FastStore WebOps: Previews now deactivate after inactivity and reactivate automatically

FastStore preview deploys now use an inactivity-based lifecycle instead of a fixed expiration window. Preview URLs remain usable for longer, eliminating the need to redeploy just to bring them back.

Previously, preview URLs were discarded a few days after creation, regardless of usage, and had to be redeployed to work again.

Now, a preview URL is automatically deactivated only after 12 hours of inactivity. Accessing the URL again automatically reactivates it:

• The first request to a deactivated preview shows a loading screen while the preview wakes up. The page refreshes on its own, and the storefront loads normally after a few seconds.
• If a preview can no longer be reactivated, an expired page is shown instead, and the branch needs to be redeployed to generate a new preview.

For more information, see Preview availability in the FastStore WebOps - Dashboard guide.

This improvement lets you keep using a preview URL for as long as you need it, simply by accessing it, instead of losing it after a fixed number of days and having to trigger a new deploy.

This behavior is automatic and requires no configuration. However, if you run automated tests against preview URLs, add a retry to your test setup: a request made right after a period of inactivity may return an HTTP 202 Accepted status while the preview wakes up, before returning 200 OK once the storefront is fully available.