Full vs. incremental backups
When you create a backup you choose its mode. Both modes produce complete, usable snapshots — the difference is how much data each run transfers.
Full backups
A full backup captures every record in scope on every run.
- Simple to reason about: every snapshot is self-contained.
- Best for smaller orgs, or objects that change heavily between runs.
Incremental backups
An incremental backup captures everything once, then each subsequent run only captures records that were created or changed since the previous run.
- Much faster runs and far less Salesforce API usage on large orgs.
- Every snapshot still behaves like a complete copy: when you restore or query it, bluefactory automatically reconstructs the full state at that point in time. You never have to piece anything together yourself.
Periodic full snapshots
For incremental backups you can choose a recurring full snapshot cadence — weekly or monthly — or leave it on manual. On the chosen cadence, bluefactory promotes a scheduled run to a fresh full snapshot. This keeps reconstruction fast and your backup chain compact.
You can also trigger a full snapshot at any time with the Full snapshot action on the backup's page — useful right before a risky deployment or data load.
[SCREENSHOT REQUIRED: Backup detail page highlighting the "Full snapshot" action]
Which should I choose?
| Situation | Recommended mode |
|---|---|
| Small org, simple needs | Full |
| Large data volumes | Incremental |
| Concerned about API limits | Incremental |
| Backing up a handful of fast-changing objects | Full |
You can create several backups per org — for example a daily incremental backup of everything plus a weekly full backup of your most critical objects.