Create Snapshot API

Introduced 1.0

Creates a snapshot within an existing repository. To view a list of registered repositories, use the Get Snapshot Repository API.

Snapshots are incremental: each snapshot copies only the index files that are not already stored in the repository by an earlier snapshot. Indexing and search requests can continue while a snapshot is in progress. The snapshot contains the data as it existed when the snapshot started, so documents indexed after that point are not included.

By default, a snapshot includes all open indexes and data streams in the cluster, including hidden indexes. Closed indexes are included only if you specify them in the indices field.

Endpoints

PUT /_snapshot/{repository}/{snapshot}
POST /_snapshot/{repository}/{snapshot}

Path parameters

The following table lists the available path parameters.

The snapshot name must be unique in the repository. To include the current date in the name, use a date math expression and URL-encode it. For an example, see Request using date math in the snapshot name.

Query parameters

The following table lists the available query parameters. All query parameters are optional.

Request body fields

The request body is optional. The following table lists the available request body fields.

Example requests

The following examples demonstrate how to create a snapshot.

Request without a body

The following request creates a snapshot called my-first-snapshot in an S3 repository called my-s3-repository. A request body is not included because it is optional.

POST /_snapshot/my-s3-repository/my-first-snapshot

response = client.snapshot.create(
  repository = "my-s3-repository",
  snapshot = "my-first-snapshot"
)

Request with a body

You can also add a request body to include or exclude certain indexes or specify other settings. The following request also stores custom information about the snapshot in the metadata object:

PUT /_snapshot/my-s3-repository/pre-upgrade
{
  "indices": "opensearch_dashboards*,my-index*,-my-index-2016",
  "ignore_unavailable": true,
  "include_global_state": false,
  "partial": false,
  "metadata": {
    "taken_by": "ops-team",
    "reason": "Backup before upgrading to 3.9"
  }
}

response = client.snapshot.create(
  repository = "my-s3-repository",
  snapshot = "pre-upgrade",
  body =   {
    "indices": "opensearch_dashboards*,my-index*,-my-index-2016",
    "ignore_unavailable": true,
    "include_global_state": false,
    "partial": false,
    "metadata": {
      "taken_by": "ops-team",
      "reason": "Backup before upgrading to 3.9"
    }
  }
)

Request using date math in the snapshot name

The following request creates a snapshot whose name contains the current date, such as nightly-2026.10.12. The non-encoded snapshot name is <nightly-{now/d}>. The <, {, /, }, and > characters must be URL-encoded in the request path:

PUT /_snapshot/my-s3-repository/%3Cnightly-%7Bnow%2Fd%7D%3E

For more information about date math expressions, see Date math.

Example responses

Upon success, the response content depends on the value of the wait_for_completion query parameter.

wait_for_completion is false

{
  "accepted": true
}

To verify that the snapshot was created, use the Get Snapshot API, passing the snapshot name as the snapshot path parameter.

wait_for_completion is true

The following response is returned for the Request with a body example:

{
  "snapshot" : {
    "snapshot" : "pre-upgrade",
    "uuid" : "AsDQXjhOQViYaPzbSo8nJw",
    "version_id" : 137307827,
    "version" : "3.9.0",
    "remote_store_index_shallow_copy" : false,
    "indices" : [
      "opensearch_dashboards_sample_data_logs",
      "opensearch_dashboards_sample_data_flights",
      "opensearch_dashboards_sample_data_ecommerce"
    ],
    "data_streams" : [ ],
    "include_global_state" : false,
    "metadata" : {
      "taken_by" : "ops-team",
      "reason" : "Backup before upgrading to 3.9"
    },
    "state" : "SUCCESS",
    "start_time" : "2026-10-12T18:33:50.705Z",
    "start_time_in_millis" : 1791830030705,
    "end_time" : "2026-10-12T18:33:50.906Z",
    "end_time_in_millis" : 1791830030906,
    "duration_in_millis" : 201,
    "failures" : [ ],
    "shards" : {
      "total" : 3,
      "failed" : 0,
      "successful" : 3
    }
  }
}

Response body fields

The following table lists all response body fields.

Required permissions

If you use the Security plugin, make sure you have the appropriate permissions: cluster:admin/snapshot/create.