# Profiles

Profiles centralize data and events from multiple sources (apps, websites, APIs) in a single place based on the Custom ID.&#x20;

The Profile API allows you to update profiles and create exports requests for Profile data.

### Profile updates: choosing the right API endpoint

Two endpoints are available, each optimized for distinct use cases.

#### 1. `/profiles/update` endpoint

This endpoint is designed for real-time profile updates or for frequent, small-sized batches. It is ideal for scenarios where updates are generated continuously ("as they happen"), such as individual modifications initiated by users or systems requiring light, regular synchronizations.

* **Primary usage:**
  * Live updates.
  * Processing small volumes of frequent updates (e.g., if you batch modifications every 5mins to save on HTTP calls).
* **Bulk size:** Up to 200 updates per call.
* **Rate limit:** 300 updates per second.
* **Burst:** Supports peaks up to 1000 updates.

{% content-ref url="profiles/update" %}
[update](profiles/update)
{% endcontent-ref %}

#### 2. `/profiles/mass-update` endpoint

This endpoint is optimized for ingesting large volumes of data, typically during massive synchronizations or partial or total database dumps. Its use is intended for less frequent operations, around one to two times per day. While it handles a much higher volume per second than `/profiles/update`, the total time to complete a full mass update task will be longer due to the volume of data.

* **Primary usage:**
  * Massive database synchronizations (partial or complete).
  * Data "dump" type operations.
* **Bulk size:** Up to 10,000 updates per call.
* **Rate limit:** 10,000 updates per second.
* **Burst:** No burst (the rate limit already sustains a significant volume).

{% content-ref url="profiles/mass-update-profile" %}
[mass-update-profile](profiles/mass-update-profile)
{% endcontent-ref %}

In summary, prioritize `/profiles/update` for continuous streams and rapid processing of small batches where quick data ingestion is key. Use `/profiles/mass-update` for large-scale periodic imports, understanding that while its per-second throughput is high for bulk, the overall task completion time for very large datasets will be longer than a single small update via `/profiles/update`.
