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

# Snapshots

> Restore a Cosmos Hub node from a data snapshot, choose a snapshot that matches your database backend, and publish snapshots for other operators.

Commands on this page were run on gaia v28.3.1 (Cosmos SDK v0.53.4, CometBFT v0.38.23) on 2026-10-15 by agent testing on a local devnet.

This page is for operators who want a Cosmos Hub node synced in hours rather than days, and for operators who publish snapshots. It assumes gaia is installed and the home directory is initialized (see [Join mainnet](https://docs.cosmos.network/hub/latest/hub-tutorials/join-mainnet.md)). At the end the node starts from a recent height and catches up from peers.

Two things are both called snapshots on the Hub. A data snapshot is a tar archive of the `data` directory that you download and extract. A state sync snapshot is produced inside the node (`[state-sync]` in `app.toml`) and fetched over peer-to-peer (P2P) by [state sync](https://docs.cosmos.network/hub/latest/node/sync.md). This page covers data snapshots. The last section covers producing state sync snapshots for others.

## Pick a snapshot that matches your backend

The snapshot's database format must match the `app-db-backend` in `app.toml` and the `db_backend` in `config.toml` of the node that restores it. A PebbleDB node cannot open goleveldb files, and a goleveldb node cannot open PebbleDB files. Provider pages do not always state the backend. When they do not, assume goleveldb or ask. Backend choice and migration are explained on [Database and pruning](https://docs.cosmos.network/hub/latest/node/database.md).

**PebbleDB**

Providers that state PebbleDB for cosmoshub-4, checked 2026-10-15:

| Provider | Snapshot page | Cadence | Checksum |
| - | - | - | - |
| Unity Nodes | [docs.unitynodes.com/snapshots/cosmos-mainnet](https://docs.unitynodes.com/snapshots/cosmos-mainnet), files under `snapshots.unitynodes.com/cosmos-mainnet/` (`latest-pebbledb.tar.lz4`, wasm archive separate) | every 4 hours | `.sha256` sidecar |
| SOLVA | [snapshots.solva.solutions](https://snapshots.solva.solutions), instructions in the [solva-solutions repository](https://github.com/solva-solutions/solva-solutions/blob/main/chains/cosmoshub/service_Node_Snapshot_pebbledb.md), wasm archive separate | every 12 hours | `.sha256` sidecar |
| BryanLabs | [bryanlabs.net/snapshots/chains/cosmoshub-4](https://bryanlabs.net/snapshots/chains/cosmoshub-4), downloads through a signed URL API rather than a fixed file name | about daily | on the page |

Set the backend before extracting:

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light-high-contrast","dark":"github-dark-high-contrast"}}
gaiad config set app app-db-backend pebbledb
```

Then set the same backend in `~/.gaia/config/config.toml`:

```toml theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light-high-contrast","dark":"github-dark-high-contrast"}}
db_backend = "pebbledb"
```

**goleveldb**

Providers for cosmoshub-4 whose archives are goleveldb or whose backend is not stated, checked 2026-10-15:

| Provider | Snapshot page | Cadence | Checksum |
| - | - | - | - |
| HighStakes | [tools.highstakes.ch/snapshots/cosmos](https://tools.highstakes.ch/snapshots/cosmos) | every 3 hours | MD5; backend not stated |
| ITRocket | [itrocket.net/services/mainnet/cosmoshub](https://itrocket.net/services/mainnet/cosmoshub/) | every 4 hours | none; goleveldb stated |
| Nodes Hub | [services.nodeshub.online/mainnet/cosmos/snapshot](https://services.nodeshub.online/mainnet/cosmos/snapshot) | every 3 hours | backend not stated |
| Kjnodes | [services.kjnodes.com/mainnet/cosmoshub/snapshot](https://services.kjnodes.com/mainnet/cosmoshub/snapshot/) | every 6 hours | backend not stated |
| NodeStake | [nodestake.org/networks/cosmoshub/mainnet](https://nodestake.org/networks/cosmoshub/mainnet?tab=snapshots) | daily | goleveldb stated |
| Polkachu | [polkachu.com/tendermint\_snapshots/cosmos](https://polkachu.com/tendermint_snapshots/cosmos) | daily | on the page |

Because `gaiad init` writes goleveldb defaults, nothing needs to change in `app.toml` or `config.toml` for these.

Snapshot archives are made from pruned nodes. A pruned snapshot cannot be turned into an archive node. For that, see [Archive nodes](https://docs.cosmos.network/hub/latest/resources/archives.md).

## Restore a data snapshot

A restore is a stop, a reset that keeps the validator state file, an extract into `data/`, and a start. The validator state file is the step that matters. The commands use `~/.gaia`. On a node set up with [Run gaiad as a service](https://docs.cosmos.network/hub/latest/node/service.md), use `/var/lib/gaia/.gaia` and run them as the `gaia` user. The `systemctl` and `journalctl` lines name the plain `gaiad` unit. If the node runs under the Cosmovisor unit from [Run gaiad as a service](https://docs.cosmos.network/hub/latest/node/service.md), use `cosmovisor` instead. Do not touch `data/` until `systemctl is-active` prints `inactive`.

1. Stop the node and back up the validator state file. On a validator this file is what stops the node from double signing after a restore.

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light-high-contrast","dark":"github-dark-high-contrast"}}
sudo systemctl stop gaiad
systemctl is-active gaiad
cp ~/.gaia/data/priv_validator_state.json ~/priv_validator_state.json.bak
```

