# Project Scan Frequency Setting **URL:** \ **Category:** Ignition\ **Tags:** ignition80, ignition81\ **Created:** [December 14, 2021, 10:36pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/project-scan-frequency-setting/54122 "2021-12-14T22:36:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kgamble](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kgamble/32/8019_2.png) [@kgamble](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/kgamble)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2021, 10:36pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/project-scan-frequency-setting/54122/1 "2021-12-14T22:36:46Z")
I know there is a config java additional arg for project scan frequency, and it used to be in the upgrade guide but I can’t find it anymore. Does someone here know what it is or where in the documentation it is? The documentation used to say something about it changing to 10 minutes in Ignition 8.0 from 7.9 ---
**Author:** ![paul-griffith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/paul-griffith/32/37249_2.png) [@paul-griffith](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/paul-griffith)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2021, 10:39pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/project-scan-frequency-setting/54122/2 "2021-12-14T22:39:59Z")
There’s no concept of ‘scan frequency’ in 7.9, because the only ‘source of truth’ for project resources is the gateway’s internal DB. In 8.0, when resources moved to the filesystem, we put a system in place to watch the filesystem for changes to resources; if an external change is made, it’ll be detected and override the configuration the gateway has in memory. However, the scan frequency was fairly aggressive and could, on systems with many projects, consume a significant chunk of CPU. As a result, in _8.1_, we lowered the time to scan from a ~~hardcoded~~ default 10 seconds to a ~~configurable~~ 5 minute default rate. The `ignition.conf` parameter to change is `-Dignition.projects.scanFrequency=10`: [8.0 to 8.1 Upgrade Guide - Ignition User Manual 8.1 - Ignition Documentation](https://docs.inductiveautomation.com/display/DOC81/8.0+to+8.1+Upgrade+Guide#id-8.0to8.1UpgradeGuide-GatewayScanofProjectDirectory) ---
**Author:** ![kgamble](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kgamble/32/8019_2.png) [@kgamble](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/kgamble)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2021, 10:42pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/project-scan-frequency-setting/54122/3 "2021-12-14T22:42:27Z")
Ahh it was in the 8.1 doc! I was thinking it came in 8.0 so I was looking in the wrong place. May be good to add it to this page in the documentation as well: [https://docs.inductiveautomation.com/display/DOC81/Gateway+Configuration+File+Reference](https://docs.inductiveautomation.com/display/DOC81/Gateway+Configuration+File+Reference) ---
**Author:** ![Kevin.Herron](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kevin.herron/32/7259_2.png) [@Kevin.Herron](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kevin.Herron)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2021, 11:00pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/project-scan-frequency-setting/54122/4 "2021-12-14T23:00:49Z")
> [@paul-griffith](#): > > we lowered the time to scan from a hardcoded 10 seconds Nit-pick: it was never hardcoded, that system property has always existed. ---
**Author:** ![paul-griffith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/paul-griffith/32/37249_2.png) [@paul-griffith](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/paul-griffith)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2021, 11:02pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/project-scan-frequency-setting/54122/5 "2021-12-14T23:02:00Z")
TIL. Guess that makes sense, I just assumed for some reason it came in with 8.1. ---
**Author:** ![kgamble](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kgamble/32/8019_2.png) [@kgamble](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/kgamble)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2021, 11:19pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/project-scan-frequency-setting/54122/6 "2021-12-14T23:19:10Z")
Out of curiousity, does that technically mean this config option would exist in 8.0 as well? ---
**Author:** ![Kevin.Herron](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kevin.herron/32/7259_2.png) [@Kevin.Herron](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kevin.Herron)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2021, 11:21pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/project-scan-frequency-setting/54122/7 "2021-12-14T23:21:15Z")
Yes, it just has a much faster default value in 8.0. ---
**Author:** ![kgamble](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kgamble/32/8019_2.png) [@kgamble](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/kgamble)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2021, 3:40pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/project-scan-frequency-setting/54122/8 "2021-12-15T15:40:30Z")
> [@kgamble](#): > > May be good to add it to this page in the documentation as well: For prosperity, I noticed it was added! [https://docs.inductiveautomation.com/display/DOC81/Gateway+Configuration+File+Reference#ProjectDirectoryScanRate](https://docs.inductiveautomation.com/display/DOC81/Gateway+Configuration+File+Reference#ProjectDirectoryScanRate) ---
**Author:** ![hunterdg](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/hunterdg/32/67774_2.png) [@hunterdg](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/hunterdg)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2026, 4:07pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/project-scan-frequency-setting/54122/9 "2026-03-20T16:07:05Z")
Can't find explicit documentation around _automatic_ project scan frequency in 8.3, but looking like it isn't a thing anymore? ---
**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2026, 4:09pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/project-scan-frequency-setting/54122/10 "2026-03-20T16:09:16Z")
Correct, it is gone. ---
**Author:** ![hunterdg](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/hunterdg/32/67774_2.png) [@hunterdg](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/hunterdg)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2026, 4:11pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/project-scan-frequency-setting/54122/11 "2026-03-20T16:11:25Z")
ah, found it mentioned here for reference: > [@Ignition does not reflect git changes until I manually call \`system.project.requestScan()\`](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ignition-does-not-reflect-git-changes-until-i-manually-call-system-project-requestscan/111528/2): > > 8.3 drops automatic scanning entirely. If you want it to happen automatically, you can set up a gateway timer script somewhere and call system.project.requestScan(), but the better pattern is to fire it whenever git actually needs it to happen, instead of burning CPU cycles scanning unchanged resource trees.