A method of optimizing transmission of requests for updated content from external data sources includes: storing a data object containing initial content received from at least one of the external data sources and associated with an expiry time; storing a set of optimization parameters; obtaining an instruction to request updated content corresponding to the data object; in response to obtaining the instruction, determining, based on the optimization parameters and the expiry time, whether to request updated content from the external data sources; when the determination is affirmative, transmitting at least one update request to at least one of the external data sources based on the initial content and the optimization parameters; and in response to transmitting the at least one update request, receiving and storing respective sets of updated content from the external data sources.