---
name: "zfs-snapshot"
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-snapshot"
---

# zfs-snapshot(8)

create snapshots of ZFS datasets

## NAME

**zfs-snapshot** – create snapshots of ZFS datasets

## SYNOPSIS

**zfs** **snapshot** \[**-r**\] \[**-o** *property*=*value*\]… *dataset*@*snapname*…

## DESCRIPTION

Creates a snapshot of a dataset or multiple snapshots of different datasets.

Snapshots are created atomically. That is, a snapshot is a consistent image of a dataset at a specific point in time; it includes all modifications to the dataset made by system calls that have successfully completed before that point in time. Recursive snapshots created through the **-r** option are all created at the same time.

**zfs** **snap** can be used as an alias for **zfs** **snapshot**.

See the Snapshots section of [zfsconcepts(7)](/zfsconcepts/7.md) for details.

- **-o** *property*=*value*

  Set the specified property; see **zfs** **create** for details.

- **-r**

  Recursively create snapshots of all descendent datasets

## EXAMPLES

### Example 1 : No Creating a ZFS Snapshot

The following command creates a snapshot named *yesterday*. This snapshot is mounted on demand in the *.zfs/snapshot* directory at the root of the *pool/home/bob* file system.

```
# zfs snapshot pool/home/bob@yesterday
```

### Example 2 : No Creating and Destroying Multiple Snapshots

The following command creates snapshots named *yesterday* of *pool/home* and all of its descendent file systems. Each snapshot is mounted on demand in the *.zfs/snapshot* directory at the root of its file system. The second command destroys the newly created snapshots.

```
# zfs snapshot -r pool/home@yesterday
```

```
# zfs destroy -r pool/home@yesterday
```

### Example 3 : No Promoting a ZFS Clone

The following commands illustrate how to test out changes to a file system, and then replace the original file system with the changed one, using clones, clone promotion, and renaming:

```
# zfs create pool/project/production
  populate /pool/project/production with data
# zfs snapshot pool/project/production@today
# zfs clone pool/project/production@today pool/project/beta
  make changes to /pool/project/beta and test them
# zfs promote pool/project/beta
# zfs rename pool/project/production pool/project/legacy
# zfs rename pool/project/beta pool/project/production
  once the legacy version is no longer needed, it can be destroyed
# zfs destroy pool/project/legacy
```

### Example 4 : No Performing a Rolling Snapshot

The following example shows how to maintain a history of snapshots with a consistent naming scheme. To keep a week's worth of snapshots, the user destroys the oldest snapshot, renames the remaining snapshots, and then creates a new snapshot, as follows:

```
# zfs destroy -r pool/users@7daysago
# zfs rename -r pool/users@6daysago @7daysago
# zfs rename -r pool/users@5daysago @6daysago
# zfs rename -r pool/users@4daysago @5daysago
# zfs rename -r pool/users@3daysago @4daysago
# zfs rename -r pool/users@2daysago @3daysago
# zfs rename -r pool/users@yesterday @2daysago
# zfs rename -r pool/users@today @yesterday
# zfs snapshot -r pool/users@today
```

## SEE ALSO

[zfs-bookmark(8)](/zfs-bookmark/8.md), [zfs-clone(8)](/zfs-clone/8.md), [zfs-destroy(8)](/zfs-destroy/8.md), [zfs-diff(8)](/zfs-diff/8.md), [zfs-hold(8)](/zfs-hold/8.md), [zfs-rename(8)](/zfs-rename/8.md), [zfs-rollback(8)](/zfs-rollback/8.md), [zfs-send(8)](/zfs-send/8.md)