[role="xpack"]
[[slm-api-execute-lifecycle]]
=== Execute snapshot lifecycle policy API
++++
<titleabbrev>Execute snapshot lifecycle policy</titleabbrev>
++++

.New API reference
[sidebar]
--
For the most up-to-date API details, refer to {api-es}/group/endpoint-slm[{slm-cap} APIs].
--

Immediately creates a snapshot according to the lifecycle policy, 
without waiting for the scheduled time.

[[slm-api-execute-lifecycle-request]]
==== {api-request-title}

`PUT /_slm/policy/<snapshot-lifecycle-policy-id>/_execute`

[[slm-api-execute-lifecycle-prereqs]]
==== {api-prereq-title}

If the {es} {security-features} are enabled, you must have the `manage_slm`
cluster privilege to use this API. For more information, see
<<security-privileges>>.

[[slm-api-execute-lifecycle-desc]]
==== {api-description-title}

Manually applies the snapshot policy to immediately create a snapshot. 
The snapshot policy is normally applied according to its schedule,
but you might want to manually execute a policy before performing an upgrade
or other maintenance. 

[[slm-api-execute-lifecycle-path-params]]
==== {api-path-parms-title}

`<policy-id>`::
(Required, string)
ID of the snapshot lifecycle policy to execute.

[[slm-api-execute-lifecycle-example]]
==== {api-examples-title}

To take an immediate snapshot according to the `daily-snapshots` policy:

[source,console]
--------------------------------------------------
POST /_slm/policy/daily-snapshots/_execute
--------------------------------------------------
// TEST[skip:we can't easily handle snapshots from docs tests]

If successful, this request returns the generated snapshot name:

[source,console-result]
--------------------------------------------------
{
  "snapshot_name": "daily-snap-2019.04.24-gwrqoo2xtea3q57vvg0uea"
}
--------------------------------------------------
// TESTRESPONSE[skip:we can't handle snapshots from docs tests]

The snapshot is taken in the background. You can use the 
<<snapshot-lifecycle-management-api,snapshot APIs>> to 
<<monitor-snapshot,monitor the status of the snapshot>>.

To see the status of a policy's most recent snapshot, you can use the 
<<slm-api-get-policy,get snapshot lifecycle policy API>>.
