Session Timeouts Explained
Every database session on DBEverywhere has a time limit. When the limit is reached, the session ends and the connection to your database is closed. This page explains how the timeout works across both phpMyAdmin and Adminer.
The Limits
| Plan | Session timeout |
|---|---|
| Free | 15 minutes |
| Paid | 8 hours |
The timeout is the maximum total duration of a session, counted from the moment you connect. It does not depend on activity: there is no idle timeout, and keeping the tab open does not extend it. There is also no cap on how many sessions you can start.
What Happens When a Session Times Out
- The session bar shows a warning banner a few minutes before the end (3 minutes on the free plan, 5 minutes on paid).
- When the timer reaches zero, you're taken back to the dashboard and the stored session credentials are wiped.
- The session is marked as ended on your dashboard.
Your database is not affected. A timeout only ends the browser session. It does not drop tables, roll back transactions, or modify your data. However, any unsaved work in the phpMyAdmin or Adminer interface (like a query you typed but didn't run) will be lost.
How to Check Remaining Time
The timer at the top right of every session shows the time left. It turns yellow at 25% remaining and red at 10%.
Avoiding Unexpected Timeouts
- Save queries before running them. Copy long queries to a text editor so you don't lose them if the session ends.
- Upgrade to the paid plan for 8-hour sessions instead of 15 minutes, plus saved connections so reconnecting is one click.
- End sessions manually from the dashboard when you're done, so you have a clean starting point next time.
phpMyAdmin's Internal Timeout
phpMyAdmin has its own PHP session timeout (24 minutes by default), separate from DBEverywhere's timeout. On the paid plan, phpMyAdmin's internal timeout may occasionally trigger before the 8-hour DBEverywhere limit, showing a "token mismatch" error. If this happens, go back to your dashboard and start a new session. See Why Did My phpMyAdmin Session Expire? for more details.