The short answer
Recover a disconnected bank feed by recording the last confirmed complete point, obtaining authoritative statement coverage for the gap, restoring access without deleting prior imports, importing in a controlled window, and reconciling added, modified, removed, and overlapping transactions before routine automation resumes.
Key takeaways
- Define the missing window before importing anything.
- Assume refreshed data may modify or remove earlier transactions.
- Use statement-to-ledger reconciliation as the recovery acceptance test.
Bound the gap with two verified anchors
Record the account reference, provider item or connection ID, first observed failure, last successful update time, last reconciled statement line, and current statement cutoff. The feed’s error time and the first missing bank transaction may differ.
Plaid documents cursor-based synchronization with added, modified, and removed transaction sets. That provider behavior illustrates why recovery must track change types and a stable cursor or checkpoint instead of blindly appending a new download.
Stage the backfill and test overlap
Preserve the existing imported population. Load the recovery set into a staging view or bounded review process, compare stable provider identifiers where available, and use date/amount/description only as secondary signals.
| Population | Evidence | Acceptance question |
|---|---|---|
| Before-gap anchor | Last reconciled statement line and import checkpoint | Is coverage known complete through this point? |
| Gap population | Bank statement plus provider added/modified/removed data | Does every statement item have one governed outcome? |
| Overlap window | Several days on both sides of the gap | Were duplicate or changed records detected? |
| Ledger effect | Existing and proposed postings | Will backfill duplicate a manual entry? |
| Resume point | New cursor/checkpoint and successful update | Can routine sync continue without skipping the gap? |
Reconcile before handing control back to automation
Match the authoritative bank statement to the ledger through the recovery cutoff, then reconcile provider records to both. Resolve removed, renamed, pending-to-posted, duplicated, and manually entered items according to the accounting process. Do not delete history simply to make counts agree.
Record the restored credential owner, new checkpoint, unresolved items, reviewer, and next monitoring time. Reconnection is a technical event; completeness is a reconciliation decision.
Operational checklist
Mark your progress, then save a working copy. Selections reset when you leave this page. A checked box is not an approval or evidence of completion.
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Account and connection identity confirmed
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Last complete anchor retained
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Authoritative statement covers the gap
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Recovery and overlap windows defined
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Added/modified/removed records reviewed
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Manual entries checked for duplication
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Bank-to-ledger proof accepted before resume
0 of 7 marked
Edge cases
- The provider backfills a wider period than requested: review the entire returned set.
- Pending and posted forms have different identifiers: follow provider guidance and retain the relationship.
- Reauthorization creates a new connection ID: link it to the retired connection without merging unrelated accounts.
Sources and references
Follow each source to check the underlying claim. Access checks and professional review are different steps.
1. Primary source · Plaid
Transactions Sync migration guideTransaction sync uses a cursor and added, modified, and removed arrays; pagination may need to restart when the underlying set mutates.
Source checked 2026-09-18
Automated source-access check: 2026-09-18.
2. Primary source · Plaid
Transactions webhooksTransaction data changes over time and update webhooks indicate that consumers should retrieve changes rather than treat an earlier import as permanent.
Source checked 2026-09-18
Automated source-access check: 2026-09-18.
Continue the workflow
Three-way reconciliation for property managersBuild a payment settlement exception registerReversed ledger entry evidence packetRevision history
2026-09-18
Initial Phase 3 operational article with a distinct decision artifact, failure states, source-scope notes, and AI-assisted technical review.