MongoDB Atlas Cluster Paused (Resume or Auto-Pause)

How to fix it

Try these in order — the most common fix is first.

1. 1. Resume the cluster

   Copy steps
   1. Go to Database > Clusters
   2. Click Resume (or action menu > Resume Cluster)
   3. Wait for the cluster to become healthy, then reconnect
   Did this fix it? Yes No

2. 2. Keep a Free cluster alive

   1. Connect at least once every 30 days; Atlas emails 7 days before pausing
   Did this fix it? Yes No

3. 3. Export if you don't need it

   1. Run mongodump before long gaps if the cluster is old; very old versions cannot always be resumed
   Did this fix it? Yes No

4. 4. Wait 60 minutes before pausing again

   1. After resuming an M10+, leave it running at least 60 minutes so maintenance can finish
   Did this fix it? Yes No

Symptoms

Connection errors, 'cluster is paused' banner, hostname not found, or the cluster shows Resume.

Why it happens

• 30 days of inactivity on a Free cluster
• Manual pause on M10+ (auto-resumes after 30 days)
• Flex clusters cannot be paused or resumed

This guide also covers

• mongodb atlas cluster paused
• mongodb atlas resume cluster
• mongodb atlas cluster auto pause
• mongodb atlas free cluster paused

Other MongoDB Atlas errors

• MongoDB Atlas Connection Timed Out (IP Not Whitelisted)
• MongoServerSelectionError: Fix for MongoDB Atlas
• MongoDB Atlas Authentication Failed (bad auth)
• MongoDB querySrv ENOTFOUND / ECONNREFUSED Error
• MongoDB Atlas Free Tier (M0) Limits and Throttling
• MongoDB Atlas Unexpected Bill: Why It's So High
• MongoDB Atlas Too Many Connections Error
• MongoDB Atlas AWS VPC Peering Not Connecting