3 Safe Ways to Test Unito Flows Before Syncing Historical Data

New to Unito? Ensure your flows work perfectly before syncing historical data. Here's how.

What does this article cover?

• Create a test project for risk-free exploration
• Use manual flows for controlled testing
• The "Sync New Items Only" rule

Create a test project for risk-free exploration

The most foolproof way to test your Unito flow is in a sandbox environment.

Create a new, empty project, boards, spreadsheet, database, etc. (or duplicate existing ones if your tool allows) to experiment without affecting your real work.

At Unito, we do this frequently before creating demos of our product. Once you've created a sandbox environment, you can connect it to Unito and create a test flow to sync with another app or tool.

When you’re building your flow, make sure to use your newly created test projects when adding your blocks of work.

Note: If you’re completely new to Unito, you might want to start with a one-way flow. That’ll show you the functionality without having to manage too many projects at once. When you’re ready, you can easily turn your flow back to a two-way flow.

Use manual flows for controlled testing

By default, Unito flows sync changes automatically. But during testing, you might want more control.

• Disable Auto-Sync: Simply click the toggle beside any flow in your dashboard to turn auto-sync on or off:
• Sync on Demand: You can also click Sync Now to trigger a manual sync only when you're ready to see the results of your changes.

The "Sync New Items Only" rule (tasks, tickets, spreadsheet rows, etc.)

Every new Unito flow includes a default rule:

AND Creation date is on or after [today's date]

This rule ensures that only items created after the flow is set up will be synced initially. This gives you a chance to test your configuration before syncing older items.

Removing the Rule: Once you're confident your flow is working as intended, you can remove this rule to sync all historical data that matches your other rules. Just click on the trash bin icon beside any rule to remove it from a flow.

Key takeaways

When your flow settings sync work items the way you want them to, it's easy to create and edit Unito flows without concern. But some get to that place faster with some reassurance and a safety net, which this rule is meant to provide.  So always be sure to:

• Test in a controlled environment before syncing your entire project, database, sheet, etc.
• Use manual sync at least once to iterate on your flow without affecting live data.
• Understand the "sync new items only" rule and how to remove it when you're ready.

With these tips, you can confidently build and refine your Unito flows, ensuring your data stays safe and your integrations work flawlessly.