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

# Pause and resume an app

> Stop a Raff app and its billing without deleting anything, then start it again with the same settings.

<sub>Updated October 19, 2026</sub>

Pausing stops every instance of an app and stops billing for them. Nothing is deleted: the code, settings, environment variables, deploy history and address all stay. Resume starts the app again with the scaling it had.

## Before you start

* A live app. One-off jobs have nothing to pause: they run only when you start them.

## Pause an app

Open the app and click **Pause** at the top of the page. You can also go to **Settings**, **Danger zone**, **Pause service** and click **Pause**.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/rafftechnologiesllc/images/products/build/raff-apps/pause-button.png" alt="TODO: App page header with the Pause button" />
</Frame>

While the app is paused:

* **Websites and private services** stop answering. Their address comes back when you resume.
* **Background workers** stop working.
* **Cron jobs** stop their schedule. A run missed while paused is skipped, not started when you resume.
* **Billing** for the app's instances stops.
* The app still counts toward your account's limit of 20 instances.

To pause several apps at once, select them in the **Apps** list and click **Pause**.

## Resume an app

Open the app and click **Resume**, or use **Settings**, **Danger zone**, **Resume service**. The app starts again with its scaling, and billing starts again with it.

* Environment variables you changed while it was paused apply when it resumes.
* An app that never went live before you paused it cannot resume: it goes back to its error state, and you deploy it again.

## Apps paused by the spend cap

When a [spend cap](/products/build/raff-apps/quickstart-guides/set-a-spend-cap) set to **Pause my apps** is reached, Raff pauses your pay-as-you-go apps. Their **Overview** says **Paused by the monthly spend cap**, and resuming them is refused while the cap still applies. Raise the cap or turn it off: the apps start again within seconds.

## Do it from your tools

`$APP_ID` is the app's ID from [List app services](/api-reference/apps/list-app-services) or `raff apps list`. `$RAFF_API_KEY` is an [API key](/products/manage/team-projects/quickstart-guides/generate-api-key).

**API**: [Pause app service](/api-reference/apps/pause-app-service), [Resume app service](/api-reference/apps/resume-app-service)

```bash theme={null}
# Pause
curl -X POST "https://api.rafftechnologies.com/api/v1/apps/services/$APP_ID/pause" \
  -H "X-API-Key: $RAFF_API_KEY"

# Resume
curl -X POST "https://api.rafftechnologies.com/api/v1/apps/services/$APP_ID/resume" \
  -H "X-API-Key: $RAFF_API_KEY"
```

**CLI**

```bash theme={null}
raff apps pause $APP_ID
raff apps resume $APP_ID
```

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Set an Apps spend cap" icon="gauge" href="/products/build/raff-apps/quickstart-guides/set-a-spend-cap">
    Pause apps on their own at a monthly limit.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Delete an app" icon="trash" href="/products/build/raff-apps/quickstart-guides/delete-an-app">
    Remove an app you no longer need.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>


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