2. Reset the data directory, keeping the address book so the node reconnects quickly:

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light-high-contrast","dark":"github-dark-high-contrast"}}
gaiad comet unsafe-reset-all --home ~/.gaia --keep-addr-book
```

3. Download the archive and its checksum, and compare them before extracting. The file names and checksum formats are on the provider's page.

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light-high-contrast","dark":"github-dark-high-contrast"}}
sha256sum -c cosmoshub-4-snapshot.tar.lz4.sha256
```

4. Extract into the home directory. Most archives contain `data/`, and some also contain `wasm/`. A PebbleDB provider that ships `wasm` as a separate archive needs both extracted.

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light-high-contrast","dark":"github-dark-high-contrast"}}
lz4 -dc cosmoshub-4-snapshot.tar.lz4 | tar -xf - -C ~/.gaia
```

5. Put the validator state back and start:

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light-high-contrast","dark":"github-dark-high-contrast"}}
cp ~/priv_validator_state.json.bak ~/.gaia/data/priv_validator_state.json
sudo systemctl start gaiad
```

> [!WARNING]
>
> On a validator, always restore your own copy of `priv_validator_state.json`. Restoring a snapshot that contains someone else's copy, or starting with a fresh one, can make the node sign a height it already signed. That is a double sign. The slash is 5 percent of stake plus permanent tombstoning.

## Make snapshots for others

A snapshot node is a pruned full node that is stopped on a schedule, tarred, and started again. A common pruning setting is `pruning = "custom"`, `pruning-keep-recent = "100"`, `pruning-interval = "10"`. Stop the node first, because archiving a live database produces a corrupt snapshot. Read the height before stopping, because `gaiad status` needs the running node. Use `cosmovisor` in place of `gaiad` in the `systemctl` lines if the node runs under that unit. The archive step only runs once the unit reports inactive.

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light-high-contrast","dark":"github-dark-high-contrast"}}
HEIGHT=$(gaiad status | jq -r .sync_info.latest_block_height)
sudo systemctl stop gaiad && ! systemctl is-active --quiet gaiad && \
  tar -cf - -C ~/.gaia data wasm | lz4 -c > cosmoshub-4_$(date -u +%Y%m%d)_${HEIGHT}.tar.lz4
sudo systemctl start gaiad
```

Publish next to each archive: the height, the gaia version, the database backend (`pebbledb` or `goleveldb`), the pruning settings, whether `wasm` is included, and a SHA-256 checksum. Strip `data/priv_validator_state.json` from the archive, or document that it is included.

## Serve state sync snapshots

State sync snapshots are made by the running node and need no stop. Enable them in `app.toml`:

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light-high-contrast","dark":"github-dark-high-contrast"}}
gaiad config set app state-sync.snapshot-interval 1000
gaiad config set app state-sync.snapshot-keep-recent 2
```

```toml theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light-high-contrast","dark":"github-dark-high-contrast"}}
[state-sync]
snapshot-interval = 1000
snapshot-keep-recent = 2
```

The `snapshot-interval` value is in heights. The default that `gaiad init` writes is 1000, with 10 kept. Snapshots are only taken at heights that are a multiple of the interval. Pruning does not block them. The node keeps the state at a snapshot height until that snapshot is written, whatever the pruning settings. List what the node holds:

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light-high-contrast","dark":"github-dark-high-contrast"}}
gaiad snapshots list
```

The output is empty on a fresh node. Once snapshots exist, it lists `height`, `format`, and `chunks`. The command `gaiad snapshots export --height <h>` takes one on demand. Then `gaiad snapshots dump <height> <format>` writes it to an archive file. Other nodes consume these snapshots through state sync. They need two RPC endpoints serving them to configure `[statesync]`. See [State sync](https://docs.cosmos.network/hub/latest/node/sync.md#state-sync). Do not start a new node with `gaiad snapshots load <archive-file>` and `gaiad snapshots restore <height> <format>`. On v28.3.1 they fill only the application store, and the node then panics on start with `state.AppHash does not match AppHash after replay` because CometBFT has no state yet.

## Verify

After a restore, the node should report the snapshot height and then advance:

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light-high-contrast","dark":"github-dark-high-contrast"}}
gaiad status | jq '.sync_info | {latest_block_height, catching_up}'
```

The `latest_block_height` value starts at the snapshot height. The `catching_up` value turns `false` once the node is within a few blocks of the network. If the node logs `panic: ... pebble` or `leveldb` read errors at start, the archive did not match the configured backend.

## Next

* [Sync options](https://docs.cosmos.network/hub/latest/node/sync.md) to compare state sync and snapshots.
* [Database and pruning](https://docs.cosmos.network/hub/latest/node/database.md) for PebbleDB migration and pruning settings.
* [Run public endpoints](https://docs.cosmos.network/hub/latest/infrastructure/endpoints.md) if the snapshot node also serves RPC.