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Overview

Snapshot commands allow you to create and manage reusable sandbox images. Snapshots define the base environment for your sandboxes, including the operating system, installed packages, and configuration.

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daytona snapshot create

Create a new snapshot from a Dockerfile or base image.

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Usage

daytona snapshot create [SNAPSHOT] [flags]

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Flags

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Image Source (one required)

  • --dockerfile, -f - Path to Dockerfile to build
  • --image, -i - The image name for the snapshot
Note: --dockerfile and --image are mutually exclusive.

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Build Context

  • --context, -c - Files or directories to include in the build context (can be specified multiple times). If not provided, context will be automatically determined from COPY/ADD commands in the Dockerfile

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Container Configuration

  • --entrypoint, -e - The entrypoint command for the snapshot
    • Note: Cannot be used with --dockerfile or --context

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Resource Defaults

  • --cpu - CPU cores that will be allocated to sandboxes using this snapshot (default: 1)
  • --memory - Memory that will be allocated to sandboxes in GB (default: 1)
  • --disk - Disk space that will be allocated to sandboxes in GB (default: 3)

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Region

  • --region - ID of the region where the snapshot will be available (defaults to organization default region)

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Examples

# Create a snapshot from a Dockerfile
daytona snapshot create my-dev-env --dockerfile ./Dockerfile

# Create a snapshot with specific build context
daytona snapshot create my-app --dockerfile ./Dockerfile --context ./src --context ./config

# Create a snapshot from a base image
daytona snapshot create ubuntu-dev --image ubuntu:22.04

# Create a snapshot with custom entrypoint
daytona snapshot create node-app --image node:18 --entrypoint "node server.js"

# Create a snapshot with custom resource defaults
daytona snapshot create heavy-build --dockerfile ./Dockerfile --cpu 4 --memory 8 --disk 50

# Create a snapshot in a specific region
daytona snapshot create eu-snapshot --image ubuntu:22.04 --region eu-west-1

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Output

When building from a Dockerfile, build logs are displayed in real-time: 
[build logs...]
Snapshot my-dev-env successfully created
✓ Run 'daytona sandbox create --snapshot my-dev-env' to create a new sandbox using this snapshot

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daytona snapshot list

List all available snapshots.

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Usage

daytona snapshot list [flags]

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Flags

  • --page, -p - Page number for pagination (starting from 1, default: 1)
  • --limit, -l - Maximum number of items per page (default: 100)
  • --format - Output format (json, yaml)

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Examples

# List all snapshots
daytona snapshot list

# List with pagination
daytona snapshot list --page 2 --limit 50

# Get snapshots as JSON
daytona snapshot list --format json

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Output

Displays a table with:
  • Snapshot ID
  • Name
  • State (Active, Building, Failed, etc.)
  • Resources (CPU, Memory, Disk)
  • Created date

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daytona snapshot delete

Delete one or more snapshots.

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Usage

daytona snapshot delete [SNAPSHOT_ID] [flags]

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Flags

  • --all, -a - Delete all snapshots

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Examples

# Delete a specific snapshot
daytona snapshot delete my-dev-env

# Delete a snapshot by ID
daytona snapshot delete 7f8a9c2d-3e1f-4b6a-9c0d-5e8f7a2b3c4d

# Delete all snapshots
daytona snapshot delete --all

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Output

# Single delete
Snapshot my-dev-env deleted

# Delete all
Deleted 5 snapshots

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daytona snapshot push

Push a local Docker image to Daytona as a snapshot.

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Usage

daytona snapshot push [IMAGE] [flags]

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Flags

  • --name, -n - Specify the Snapshot name (required)
  • --entrypoint, -e - The entrypoint command for the image
  • --cpu - CPU cores that will be allocated to sandboxes (default: 1)
  • --memory - Memory that will be allocated to sandboxes in GB (default: 1)
  • --disk - Disk space that will be allocated to sandboxes in GB (default: 3)
  • --region - ID of the region where the snapshot will be available

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Examples

# Push a local image
daytona snapshot push my-app:latest --name my-app-snapshot

# Push with custom entrypoint
daytona snapshot push node-app:v1.0 --name node-snapshot --entrypoint "npm start"

# Push with custom resource defaults
daytona snapshot push heavy-app:latest --name heavy-snapshot --cpu 4 --memory 8 --disk 50

# Push to a specific region
daytona snapshot push my-image:latest --name eu-snapshot --region eu-west-1

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Requirements

  • Docker must be installed and running locally
  • The image must exist locally (use docker images to verify)
  • The image must be compatible with AMD architecture (x86_64)

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Notes

  • The image is pushed to Daytona’s registry with a timestamp-based tag
  • The command waits until the image is validated and the snapshot is active
  • Use daytona snapshot create with --dockerfile for building images securely on Daytona’s infrastructure

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Output

[push progress...]
Successfully pushed my-app:latest to Daytona
✓ Use 'my-app-snapshot' to create a new sandbox using this snapshot

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Common Patterns

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Create Snapshot from Dockerfile and Use It

# Create the snapshot
daytona snapshot create my-env --dockerfile ./Dockerfile

# Create a sandbox from it
daytona create --snapshot my-env --name dev-sandbox

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Push Local Development Image

# Build image locally
docker build -t my-dev-env:latest .

# Push to Daytona
daytona snapshot push my-dev-env:latest --name my-dev-snapshot

# Create sandbox from it
daytona create --snapshot my-dev-snapshot

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Create Snapshot with Multi-file Context

# Include specific files and directories
daytona snapshot create web-app \
  --dockerfile ./docker/Dockerfile \
  --context ./src \
  --context ./public \
  --context ./package.json \
  --context ./package-lock.json

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Create High-Performance Snapshot

# Create snapshot with generous resource defaults
daytona snapshot create ml-snapshot \
  --dockerfile ./Dockerfile.ml \
  --cpu 8 \
  --memory 32 \
  --disk 100 \
  --region us-east-1

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List and Clean Up Old Snapshots

# List all snapshots
daytona snapshot list

# Delete specific old snapshots
daytona snapshot delete old-snapshot-1
daytona snapshot delete old-snapshot-2

# Or delete all (use with caution)
daytona snapshot delete --all

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Dockerfile Best Practices

When creating snapshots from Dockerfiles:

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Use Official Base Images

FROM ubuntu:22.04
# or
FROM node:18-alpine

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Install Common Development Tools

RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
    git \
    curl \
    wget \
    vim \
    build-essential \
    && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*

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Set Up Working Directory

WORKDIR /workspace

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Configure User Permissions

RUN useradd -m -s /bin/bash developer
USER developer

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Example Development Snapshot

FROM ubuntu:22.04

# Install development tools
RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
    git curl wget vim nano \
    build-essential \
    python3 python3-pip \
    nodejs npm \
    && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*

# Create workspace
WORKDIR /workspace

# Set up user
RUN useradd -m -s /bin/bash developer && \
    chown -R developer:developer /workspace
USER developer

CMD ["/bin/bash"]
Create the snapshot: 
daytona snapshot create full-dev-env --dockerfile ./Dockerfile

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