Avoid sync loops by deciding which system owns each field, tagging changes your own automation makes so you can ignore their echo, and writing only when the new value differs from the current one. Two systems that both react to each other's updates will otherwise ping forever.
How a loop starts
The scanner closes a finding and updates the ticket. The ticket system sends a webhook about the update. Your automation reads it and updates the scanner. The scanner sends its own event. Each side thinks the other changed something.
Step 1: one owner per field
| Field | Owner | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Finding exists or is fixed | Scanner | Scanner to ticket |
| Severity and fix version | Scanner | Scanner to ticket |
| Assignee and due date | Ticket system | Ticket to scanner |
| Accepted risk and reason | Ticket system | Ticket to scanner |
| Discussion | Ticket system | None |
If a field has one owner, a change can only travel one way, which removes most loops.
Step 2: mark your own writes
When automation updates a system, include a marker the other side can see: a dedicated service account, a label, or a field such as "last updated by automation". When an incoming event shows that marker, skip it.
Step 3: compare before writing
Fetch the current value and write only if it differs. An update that sets a status to the value it already holds should be a no-op, and no event should result. Many systems still emit an event for a no-op write, so the comparison must be yours.
Step 4: handle conflicts
If both sides changed the same field, pick a rule and log it. A common rule: the ticket system wins for human decisions such as accepted risk, and the scanner wins for facts such as fixed.
Step 5: add a circuit breaker
Count updates per object per hour. If one ticket gets more than a handful, pause sync for that object and alert a person. A bounded loop is an annoyance. An unbounded one can burn through API quota and flood a chat channel.
Remember retries
Webhooks can be delivered more than once. Store the delivery or webhook identifier and ignore repeats, so a retry does not look like a second change.
Quick check
Why not let both systems update each other freely?
Each update triggers an event in the other system, which can trigger another update. Single ownership per field breaks the cycle.
What is a circuit breaker in sync?
A limit on updates per object per hour. When it is exceeded, sync pauses for that object and a person is alerted.
Safeguard supports policies and gates plus compliance and evidence automation, with a free scan at gold.safeguard.sh/scan.
Last reviewed: 19 October 2026.
