> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.orbit.devotel.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Sync Explorer console: read, write, and publish shared state from the dashboard > Use the Sync Explorer at /developer/sync to fetch Documents, Maps, and Lists by unique_name, read their current revision, apply create/update/delete operations, and publish Stream messages — all without leaving the dashboard. The Sync Explorer is a dashboard operator console that surfaces the same durable shared-state primitives the [Sync REST surface](/guides/sync-realtime-state) exposes — Documents, Maps, Lists, and Streams — through a set of per-kind forms. Read the [Sync end-to-end guide](/guides/sync-realtime-state) for the object model, REST endpoints, and WebSocket protocol; this page covers the dashboard console: where it lives, what each tab does, one worked example per kind, and the failure modes you can hit. ## 1. Where the explorer lives Open the dashboard, choose **Developer** in the sidebar, and select **Sync Explorer** from the tile grid (or navigate directly to `/developer/sync`). The page is available to owners, admins, and developer roles — the same roles that hold write permission on the Sync REST surface. The explorer is a thin shell over four per-kind tabs: | Tab | Icon | What you do | | - | - | - | | Documents | `FileJson` | Fetch a single JSON object by `unique_name`, read its revision, and apply create / update / delete. | | Maps | `MapIcon` | Load a key → JSON-value collection, list every item with its revision, set or remove individual items, and delete the entire map. | | Lists | `ListIcon` | Load an ordered zero-based list, list every item with its index and revision, append new items, set at an index, remove at an index, and delete the entire list. | | Streams | `Radio` | Publish one ephemeral pub/sub message; nothing is stored and nothing is fetched. | ## 2. Reading a Sync object Every durable kind — Documents, Maps, and Lists — is fetched by its `unique_name`. Type the name into the field at the top of the tab and click **Load**. The explorer calls the same `GET` endpoints a client application would use, and the response renders in the card below: * **Documents** — the current JSON `data` plus `revision` and `date_updated`. * **Maps** — every key with its `data` and per-item `revision`. * **Lists** — every item with its zero-based `index`, `data`, and `revision`. If the object does not exist (or its TTL expired) you see an empty state prompt instead of an error — the forms below let you create it. **Streams have no read surface.** A Stream is ephemeral — a message fans out to subscribers connected at publish time and nothing is stored. There is no **Load** button on the Streams tab and nothing to fetch. ## 3. Mutating objects Below the read card, a data editor lets you compose a JSON object. The editor validates parse on every keystroke and disables the action buttons until the JSON is valid. | Operation | Tab | Button | Effect | | - | - | - | - | | Create | Documents | **Create** | `POST /documents` with the `unique_name` and editor data. Fails with a conflict if the name already exists. | | Update | Documents | **Update loaded** | Overwrites the loaded Document's data. Revision is managed server-side — the explorer reads, then writes, so a stale-write race is possible (see failure modes). | | Set item | Maps | **Set item** | `PUT /maps/:name/items/:key` — create or replace the value at that key. | | Delete item | Maps | Trash icon per item | `DELETE /maps/:name/items/:key` — remove one key from the map. | | Delete map | Maps | **Delete map** | `DELETE /maps/:name` — removes every item and the map itself. | | Append | Lists | **Append** | `POST /lists/:name/items` — adds one item at the next index. | | Set at index | Lists | **Set at index** | `PUT /lists/:name/items/:index` — overwrite the value at a specific zero-based index. | | Delete item | Lists | Trash icon per item | `DELETE /lists/:name/items/:index` — remove the item at that index. | | Delete list | Lists | **Delete list** | `DELETE /lists/:name` — removes every item and the list itself. | Every destructive action prompts a confirmation dialog before the request is sent. ### Revision and CAS Documents and List/Map items carry a monotonic `revision` the explorer displays. On an **Update loaded** the explorer sends the form data without an explicit revision guard — the server compares revisions internally and