You can take AI Search off your live site in two ways, depending on whether you want a quick pause or a full stop. Both keep your content and settings.
Pause the live widget
On the Deploy step, turn off Show search on my website. This pauses the widget on your storefront while your playground, insights, and settings stay available. Turn it back on to bring the widget back.
Turn it fully off
In Settings > General, turn off the Active toggle and save. This is the full off switch: while it is off, the widget stops returning results. Your content, appearance, and installation are all kept, so you do not need to re-install anything.
Who can change it and turning it back on
Only a Super Admin (the workspace owner) can turn AI Search off. Others may be able to move the toggle, but the save is rejected. See Understand Super Admin and Member roles.
To turn it back on, switch Active on and save, or switch Show search on my website back on. The widget returns with your existing settings.