ThatApp is not a traditional backup tool. Understanding what makes it different will help you use it correctly.
Traditional backup vs. a data lake
A traditional backup takes a snapshot of your data on a schedule — hourly, daily, weekly. If something is deleted between snapshots, it is gone until the next snapshot catches it. Recovery means restoring an entire snapshot, not a single record.
ThatApp's lake is continuously updated. Every change is recorded as it happens. Deletions are preserved — a deleted record is not erased from the lake, it is marked as deleted with a timestamp. Recovery is surgical — you can restore a single record, a single field, or the state of a record at any historical moment.
The initial sync
When you first connect a platform, ThatApp runs a full historical read. This reads every record that exists today. Depending on your data volume, this takes between a few minutes and a few hours.
After the initial sync completes, live sync takes over and all future changes are captured in near-real-time.
Deletion tracking
When a record is deleted from a connected platform, ThatApp notes the deletion with a timestamp and the user who deleted it (where available). The record's data is retained in full.
Deleted records do not count against your record billing.
File attachments
Files attached to records are downloaded and stored in FileHaven — ThatApp's file storage layer — at the time of attachment. This means that even if a file is deleted from the source platform, ThatApp still has it.
File storage is included in your record billing — attached files count as records.
Platform differences
Some platforms provide richer data than others. Platforms with full webhook support (Podio, Salesforce, HubSpot) get near-real-time sync. Platforms without webhooks get polled every few minutes. A small number of platforms have API limitations that affect historical sync completeness — AVA will tell you about any limitations when you connect.
Related: How Your Data Lake Works · FileHaven — Your File Storage Layer