# How to Disable Backups

Backups are automatically-created disk images of Droplets. Enabling backups for Droplets enables system-level backups at intervals of every 4 hours, 6 hours, 12 hours, day, or week, which provides a way to revert to an older state or create new Droplets.

Disabling backups on a Droplet stops automatic backups. Any existing backups are kept until their scheduled deletion date. If there are backups you want to save, [convert those backups to snapshots](https://docs.digitalocean.com/products/backups/how-to/convert-to-snapshot/index.html.md) first.

## Disable Backups

### Using the Control Panel

To disable backups from the control panel, from the Droplet’s **Backups** page, click **Disable Backups**.

![Droplet automated backups page showing a list of weekly backups and a More dropdown menu with convert to Snapshot, create Droplet, and restore Droplet options.](https://docs.digitalocean.com/screenshots/backups/automated-backups.93a989cc3efb842fd6d7abf9857a48a25cad1ddfc76f34d80ff7e24c368ad73d.png)

You can enable backups again at any time by returning to this page and clicking **Enable Backups**.

### Using the API or CLI

You can disable Droplet backups using the following `doctl` command, or by sending a request to the Droplet action endpoint and setting the `disable_backups` field to `true`.

## How to Enable Droplet Backups Using the DigitalOcean CLI

1. [Install `doctl`](https://docs.digitalocean.com/reference/doctl/how-to/install/index.html.md), the official DigitalOcean CLI.
2. [Create a personal access token](https://docs.digitalocean.com/reference/api/create-personal-access-token/index.html.md) and save it for use with `doctl`.
3. Use the token to grant `doctl` access to your DigitalOcean account.

   ```shell
   doctl auth init
   ```
4. Finally, run `doctl compute droplet-action disable-backups`. Basic usage looks like this, but you can [read the usage docs](https://docs.digitalocean.com/reference/doctl/reference/compute/droplet-action/disable-backups/index.html.md) for more details:

   ```shell
   doctl compute droplet-action disable-backups <droplet-id> [flags]
   ```

   The following example disables backups on a Droplet with the ID `386734086`:

   ```shell
   doctl compute droplet-action disable-backups 386734086
   ```

## How to Enable Droplet Backups Using the DigitalOcean API

1. [Create a personal access token](https://docs.digitalocean.com/reference/api/create-personal-access-token/index.html.md) and save it for use with the API.
2. Send a POST request to [`https://api.digitalocean.com/v2/droplets/{droplet_id}/actions`](https://docs.digitalocean.com/reference/api/digitalocean//index.html.md#operation/dropletActions_post).

### cURL

Using cURL:

```shell
# Enable Backups
curl -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DIGITALOCEAN_TOKEN" \
  -d '{"type":"enable_backups"}' \
  "https://api.digitalocean.com/v2/droplets/3164450/actions"

# Disable Backups
curl -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DIGITALOCEAN_TOKEN" \
  -d '{"type":"disable_backups"}' \
  "https://api.digitalocean.com/v2/droplets/3164450/actions"

# Reboot a Droplet
curl -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DIGITALOCEAN_TOKEN" \
  -d '{"type":"reboot"}' \
  "https://api.digitalocean.com/v2/droplets/3164450/actions"

# Power cycle a Droplet
curl -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DIGITALOCEAN_TOKEN" \
  -d '{"type":"power_cycle"}' \
  "https://api.digitalocean.com/v2/droplets/3164450/actions"

# Shutdown and Droplet
curl -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DIGITALOCEAN_TOKEN" \
  -d '{"type":"shutdown"}' \
  "https://api.digitalocean.com/v2/droplets/3067649/actions"

# Power off a Droplet
curl -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DIGITALOCEAN_TOKEN" \
  -d '{"type":"power_off"}' \
  "https://api.digitalocean.com/v2/droplets/3164450/actions"

# Power on a Droplet
curl -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DIGITALOCEAN_TOKEN" \
  -d '{"type":"power_on"}' \
  "https://api.digitalocean.com/v2/droplets/3164450/actions"

# Restore a Droplet
curl -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DIGITALOCEAN_TOKEN" \
  -d '{"type":"restore", "image": 12389723 }' \
  "https://api.digitalocean.com/v2/droplets/3067649/actions"

# Password Reset a Droplet
curl -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DIGITALOCEAN_TOKEN" \
  -d '{"type":"password_reset"}' \
  "https://api.digitalocean.com/v2/droplets/3164450/actions"

# Resize a Droplet
curl -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DIGITALOCEAN_TOKEN" \
  -d '{"type":"resize","size":"1gb"}' \
  "https://api.digitalocean.com/v2/droplets/3164450/actions"

# Rebuild a Droplet
curl -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DIGITALOCEAN_TOKEN" \
  -d '{"type":"rebuild","image":"ubuntu-16-04-x64"}' \
  "https://api.digitalocean.com/v2/droplets/3164450/actions"

# Rename a Droplet
curl -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DIGITALOCEAN_TOKEN" \
  -d '{"type":"rename","name":"nifty-new-name"}' \
  "https://api.digitalocean.com/v2/droplets/3164450/actions"

# Change the Kernel
curl -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DIGITALOCEAN_TOKEN" \
  -d '{"type":"change_kernel","kernel":991}' \
  "https://api.digitalocean.com/v2/droplets/3164450/actions"

# Enable IPv6
curl -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DIGITALOCEAN_TOKEN" \
  -d '{"type":"enable_ipv6"}' \
  "https://api.digitalocean.com/v2/droplets/3164450/actions"

# Enable Private Networking
curl -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DIGITALOCEAN_TOKEN" \
  -d '{"type":"enable_private_networking"}' \
  "https://api.digitalocean.com/v2/droplets/3164450/actions"

# Snapshot a Droplet
curl -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DIGITALOCEAN_TOKEN" \
  -d '{"type":"snapshot","name":"Nifty New Snapshot"}' \
  "https://api.digitalocean.com/v2/droplets/3164450/actions"

# Acting on Tagged Droplets
curl -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DIGITALOCEAN_TOKEN" \
  -d '{"type":"enable_backups"}' \
  "https://api.digitalocean.com/v2/droplets/actions?tag_name=awesome"

# Retrieve a Droplet Action
curl -X GET \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DIGITALOCEAN_TOKEN" \
  "https://api.digitalocean.com/v2/droplets/3164444/actions/36804807"
```

