Glitch Free‑Tier Sleep Behavior and Node.js Database Connection Pool Interoperability

Direct Answer

No, Glitch should not expose a configurable keep‑alive ping or adjustable sleep timeout for free‑tier projects. The platform’s current design—terminating the Node.js process after five minutes of inactivity—is intentional and aligns with the free tier’s resource guarantees. Connection‑pool management remains the responsibility of application code.

Confirmed Facts

• Free‑tier projects automatically sleep after 5 minutes of inactivity, killing the Node process and discarding all in‑memory objects, including database connection pools.
• Glitch does not provide a configurable sleep timeout or a built‑in keep‑alive ping service; only paid "Always‑On" plans keep the process running continuously.
• Application‑level keep‑alive (periodic self‑pings or external uptime monitors) and proper pool recreation on wake are proven, widely used workarounds.
• Allowing users to adjust the sleep timeout would require platform changes that could increase resource consumption and is not currently offered.

Likely Explanation (Design Rationale)

• A platform‑wide keep‑alive could be abused (e.g., endless ping loops), undermining the free tier’s intended resource limits.
• Adjustable timeouts would make infrastructure planning unpredictable and could lead to unexpected costs for Glitch.
• Leaving pool management to the application avoids reliance on platform features that may change and keeps the free tier’s guarantees intact.

Steps to Handle Pool Exhaustion on Free Tier

1. Implement an application‑level keep‑alive: set an interval (e.g., every 30 seconds) that hits your own endpoint to reset the inactivity timer.
2. Ensure your database client recreates the connection pool on startup. Most Node.js drivers (pg, mysql2, mongodb) expose a connect or pool initializer that can be called in your server’s entry point.
3. Add error handling around pool creation so transient network failures on wake do not leave the app without a usable pool.
4. Test by deploying a minimal app, waiting >5 minutes without traffic, then sending a request to verify the pool is recreated and logs show a new pool size.

One Diagnostic Detail That Changes the Recommendation

Are you currently running on the Glitch free tier or a paid "Always‑On" plan? If you are on a paid plan, the sleep behavior does not apply and no keep‑alive is needed.