Scratch Org Snapshots

Capture the state of a scratch org’s configuration so that you can use it to create scratch org replicas. A snapshot is a point-in-time copy of a scratch org that includes installed packages, features, limits, licenses, metadata, and data.

Configuring a scratch org with a project’s dependencies can be a manual and time-consuming process. It can require deploying dependent metadata to it, seeding it with sample data, installing one or more packages, and then performing manual tasks directly in the scratch org. And then, poof, the scratch org expires, and you have to start all over again. With scratch org snapshots, you can quickly replicate scratch orgs with the required project dependencies.

How Snapshots Fit in the Development Lifecycle

Because a snapshot is a point-in-time copy of your scratch org, it’s static. To update your snapshot, delete it and create another snapshot.

You can create a snapshot from only a scratch org and, conversely, you can create only scratch orgs from a snapshot. Snapshots have the same 200-MB data storage limit as scratch orgs. A snapshot isn’t meant to replace source-driven development or a version control system. You continue to follow best development practices by externalizing and modularizing your project source.

Snapshots and scratch orgs don’t replace sandboxes for user acceptance testing. A snapshot is intended to contain the static dependencies of a project, and not the entire happy soup of your production org.

Snapshot Allocations and Limits

Snapshots are associated with a Dev Hub org. Therefore, you must use the same Dev Hub org when you create the scratch org from the snapshot.

The number of snapshots you can create is the same as the active scratch org allocation based on edition type.
Snapshots expire after 90 days. When a snapshot expires or is deleted, its status is updated automatically and its license becomes immediately available.
Snapshot data is retained for 100 days. When a snapshot expires, it’s associated data is deleted 10 days later. If a snapshot is deleted, its associated data is deleted 100 days after its creation date.

Edition	Snapshot Allocations (Active and Daily)
Developer Edition	3
Enterprise Edition	40
Unlimited Edition	100
Performance Edition	100

To view your snapshot usage with Salesforce CLI, run:

1sf org list limits -o <Dev Hub username or alias>

Look for these values in the output:

1Name                  Remaining      Max
2───────────────────── ─────────      ─────────
3ActiveOrgSnapshots    38             40
4DailyOrgSnapshots     35             40

Unsupported Features

These features aren’t copied to the snapshot because they risk exposing sensitive data or authentication secrets.

Connected apps
External credentials
Named credentials
Get Started with Scratch Org Snapshots

Install the required Salesforce DX tools, then enable Dev Hub and Scratch Org Snapshots in an org, usually your production org.
Salesforce CLI Snapshot Commands

You must use Salesforce CLI commands to create and manage your scratch org snapshots.
Create a Scratch Org Snapshot

You can create a snapshot if the source scratch org wasn’t created using a snapshot or with a namespace.
Create a Snapshot for Use with Namespaced Scratch Orgs

While you can’t use a namespaced scratch org to create a snapshot, you can create a namespaced scratch org from a snapshot. That way, you can deploy namespaced metadata to the scratch org. Snapshots are intended to include only dependent packages, metadata, and test data.
Create a Scratch Org Based on a Snapshot

The snapshot must belong to the Dev Hub that you’re using to create the scratch org. We recommend that you create a scratch org definition file that references the snapshot, although you can also reference it directly with the --snapshot flag of org create scratch. Changing or deleting a scratch org has no effect on a snapshot.
Create a Package Version Based on a Snapshot

If you’re a partner or ISV who builds second-generation managed packages that depend on base packages, you can create package versions significantly faster by using scratch org snapshots. Using a snapshot to create a package version is a great choice if your dependent base packages are stable.
Manage and Maintain Your Snapshots

You can check the status of snapshot creation, list all snapshots, and delete a snapshot.