returns a 409 if another writer changed the object since you loaded it (see the failure modes section below). ## 4. Publishing to a Stream The Streams tab has a single form: a `unique_name`, a JSON editor, and a **Publish message** button. Clicking it sends `POST /streams/:name/messages` with your data. The message fan-out is immediate and fire-and-forget — the explorer does not show a receipt or subscriber count. Subscribers connected over the WebSocket gateway at publish time receive the `stream.message` event; clients that connect later never see it. ## 5. Per-kind worked examples Each example below is a concrete pair you can type into the explorer right now and observe the result. ### Document: presence state **Tab:** Documents. **Name:** `agent_presence`. **Data:** ```json theme={null} { "agent_id": "agent_7", "status": "available", "last_heartbeat": "2026-10-08T12:00:00Z" } ``` Click **Create**. The card renders the stored JSON with revision `1`. Change the status to `busy`, click **Update loaded**, and revision ticks to `2`. ### Map: order details **Tab:** Maps. **Name:** `order_4982`. **Key:** `shipping`. **Data:** ```json theme={null} { "carrier": "DHL", "tracking": "1234567890", "eta": "2026-10-12" } ``` Click **Set item**. Add another key (`billing`) with different data. The card lists both keys with their individual revisions. ### List: audit trail **Tab:** Lists. **Name:** `queue_audit`. **Data:** ```json theme={null} { "actor": "operator_3", "action": "escalated", "ticket": "TKT-442" } ``` Click **Append**. Repeat with a second entry. The card lists both items at indices `[0]` and `[1]`. ### Stream: live counter **Tab:** Streams. **Name:** `metrics_dashboard`. **Data:** ```json theme={null} { "active_calls": 12, "waiting": 3 } ``` Click **Publish message**. The message is sent. A subscribing client receives the envelope; the explorer stays silent. ## 6. When to use the explorer vs the REST surface The [Sync end-to-end guide](/guides/sync-realtime-state) covers the full REST API — `curl` commands, error codes, the WebSocket gateway, and the programmable integration path. Choose the right surface by who is acting: * **Explorer** — a human operator inspecting state, debugging a presence roster, checking a document value, or sending a one-off Stream message from the dashboard. No code, no key management, and the same role gates as REST. * **REST + WebSocket** — an application or backend worker that creates, reads, and reacts to Sync objects under application control. It holds an API key, handles retries and rate limits, and subscribes over the WebSocket gateway for live change events. The explorer reads and writes the exact same objects — a document created through the REST `POST /sync/documents` is immediately fetchable in the explorer, and a Stream message published from the dashboard is delivered to subscribing clients over the WebSocket gateway. ## 7. Failure modes | Symptom | Cause | What to do | | - | - | - | | Empty state after **Load** | The `unique_name` does not exist, or its TTL expired. | Create the object with the form below, or shorten the TTL window on the write side so missing state is expected. | | "Document not found" on a known-existing name | The name contains a character outside the allowed set (letters, digits, `.`, `_`, `:`, `-`) or exceeds 256 characters. | Choose a valid name and retry. | | Stale update rejected | You loaded the object, another writer changed it, and the server returned a 409 revision conflict before your **Update loaded** landed. | Click **Load** again to re-hydrate the current state, then re-apply your edit. | | **Create** disabled for a Document that does not exist | The name field is empty, or the JSON editor contains invalid JSON. | Fill the name and fix the parse error — the inline hint tells you what is wrong. | TTL expiry applies to Documents and Maps (and Map items) that were created with a non-zero `ttl`. Once the window elapses the object vanishes silently — a subsequent **Load** shows the empty state. Streams have no TTL because they have no retention. ## 8. See also * [Sync real-time state end to end](/guides/sync-realtime-state) — the full REST surface, WebSocket gateway, TTL semantics, and error taxonomy * [Developer console map](/guides/developer-hub-consoles) — every tile in the Developer hub on one page * [Sync API reference](/api-reference/sync) — endpoint-by-endpoint shapes This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.