> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.shovels.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How Often Does Shovels Update Its Data?

> Shovels refreshes data twice a month, adding 5-10 million new permits and 1-5 million status updates each cycle. IDs are generally stable but can occasionally change.

**Shovels refreshes data twice a month, adding 5-10 million new permit records and 1-5 million status updates nationwide each cycle.** IDs are generally stable across updates but can occasionally change as underlying data evolves.

## Update Schedule

Data is refreshed **twice a month**. The underlying database is updated first, then made available through the API and Shovels Online. This process can take up to a week after the initial database refresh.

## Volume Per Cycle

Nationwide, each refresh cycle adds:

* **5-10 million new records** to the dataset
* **1-5 million status updates** to existing records

## How Updates Work

When a permit status or other data field changes:

1. The jurisdiction updates it in their platform
2. We access the updated information
3. We clean up and standardize the data
4. Updates are released twice a month

## ID Stability

Shovels IDs are generated by hashing key attributes of each record. This means IDs are deterministic and stable as long as the underlying attributes remain the same. However, IDs can change when those attributes are updated:

* **Permit IDs** can change if the jurisdiction updates metadata that feeds into the hash (e.g., corrected permit details or jurisdiction boundary changes)
* **Address IDs** can change if jurisdiction boundaries shift or address attributes are corrected
* **Contractor IDs** can change as we discover new permit data that reveals additional details about a contractor (see [why contractor IDs can change](/docs/knowledge-base/data/contractors/id-changes))

In practice, these changes are infrequent. Most IDs remain stable across refreshes.

<Info>
  If you cache IDs and encounter not-found responses, use other record attributes (permit number, address, business name) to look up the updated ID. We maintain changelogs — contact [support@shovels.ai](mailto:support@shovels.ai) if ID changes affect your workflow.
</Info>

## Related Articles

* [EDL monthly deliveries](/docs/knowledge-base/edl/monthly-deliveries)
* [Data sources](/docs/knowledge-base/data/quality/data-sources)
* [Why am I getting so few results?](/docs/knowledge-base/data/quality/few-results)