Polling
A periodic check in which a system queries a data source at intervals to find out whether data has been added or changed.
On this page
Source content checked . English translation published 2026-10-27.
In business automation
Polling is suitable when the system does not push events or when periodic reconciliation is needed. Store the progress point and decide how to handle records that are updated late.
Examples
These examples illustrate a possible workflow. Adapt the connections and rules to your own systems.
Business process example
A workflow checks for new inquiries based on the last update time. It stores the IDs already processed and looks back slightly within the time range to avoid missing an inquiry that arrived late.
Relevant tools
- n8n
- Triggers or scheduled workflows can check a source according to the capabilities provided by the service.
What to check
- A high polling frequency creates load and consumes API capacity. Do not assume every response contains only data that has not been read before.