless, Simplefin or another bank-sync provider? - [X] I have checked my server logs and could not see any errors there - [X] I will be attaching my server logs to this issue - [ ] I will be attaching my client-side (browser) logs to this issue - [X] I understand that this issue will be automatically closed if insufficient information is provided ### What happened? When I enter my actual server, I get the following screen. As you can see M&G (which is my main budget file) says syncing. I can open this file and it is fine. Once in, it doesn't seem to be syncing. ![image](https://github.com/actualbudget/actual/assets/62287799/f01bb292-5f33-4472-a569-56d3cf42581e) In terms of what has happened / what I did: 1. I used https://github.com/jhonderson/actual-http-api via docker to access the server via the API 2. I used M&G Test to test a python script which took a CSV with transactions and split it into each account and then uploaded these transactions into the Actual Budget. I used M&G Test to debug and test and once it was working as I wanted, I tried it on M&G file 3. The script worked fine and from the API's perspective, it said that the imports were complete. However, when opening the M&G file, it does not show any of the new transactions. 4. As you can see from the image, the file says syncing on the front page. **Actual Versions** Client version: v24.2.0 Server version: v24.2.0 **Other info** I'm running everything via docker on an Ubuntu system. Accessing client side via Chrome on a Win 11 machine. The script I ran was using Python which simply takes a CSV file, maps the transactions in a dictionary and then uploads transactions in chunks to each account using the import transactions API call. Server logs (docker): ``` actual | 2024-02-04T11:52:39.889414566Z Checking if there are any migrations to run for direction "up"... actual | 2024-02-04T11:52:39.919411837Z Migrations: DONE actual | 2024-02-04T11:52:39.922303618Z Listening on :::5006... actual | 2024-02-04T11:59:13.085833316Z Checking if there are any migrations to run for direction "up"... actual | 2024-02-04T11:59:13.107046832Z Migrations: DONE actual | 2024-02-04T11:59:13.109802365Z Listening on :::5006... ``` ### What error did you receive? No error messages received. ### Where are you hosting Actual? Docker ### What browsers are you seeing the problem on? Chrome ### Operating System Windows 11

GiteaMirror added the bug label 2026-02-28 19:24:49 -06:00

GiteaMirror closed this issue

2026-02-28 19:24:49 -06:00

GiteaMirror commented

2026-02-28 19:24:50 -06:00

@youngcw commented on GitHub (Feb 5, 2024):

In the files page, "syncing" means you have downloaded that file and it is syncing between your local version and the server.

Im not sure if anything you are saying here is an issue with Actual as much as an issue with the rest api setup you are using. I think my only recommendation to check is to open your server in an incognito window and re-download the file and see if the server has the changes you added or not. If they aren't there, then the server hasn't received your changes like you think it has. If it does have them, try re-downloading the file in your standard browser session.

@youngcw commented on GitHub (Feb 5, 2024): In the files page, "syncing" means you have downloaded that file and it is syncing between your local version and the server. Im not sure if anything you are saying here is an issue with Actual as much as an issue with the rest api setup you are using. I think my only recommendation to check is to open your server in an incognito window and re-download the file and see if the server has the changes you added or not. If they aren't there, then the server hasn't received your changes like you think it has. If it does have them, try re-downloading the file in your standard browser session.

GiteaMirror commented

2026-02-28 19:24:50 -06:00

@gerardsyd commented on GitHub (Feb 5, 2024):

Thanks for that, appreciate the explain on what syncing means as it wasn't entirely clear to me.
Opening it on incognito seems to have the same problem. Steps:

Logged in to site via ingognito
Downloaded the file initially
When I go into it, the 'Sync' button at the top just says Sync and pressing it seems to sync and then go back. I.e. it doesn't appear as 'syncing' when in the file
When I close the file and go to the files page, it still says 'syncing'. I've left it open for hours and refreshed the page but it does not seem to change.

Do you think the file itself is corrupt or, for some reason, not syncing between the server and local machine? Or does it not matter?

I won't conflate the API issues for now - that was more just to provide context of what lead up to the issue. The API seemed to work fine on the test file which makes this issue more confusing.

@gerardsyd commented on GitHub (Feb 5, 2024): Thanks for that, appreciate the explain on what syncing means as it wasn't entirely clear to me. Opening it on incognito seems to have the same problem. Steps: - Logged in to site via ingognito - Downloaded the file initially - When I go into it, the 'Sync' button at the top just says Sync and pressing it seems to sync and then go back. I.e. it doesn't appear as 'syncing' when in the file - When I close the file and go to the files page, it still says 'syncing'. I've left it open for hours and refreshed the page but it does not seem to change. Do you think the file itself is corrupt or, for some reason, not syncing between the server and local machine? Or does it not matter? I won't conflate the API issues for now - that was more just to provide context of what lead up to the issue. The API seemed to work fine on the test file which makes this issue more confusing.

GiteaMirror commented

2026-02-28 19:24:50 -06:00

@gerardsyd commented on GitHub (Feb 8, 2024):

Quick update. I got the API to work and import transactions. For some reason, the file still says suncing on the files page but it appears to have all the transactions. Opening in incognito shows me all the transactions as well so seems to have synced. Could just be a labelling error - not sure.

@gerardsyd commented on GitHub (Feb 8, 2024): Quick update. I got the API to work and import transactions. For some reason, the file still says suncing on the files page but it appears to have all the transactions. Opening in incognito shows me all the transactions as well so seems to have synced. Could just be a labelling error - not sure.

GiteaMirror commented

2026-02-28 19:24:50 -06:00

@youngcw commented on GitHub (Feb 8, 2024):

The syncing label means you have downloaded that file locally, thats all.

@youngcw commented on GitHub (Feb 8, 2024): The syncing label means you have downloaded that file locally, thats all.