# Tabs, UI elements and Glide syncs

**URL:** <https://community.glideapps.com/t/tabs-ui-elements-and-glide-syncs/86397>\
**Category:** Ask for Help\
**Created:** [February 18, 2026, 6:07pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/tabs-ui-elements-and-glide-syncs/86397 "2026-02-18T18:07:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MattLB](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/mattlb/32/41284_2.png) [@MattLB](https://community.glideapps.com/u/MattLB)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2026, 6:07pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/tabs-ui-elements-and-glide-syncs/86397/1 "2026-02-18T18:07:38Z")

</div>

Since Tabs (component not container) requires a column to write to - does every ‘click’ of the tab header count as a sync / edit row?

Trying to figure out how using UI features (drop down menus that write to column for reporting visibility is another example) drive the cost of the App.

Thanks

Matt

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jeff\_Hager](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/jeff_hager/32/43_2.png) [@Jeff\_Hager](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Jeff_Hager)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2026, 6:32pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/tabs-ui-elements-and-glide-syncs/86397/2 "2026-02-18T18:32:22Z")

</div>

It does if it’s writing to an external data source. Glide tables and Big tables don’t incur update usage for CRUD operations triggered by the user.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MattLB](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/mattlb/32/41284_2.png) [@MattLB](https://community.glideapps.com/u/MattLB)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2026, 7:05pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/tabs-ui-elements-and-glide-syncs/86397/3 "2026-02-18T19:05:07Z")

</div>

So…..just to be clear updates are syncs and sel-col-val and add-row are operations that drive syncs on google tables and air tables but NOT Big Tables and Glide tables (which are basically free of sync surcharges)

.

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/glideapps/original/3X/7/4/741d30264fd26fb8c4f3f15a3751e91156a8cf95.jpeg)

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/glideapps/original/3X/3/9/396cb5740f9a3f5e1616b1b0ee2ad425dac91d09.png)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jeff\_Hager](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/jeff_hager/32/43_2.png) [@Jeff\_Hager](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Jeff_Hager)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2026, 7:58pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/tabs-ui-elements-and-glide-syncs/86397/4 "2026-02-18T19:58:58Z")

</div>

> [@MattLB](#):
>
> updates are syncs and sel-col-val and add-row are operations that drive syncs

A sync is any time there is communication between glide and google whether or not there are changes to the data. That communication can be triggered from either glide or google. Note that this count will increase significantly if you have Extra sync mode enabled which triggers every few minutes instead of on app load or when data changes. I doubt people use that Extra option much anymore, unless there is a lot of logic on the Google side that you need to ensure makes it to Glide.

I can’t say for sure if every edit causes a sync. They may or may not be grouped into one update. I’ve never cared enough to analyze and determine what causes those counts to increment.

Yes, Glide tables and Big tables are much cheaper to run.