Command
nylas contacts sync
Sync contacts.
Written by Qasim Muhammad Staff SRE
What does nylas contacts sync do?
The nylas contacts sync command explains how contact synchronization works in Nylas API v3. v3 removed the traditional data sync model — there is no local cache and no initial or delta sync to wait for. Requests are forwarded directly to Gmail, Outlook, Exchange, or your IMAP server, and responses (with provider-native contact IDs) come straight back, so contact search and autocomplete always read current data.
Usage
nylas contacts syncFlags
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
| --json | Output as JSON |
| --no-color | Disable color output |
| --verbose(-v) | Enable verbose output |
| --config | Custom config file path |
| --help(-h) | Show help for the command |
| --limit | Limit results (most list commands) |
| --yes(-y) | Skip confirmations |
Examples
The nylas contacts sync command explains how contact synchronization works in Nylas API v3.
Sync contacts
nylas contacts syncSync and verify count
nylas contacts sync && nylas contacts list --json | jq lengthExample output
Contact Synchronization in Nylas API v3
=======================================
- Requests are forwarded directly to email providers
- Responses come straight from provider APIs
- Contact IDs are provider-native IDs
- Data is always current (no stale cached data)
No local sync is required in v3.Troubleshooting
Expecting a local cache to populate
v3 has no local data store. There is nothing to download — nylas contacts list and search query the provider directly each time, so data is always current.
Contact IDs differ from Nylas v2
v3 returns provider-native contact IDs, not Nylas-specific ones. Update any scripts that stored v2 contact IDs to re-fetch IDs via nylas contacts list --json.
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Run nylas contacts sync --help for full help output.