Transloadit

What is Sync Mode?

Sync Mode is a Transloadit operating mode in which the client waits for file transfer and processing to finish before receiving the final Assembly results. The request therefore remains open for the workflow’s duration.

How Sync Mode works

In Transloadit Sync Mode, submission and completed Assembly status share one blocking request-response exchange from the caller’s perspective. The connection stays occupied while uploads and processing steps execute, after which the final result can be consumed immediately. That coupling simplifies short, sequential integrations but transfers workflow duration into HTTP timeout and connection-capacity concerns. It belongs at the API orchestration edge, whereas asynchronous integrations persist an Assembly identifier and receive or retrieve completion later.

Key facts

  1. A processing job can continue beyond an intermediary’s request deadline even if the caller sees a timeout, so retry logic must avoid assuming that a missing synchronous response means no Assembly was created.
  2. Browser, reverse-proxy, load-balancer, and serverless time limits can differ; the shortest limit governs whether a synchronous call survives a long transcode or remote import.
  3. Sync Mode changes how completion is delivered, not the semantics of the Assembly steps themselves; dependency resolution and result structure remain properties of the configured workflow.

When Sync Mode matters

Choose Sync Mode when a caller can safely wait and needs completed results before continuing. Long or variable processing can exceed client, proxy, or server timeouts, making asynchronous handling more reliable.

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