--- title: "Delta Loads" description: "Understand delta loads in the Investment Details Feed API: how they differ from full loads, how to find what changed, and how to keep your data current." url: "https://developer-beta.morningstar.com/investment-details-feed-api/delta-loads" image: "https://developer-beta.morningstar.com/_og/d/c_Ocean.takumi,title_~RGVsdGEgTG9hZHMgfCBJbnZlc3RtZW50IERldGFpbHMgRmVlZCBBUEk,description_~VW5kZXJzdGFuZCBkZWx0YSBsb2FkcyBpbiB0aGUgSW52ZXN0bWVudCBEZXRhaWxzIEZlZWQgQVBJOiBob3cgdGhleSBkaWZmZXIgZnJvbSBmdWxsIGxvYWRzLCBob3cgdG8gZmluZCB3aGF0IGNoYW5nZWQsIGFuZCBob3cgdG8ga2VlcCB5b3VyIGRhdGEgY3VycmVudC4,props_eyJ0aGVtZSI6eyJtb2RlIjoibGlnaHQiLCJjb2xvcnMiOnsicHJpbWFyeSI6IiMwMDAwMDAifX19,p_Ii9pbnZlc3RtZW50LWRldGFpbHMtZmVlZC1hcGkvZGVsdGEtbG9hZHMi,s_7lyPSsQ7ZFpwgksG.png" --- - [APIs](https://developer-beta.morningstar.com/apis) - [API Catalog](https://developer-beta.morningstar.com/api-catalog) - [API Assistant MCP Server](https://developer-beta.morningstar.com/api-assistant-mcp) - [Guides](https://developer-beta.morningstar.com/api-guides) - [Trial Access](https://developer-beta.morningstar.com/trial-access) # Investment Details Feed API Get detailed profile data for up to 250 investments in a single request, drawing on Morningstar's fundamental, reference, and historical data.. # Delta Loads [View Markdown](https://developer-beta.morningstar.com/investment-details-feed-api/delta-loads.md)[Download Markdown](https://developer-beta.morningstar.com/investment-details-feed-api/delta-loads.md) A full load retrieves all the data for the investments and views you request. A delta load retrieves only the data that has changed since a time that you give. Delta loads let you keep a copy of the data current without reloading everything each time. ## [Full Loads and Delta Loads](#full-loads-and-delta-loads) | | Full Load | Delta Load | | :---------------- | :--------------------------------------------------------- | :----------------------------------------------- | | What it returns | All the data for the investments and views in the request. | Only the rows that changed since deltaStartTime. | | How to request it | A normal request, with no deltaStartTime. | The same request, with a deltaStartTime. | | When to use it | The first time, and whenever you need a complete copy. | After a full load, to keep the copy current. | Both are requests to the same endpoint, and both are asynchronous. You submit the request, and then retrieve the results. See the [Investment Details](https://developer-beta.morningstar.com/investment-details-feed-api/investment-details) section and the [Retrieve Investment Details](https://developer-beta.morningstar.com/investment-details-feed-api/retrieve-results) page. ## [How Delta Loads Work](#how-delta-loads-work) Two properties control a delta load. | Property | Description | | :------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | deltaStartTime | The time to retrieve changes from, in UTC, for example 2026-07-02T14:30:00Z. The API returns all updates from this time until the current time. If you don't pass it, the API returns the full load. | | includeUnchangedData | How much of each changed row to return. When true, each changed row is returned complete, with all its fields. When false, each changed row contains only the fields that changed. The default is false. | A delta load returns changed rows only, so rows that haven't changed are not in the results. You merge the changed rows into the data you already hold. See [Request Delta Load](https://developer-beta.morningstar.com/investment-details-feed-api/request-delta-load). ## [Find Out What Changed](#find-out-what-changed) The delta dates endpoint tells you which data points changed in a period, and on which dates, without retrieving the data itself. Use it to decide whether a delta load is needed, or which investments to include. It returns its answer straight away, because it isn't asynchronous. See [Retrieve Delta Dates](https://developer-beta.morningstar.com/investment-details-feed-api/retrieve-delta-dates). ## [Supported Views](#supported-views) Delta loads and delta dates currently apply to the `equity-financials` view only. ## [A Typical Workflow](#a-typical-workflow) 1. **Run a full load.** Request the view with no `deltaStartTime`, and store the results. Note the time of the request. 2. **Check for changes (optional).** Call the delta dates endpoint with the time of your last load, to see whether any data points changed. 3. **Run a delta load.** Request the same view again, this time with `deltaStartTime` set to the time of your last load. 4. **Merge the changes.** Update your stored data with the changed rows. 5. **Repeat.** Use the time of the latest load as the `deltaStartTime` for the next one. ## [Things to Consider](#things-to-consider) - Times are in UTC, in the format `yyyy-MM-ddTHH:mm:ssZ`. - Use the same views, parameters and investments in the delta load as in the full load, so that changes can be merged. - Delta loads have the same limits as other requests, including up to 250 investments per request. See [Core Concepts](https://developer-beta.morningstar.com/investment-details-feed-api/core-concepts#request-limits). - Most packages have no delta loads. For other packages, request the full data again when you need to refresh it. ## [In This Section](#in-this-section) | Page | Description | | :------------------- | :------------------------------------------- | | Retrieve Delta Dates | Find the dates on which data points changed. | | Request Delta Load | Request only the data that has changed. | ## [Next Steps](#next-steps) - [Retrieve Delta Dates](https://developer-beta.morningstar.com/investment-details-feed-api/retrieve-delta-dates) to see what changed. - [Request Delta Load](https://developer-beta.morningstar.com/investment-details-feed-api/request-delta-load) to retrieve only the changes. - [Equity: Financials](https://developer-beta.morningstar.com/investment-details-feed-api/equity-financials) for the parameters of the `equity-financials` view.