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 When it breaks, your app feels sluggish and outdated compared to modern web applications.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