Why are feed updates by FTP/SFTP upload preferred to fetch via HTTPS?

Better tracking, control, and coordination are the reasons why we prefer to configure all feeds to upload by FTP/SFTP whenever possible.

1. Tracking

We record the date/time, bytes uploaded, and success/failure of each upload by FTP/SFTP. This upload history is available on the Manage Feed > View Results page in your account.

By contrast, when a feed is fetched from the HTTPS URL, there is no way for us to definitively identify who fetched the feed, and the access attempts are not visible in your account.

Destination channels usually provide information on when the feed was updated, regardless of the method of upload. However, this history is limited and not readily available to us as your feed provider for troubleshooting purposes.

2. Control

With FTP/SFTP uploads, we can control exactly when the feed is submitted, and allow you to submit the feed on demand.

With scheduled fetch by HTTPS, you must rely on the destination channel's fetch schedule. Although there are few channels that allow you to request an immediate fetch, but there are more steps to request the update.

3. Coordination

With scheduled fetch by HTTPS, the time when the feed is refreshed on our end will not match the time when destination fetches the feed. This results in a lag in the update. For a daily update, the lag could be up to 24 hours.

For these reasons, if the destination channel provides the FTP/SFTP upload option, we strongly recommend to use it, and can help you set it up if needed.