This article covers the three ways to get your practice data into RIFT, how often RIFT syncs, what happens to an uploaded file, and the differences between what Zanda and Cliniko data can reveal.
One practice-management system per RIFT clinic
A RIFT clinic reads from one system: Zanda or Cliniko. A clinic that already has Zanda data (an uploaded export or a Zanda API key) cannot connect Cliniko by itself, and a Cliniko-connected clinic cannot upload a Zanda export. Switching systems mid-history would change the identity of every item RIFT tracks and read as a false recovery, so a switch is done with help - email support@rapidintelligence.com.au and we will move you over. The Data source card in RIFT Settings only shows the options that apply to your clinic.
Option 1: upload a Zanda export (Settings > Data source)
This is the default way to get Zanda data into RIFT, because the Zanda API is in closed beta and most clinics cannot get a key yet.
- In Zanda go to Tools > Data Export and tick just these seven: Client Profiles, Appointments, Invoices, Payments, Client Session Packs, Medicare Claims and Referrals (not Referrer Profiles). Leave everything else unticked - RIFT never reads clinical files, so Notes, Forms, Communication, Diagnoses and Insurance should stay on your computer.
- Zip the folder Zanda gives you (right-click, then Compress or Send to > Compressed folder).
- In RIFT, open Settings, click Data source and click Upload an export. You can also use Upload an export in the header of any RIFT page. Drop the ZIP (up to 40MB) onto the upload card and click Upload and sync.
- RIFT reads the export, runs a full sync and reports how many new items it found and the date the export was taken. Any notes about what it could or could not read (for example, no Pack Sessions file) appear under the result.
The export must include appointments: everything RIFT measures, including your active clinician count, is read from them. An export with no appointments is refused rather than treated as "every appointment vanished".
Re-upload whenever you want fresh numbers. The header of every RIFT page shows the date the current numbers are from and how many days old they are.
Option 2: connect the Zanda API (Settings > Data source)
If your Zanda account has API access, RIFT can pull data straight from Zanda instead of relying on an export.
- The Zanda API is in closed beta. Register through Zanda's Help Menu > Beta Program and wait for Zanda to grant access.
- Once you have access, copy the key from Tools > Zanda API Key in Zanda. It is shown only once.
- In RIFT, open Settings, click Data source, paste the key under Connect for automatic syncing and click Connect.
RIFT checks the key against Zanda before saving it: a key Zanda rejects is never stored (a stored key is also what unlocks patient email sending). If Zanda reports the account has no API access yet, you will be told to register for the beta first. When the key is accepted, RIFT runs your first API sync straight away. The card then shows Connected with the last four characters of the key, and the button becomes Replace key.
The connection is read-only: every request RIFT makes to Zanda only reads data.
Option 3: connect Cliniko (Settings > Data source)
RIFT works with your Cliniko account through Cliniko's API, which any Cliniko account can use.
- In Cliniko go to My Info > Manage API keys and create a key.
- In RIFT, open Settings, click Data source, paste the key under Connect Cliniko and click Connect.
- RIFT checks the key with Cliniko before saving it, then runs your first sync (this can take a minute or two). The card shows Connected with the last four characters of the key.
The connection is read-only: nothing in Cliniko is ever changed, and treatment notes are never read. A step-by-step guide is at /rift-cliniko-setup.
Once Cliniko is connected the Data source card shows a Sync now button, a Replace key button, and Disconnect. Disconnecting removes the stored key and stops daily syncs; your items and history stay.
How often RIFT syncs, and how to sync now
- Cliniko: RIFT syncs itself once a day. Click Sync now in the header (or on the Data source card) for fresh numbers on the spot.
- Zanda API: click Sync now in the RIFT header whenever you want fresh numbers.
- Zanda export: the numbers are a snapshot as at the export date. Upload a fresh export whenever you want them updated - the header shows Upload a fresh export and how old the current numbers are.
Every sync re-reads your data and reconciles it against the items RIFT is already tracking: new findings become open items, items that are still there are refreshed, and items that have disappeared from your practice software (for example, an invoice that has now been paid) are marked recovered. Your own ticks, notes and dismissals survive a sync.
What RIFT reads, and what it never reads
RIFT reads appointments, invoices, payments, session packs, claims and referrals, plus the client details it needs to name an item and, for chase emails, the client's email address. It never reads clinical notes, forms, communication logs, diagnoses or insurance files. For a Zanda export, that is why only seven files are ticked. For Cliniko, treatment notes are never requested.
What happens to an uploaded export
A Zanda export you upload to RIFT is unpacked into a temporary folder, read, and deleted before the analysis results are even saved. Nothing from the export is stored - RIFT keeps only the items it derives (invoice numbers, dates, amounts, client names on those items). The same applies to the free report at https://rift.rapidintelligence.com.au/try, where only the totals are kept.
Zanda and Cliniko compared: what each can and cannot detect
The two systems share different data, so some checks are only possible with Zanda:
| What RIFT checks | Zanda | Cliniko |
|---|---|---|
| Appointments completed but never invoiced | Yes | Yes |
| Cancellations and no-shows never charged | Yes | Yes (a late cancellation is one cancelled within 24 hours of the start time, because Cliniko has no late-cancellation state of its own) |
| Overdue invoices - private and funded payers | Yes | Yes - the payer is read from patient cases |
| Funded sessions left unbooked | Yes | Yes - read from patient cases |
| Reception-note catches (such as "paid cash" in a diary note) | Yes - appointment notes | Yes - appointment and invoice notes |
| Payments received but not allocated to an invoice | Yes | No - Cliniko's API does not share payment records |
| Medicare claims not confirmed paid | Yes, when Medicare Claims is in the export | No - claim outcomes are not in Cliniko's API |
| Group appointments | Yes | Not yet - only individual appointments are analysed |
Three more things to know on Cliniko: an invoice paid in part still shows its full amount until Cliniko marks it paid, because no payment records are shared; invoices still in draft are invisible to the API, so that work reads as uninvoiced; and RIFT's wording throughout the dashboard uses the name of the system you are connected to.
How old are my RIFT numbers?
The header of every RIFT page states how old the numbers are. For an uploaded export, that is the date the export was taken, not the day you uploaded it. The line turns amber once the data is 14 days old and red at 30 days. Live API data (Zanda API or Cliniko) shows the last sync date instead and cannot go stale in the same way.