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Limit how long environments can stay idle before auto-stopping. Useful when:
  • Controlling cloud infrastructure costs from forgotten environments
  • Ensuring resources are available for other team members
  • Preventing “never timeout” settings that waste compute

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Configuration

Select maximum timeout duration: 30 minutes, 1 hour, 3 hours, 8 hours, or No max (includes “Never”). Maximum timeout duration

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Effect on users

Users only see timeout options up to the maximum. For example, with “3 hours” max, options are: 30 min, 1 hour, 3 hours. Limited timeout options

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Keep environment alive during long-running tasks

For long-running tasks like simulations, builds, or data processing that may exceed the timeout, use the CLI keep-alive command to prevent automatic shutdown while a process is running. 
# Watch an existing process by PID
gitpod environment keep-alive --pid 1234

# Execute and watch a command
gitpod environment keep-alive -- python simulation.py

# Run in quiet mode (suppress output except errors)
gitpod environment keep-alive -q -- ./long-running-script.sh
FlagDescription
--pidPID of an existing process to watch
--intervalInterval between activity signals (default: 5m)
--sourceSource identifier for activity signals
-q, --quietSuppress output except errors
--environment-idEnvironment ID (auto-detected inside environments)
The command sends activity signals every 5 minutes while the watched process is alive. When the process terminates, the command exits (propagating the exit code if a command was executed).