How to Disable Backups

Validated on 29 Oct 2019 • Last edited on 22 May 2023 crash-consistent backup

Backups are automatically-created disk images of Droplets. Enabling backups for Droplets enables system-level backups at weekly intervals, which provides a way to revert to an older state or create new Droplets.

Disabling backups on a Droplet stops automatic backups and deletes any existing backup images. If there are backups you want to save, convert those backups to snapshots first.

Disable Backups using Automation

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

To enable Droplet backups via the command-line, follow these steps:

  1. Install doctl, the DigitalOcean command-line tool.

  2. Create a personal access token, and save it for use with doctl.

  3. Use the token to grant doctl access to your DigitalOcean account.

                  doctl auth init

  4. Finally, enable Droplet backups with doctl compute droplet-action disable-backups. The basic usage looks like this, but you'll want to read the usage docs for more details:

                  doctl compute droplet-action disable-backups <droplet-id> [flags]
How to enable Droplet backups using the DigitalOcean API

To enable Droplet backups using the DigitalOcean API, follow these steps:

  1. Create a personal access token, and save it for use with the API.

  2. Send a POST request to https://api.digitalocean.com/v2/droplets/{droplet_id}/actions

    cURL

    To enable Droplet backups with cURL, call:

    
                # 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

    Go developers can use Godo, the official DigitalOcean V2 API client for Go. To enable Droplet backups with Godo, use the following code:

    
                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

    Ruby developers can use DropletKit, the official DigitalOcean V2 API client for Ruby. To enable Droplet backups with DropletKit, use the following code:

    
                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

    
                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)

Disable Backups from the Control Panel

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

The backup page

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

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