A snapshot captures the full filesystem and memory state of a running capsule and saves it as a named template. You can then boot any number of new capsules from that template, each starting with the same pre-configured environment — installed packages, populated databases, cloned repositories, or whatever state you baked in.
Create a snapshot
Call create_snapshot on a running capsule. The snapshot is named with the string you provide, and returns a Template object:
Creating a snapshot pauses the capsule and destroys it as part of the snapshotting process. The capsule is not available after create_snapshot returns. Use snapshots to bake environment state, not as a live backup of a running session.
Use the snapshot as a template
Once created, the snapshot name is available as the template parameter for any new capsule:
Every capsule created from the same snapshot starts with an identical environment.
Manage snapshots with the low-level client
For bulk operations or when you need more control, use WrennClient directly:
Name snapshots descriptively to reflect what they contain — for example, python-3.12-numpy-pandas or app-v2-seeded-db. Use overwrite=True to update an existing template in-place without changing the name all dependent capsules reference.