# When your library is paused *Why PromptMason pauses your library on the Free plan, what still works, and the three ways to unpause it.* Online version: https://promptmason.ai/docs/paused-library Your library is paused when you're on the Free plan and have more than 25 blocks or more than 15 prompts. Nothing is deleted. You can still see, search and export everything, but you can't add, change or copy anything until you're back within the limits or on Pro. ## Why it happens The Free plan has room for 25 blocks and 15 prompts, counted across every library on this PC (see [Plans and limits](https://promptmason.ai/docs/plans#what-counts-toward-the-free-limits)). A pause happens when you have more than that while on Free: - your 14 days of Pro ended, - your Pro license ended, or you removed it from this PC, - PromptMason couldn't check your license for 14 days ([How your license is checked](https://promptmason.ai/docs/license#how-your-license-is-checked)), - you joined a team library, or teammates or your other PCs added items to a library you share, and that took you over the limits, or - you chose **Add anyway** for a block pack bigger than the Free plan ([Add a block pack](https://promptmason.ai/docs/block-packs#on-the-free-plan)). Deleting the pack's folder removes all of its items. Being exactly at a limit (25 blocks, or 15 prompts) doesn't pause anything. ## What you see A line at the top of every screen says **Your library is paused.** It gives the Free limits and how many blocks and prompts you have, with three buttons: - **Upgrade to Pro** opens the checkout in your browser. - **Enter key** opens **Settings → Plan**, where you paste a license key. - **Other options** opens the **Your library is paused** window. ![The banner across the top saying the library is paused, with Upgrade to Pro, Enter key and Other options buttons.](https://promptmason.ai/images/docs/paused-library-banner.webp) **Plan** in Settings also has a dot next to it. When you try something that's paused, such as editing, copying or making something new, the **Your library is paused** window opens. Its buttons are **Upgrade to Pro**, **Delete items** and **Not now**. ![The Your library is paused window with Upgrade to Pro, Delete items and Not now buttons.](https://promptmason.ai/images/docs/paused-library-window.webp) ## What still works - Opening, viewing and searching everything, and the preview of each block, prompt and document. - Deleting blocks and prompts, emptying **Recently deleted**, and **Delete forever**. - Archiving and un-archiving. - **Settings**, including your plan and license key, turning on and making backups, and sync. Changes your teammates make in a team library still arrive. - **Export everything**, in **Settings → Backup & data** (see [Export and import](https://promptmason.ai/docs/export-import)). - Reading, renaming and deleting your chats. ## What's paused - Making or editing blocks, prompts, Markdown documents, variables, folders, comments and expected output. - Favorites and ratings, and restoring an older version from History. - Copying out of PromptMason's screens: **Copy to Clipboard**, **Download .md**, and even Ctrl+C on selected text. - Importing a file, adding a block pack, restoring a backup, restoring a library with your recovery kit, restoring items from **Recently deleted**, and joining a library. - AI assist, Evaluate, and sending messages in Chat. - Connected apps. An AI agent connected to PromptMason can't read or change your library, and the Chrome extension shows the paused message with **Upgrade to Pro**. ## Unpause your library There are three ways out. Each one ends the pause at once. ### Buy Pro 1. Click **Upgrade to Pro** in the line at the top of the screen. 2. Complete the checkout in your browser. 3. Activate the Pro key you get when you buy. See [Your trial and license key](https://promptmason.ai/docs/license#activate-a-pro-key) for the steps. ### Enter a key you already have 1. Click **Enter key** in the line at the top of the screen. **Settings** opens at **Plan**. 2. Paste the key into the box under **License key**. 3. Click **Activate**. If the key doesn't activate, see [If Activate shows a message](https://promptmason.ai/docs/license#if-activate-shows-a-message) for what each message means. ### Delete items until you're within the limits Before you delete anything, consider exporting a copy: click **Settings** in the sidebar, then **Backup & data**, then **Export**. Export works while your library is paused. See [Export and import](https://promptmason.ai/docs/export-import). 1. Click **Other options** in the line at the top of the screen. 2. Click **Delete items**. PromptMason opens **Blocks** if you have too many blocks, otherwise **Prompts**. 3. Delete the blocks or prompts you no longer need, until you have no more than 25 blocks and 15 prompts. To delete several at once, see [Archive, delete and restore](https://promptmason.ai/docs/archive-and-delete). Deleted items go to **Recently deleted**, which doesn't count toward the limits, so you don't need to empty it. Items stay there for 30 days, then they're gone for good. Restoring one later is checked like making a new one, so it only works if there's room. Archiving doesn't help, because archived items count. Take care in a team library: deleting an item there deletes it for everyone in the library. Start with your personal library. ## While you decide You can click **Not now** and keep using PromptMason to read and search. The line at the top stays until the library is unpaused. ## Want a hand? Paste this prompt into Claude, ChatGPT or another AI assistant, together with this guide, to be walked through it step by step: > PromptMason says my library is paused. Explain why, what I can still do, and help me choose between buying Pro, entering a key I already have, and deleting items to get back under the Free limits.