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

# Snapshot History: Save and Restore Design Checkpoints

> Use AtomicKit's Snapshot History to save named checkpoints of your design system and roll back to any previous state if a change goes wrong.

Snapshot History gives you a safety net for your Elementor design system. AtomicKit automatically saves a snapshot before any rollback operation, and you can manually capture named snapshots at any point so you always have a known-good state to return to. Think of snapshots as save points you can jump back to if a bulk import, class deletion, or redesign does not go as planned.

## How Snapshots Work

There are two ways a snapshot gets created:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Auto-Save (Before Rollback)" icon="robot">
    Whenever you restore a previous snapshot, AtomicKit automatically captures a snapshot of the **current** Elementor state first. This means rolling back never causes you to lose the state you rolled back from — you can always roll forward again.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Manual Capture" icon="camera">
    You can create a named snapshot at any time with a custom label and optional notes. Use manual snapshots as design checkpoints — for example, before a client review, before a major refactor, or after completing a milestone.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

A snapshot captures the full state of Elementor's global class registry at the moment it is taken, including all class properties and responsive breakpoint rules.

## Creating a Manual Snapshot

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Snapshot History">
    In your WordPress admin, go to **Elementor → AtomicKit** and select the **Snapshot History** tab.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Create Snapshot">
    Click the **Create Snapshot** button at the top of the page.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter a label and optional notes">
    Give the snapshot a meaningful label so you can identify it later — for example, `Before client review — v1.4` or `Post homepage redesign 2024-07`. Add notes if you want to record what changed or why the checkpoint was created.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm">
    Click **Save Snapshot**. The snapshot appears at the top of the history list with its label, notes, and a timestamp.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Include a date and short context in every snapshot label — for example, `2024-07-15 — before brand refresh`. Generic labels like "backup" become hard to distinguish when you have many snapshots in the list.
</Tip>

## Restoring from a Snapshot

<Steps>
  <Step title="Browse the snapshot list">
    Open **Snapshot History** and scroll through the list. Each entry shows its label, optional notes, and the timestamp of when it was taken.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Restore on the target snapshot">
    Find the snapshot you want to restore and click its **Restore** button.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review the auto-save notice">
    AtomicKit displays a confirmation prompt noting that the **current state will be saved as a new snapshot** before the restore takes place. This is your safety net — you will not lose your current work.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm the restore">
    Click **Confirm Restore**. AtomicKit replaces the current Elementor class state with the state captured in the selected snapshot. The auto-save snapshot of your previous state appears at the top of the history list.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  Restoring a snapshot **overwrites the current Elementor class state**. AtomicKit creates an automatic snapshot of your current state before proceeding, but confirm you see the auto-save notice before clicking Confirm. If you dismiss the prompt without reading it, the auto-save still occurs — but it is good practice to verify.
</Warning>

## Best Practices

<Accordion title="Snapshot before large imports">
  The Import Center's diff preview shows you what will change, but mistakes still happen. Create a manual snapshot before importing any large CSS library or third-party preset so you have a clean restore point if the results are unexpected.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Snapshot before major redesigns">
  Before making sweeping changes to your utility class set — renaming conventions, bulk deletes, or restructuring breakpoint rules — capture a snapshot labeled with the date and context. If the redesign stalls or the client wants to revert, you have a precise restore point.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Label snapshots meaningfully">
  A snapshot list full of entries labeled "Backup" is not useful under pressure. Use labels that include a date and a brief description of the project state at that moment. Notes are optional but worth filling in for any snapshot you expect to reference later.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Use snapshots alongside exports">
  Snapshots live in your WordPress database. For off-site backup or version control, combine snapshots with regular [exports](/plugin/export) — keep the `.css` or `.json` in your repository alongside the live snapshot history in AtomicKit.
</Accordion>

## Related

* [Import](/plugin/import) — always snapshot before a large import
* [Export](/plugin/export) — complement snapshots with downloadable file backups