> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.lovable.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Migration guide: retiring beta Test and Live environments

> Test and Live environments on the built-in backend (Cloud) are retired on October 5, 2026. Find out whether your project needs action, how to move data from Test to Live, and what happens to your Test database.

<Note>
  This guide applies to projects on the [built-in backend (Cloud)](/features/cloud) that have separate Test and Live environments.
</Note>

On **October 5, 2026**, Lovable Cloud retires the Test and Live environment split. From that date, every Cloud project runs on a single database. Most projects require no action, and no data is deleted on October 5.

You don't need to wait until October 5. When all the data you need is in Live, you can turn off Test and Live immediately: go to **More → Cloud → Overview → Advanced settings → Danger zone** and select **Delete test database**.

## Key dates

The retirement happens in three stages.

| Date | What happens |
| - | - |
| September 14, 2026 | Affected project owners receive an email describing their project's situation. A notice also appears on affected projects. |
| October 5, 2026 | Test and Live is retired. Each project continues on a single database. Test databases are detached and remain restorable. |
| November 4, 2026 | Test databases are fully deleted and are no longer restorable. |

## 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](/features/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.

<Warning>
  Do not rely on publishing to migrate data. If the data you need is in Test, move it to Live yourself before October 5, 2026.
</Warning>

## Identify your situation

The path to take depends on how you used Test and Live.

| Data in Live | Data in Test | Situation | What to do |
| - | - | - | - |
| Yes | Nothing you need | [Situation 1](#situation-1-your-data-lives-in-live-and-test-holds-nothing-you-need) | Nothing. Live stays as it is. |
| No | No | [Situation 2](#situation-2-neither-environment-holds-meaningful-data) | Nothing. Your project keeps working. |
| No | Yes | [Situation 3](#situation-3-your-data-lives-in-test-and-live-is-empty) | Move your data from Test to Live before October 5. |
| Yes | Yes | [Situation 4](#situation-4-you-have-data-in-both-test-and-live) | Move what you still need from Test into Live before October 5. |

### 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 October 5, Lovable detaches the Test database from your project. On November 4, 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 October 5, Lovable detaches the Test database from your project. On November 4, 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 October 5. After the migration, Live is your project's only database.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Ask Lovable (recommended)">
    <Steps>
      <Step title="Open your project in Test">
        Open your project and make sure you are working in **Test**.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Ask Lovable to export your Test database">
        Ask Lovable in the project chat to export your Test database. The export appears in your Test storage (**More → Cloud → Storage**), where you can download it.
      </Step>

      <Step title="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.
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Manual">
    <Steps>
      <Step title="Download each Test table">
        Go to **More → Cloud → Database**, open each table, and select **Export CSV**.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Download your Test storage files">
        Go to **More → Cloud → Storage**, open each bucket, select the files you need, and select **Download**.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Upload the tables and assets to Live">
        Upload the tables and assets to Live, then confirm that everything appears in Live.
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

If you do not complete the migration by October 5, Lovable detaches the Test database and your published app runs on an empty Live database. On November 4, Lovable deletes the Test database permanently.

### Situation 4: You have data in both Test and Live

**Action required:** move the data you need from Test into Live before October 5. Only you know what each environment holds, so review both before migrating.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Review both environments">
    Review the contents of Test and Live, and decide which Test data must be carried over.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Export the Test data you need">
    Ask Lovable in the project 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.
  </Step>

  <Step title="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.
  </Step>
</Steps>

On October 5, Lovable detaches the Test database. On November 4, Lovable deletes the Test database permanently.

## Data retention and recovery

Your Test data is not lost on the retirement date.

* No data is deleted on October 5. Lovable can restore a detached Test database on request until November 4, 2026.
* Lovable backs up both environments for every affected project before the retirement and keeps the backups for 30 days after detachment.
* 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 GB. See [Export Lovable Cloud data](/features/advanced-settings#export-lovable-cloud-data).

## After October 5

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](/features/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.

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="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.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="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 October 5, 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.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I keep both databases?">
    Not within Lovable after October 5. You can export either database's data in full.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="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](/tips-tricks/external-deployment-hosting#host-backend-and-data-on-a-managed-provider-supabase-example) and [Connect your own Supabase project](/integrations/supabase). Disconnecting Cloud is permanent, so complete the export before disconnecting.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I get help?">
    For help with your migration, contact [Lovable support](https://lovable.dev/support) or email [support@lovable.dev](mailto:support@lovable.dev).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>


## Related topics

- [Add payments to your app](/features/payments.md)
- [Preview and test your app in Lovable](/features/projects/preview.md)
- [Test your app in a browser](/features/browser-testing.md)
- [Lovable changelog](/changelog.md)
- [API basics](/api-reference/introduction.md)