This guide applies to projects on the built-in backend (Cloud) that have separate Test and Live environments.
Key dates
The retirement happens in three stages.Background
Test and Live ran as a beta: you built against a Test database and published to a Live one. The beta has concluded, and Lovable is taking development and production environments in a different direction. Every project moves to the single-database model that new Cloud projects already use, so the data you work with while building is the data your published app runs on. Test and Live is replaced by drafts, which let you work on multiple versions of your app before publishing. Drafts don’t provide a second database, which is why you must move any data you keep in Test to Live before the retirement date.Publishing does not migrate data
Publishing carries your project’s structure from Test to Live: the database schema, storage bucket definitions (including whether a bucket is public or private), row-level security (RLS) policies, and edge functions. It does not carry data. Rows in your database (including your users’ accounts), files in storage, and your auth settings stay in the environment where they were created.Identify your situation
The path to take depends on how you used Test and Live.Situation 1: Your data lives in Live, and Test holds nothing you need
No action is required. Your Live database remains unchanged and your published app continues to run. On September 21, Lovable detaches the Test database from your project. On October 21, Lovable deletes the Test database permanently.Situation 2: Neither environment holds meaningful data
No action is required. Your project moves to a single database and continues to work as before. On September 21, Lovable detaches the Test database from your project. On October 21, Lovable deletes the Test database permanently.Situation 3: Your data lives in Test, and Live is empty
Action required: migrate your data from Test to Live before September 21. After the migration, Live is your project’s only database.- Ask Lovable (recommended)
- Manual
1
Open your project in Test
Open your project and make sure you are working in Test.
2
Ask Lovable to export your Test database
Ask Lovable in chat to export your Test database. The export appears in your Test storage (More → Cloud → Storage), where you can download it.
3
Check the export and upload it to Live
Confirm that all the data you need exists in the download, then upload it to Live through the chat, or ask Lovable for help.To verify the migration, switch to Live in the Cloud view and confirm that your tables and files are there.
Situation 4: You have data in both Test and Live
Action required: move the data you need from Test into Live before September 21. Only you know what each environment holds, so review both before migrating.1
Review both environments
Review the contents of Test and Live, and decide which Test data must be carried over.
2
Export the Test data you need
Ask Lovable in chat to export the relevant Test data to Test storage, then download the files from there and upload them to Live. Alternatively, download each table with Export CSV in More → Cloud → Database and your files from More → Cloud → Storage, and upload them to Live yourself.
3
Confirm the migrated data in Live
Confirm that the migrated data appears in Live alongside your existing Live data. Take particular care with records that exist in both environments.
Data retention and recovery
Your Test data is not lost on the retirement date.- No data is deleted on September 21. Lovable can restore a detached Test database on request until October 21, 2026.
- Lovable backs up both environments for every affected project before the retirement.
- You can export your project’s data at any time from More → Cloud → Overview → Advanced settings → Export project data. Self-serve export supports databases up to 15 GiB. See Export Lovable Cloud data.
After September 21
Your project runs on a single database, and the Test and Live switcher no longer appears in the Cloud view. The data you see while building is the data your published app uses. To preview changes before publishing, use drafts. Drafts are the closest equivalent to Test and Live, though they work differently: a draft previews app changes rather than providing a second database.FAQ
Common questions about the retirement.Will my published app go down?
Will my published app go down?
No. The move to a single database does not take your app offline. If your published app currently reads from its Test database, Lovable contacts you and completes the switch with you before the retirement.
What happens if I take no action?
What happens if I take no action?
If your situation requires no action, your project continues to work. If your data lives in Test and you have not migrated it by September 21, your app runs on an empty Live database until you move the data over. If you have data in both environments, Live remains your database and Lovable detaches Test on the same terms.
Can I keep both databases?
Can I keep both databases?
Not within Lovable after September 21. You can export either database’s data in full.
Can I use my own database instead?
Can I use my own database instead?
Yes. You can connect your own Supabase project in place of Lovable Cloud. Export your data first, then follow Host backend and data on a managed provider and Connect your own Supabase project. Disconnecting Cloud is permanent, so complete the export before disconnecting.
How do I get help?
How do I get help?
For help with your migration, contact Lovable support or email support@lovable.dev.