---
name: "zfs-diff"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "zfsutils-linux"
version: "2.3.9-0+deb13u1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux", "freebsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/zfs-diff"
---

# zfs-diff(8)

show difference between ZFS snapshots

## NAME

**zfs-diff** – show difference between ZFS snapshots

## SYNOPSIS

**zfs** **diff** \[**-FHth**\] *snapshot* *snapshot*\|*filesystem*

## DESCRIPTION

Display the difference between a snapshot of a given filesystem and another snapshot of that filesystem from a later time or the current contents of the filesystem. The first column is a character indicating the type of change, the other columns indicate pathname, new pathname (in case of rename), change in link count, and optionally file type and/or change time. The types of change are:

- **-**

  The path has been removed

- **+**

  The path has been created

- **M**

  The path has been modified

- **R**

  The path has been renamed

- **-F**

  Display an indication of the type of file, in a manner similar to the **-F** option of [ls(1)](/ls/1.md).

  - **B**

    Block device

  - **C**

    Character device

  - **/**

    Directory

  - **\>**

    Door

  - **\|**

    Named pipe

  - **@**

    Symbolic link

  - **P**

    Event port

  - **=**

    Socket

  - **F**

    Regular file

- **-H**

  Give more parsable tab-separated output, without header lines and without arrows.

- **-t**

  Display the path's inode change time as the first column of output.

- **-h**

  Do not **\\0***ooo*-escape non-ASCII paths.

## EXAMPLES

### Example 1 : No Showing the differences between a snapshot and a ZFS Dataset

The following example shows how to see what has changed between a prior snapshot of a ZFS dataset and its current state. The **-F** option is used to indicate type information for the files affected.

```
# zfs diff -F tank/test@before tank/test
M       /       /tank/test/
M       F       /tank/test/linked      (+1)
R       F       /tank/test/oldname -> /tank/test/newname
-       F       /tank/test/deleted
+       F       /tank/test/created
M       F       /tank/test/modified
```

## SEE ALSO

[zfs-snapshot(8)](/zfs-snapshot/8.md)