Proxmox VM Snapshots: How to Create, Restore, and Rollback

August 10, 2026 by dinesh

Proxmox snapshots capture VM state for quick rollback. This Proxmox snapshot tutorial covers the GUI workflow and CLI commands.

When to Use Snapshots

Before OS or package updates
Before risky configuration changes
During lab testing (not long-term on production)

Step 1: Select Your Virtual Machine

In the Proxmox tree, click your VM. Use the Snapshots tab (next to Summary, Console, Hardware).

Proxmox VM summary view select virtual machine — Select VM in Proxmox GUI

Step 2: Review VM Hardware Before Snapshot

Confirm disk and network settings in the Hardware tab before taking a snapshot.

Proxmox VM hardware boot order settings — VM Hardware configuration

Step 3: Use Backup for Full Protection

For disaster recovery, combine snapshots with scheduled backups configured in Datacenter → Backup.

Proxmox cluster backup job overview — Scheduled backup jobs (recommended with snapshots)

Take and Rollback Snapshots (GUI)

VM → Snapshots tab → Take Snapshot
Enter name (e.g. before-update) → confirm
To rollback: select snapshot → Rollback

CLI Commands

qm snapshot 101 before-update
qm listsnapshot 101
qm rollback 101 before-update

Best Practices

Remove old snapshots to free storage
Use vzdump backups for full DR; snapshots for quick rollback

Image credits: Screenshots are from the official
Proxmox VE documentation
(Proxmox GmbH), used for educational purposes.