Lovable changes not showing on the live site: what to check
Lovable's live site is a snapshot taken when you last published, so editor changes only appear after you click Publish and then Update. If you did update and still see the old site, your browser or a CDN is serving cached files. If the live site broke while the preview works, a database or auth change made during editing is hitting the older published code, because both use the same backend.
What you'll see
You made changes, the preview in the editor looks right, but yourproject.lovable.app or your custom domain still shows last week's version. Or the opposite surprise: you changed a table or sign-in setting, and the live site now errors or shows empty pages even though you did not publish anything new.
Why it happens
1. The changes were never published
Editing in Lovable updates the preview, not the live site. Publishing deploys a fixed version, and new edits wait until you open the Publish dialog and choose Update.
2. Cached files in the browser or at the edge
Your browser may hold the previous JavaScript bundle, and a proxy such as Cloudflare in front of the domain can keep serving old files after a publish.
3. Live code and editor share one backend
The preview and the published app talk to the same database. Renaming a column or changing an auth setting while building can break the older published code, which still expects the previous shape.
How to fix it
- Open the Publish dialog and click Update. In version history, check which version is marked as published and that it is the one you expect.
- Open the live site in a private window and hard-refresh with Ctrl+Shift+R on Windows or Cmd+Shift+R on a Mac. If you use Cloudflare in front of the domain, purge its cache too.
- If the live site broke without a publish, think about what changed in the backend since: a renamed column, a new required field, an RLS policy, an auth setting. Either publish the code that matches the new schema or reverse the schema change.
- Open the browser console on the live site and read the first red error. A message naming a column or table that does not exist confirms the code and the database are out of step.
- If Update seems to do nothing at all, check Lovable's status page for publishing incidents before changing anything else.
- For risky database changes in future, make them in small steps that work with both old and new code, and publish straight after.
Prompt to paste into Lovable
Compare the currently published version with the current version and list any database, auth or environment changes the published code depends on. Tell me whether publishing now is safe, and what would break on the live site if I don't.
How to check it's fixed
- Open the live URL in a private window on desktop and phone and confirm the newest text or feature is visible.
- Check the browser console on the live site after the publish for red errors.
- Click through the main flow, including any page that reads from the database.
What a QAlaunch scan shows for this
- JavaScript console errors and failed data requests on the live site, the usual trace of code and database being out of step.
- Desktop and phone screenshots of exactly what a fresh visitor gets, which settles whether the update is live.
- Running a scan before and after a publish gives you two reports to compare side by side.
See exactly what a full report contains in the sample report.
Frequently asked questions
Does Lovable publish automatically when I make changes?
No. Publishing is deliberate so half-finished edits never reach visitors. Each time you want changes live, open the Publish dialog and click Update.
Why did my live site break when I only changed the database?
The preview and the published app share the same database. The live site still runs the older code, and if that code expects a column you renamed or removed, it fails. Publish the matching code or undo the change.
I published and cleared my cache, but a customer still sees the old version. Why?
Their browser or company network may still hold old files. Ask them to hard-refresh or try a private window. If you use a proxy in front of the domain, purge its cache as well.
Rather have a QA engineer test it by hand?
If this is a site you're launching or handing to a client, I'll go through it by hand, including the Lovable-specific issues a scan can't reach, like logged-in flows.
- Up to 10 key pages tested by hand, not a scan
- Every flow a customer uses: forms, sign-up, checkout, booking
- Real mobile and desktop browsers
- A written report in plain language, with screenshots
- A 15-minute call to walk you through it
- 10 years of professional QA experience
Tell me about your site and I'll reply personally, usually the same day.
No payment now. I'll confirm scope and price first.
Related fixes
- Lovable app shows no Supabase data: fixing Row Level Security
- Lovable custom domain not working: statuses, causes and fixes
- Lovable site not showing on Google: causes and fixes
- Lovable login redirects to localhost: how to fix auth URLs
- Lovable app gives 404 on refresh after export: the fix per host
- Lovable link preview not showing the right image: how to fix it
More for Lovable: all Lovable fixes · Lovable testing · 9 bugs every AI-built site ships with
Written by Waqas Ahmad, QA engineer with 10 years of professional testing experience. Last checked October 26, 2026.
Sources: Lovable docs: FAQ · Axon Build: Lovable preview not working