> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://tendrill.ai/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Realtime vs. Historical Data

> Understanding what data Tendrill uses and when

## Data freshness explained

Tendrill uses different data sources with different update frequencies. Understanding this helps you interpret the information you receive and know when to expect updates.

## Data sources and timing

| Data Type              | Update Frequency                | Source                |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------------- | --------------------- |
| **Stock prices**       | Real-time (during market hours) | Market data providers |
| **Portfolio holdings** | Daily (overnight sync)          | Plaid connection      |
| **News & events**      | Continuous (24/7)               | Multiple news sources |
| **Earnings data**      | As released                     | Company filings, news |
| **Analyst ratings**    | As released                     | Research providers    |
| **SEC filings**        | As filed                        | SEC EDGAR             |

## Real-time data

### Stock prices

During market hours (9:30 AM - 4:00 PM ET), Tendrill uses real-time stock prices:

* **Alerts**: Price movement alerts use live data
* **Questions**: "What's AAPL trading at?" gives you the current price
* **Impact calculations**: Your position value updates continuously

<Info>
  **Extended hours:** Pre-market (4:00-9:30 AM) and after-hours (4:00-8:00 PM) pricing is available but may be less reliable due to lower volume.
</Info>

### News and events

News monitoring runs 24/7:

* Breaking news is processed within minutes
* Earnings results are analyzed immediately after release
* Overnight news is captured for morning briefings

## Delayed/daily data

### Portfolio holdings (via Plaid)

Your holdings data syncs from your brokerage accounts daily:

| Action                   | When It Appears in Tendrill   |
| ------------------------ | ----------------------------- |
| You buy a stock at 10 AM | Next day after overnight sync |
| You sell a stock         | Next day after overnight sync |
| Dividend is paid         | 1-2 days after payment        |
| Stock split              | Usually same-day or next day  |

<Note>
  **Manual refresh:** Text "refresh my portfolio" to trigger an on-demand sync. This may pull more recent data, but some brokerages still have delays.
</Note>

### Cost basis and transactions

Transaction history and cost basis update daily:

* Recent trades appear in your transaction list
* Cost basis calculations update after trades settle (T+1 or T+2)
* Dividend reinvestments show after processing

## How this affects your experience

### Scenario: You buy a stock

```
10:00 AM - You buy 10 shares of AAPL in your Robinhood app

10:05 AM - You ask Tendrill "What do I own?"
Tendrill shows your portfolio WITHOUT the new AAPL shares
(The data hasn't synced yet)

Next morning - Data syncs overnight
Now Tendrill shows the AAPL shares and starts monitoring them
```

### Scenario: Intraday price alerts

```
9:30 AM - Market opens, NVDA at $890

11:00 AM - NVDA drops to $845 (-5%)
Tendrill immediately texts you: "NVDA down 5%..."

The alert uses real-time price data, not the
daily synced data.
```

### Scenario: Evening question

```
6:00 PM - You text "How did I do today?"

Tendrill responds with:
- Real-time closing prices (from 4 PM close)
- Your share counts (from last overnight sync)
- Calculated gains/losses (prices × shares)
```

## Data timing indicators

Tendrill tells you when data might be stale:

> **Your Portfolio**
>
> Total: \$131,200 (as of 4:00 PM ET)
> Holdings synced: Today 5:30 AM
>
> *Note: Any trades made today will appear after tonight's sync.*

## Why isn't everything real-time?

### Brokerage limitations

Brokerages don't provide instant APIs for all data:

* Most brokerages update Plaid connections daily, not continuously
* Some data (cost basis, transactions) has processing delays
* This is an industry-wide limitation, not specific to Tendrill

### What we optimize

Given these constraints, Tendrill prioritizes:

1. **Real-time prices** - What matters most for alerts
2. **Fast news** - Breaking information that affects decisions
3. **Accurate holdings** - Daily sync ensures completeness

## Interpreting data in alerts

When you see portfolio impact numbers:

```
"NVDA up 5% - Your position: +$2,225"
```

This calculation uses:

* **Price change**: Real-time (accurate to the minute)
* **Share count**: From last sync (may be up to 24 hours old)
* **Impact**: Real-time price × synced shares

<Warning>
  If you traded that stock today, the impact calculation may be off until the next sync. The price is correct; the share count may be outdated.
</Warning>

## Manual refresh options

### Force a portfolio sync

```
You: Refresh my portfolio

Tendrill: Refreshing now... 🔄

Done! Your portfolio data has been updated.
• Last sync: Just now
• Holdings: 15 positions
• Total value: $131,450

Note: Some brokerages have delays even with 
manual refresh. If recent trades don't appear,
they should show up by tomorrow.
```

### Check data freshness

```
You: When was my data last updated?

Tendrill: 📊 Data Freshness Report

Portfolio holdings: Synced today at 5:32 AM ET
Stock prices: Real-time (as of 2:34 PM ET)
Last news check: 2 minutes ago

Your holdings data is up to date as of this morning.
Any trades made today will sync tonight.
```

## Tips for best experience

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Trade in the morning?" icon="sun">
    Data syncs overnight, so morning trades appear next day
  </Card>

  <Card title="Need today's trades reflected?" icon="refresh">
    Use manual refresh, but expect some delay
  </Card>

  <Card title="Price alerts" icon="bell">
    These use real-time data - always accurate to the minute
  </Card>

  <Card title="Portfolio summaries" icon="chart-pie">
    Best viewed after overnight sync for full accuracy
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Why does Tendrill show different values than my brokerage?">
    Common reasons:

    1. **Timing**: Your brokerage may show real-time; Tendrill uses last sync for shares
    2. **Price source**: Slight differences in quote timing
    3. **Pending transactions**: Your brokerage may include unsettled items

    Differences are usually small and resolve after the next sync.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I get real-time holdings updates?">
    Currently, Plaid connections update daily. We're working with data providers to improve this, but it's an industry-wide limitation.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What time zone does Tendrill use?">
    * **Market data**: Always Eastern Time (ET)
    * **Your updates**: Delivered in your registered time zone
    * **Sync times**: Typically overnight in Eastern Time
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Data Sync Details" icon="rotate" href="/connecting-accounts/data-sync">
    Full details on sync frequency
  </Card>

  <Card title="Portfolio Impact" icon="calculator" href="/insights/portfolio-impact">
    How impact calculations work
  </Card>
</CardGroup>