> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.thundercompute.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Snapshots

> Create, delete, and restore instance snapshots using the Thunder Compute Console. Ensure data persistence and safety.

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    Editor extension
  </Card>

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    Command line
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    Web interface
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## Create a Snapshot

On the main [Instances page](https://console.thundercompute.com):

1. Select your running instance using the checkbox
2. Click **Snapshot** in the actions bar
3. Enter a name for your snapshot

Snapshotting happens in the background, so you can continue using your instance immediately. The snapshot captures the exact state of the persistent disk at the moment you initiated it.

<Note>
  There is a limit of 50 snapshots.
</Note>

## View Snapshots

Navigate to the Snapshots section to see all your saved snapshots with their status, size, and creation date.

## Restore from a Snapshot

When creating a new instance, select your snapshot from the template options.

<Note>
  Restoring from a snapshot can take up to 8 minutes per 100GB of data.
</Note>

## Delete a Snapshot

Navigate to the [Snapshots page](https://console.thundercompute.com/snapshots) to view all your snapshots and their status. Select a snapshot using the checkbox and click **Delete** in the actions bar to remove it.

## Best Practices

1. **Name snapshots descriptively**: Include the project, date, or purpose (e.g., `llama-finetuned-jan2026`)

2. **Clean up unused snapshots**: To minimize your bill, remove snapshots you no longer need.

## Snapshots vs External Backups

Snapshots are great for quickly restoring your environment, but they’re meant for convenience rather than long-term data security. We do not provide explicit guarantees about snapshot durability. For long-term data preservation, consider using:

* **GitHub** for code and configuration
* **Local downloads** for important outputs
* **Cloud storage** (R2, Google Drive) for large files

To learn about optimizing the a snapshot for faster creation and restoration, refer to our [Speeding Up Snapshots](/guides/speeding-up-snapshots) guide.