---
title: "Set or clear a snapshot's self-cleaning expiry"
method: PATCH
path: "/preview/snapshots/{id}"
tags: ["snapshots"]
---

# Set or clear a snapshot's self-cleaning expiry

`PATCH /preview/snapshots/{id}`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://autoresearch.sfcompute.com`
- URL: `https://autoresearch.sfcompute.com/preview/snapshots/{id}`
- Auth: HTTP bearer

Set or clear a snapshot's self-cleaning expiry. expires_after is a duration from NOW ("24h", "7d"; minimum 1h) - at that instant the snapshot deletes itself exactly like delete_snapshot (key-deletion, irreversible, deferred while a restore is mid-flight) - or "never" to cancel a pending expiry. This is YOUR timer: snapshots never expire unless you schedule it. Typical use: expire a fork base image a day after the fan-out, so it stops counting against your storage bound and bill.

## Path parameters

- `id` string, required: Snapshot id (snap-..., from list_snapshots).

## Query parameters

- `workspace` string

## Request body

- object
  - `expires_after` string, required: A duration from now like "24h" or "7d" (minimum 1h), or "never" to clear an expiry.

## Response `200`

The capability's JSON result.

- Result: The capability's result: the same object the MCP tool returns as structuredContent. Resources carry an `object` type discriminator and an immutable id; money is integer micro-dollars in `*_usd_micros` fields.
  - `object` string: The resource type, when the result is one resource.

## Other responses

- `400`: Malformed request: bad JSON, a parameter that does not parse, or a value outside its range. Code `invalid`.
- `401`: No bearer token, or one this API cannot verify. Code `unauthenticated`.
- `403`: Authenticated, but the token's scopes or the account's role do not reach this operation. The message names the scope word to request. Code `forbidden`.
- `404`: No such route. Code `not_found`; the body names the OpenAPI document.
- `422`: A well-formed request the platform declined: no such node, a cap reached, a state that forbids the move. The message says which, and what to do instead. Code `refused`.
- `429`: Over this door's per-customer budget. Wait `Retry-After` seconds. Code `rate_limited`.
- `500`: Our fault. Retry; if it persists, quote the request-id. Code `internal`.

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/givemeanode/apis/autoresearch-customer-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/givemeanode/apis/autoresearch-customer-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/givemeanode/apis/autoresearch-customer-api/revisions/f88dcb70ac6c?raw)