# Show a board and keep it fresh

> Render a Dailybot Plan board in one request, then keep it current with the delta feed: ETag and 304, server-paced polling, truncation and cursor expiry.

Language: en
Canonical: https://www.dailybot.com/developers/plan/recipes/board-live-updates
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Last Updated: 2026-09-25

---

> **Beta** — Plan is in beta. Everything under `/plan` in the web app, the CLI and agent skill commands for projects, goals, boards and tasks, and the `/v1/plan/` public API may change before general availability. Want to try it with your team? Write to **support@dailybot.com**.

A board screen needs two things: the whole board once, then only what changed. The Plan API gives you exactly that: a **snapshot** that renders every column in one request, and a **delta feed** that returns the tasks changed since a cursor. Poll the feed; never re-read the whole board on a timer.

<h2 id="snapshot">1. Read the board once</h2>

```bash
curl -sS -D headers.txt "https://api.dailybot.com/v1/plan/boards/$BOARD/board/" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DAILYBOT_TOKEN" > board.json
```

The response has one entry in `groups` per column, in column order. Each group carries the column's true `task_count`, its first tasks in rank order and `has_more` when the column holds more cards than the page (up to 50 per column, set with `tasks_per_state`). Keep two things:

- `delta_cursor` from the body: where the delta feed starts.
- The `ETag` header: send it back as `If-None-Match` to get `304 Not Modified` when nothing changed.

To page the rest of a long column, use the task list with the same board and state: `GET /v1/plan/tasks/?board=$BOARD&state=<state uuid>`.

<h2 id="delta">2. Ask only for what changed</h2>

```bash
curl -sS "https://api.dailybot.com/v1/plan/boards/$BOARD/delta/?updated_since=$CURSOR" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DAILYBOT_TOKEN"
```

```json
{
  "since": "2026-09-25T10:14:02.113954Z",
  "cursor": "2026-09-25T10:19:44.902311Z",
  "changed": [ { "uuid": "00000000-0000-4000-8000-000000000005", "key": "ENG-142", "state": { "name": "Done", "category": "done" }, "version": 9 } ],
  "removed": [ { "uuid": "00000000-0000-4000-8000-000000000105", "key": "ENG-77", "reason": "archived" } ],
  "states": null,
  "truncated": false,
  "poll_after_seconds": 15
}
```

Apply it in this order:

1. **`states`**: when it is not `null`, a column was created, renamed, reordered or archived: replace your whole column list with it.
2. **`changed`**: upsert each task by `uuid` (one entry per task; the current version wins).
3. **`removed`**: drop each task from the board.
4. Store **`cursor`** and send it verbatim as `updated_since` next time. Never compute a cursor from your own clock.

Delivery is at-least-once: a task changed at the same instant as your cursor can arrive twice, so upserts must be idempotent.

<h2 id="pace">3. Let the server set the pace</h2>

- Wait **`poll_after_seconds`** before the next call. It starts at 15 seconds, doubles up to 120 while the board is quiet and drops back as soon as something changes.
- If **`truncated`** is `true`, more changes are waiting: poll again immediately.
- **Pause while the page is hidden** and poll once when it becomes visible again.
- A cursor older than **7 days** returns `400 delta_window_expired`: read the snapshot again and start over from its `delta_cursor`.
- The delta feed allows 240 calls per minute per actor. Following `poll_after_seconds` keeps you far below it.

<h2 id="loop">A complete polling loop</h2>

A shell loop for a script or a terminal dashboard:

```bash
CURSOR=$(jq -r .delta_cursor board.json)
while true; do
  RESPONSE=$(curl -sS "https://api.dailybot.com/v1/plan/boards/$BOARD/delta/?updated_since=$CURSOR" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer $DAILYBOT_TOKEN")
  if [ "$(echo "$RESPONSE" | jq -r '.code // empty')" = "delta_window_expired" ]; then
    echo "Cursor expired: read the snapshot again"; break
  fi
  echo "$RESPONSE" | jq -c '{changed: [.changed[].key], removed: [.removed[].key]}'
  CURSOR=$(echo "$RESPONSE" | jq -r .cursor)
  if [ "$(echo "$RESPONSE" | jq -r .truncated)" = "true" ]; then continue; fi
  sleep "$(echo "$RESPONSE" | jq -r .poll_after_seconds)"
done
```

The same loop in a Node.js service (Node 18 or later), with the token kept on the server:

```js
const API = 'https://api.dailybot.com/v1/plan';
const headers = { Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.DAILYBOT_TOKEN}` };
const sleep = (s) => new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, s * 1000));

async function follow(boardId, onChange) {
  let res = await fetch(`${API}/boards/${boardId}/board/`, { headers });
  let cursor = (await res.json()).delta_cursor;
  for (;;) {
    res = await fetch(`${API}/boards/${boardId}/delta/?updated_since=${encodeURIComponent(cursor)}`, { headers });
    const delta = await res.json();
    if (delta.code === 'delta_window_expired') return follow(boardId, onChange);
    onChange(delta); // replace columns if delta.states, upsert delta.changed, drop delta.removed
    cursor = delta.cursor;
    if (!delta.truncated) await sleep(delta.poll_after_seconds);
  }
}
```

In a browser, call your own backend rather than putting a Dailybot token in page code, and pause the loop on `visibilitychange` while the tab is hidden.

<h2 id="reference">Reference</h2>

- [`GET /v1/plan/boards/{board_id}/board/`](/developers/api/plan-boards#plan-board-snapshot): the snapshot
- [`GET /v1/plan/boards/{board_id}/delta/`](/developers/api/plan-boards#plan-board-delta): the delta feed
- [Conventions for Plan](/developers/plan/conventions#conditional-reads): ETag and `304`

---

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