Lovable realtime

Real-Time Database Sync Not Updating in Lovable

Data changes in your Lovable app don't appear in real-time for other users. When one user creates, updates, or deletes a record, other users (or even the same user in another tab) don't see the change until they manually refresh the page.

Real-time functionality is essential for chat apps, collaborative tools, dashboards, and notification systems. When it breaks, your app feels sluggish and outdated compared to modern web applications.

The issue may be subtle — some tables update in real-time while others don't, or real-time works for inserts but not updates or deletes.

Error Messages You Might See

Realtime connection closed Subscription error: not authorized Channel error: timeout Max Realtime connections reached
Realtime connection closedSubscription error: not authorizedChannel error: timeoutMax Realtime connections reached

Common Causes

  • Supabase Realtime not enabled for table — The database table doesn't have Realtime publication enabled in Supabase settings
  • Missing subscription setup — The frontend code doesn't subscribe to real-time changes using Supabase's on() method
  • RLS blocking Realtime — Row Level Security policies prevent the subscription from receiving updates the user should see
  • Channel not cleaned up — Multiple subscriptions accumulate on component re-renders, causing memory leaks and missed events
  • Free tier limits — Supabase free tier limits concurrent Realtime connections, dropping connections when exceeded

How to Fix It

  1. Enable Realtime for the table — In Supabase dashboard → Database → Replication, enable Realtime for the specific table
  2. Set up subscription correctly — Use supabase.channel('table-changes').on('postgres_changes', { event: '*', schema: 'public', table: 'your_table' }, callback).subscribe()
  3. Check RLS policies — Ensure your RLS policies allow SELECT for the subscribed user on the rows they need to see
  4. Clean up subscriptions — In React, return a cleanup function from useEffect that removes the subscription when the component unmounts
  5. Monitor connection status — Subscribe to channel status changes to detect and handle disconnections

Real developers can help you.

David Olverson David Olverson Solo dev shipping production apps with AI-assisted development. I specialize in rescuing broken Lovable/Bolt/Cursor builds and taking them to production. 10+ apps shipped including SaaS CRMs, gaming platforms, real estate tools, and Discord bots. Stack: Next.js 16, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, FastAPI, PostgreSQL, Prisma. I use Claude Code with 50+ custom skills for rapid delivery. Average turnaround: 2-4 weeks from broken prototype to production. ISHANTDEEP SINGH ISHANTDEEP SINGH Senior Software Engineer with 7+ years of experience in React, JavaScript, TypeScript, Next.js, and Node.js. I’ve also worked as a tech lead for startups, owning end-to-end technical execution including architecture, development, scaling, and delivery. I bring a strong mix of hands-on coding, product thinking, and technical leadership, and I’m comfortable building products from scratch as well as improving and scaling existing systems. Milan Surelia Milan Surelia Milan Surelia is a Mobile App Developer with 5+ years of experience crafting scalable, cross-platform apps at 7Span and Meticha. At 7Span, he engineers feature-rich Flutter apps with smooth performance and modern UI. As the Co-Founder of Meticha, he builds open-source tools and developer-focused products that solve real-world problems. Expertise: 💡 Developing cross-platform apps using Flutter, Dart, and Jetpack Compose for Android, iOS, and Web. 🖋️ Sharing insights through technical writing, blogging, and open-source contributions. 🤝 Collaborating closely with designers, PMs, and developers to build seamless mobile experiences. Notable Achievements: 🎯 Revamped the Vepaar app into Vepaar Store & CRM with a 2x performance boost and smoother UX. 🚀 Launched Compose101 — a Jetpack Compose starter kit to speed up Android development. 🌟 Open source contributions on Github & StackOverflow for Flutter & Dart 🎖️ Worked on improving app performance and user experience with smart solutions. Milan is always happy to connect, work on new ideas, and explore the latest in technology. Antriksh Narang Antriksh Narang 5 years+ Experienced Dev (Specially in Web Development), can help in python, javascript, react, next.js and full stack web dev technologies. rayush33 rayush33 JavaScript (React.js, React Native, Node.js) Developer with demonstrated industry experience of 4+ years, actively looking for opportunities to hone my skills as well as help small-scale business owners with solutions to technical problems Jared Hasson Jared Hasson Full time lead founding dev at a cyber security saas startup, with 10 yoe and a bachelor's in CS. Building & debugging software products is what I've spent my time on for forever Prakash Prajapati Prakash Prajapati I’m a Senior Python Developer specializing in building secure, scalable, and highly available systems. I work primarily with Python, Django, FastAPI, Docker, PostgreSQL, and modern AI tooling such as PydanticAI, focusing on clean architecture, strong design principles, and reliable DevOps practices. I enjoy solving complex engineering problems and designing systems that are maintainable, resilient, and built to scale. Meïr Ankri Meïr Ankri Full-stack developer specializing in React / Next.js / Node.js with 6+ years of experience. I've worked across various sectors including automotive (Reezocar/Société Générale), healthcare (Medical Link SaaS), and e-commerce (Glasman). I build web apps end-to-end, from architecture to production, with a focus on scalability, performance, and code quality. I also mentor junior developers and contribute to technical decisions and code reviews. Mehdi Ben Haddou Mehdi Ben Haddou - Founder of Chessigma (1M+ users) & many small projects - ex Founding Engineer @Uplane (YC F25) - ex Software Engineer @Amazon and @Booking.com Matthew Jordan Matthew Jordan I've been working at a large software company named Kainos for 2 years, and mainly specialise in Platform Engineering. I regularly enjoy working on software products outside of work, and I'm a huge fan of game development using Unity. I personally enjoy Python & C# in my spare time, but I also specialise in multiple different platform-related technologies from my day job.

You don't need to be technical. Just describe what's wrong and a verified developer will handle the rest.

Get Help

Frequently Asked Questions

How many real-time connections can I have on the free tier?

Supabase free tier allows up to 200 concurrent Realtime connections. Each browser tab or user session uses at least one connection. If you exceed this, new connections are rejected.

Does Realtime work with Row Level Security?

Yes, but the RLS policies must allow the subscribing user to SELECT the rows they want to receive updates for. If RLS blocks the query, the subscription won't receive events.

Related Lovable Issues

Can't fix it yourself?
Real developers can help.

You don't need to be technical. Just describe what's wrong and a verified developer will handle the rest.

Get Help