What does "automatic" mean in Sync tab in DTPO Preferences

In the Sync tab of the DTPO Preferences pane, I’m given several options next to “Synchronization”: manual, automatic, and various time intervals. What does “automatic” sync mean in that context? Does it mean DTPO syncs to the sync store automatically whenever a new item is added to or changed in DTPO? The rest of the options seem self explanatory, but not sure about “automatic.”

Generally, when changes occur in the database. In practice I’ve noticed there needs to be a short interval of inactivity before the “automatic” sync occurs. You can examine this yourself. Open the activity pane and do something in a synced database like add, move, delete a document or two. You should see the sync kick in at some point soon after.

Everything Korm says is right, except I think the OP is referring to the
Schedule: Automatic | Manual
Setting, which refers to how purging is handled. The layout of that settings panel can lead to some understandable mistakes if you don’t read the fine print below the slider!

In DEVONthink, files can have two states: Downloaded, or Not Downloaded. In either cases the metadata is visible and searchable to the user, but the actual file contents are available for “downloaded” files only. Any files that has not been downloaded will have a cloud icon next to it and its contents will need to be downloaded if you want to view or edit it.

If you set your database to download “On Demand”, then by default everything in that database is Not Downloaded. If you set your database to download “Always”, then by default everything in that database is Downloaded. (There are group-level controls as well, so you can have an “always download” database with specific groups set to “download on demand” and vice versa.)

DEVONthink can help manage storage by automatically purging old files on your “On Demand” groups and databases. This is what is referred to by the “Schedule: Automatic/Manual” setting. The point at which automatic purging kicks in is determined by the slider directly below. Basically, if the Sechdule is set to “Automatic”, the slider says “Keep only the X most recently viewed files, purge the rest”

Where “purge” means remove the contents from the local device and leave only the metadata, meaning next time you try to access a purged file it will have to re-download it.

This setting has nothing to do with the frequency of sync. Sync is always automatic, and you can force it to sync to your heart’s content. But neither of those things are controlled by the Schedule setting.

Or, perhaps, read the OP.

This is the setting that @randystokes described (Note, DTPO is DEVONthink Pro Office, the desktop product)

@scottlougheed is referring to DEVONthink to Go.

Ugh, I read that line in the OP’s post, it’s clear as day, and yet I managed to completely disregard it.

Indeed, Korm, you are correct. Sorry about that!