# Tigris Snapshots Recovery

> Use when recovering deleted or changed files from Tigris, restoring objects to a previous state, or setting up snapshot-enabled buckets for point-in-time recovery

- Skill: `tigrisdata/tigris-snapshots-recovery` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 6 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds add tigrisdata/tigris-snapshots-recovery`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tigrisdata/tigris-snapshots-recovery/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: tigrisdata (https://skillmd.com/u/tigrisdata)
- Updated: 2026-09-09
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tigrisdata/tigris-snapshots-recovery

---


# Tigris Snapshots & Point-in-Time Recovery

Recover deleted or changed files from any point in time. Tigris snapshot-enabled buckets automatically track every change — you can restore files without having explicitly taken a snapshot.

## Prerequisites

**Before doing anything else**, install the Tigris CLI if it's not already available:

```bash
tigris help || npm install -g @tigrisdata/cli
```

If you need to install it, tell the user: "I'm installing the Tigris CLI (`@tigrisdata/cli`) so we can work with Tigris object storage."

## Key Facts

- **Snapshots must be enabled at bucket creation time.** You cannot enable snapshots on an existing bucket. You must create a new bucket with snapshots enabled.
- **Every change is tracked automatically.** Even without explicitly taking a snapshot, every put, delete, and overwrite is preserved. You can recover any object from any point in time.
- **Explicit snapshots are optional bookmarks.** Taking a named snapshot just marks a point in time for easy reference. The data is already preserved regardless.
- **Snapshot buckets must use STANDARD storage tier.** Lifecycle transitions and TTL are not supported on snapshot-enabled buckets.

---

## Create a Snapshot-Enabled Bucket

```bash
# New bucket with snapshots enabled
tigris buckets create my-bucket --snapshot

# ⚠ This will NOT work — cannot enable snapshots on existing bucket
# tigris buckets update my-bucket --snapshot  ← NOT SUPPORTED
```

```typescript
import { createBucket } from "@tigrisdata/storage";

const result = await createBucket("my-bucket", {
  enableSnapshot: true,
});
```

### Migrating an Existing Bucket

If you need snapshots on an existing bucket, create a new one and copy:

```bash
tigris buckets create my-bucket-v2 --snapshot
tigris cp t3://my-bucket/ t3://my-bucket-v2/ -r
# Update your app to use the new bucket name
tigris buckets delete my-bucket  # when ready
```

---

## How Automatic Tracking Works

Once snapshots are enabled, Tigris preserves every version of every object:

```
Timeline:
  T1: put("config.json", v1)        → v1 stored
  T2: put("config.json", v2)        → v2 stored, v1 still accessible
  T3: remove("config.json")         → deleted, but v1 and v2 still accessible
  T4: put("config.json", v3)        → v3 stored, v1, v2, and deletion all accessible
```

---

## Restore from a Snapshot

The typical recovery workflow: list snapshots, pick one, restore files from it.

```typescript
import { listBucketSnapshots, get, put } from "@tigrisdata/storage";

// 1. List snapshots
const result = await listBucketSnapshots("my-bucket");

// 2. Find the right one
const target = result.data?.find((s) => s.name === "before-deploy-v2.3");
const snapshotVersion = target!.version;

// 3. Read a file at that snapshot and write it back
const old = await get("config.json", "string", { snapshotVersion });
if (!old.error) {
  await put("config.json", old.data, { contentType: "application/json" });
}
```

For complete workflows including full bucket restore, prefix restore, timestamp-based recovery, and comparing snapshots — read `./resources/restore-workflows.md`.

For Go SDK examples — read `./resources/go-examples.md`.

For Python (tigris-boto3-ext) examples — read `./resources/python-examples.md`. For full Python coverage (boto3 setup, Django, Bundle API), use the **tigris-python-sdk** skill.

---

## Taking Explicit Snapshots (Optional Bookmarks)

While every change is tracked automatically, named snapshots make it easy to find specific points:

```bash
tigris snapshots take my-bucket --name "before-deploy-v2.3"
tigris snapshots list my-bucket
```

```typescript
import { createBucketSnapshot } from "@tigrisdata/storage";
await createBucketSnapshot("my-bucket", { name: "before-deploy-v2.3" });
```

**When to take explicit snapshots:** Before deployments, migrations, bulk data operations, or any risky operation.

**When you don't need them:** For recovering a single file — just use a timestamp. Automatic tracking covers routine changes.

---

## Critical Rules

**Always:**
- Enable snapshots when creating the bucket — you cannot add it later
- Use STANDARD storage tier for snapshot-enabled buckets
- Test recovery on a non-production bucket first
- Remember that any nanosecond timestamp works as a snapshot version

**Never:**
- Assume you can enable snapshots on an existing bucket (you must create a new one)
- Rely on explicit snapshots alone — automatic tracking means you can recover from any timestamp
- Use lifecycle rules or TTL on snapshot-enabled buckets (not supported)
- Forget to paginate when restoring many files

---

## Known Issues

| Problem | Fix |
|---------|-----|
| "Snapshots not enabled" error | Bucket was created without `--snapshot` / `enableSnapshot: true`. Create a new bucket and copy data. |
| Can't find the right timestamp | Take explicit named snapshots before risky operations for easy reference |
| Restore is slow for many files | Batch restores with concurrency limits; consider forking instead for full-bucket recovery |
| Snapshot bucket won't transition tiers | Snapshot buckets must use STANDARD tier — lifecycle transitions are not supported |

---

## Related Skills

- **tigris-snapshots-forking** — Forking buckets for dev sandboxes and testing
- **file-storage** — SDK reference for `get`, `put`, `list`
- **tigris-backup-export** — Complementary backup strategy with database dumps

## Official Documentation

- Snapshots: https://www.tigrisdata.com/docs/buckets/snapshots-and-forks/