Fix: Supabase Free Project Paused After Inactivity
Quick Answer
Go to Supabase Dashboard > your project. Click "Restore project". The project will be back online in 1-2 minutes. To prevent pausing, make at least one API call per week or upgrade to Pro ($25/mo).
Quick Fix Summary
| Issue | Project paused |
| Fastest fix | Restore the project |
| Use this page if | App suddenly stops working with connection errors |
Symptoms
- !App suddenly stops working with connection errors
- !Supabase dashboard shows project is paused
- !Database queries return connection refused
- !Auth stops working completely
Step-by-Step Fix
Restore the project
Log in to supabase.com > select the paused project > click 'Restore project'. It takes 1-2 minutes to come back online. All data is preserved.
Set up a keep-alive ping
Create a simple cron job or scheduled function that queries your database once daily. In Vercel: create a /api/keep-alive route that runs SELECT 1 and set it as a cron job.
Upgrade to prevent pausing
Pro plan ($25/mo) projects never pause. If your app has real users, upgrade. The free tier is for development only.
Monitor project status
Set up a health check that alerts you if the Supabase connection fails. A simple uptime monitor on your API endpoint catches paused projects early.
Frequently Asked Questions
Free Supabase projects pause after 7 days of inactivity (no API calls). All data is preserved — the project just needs to be manually restored.
Yes. Pausing only stops the database server. Your data, schema, auth users, and storage files are all preserved. Restoring brings everything back.
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