Create a snapshot
Outcome You preserve the complete Current state of an instance - files, tables, and application configurations - as an immutable, time-stamped record.
Before you start
You are in the Current state of the instance you want to snapshot.
You hold the Instance Editor role or higher in the instance.
All work you want to preserve has been saved (snapshots capture what is on disk, not what is in memory).
A snapshot captures the complete Current state of an instance as an immutable, time-stamped record. There are two ways to create one:
Quick snapshot - captures the Current state with the timestamp as the snapshot name. Use this when you want a safety net before a risky operation and don't need to find the snapshot by name later.
Detailed snapshot - captures the Current state with a user-provided name and description. Use this when you want a named record of a meaningful state ("end of term", "v1.0 final analysis", "before final submission") that you can find later by name.
Create a quick snapshot
Navigate to the space containing the instance.
Make sure you are viewing the Current State of an instance.
From the left sidebar, hover on the camera icon and click on QUICK SNAPSHOT.
Create a detailed snapshot
Navigate to the space containing the instance.
Make sure you are viewing the current state of an instance.
From the left sidebar, hover on the camera icon and click on TAKE SNAPSHOT AND DESCRIBE.
Fill in the snapshot name and description form. Snapshot names need to be unique in an instance.
Click + ADD SNAPSHOT.
Snapshots are created almost instantaneously. Refresh the page before creating another snapshot - the UI may otherwise prevent the second creation.
Role-specific notes
Date- or term-based names work well for course archives ("2025-spring-final", "end-of-term-stats101"). Detailed snapshots are worth the extra effort here because you'll be looking for them next term when reusing the course.
Quick snapshots are usually sufficient. Take one before starting an assignment session and another before submitting. If you take a detailed snapshot, descriptive task-based names ("before final submission", "after Tuesday's lab") are easier to identify than dates.
Detailed snapshots representing stable, citable states of the data or analysis are often called vintages - convention from the Nuvolos team. Names like "v1.0 - final analysis 2026-05" make snapshots easy to reference in handovers and papers.
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