How to Disable Backups

Validated on 29 Oct 2019 • Last edited on 8 Jul 2024 crash-consistent backup

Backups are automatically-created disk images of Droplets. Enabling backups for Droplets enables system-level backups at weekly or daily 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

Install doctl, the DigitalOcean command-line tool.
Create a personal access token and save it for use with doctl.
Use the token to grant doctl access to your DigitalOcean account.
```
          doctl auth init
          
```
Finally, run doctl compute droplet-action disable-backups. Basic usage looks like this, but you can read the usage docs for more details:
```
            doctl compute droplet-action disable-backups <droplet-id> [flags]
          
```
The following example disables backups on a Droplet with the ID 386734086:
```
              doctl compute droplet-action disable-backups 386734086
            
```

How to Enable Droplet Backups Using the DigitalOcean API

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

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

cURL

Using cURL:

                # 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, the official DigitalOcean V2 API client for 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, the official DigitalOcean V2 API client for 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

                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.

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