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How to update an app when its audience changes

Learn what the audience notices on an app mean and how to bring the app up to date.

Scott SirowyScott SirowySenior Director, Product Management

Learn what the audience notices on an app mean and how to bring the app up to date.

Overview

An app reads the data in the audience it runs on. When someone changes that audience, for example by adding a column, removing one, or changing a column's type, the app keeps working from the data it was published with. GTM One tells you about the difference so you can decide what to do.

Two kinds of change are reported:

  • New data available: The audience gained columns. The app still works. The builder can suggest ways to use the new fields.
  • The underlying Audience has changed: The audience lost or changed columns the app might use, so parts of the app might not work. The live app keeps using the older data it was published against until you publish a repaired version.

Only the app's owner sees these notices, and only for apps that run on an audience. They appear in two places. In the builder, a dialog opens once when the change is found, and a notice chip stays at the top. On the app's own page, the owner sees a chip at the top for a breaking change or a failed refresh. New columns are reported in the builder only.

Fix an app after its audience changed

  1. In the left navigation panel, click Apps, then click the app's card.
  2. Click the notice chip at the top of the app, or read the dialog that opens when you open the app in the builder.
  3. Read which columns changed. Changed column names appear in bold.
  4. Click Fix to repair the app. If new columns were also added, the button reads Bring up to date instead.
  5. Wait while the builder works. It refreshes the audience data, removes outdated references to the older fields, and summarizes what changed.
  6. Check the preview.
  7. Click Publish changes in the top-right corner of the builder.

The repaired version is a draft until you publish it. While it waits, the notice reads "Rebuilt for latest data" and explains "The live app keeps using its current dataset until you publish this version." Publishing is what moves the live app onto the latest data. If you close the dialog without acting, click Dismiss. The chip stays so you can come back to it.

Use new columns in an app

  1. Click the notice chip, or read the dialog that opens in the builder when the audience gains columns.
  2. Click Review new fields.
  3. Read the builder's suggestions in the chat. Nothing changes in the app until you confirm yes or no.
  4. Confirm the suggestions you want, then click Publish changes.

Refresh the audience data

Refreshing brings in new rows and values for the columns the app already uses. It does not change what the app shows: when the audience gains or loses columns, the live app keeps its older data until you publish a repaired version, as described above. For how often each kind of data updates, see How often GTM One data updates.

The notice can also report on how current the data is. It shows when the data was last updated, for example "Data updated 2 hours ago".

  • "This audience changed — new data is on its way." GTM One found a change and is refreshing the data on its own. No action is needed.
  • "Refreshing now. This takes a couple of minutes for a large audience — the badge updates when the new data lands." A refresh you asked for is running.
  • "This audience changed, but the last refresh failed." Nothing will refresh on its own. Click Retry refresh in the notice.

If you see an error

  • "Audience refresh failed". The automatic refresh gave up. Click Retry refresh, and wait for the notice to read "Refreshing audience data".
  • "Data freshness unknown". GTM One cannot say when the data was last updated. The app still works. Retry the refresh if the numbers look old.

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