# How can I reduce stale reads from a database replica?

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HELP CENTER · FAQ Databases 1 min read
# How can I reduce stale reads from a database replica?
A replica may lag behind its primary, so a read immediately after a write can return an older value. Decide which operations require read-after-write consistency and route those reads accordingly instead of assuming every replica is current.
IaGenify
Databases

## Measure and understand replication lag
Use the database’s replication metrics or logs to observe lag and whether it is measured by time, log position, or another engine-specific value. Look for sustained increases and correlate them with write volume, long transactions, or resource pressure.
For a user who just changed data, use the primary for the follow-up read or wait until the replica has applied the relevant commit position if the database exposes that capability. Keep ordinary reads on replicas when eventual consistency is acceptable.
## Set an explicit consistency policy
Document which screens, workflows, or jobs need read-after-write behavior and which can tolerate delay. Avoid adding arbitrary sleeps; they increase latency without proving that replication has caught up.
Alert on lag that exceeds the application’s tolerance and provide a fallback path. Test behavior during replica restart, catch-up, and failover so stale reads do not silently drive destructive actions. [← Back to Databases FAQs](https://help.iagenify.com/faqs/databases)