QAlaunch

Bubble data not showing on the live version: why and how to fix it

Bubble keeps two separate databases: one for the development version (version-test) and one for Live. Deploying to Live copies your pages, workflows and data structure, but not the records you created while testing, so a live repeating group with nothing to search shows nothing. If the live database does have records, a privacy rule is hiding them from the current user or from logged-out visitors.

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What you'll see

In version-test your repeating groups, lists and dropdowns are full. On the live URL the same page shows empty groups, blank text where a field should be, or a dropdown with no choices. Sometimes it works for you as the admin but not for a normal user or someone who is not logged in.

Why it happens

1. The live database has no records

Bubble separates development and live data so tests do not pollute your real app. Every product, listing or category you entered while building lives only in development until you move it.

2. Privacy rules block the viewer

Rules under Data > Privacy decide which users can find each data type in searches and see each field. Rules that only match the creator or admin role leave other users, and logged-out visitors, with empty results.

3. The search depends on something only development has

A constraint that matches a specific record, a user field that only your test account has filled in, or a URL parameter pointing at a development unique ID returns nothing in Live.

4. The latest changes were never deployed

Edits you make in the editor only reach the live app after Deploy current version to Live. A new field, a changed data source or a relaxed privacy rule that exists only in development leaves the live page behaving the old way.

How to fix it

  1. In the editor go to Data > App data and use the database switcher to view the Live database. Check whether the data type the page searches actually has records there.
  2. If it is empty, export the records from development as CSV and import them into Live, or create them through your app’s own admin pages. Use Copy and restore database only if you understand it replaces the target database’s contents.
  3. Open Data > Privacy, select the data type, and read each rule. Make sure a rule lets the right users, including Everyone else if logged-out visitors should see it, find this in searches and view the fields the page shows.
  4. Inspect the repeating group’s data source in the editor and look for constraints that depend on a specific user, record or option. Test the search with the debugger in step-by-step mode on version-test, then reason about what differs in Live.
  5. Deploy the current version to Live from the version menu so any structure or privacy changes are included.
  6. Log in to the live app as an ordinary user, then log out, and check the page each way.

How to check it's fixed

  • The live page shows the expected records for an ordinary logged-in user and, where intended, for a logged-out visitor.
  • Data > App data in Live lists the records the page depends on, with the fields filled in.

What a QAlaunch scan shows for this

  • Empty sections or groups where content is expected, visible in the screenshots as a logged-out visitor sees them.
  • JavaScript console errors on the live page.
  • The scan cannot read your Bubble database or privacy rules, and it does not log in, so pages that are only for signed-in users need a manual check.

See exactly what a full report contains in the sample report.

Frequently asked questions

Why does Bubble not copy my data when I deploy?

Separating the databases protects real customer data from test changes and protects your tests from real data. Deploying moves the app’s design and logic, and you move data deliberately.

Do option sets have the same problem?

Option sets are part of the app’s structure rather than database records, so they travel with a deploy. If a list built from an option set is empty on Live, check that the latest version was actually deployed.

Is copying the development database to Live safe?

It overwrites what is in Live. On a brand-new app with no real users that can be fine; once real users have signed up, import only the records you need instead.

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Written by Waqas Ahmad, QA engineer with 10 years of professional testing experience. Last checked October 26, 2026.

Sources: Bubble forum: why my data does not appear on live version · Bubble forum: version-test OK, live version breaks · Bubble forum: development and live version are not the same