Understanding Read-Only Mixes vs Sync Mixes

At tchop, we offer powerful tools for managing and distributing content across your branded community apps and web platforms. One of the most flexible features is the ability to sync content feeds across mixes and channels—using two powerful options: Read-Only Mixes and Sync Mixes.

However, these features can sometimes be confusing. This guide is here to clarify:

• What these features are

• When to use each one

• How to set them up properly

TL;DR

• Use a Read-Only Mix for one-way content sharing from one mix to others—ideal for centralized communication.

• Use a Sync Mix for two-way syncing between mixes—ideal for collaborative content creation across teams or departments.

In a Sync Mix you can create content in both channels and it will be synced. In a Read-Only-Mix it must be created in the source only.

What is a "Mix" in tchop?

A mix in tchop is a container where content is added, edited, and published. Content in tchop is organised in cards. Think of a mix as a section or feed of cards that helps organize and present information to your users in a structured way inside your app or web experience.

Mixes are assigned to channels. Channels are assigned to users. That allows you to created targeted content offerings for various groups inside your app. Syncing mixes between channels helps to unify content, set up centralized feeds, which all users should see and interact with.

If you want to read more about mixes, please check with post.

What is a Read-Only Mix?

A Read-Only Mix allows you to pull and sync content from a source mix into a target mix, across different channels. It’s a one-way sync—meaning content only flows from the source to the target.

When to use a Read-Only Mix

• You have a central mix in one channel (e.g., “Head Office Updates” in Channel A).

• You want that same content to automatically appear in other channels (e.g., departments or regions) without having to recreate it.

• You want full control over content creation in one place, while displaying it in multiple others.

• You want to ensure consistent card settings and layout across channels.

How to set it up

Here is a simple step-by-step guide how to set it up:

1. Create the new Mix

   In Channel A, create or select the mix where content will be added and managed.
   
   

2. Create the Read-Only (Target) Mix

   In Channel B, create a new mix as Read-Only.

   • Choose the source mix to sync content from.

   • Optional: You can choose to inherit or customize the mix’s title, intro, and image.
     
     

3. Select Sync Options

   • Decide whether to sync existing content or only new content going forward.

   • In the source mix, you can optionally enable syncing of card positions to match order in the target mix.
     
     

4. Set Display Settings

   • It’s recommended to align the mix display settings (e.g., news feed visibility) between the source and target mixes.

   • ⚠️ Important: Card-level settings (like visibility, comments, reactions, author display, etc.) are always inherited from the source card.

     For example, if a source card is visible in the news feed of Channel A, it will also appear in the news feed of Channel B- even if the Read-Only Mix is not set to appear in the news feed.
     
     

5. Save and Done!

   Once saved, any content published in the source mix will automatically appear in the Read-Only Mix with all settings and configurations synced.

What gets synced?

• All cards and their original settings from the source card

• Card position/order (if position sync is enabled)

• Any future updates, deletions, or unpublishing actions on source cards

Note: If the source mix is deleted, the Read-Only Mix remains, but its cards will be removed. The mix itself must be deleted manually if no longer needed.

What is a Sync Mix?

A Sync Mix is a more advanced feature that enables two-way content syncing between two standard mixes. This means content created in either mix is automatically synced to the other.

When to use a Sync Mix

• You want editorial teams in multiple channels to collaborate on a shared content area.

• Content should be co-created and automatically synced across two or more channels.

• You need bidirectional syncing to support dynamic content creation across channels.

How to set It up

1. Create Standard Mixes

   Create a standard mix in Channel A and another in Channel B.
   
   

2. Enable One-Way Sync (Optional)

   • Go to Channel B > Target Mix > Settings > Sync.

   • Turn on “Import content from another mix”.

   • Choose the source mix from Channel A.

   This allows cards published in the source mix (Channel A) to be automatically synced into the target mix (Channel B), inheriting all source card settings. Cards created in Channel B remain local unless two-way sync is enabled.
   
   

3. Enable Two-Way Sync (Full Sync)

   • Repeat the above process in Channel A, syncing the mix from Channel B.

   • Now both mixes will automatically sync content with each other.

   Example:

   • If a card is created in Channel A, it appears in Channel B with settings from Channel A.

   • If a card is created in Channel B, it appears in Channel A with settings from Channel B.
     
     

4. Configure Display & Card Settings

   • ⚠️ As with Read-Only Mixes, card settings are inherited from the source card.

     • If a card is shown in the news feed in Channel A, it will appear in the news feed of Channel B as well—even if the mix is not shown there.

   • Align mix display settings in both channels to avoid inconsistencies or confusion.

What gets Synced?

• Cards created in either mix

• Card settings, taken from the original (source) card

• Any future updates, deletions, or unpublishing actions on source cards

Key differences at a glance

Best practices

• Keep mix settings and display preferences aligned across channels.

• Always edit cards in their original (source) mix—especially with Read-Only Mixes.

• Use clear mix names to differentiate between source, target, or synced mixes.

• For collaborative workflows, combine Sync Mixes with editorial guidelines to keep quality and tone consistent.

📞 Need help?

Still unsure which sync option fits your needs? We're happy to help!

Reach out to our support team or send us a message via your tchop dashboard.

Let tchop handle the content distribution—so your team can focus on what matters most: creating amazing content.