Can I restore individual files or directories from a snapshot or a backup?
The only way to restore files from an image is to recreate a Droplet or volume from the image and copy the flies from there.
How long will my backup or snapshot take to complete?
Validated on 4 Oct 2022 • Last edited on 18 Mar 2026
Creating a snapshot or backup takes about 1 to 3 minutes per GB of used disk space on the Droplet, so a Droplet with 10 GB of used disk space would take 10 to 30 minutes. This time can vary depending on factors like current disk activity and load levels on the Droplet or hypervisor.
Related Topics
Can I download a backup or snapshot?
You cannot currently download DigitalOcean backups or snapshots, but you can use third-party tools to save your data locally.
Why is my snapshot's size different from reported disk usage?
Snapshots of Droplets are a best estimate based on the disk usage. Snapshots of volumes operate at the block storage level, so the snapshot size may not match what the filesystem reports.