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With zero data retention (ZDR), Boat queues every archived sandbox for deletion. You cannot resume a sandbox after it archives.

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Read the setting

You can read the setting from anywhere. An API key works.
GET /me also returns the setting, in the zeroDataRetention fields.

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Enable zero data retention

To change the setting, you need an interactive browser session. An API key does not work. Run boat login without a key first, or use the dashboard. An SDK client that uses BOAT_API_KEY gets 403 session_required. This is by design. Enabling ZDR queues every archived sandbox for deletion, so a leaked service credential must never reach it.
  1. Sign in with a browser session. Run boat login without a key, or open the dashboard.
  2. Send the exact phrase delete archived sandbox data as the confirmation.
In the dashboard, the toggle is under Data & privacy on the Account tab.

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What happens when ZDR is on

  • Boat queues your existing archived sandboxes for deletion.
  • Future sandboxes discard their data when they archive.
  • Boat removes your named snapshots and queues their data for deletion.
  • Accepted deletions continue in the background until Boat verifies that they are complete.
You cannot cancel a deletion operation. If you disable ZDR, only future archives change. Operations that Boat already accepted continue.
ZDR still snapshots a sandbox while it runs. Boat uses these snapshots to rebuild a sandbox after a machine fails. To keep nothing at all, turn snapshots off.