Nothing is deleted if a Pro or Pro+ license lapses — locked features just stop being applied until you’re licensed again.
Nothing is lost
If a Pro or Pro+ license lapses or is removed, everything you’ve configured stays saved exactly as it is. Locked features simply stop being applied while the site is unlicensed: custom Customizer styling reverts to Ariadne’s clean default design, pinned or excluded posts stop taking effect, Cornerstone flags stop being honored, and so on. None of that data is deleted.
What comes back automatically
Re-activating a Pro or Pro+ license picks everything back up automatically. Your saved styling, pins, exclusions, and Cornerstone flags all resume working immediately, with no reconfiguration needed on your part.
One thing that’s never affected either way
How many related posts are shown isn’t a style property and isn’t gated by license at all — it always reflects your real, current setting, regardless of plan.