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

# vcluster pause

> Pause a running virtual cluster to save resources

## Synopsis

Pauses a running virtual cluster to save resources.

```bash theme={null}
vcluster pause VCLUSTER_NAME [flags]
```

## Description

The `pause` command puts a virtual cluster into sleep mode, scaling down control plane components to save CPU and memory. This is useful for development and staging environments that don't need to run 24/7.

## Examples

```bash theme={null}
# Pause a vCluster
vcluster pause my-vcluster --namespace team-x

# Pause with specific driver
vcluster pause my-vcluster -n team-x --driver helm

# Pause without preventing wake-up (Platform only)
vcluster pause my-vcluster -n team-x --prevent-wakeup=false
```

## Flags

<ParamField path="--namespace" type="string" required>
  The Kubernetes namespace where the vCluster is running.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--driver" type="string" default="helm">
  The driver to use. Options: `helm`, `platform`.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--prevent-wakeup" type="boolean" default="true">
  \[PLATFORM] Prevent automatic wakeup.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--project" type="string">
  \[PLATFORM] The project name.
</ParamField>

## How It Works

When you pause a vCluster:

1. **Control plane scales down** - StatefulSet replicas set to 0
2. **Workloads remain** - Synced pods continue running in host cluster
3. **State preserved** - etcd/database data persists
4. **Resources freed** - CPU and memory released

<Note>
  Paused vClusters cannot be accessed via kubectl. You must resume them first.
</Note>

## Complete Example

```bash theme={null}
# Check current status
vcluster list

# Pause the vCluster
vcluster pause dev-vcluster -n development

# Verify it's paused
vcluster list
# Should show Status: Paused

# Later, resume it
vcluster resume dev-vcluster -n development
```

## See Also

* [vcluster resume](/cli/resume) - Resume a paused vCluster
* [Pause/Resume Operations](/operations/pause-resume) - Detailed guide