The disclosed technology addresses the need in the art for synchronizing a content library between a content management system and client devices. Each content item in a user's content library is stored on the content management system and a record of each change to the content library is recorded in a content journal. A client device transmits a synchronization request that a portion of the content journal representing unsynchronized changes be processed to update the content library on the client device. The synchronization request includes a content library identifier and a content journal number identifying the content entry in the content journal last processed by the client device. Synchronization commands are sent based on the content entries not processed by the client device. Updated synchronization data representing the processed content entries is sent to the client device after synchronization is completed.