> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.boat.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Snapshots off and monitoring off

> Keep no snapshots of a sandbox, or keep no monitoring data, for one sandbox or for the whole account.

| Setting | What Boat does not keep | Can you resume the sandbox? |
| - | - | - |
| [Snapshots off](#snapshots-off) | Any copy of the sandbox outside its machine | No. A stop erases it. |
| [Monitoring off](#monitoring-off) | Command and process output, the process list, CPU/RAM samples | Yes |

## Snapshots off

Boat never captures a sandbox with snapshots off.

* Nothing of the sandbox is stored outside its machine.
* No background work runs on it.
* A stop erases it.
* You cannot resume it, fork it or save it as a named snapshot.
* If its machine fails, there is no backup.

### Turn snapshots off for the whole account

1. Open the [Account](https://boat.dev/dashboard?tab=account) tab.
2. Under **Data & privacy**, turn on **Snapshots off**.

Every sandbox that you create or fork after this has snapshots off, from any surface. Existing sandboxes keep their setting.

### Turn snapshots off for one sandbox

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash CLI theme={null}
  boat new --no-snapshots
  ```

  ```bash curl theme={null}
  curl -sS -X POST "$BOAT_API_BASE/sandboxes" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer $BOAT_API_KEY" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -d '{"snapshots":false}'
  ```

  ```ts TypeScript theme={null}
  await sandbox.create({ snapshots: false });
  ```

  ```python Python theme={null}
  from boat_sdk.models.create_sandbox_request import CreateSandboxRequest

  sandbox.create(CreateSandboxRequest(snapshots=False))
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## Monitoring off

Boat keeps no monitoring data for a sandbox with monitoring off.

| Not kept | Still works |
| - | - |
| [Command history](/long-running-tasks/command-history) and the output of every process | Live output of a running command (attach, read from an offset) |
| The process list | Abuse checks on the machine |
| CPU, RAM, disk and IO samples, and their graphs and [OpenTelemetry](/opentelemetry) metrics | Lifecycle events and webhooks |

* The sandbox runs no process tracer.
* Disk-full alerts need CPU/RAM samples. They are not available for this sandbox.
* The cause shown for a lost sandbox needs CPU/RAM samples. It is not available for this sandbox.
* Its history, processes and metrics calls return `409 monitoring_off`.

### Turn monitoring off for the whole account

Do one of these:

* On the [Account](https://boat.dev/dashboard?tab=account) tab, under **Data & privacy**, turn on **Monitoring off**.
* Send `PATCH /account/data-retention` with `{"monitoringOff": true}`.

Every sandbox that you create or fork after this has monitoring off. Existing sandboxes keep their setting.

While this setting is on, Boat refuses a request with `monitoring: true`. The error is `409 monitoring_off_for_account`.

A fork of a sandbox with monitoring off also has monitoring off. To change this, send `monitoring: true` in the fork request.

### Turn monitoring off for one sandbox

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash CLI theme={null}
  boat new --no-monitoring
  ```

  ```bash curl theme={null}
  curl -sS -X POST "$BOAT_API_BASE/sandboxes" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer $BOAT_API_KEY" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -d '{"monitoring":false}'
  ```

  ```ts TypeScript theme={null}
  await sandbox.create({ monitoring: false });
  ```

  ```python Python theme={null}
  from boat_sdk.models.create_sandbox_request import CreateSandboxRequest

  sandbox.create(CreateSandboxRequest(monitoring=False))
  ```
</CodeGroup>

The sandbox shows `"monitoring": false`.


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