> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.sortpin.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.sortpin.com/displaying-data-slowly.md).
# Displaying data slowly
If SortPin loads slowly or freezes when browsing Pinterest, there are typically **2 main causes** โ both easy to fix.
## โก Quick Fix Decision Tree
| Symptom | Likely Cause | Fix |
| --------------------------------------- | ----------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| ๐ SortPin slow today, was fast before | Network or server issue | [Wait 5-10 minutes](#cause-1-slow-network-or-server) |
| ๐ SortPin gradually slowed over weeks | Too much collected data | [Clear data](#cause-2-too-much-stored-data) |
| ๐ Slows down again after every cleanup | Collecting data you never use | [Smart Collect](#-the-best-long-term-fix-collect-only-what-you-need) โญ |
| ๐พ Always slow, even fresh install | Low RAM / old computer | [Smart Collect](#-the-best-long-term-fix-collect-only-what-you-need) |
***
## ๐ Cause 1: Slow Network or Server
Sometimes Pinterest's servers or your internet connection is temporarily slow.
### Solution
Wait about **5-10 minutes**, then refresh Pinterest and try SortPin again.
> ๐ก If slowness persists for hours, it's likely Cause 2 (too much data), not network.
***
## ๐พ Cause 2: Too Much Stored Data
SortPin saves all the data you scan from Pinterest **on your computer** so you can browse stats and collections later. The more data you accumulate, the slower SortPin gets โ because performance depends on your **RAM and hard drive**.
### Solution โ Delete Stored Data
Open SortPin and click the **"Delete data"** button to clear the cache.
### Alternative โ Delete Database Manually
You can also enter SortPin's data manager to selectively delete:
> ๐ Full guide: [How to Clear Cache to Speed Up SortPin](/faqs/how-to-clear-cache-to-speed-up-the-sortpin.com-extension.md)
***
## โก The Best Long-Term Fix: Collect Only What You Need
Deleting data helps once. **Smart Collect stops the problem recurring** โ it lets you choose *which* data SortPin stores in the first place.
### Where to find it
**1.** Open the **SortPin panel** โ **Collect** tab. Smart Collect starts collapsed, so the toggles aren't visible yet.
Click the โ arrow next to Smart Collect โ the controls are hidden until you do
**2.** Expand it, and each data type gets its own switch:
Pins, Boards and Pinners collect independently โ turn off what you never use
| Collection | Turn it on if youโฆ |
| ------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| ๐ **Pins Collection** | Research pin performance, download media, sort by saves |
| ๐ **Boards Collection** | Look for group boards or analyse board themes |
| ๐ฅ **Pinners Collection** | Build lead lists or study creators |
> ๐ **This setting is easy to miss entirely**, because the panel looks finished before you expand it. Plenty of people run all three collections for months without knowing the switches exist.
### Why this makes such a difference
SortPin stores collected data in a local database on your computer. Every type you collect adds to it, and a larger database means slower dashboard queries.
**Turning off what you don't use means SortPin never loads it.**
| Your goal | Recommended setup | Effect |
| --------------------------- | ----------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| ๐ผ๏ธ Downloading images only | Pins โ ยท Boards โ ยท Pinners โ | Much lighter database |
| โ๏ธ Building an email list | Pins โ ยท Boards โ ยท Pinners โ | Only what [lead export](/how-to-get-email-addresses-for-email-marketing-for-free.md) needs |
| ๐ค Finding group boards | Pins โ ยท Boards โ ยท Pinners โ | Only board data |
| ๐ Full niche research | All three โ | Heaviest โ use deliberately |
> ๐ก **Most people leave all three on and never need two of them.** If your dashboard feels sluggish, this is the first setting to check โ not the last.
### Check your current data volume
The **Collect** tab shows **Today's Stats** โ total pins, boards, and pinners collected. If those numbers are in the tens of thousands and you only ever use one of them, you've found your bottleneck.
***
## ๐๏ธ Automatic 7-Day Cleanup
SortPin **automatically clears collected data after 7 days**, so it doesn't grow forever on its own.
That's a safety net, not a strategy. If you collect heavily, you can still accumulate a lot within a single week โ which is why selective collection matters more than the cleanup schedule.
Use **Delete data** in the Collect tab to clear it immediately at any time.
***
## ๐ก Session Workflow for Heavy Research
1. ๐๏ธ **Turn on only the collection types** this project needs
2. ๐ **Collect** your dataset
3. ๐ **Bookmark** the pins worth keeping
4. ๐ค **Export CSV** if you want the data outside SortPin
5. ๐๏ธ **Delete data** before starting an unrelated project
> ๐ค **Exporting first is the key habit.** Once the data is in a CSV, there's no reason to keep it inside SortPin slowing down your next session.
> ๐ **Worried about losing pins when data clears?** Bookmarking is how you keep something past the 7-day window โ see [Pinterest recently viewed & history](/pinterest-guides/pinterest-recently-viewed-history.md).
***
## ๐ ๏ธ Still Slow?
* ๐ Try [creating a fresh Chrome profile](/faqs/how-to-create-a-new-profile-for-chrome.md) (eliminates extension conflicts)
* ๐ [Reinstall SortPin](/getting-started/how-to-install-sortpin.com-extension.md) (rare cases โ fresh install fixes corruption)
* ๐ป Check available RAM โ close other Chrome tabs / heavy apps
{% hint style="info" %}
๐ฌ **Still slow after these fixes?** Our [chat support](https://go.crisp.chat/chat/embed/?website_id=48b6c12a-2212-4be1-9e27-2dad7e2d5fb0) team can help diagnose.
{% endhint %}