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Pausing stops your project’s backend until you wake it up, and your data stays in place. Removing deletes the database and everything in it. Both actions are in Database settings: go to More → Database, select Manage, then Settings. To pause or remove the database, you need permission to manage the project’s settings.
Your project’s database, user accounts, and file storage run together. Pausing or removing the database also pauses or removes sign-in, file storage, and edge functions for the project.

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Pause a database you’re not using

To save credits on a project you’re not actively using, pause its database. Your data is not deleted, and you can resume the project at any time. Lovable automatically pauses the backend of a project after about 7 days without activity, so you usually don’t need to pause an idle project yourself. Pause the database yourself when your project has scheduled jobs or other background activity that keeps it active, because automatic pausing does not apply to those projects. To pause your project’s database, go to More → Database, select Manage, then Settings. In Pause database, click Pause, then confirm in the dialog. While paused, your published app can’t read or write data until you resume it. The Database, Users, and Storage views open and show a paused card in place of your data, and so does Database settings. Wake the project up before you export data or change its settings.
Storage usage continues while a project is paused because your data stays in place. To stop storage usage entirely, remove the database from the project instead.
If your app uses edge functions for AI features, payments, or sending emails, those features stop working while the database is paused. Older React + Vite apps are the most affected, because new Lovable apps created from May 13, 2026, which use TanStack Start, don’t depend on edge functions.

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Resume a paused project

When a project is paused for inactivity, opening it in the editor wakes it up. In every other case, open the project and use the paused card. The card appears in the Database, Users, and Storage views, says why the project is paused, and shows the action that clears the cause. The project chat also shows a notice about the pause.
  • You paused the project yourself. Click Wake up.
  • Your workspace is out of credits. Click Top up and add credits. A top-up does not wake the backend by itself, so open the project again and click Wake up. See What happens when you run out of credits.
  • A credit limit was reached. While the limit is still triggered, the card shows Manage limits instead. Raise or remove the limit in Workspace settings → Usage limits & alerts, then open the project again and click Wake up.
  • Lovable unpublished the project for inactivity. Click Wake up, then publish the project again. In a Free workspace, Lovable may unpublish a published app that has had no visits and no workspace-owner login for 12 months or more. Lovable pauses the backend at the same time. See Does my published site expire?.
  • Lovable paused the project for excessive usage. This happens when a project’s backend usage reaches an extreme level, far beyond what its plan covers. The card has no action, and adding credits does not resume the project. Contact support with the project URL to have the project reviewed.
Waking up takes a few minutes. Traffic to your published app does not resume a paused project.

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Remove a database you no longer need

Use Remove database when a project does not need the built-in database, user accounts, file storage, or edge functions anymore.
Removing the database deletes the database, its backups, your app’s user accounts, and the files in storage, and cannot be undone. Export your database and download any files you need before continuing, because exports saved in storage are deleted too.
You can enable the database, user accounts, and file storage again later from the Database, Users, or Storage view.
1

Open Database settings

In your project, go to More → Database, select Manage, then Settings.
2

Open the removal flow

In Remove database, click Remove.
3

Confirm the warnings

Check both boxes to confirm that the database, users, and storage will stop working, including sign-in and emails, and that their data will be lost. The second box becomes available only after you check the first.
4

Type the project name

Enter the project’s exact display name to confirm.
5

Remove the database

Click Remove. The Database, Users, and Storage views offer to enable the services again.

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FAQ

No. While a project is paused, its backend stops running, so it stops using credits for everything except storage. Storage usage continues because your data stays in place. To stop storage usage too, remove the database instead. See Pause a database you’re not using.
Only a project paused for inactivity wakes up when you open it in the editor. A project you paused yourself, or one paused because of credits, resumes only when you clear the cause and click Wake up on the paused card. Traffic to your published app does not resume a paused project, and neither does waiting.Clear the cause, such as adding credits, before you click Wake up. See Resume a paused project.