### Go

Using [Godo](https://github.com/digitalocean/godo), the official DigitalOcean API client for Go:

```go
import (
    "context"
    "os"

    "github.com/digitalocean/godo"
)

func main() {
    token := os.Getenv("DIGITALOCEAN_TOKEN")

    client := godo.NewFromToken(token)
    ctx := context.TODO()
// Enable Backups
    action, _, err := client.DropletActions.EnableBackups(ctx, 3164450)

// Disable Backups
//  action, _, err := client.DropletActions.DisableBackups(ctx, 3164450)

// Reboot a Droplet
//  action, _, err := client.DropletActions.Reboot(ctx, 3164450)

// Power Cycle a Droplet
//  action, _, err := client.DropletActions.PowerCycle(ctx, 3164450)

// Shutdown a Droplet
//  action, _, err := client.DropletActions.Shutdown(ctx, 3067649)

// Power Off a Droplet
//  action, _, err := client.DropletActions.PowerOff(ctx, 3164450)

// Power On a Droplet
//  action, _, err := client.DropletActions.PowerOn(ctx, 3164450)

// Restore a Droplet
//  action, _, err := client.DropletActions.Restore(ctx, 3164449, 12389723)

// Password Reset a Droplet
//  action, _, err := client.DropletActions.PasswordReset(ctx, 3164450)

// Resize a Droplet
//  action, _, err := client.DropletActions.Resize(ctx, 3164450, "1gb", true)

// Rebuild a Droplet
//  action, _, err := client.DropletActions.RebuildByImageSlug(ctx, 3164450, "ubuntu-16-04-x64")

// Rename a Droplet
//  action, _, err := client.DropletActions.Rename(ctx, 3164450, "nifty-new-name")

// Change the Kernel
//  action, _, err := client.DropletActions.ChangeKernel(ctx, 3164450, 991)

// Enable IPv6
//  action, _, err := client.DropletActions.EnableIPv6(ctx, 3164450)

// Enable Private Networking
//  action, _, err := client.DropletActions.EnablePrivateNetworking(ctx, 3164450)

// Snapshot a Droplet
//  action, _, err := client.DropletActions.Snapshot(ctx, 3164450, "Nifty New Snapshot")

// Retrieve a Droplet Action
//  action, _, err := client.DropletActions.Get(ctx, 3164450, 36804807)

}
```

### Ruby

Using [DropletKit](https://github.com/digitalocean/droplet_kit), the official DigitalOcean API client for Ruby:

```ruby
require 'droplet_kit'
token = ENV['DIGITALOCEAN_TOKEN']
client = DropletKit::Client.new(access_token: token)

# Enable Backups
client.droplet_actions.enable_backups(droplet_id: 3164450)

# Disable Backups
# client.droplet_actions.disable_backups(droplet_id: 3164450)

# Reboot a Droplet
# client.droplet_actions.reboot(droplet_id: 3164450)

# Power Cycle a Droplet
# client.droplet_actions.power_cycle(droplet_id: 3164450)

# Shutdown a Droplet
# client.droplet_actions.shutdown(droplet_id: 3067649)

# Power Off a Droplet
# client.droplet_actions.power_off(droplet_id: 3164450)

# Power On a Droplet
# client.droplet_actions.power_on(droplet_id: 3164450)

# Restore a Droplet
# client.droplet_actions.restore(droplet_id: 3067649, image: 12389723)

# Password Reset a Droplet
# client.droplet_actions.password_reset(droplet_id: 3164450)

# Resize a Droplet
# client.droplet_actions.resize(droplet_id: 3164450, size: '1gb')

# Rebuild a Droplet
# client.droplet_actions.rebuild(droplet_id: 3164450, image: 'ubuntu-16-04-x64')

# Rename a Droplet
# client.droplet_actions.rename(droplet_id: 3164450, name: 'nifty-new-name')

# Change the Kernel
# client.droplet_actions.change_kernel(droplet_id: 3164450, kernel: 991)

# Enable IPv6
# client.droplet_actions.enable_ipv6(droplet_id: 3164450)

# Enable Private Networking
# client.droplet_actions.enable_private_networking(droplet_id: 3164450)

# Snapshot a Droplet
# client.droplet_actions.snapshot(droplet_id: 3164450, name: 'Nifty New Snapshot')
```

### Python

Using [PyDo](https://github.com/digitalocean/pydo), the official DigitalOcean API client for Python:

```python
import os
from pydo import Client

client = Client(token=os.environ.get("DIGITALOCEAN_TOKEN"))

# enable back ups example
req = {
  "type": "enable_backups"
}

resp = client.droplet_actions.post(droplet_id=346652, body=req)
```