SnapBack watches every AI-assisted change, learns what breaks in YOUR codebase, and catches disasters before they ship. Works with Cursor, Copilot, Claude, Windsurf, Cline, and more.

Quick Start · Platform · MCP Integration · Documentation · Discord

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Why SnapBack?

AI coding assistants are powerful but unpredictable. They can:

• Overwrite hours of work in a single paste
• Break configurations that "always worked"
• Introduce subtle bugs across multiple files

SnapBack is your safety net. It runs silently in the background, creating restore points and learning patterns. When AI breaks something—and it will—you're one click away from recovery.

"Day 1: 94% accurate. Day 30: It knows YOUR codebase. Month 3: It catches patterns you didn't know existed."

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The SnapBack Platform

This extension is the visual interface to the SnapBack intelligence platform. The full platform includes:

Component	Purpose
VS Code Extension	Real-time protection, instant recovery, status bar dashboard
CLI (@snapback/cli)	Terminal workflows, CI/CD integration, automation scripts
MCP Server	AI assistant coordination, intelligent checkpointing
Web Dashboard	Cross-project analytics, team insights, pattern library

Install the extension to get started—the intelligence layer works immediately. Add the CLI or MCP server when you're ready for advanced workflows.

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Key Capabilities

Instant Recovery

Restore any file to any point in seconds. No Git archaeology, no lost work.

AI Detection

Automatically detects changes from 11 AI assistants: GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Claude, Windsurf, Cline, Tabnine, Codeium, Amazon Q, JetBrains AI, Sourcegraph Cody, and more.

Pattern Learning

SnapBack learns what breaks in your specific codebase and warns you before the same mistakes happen again.

Status Bar Dashboard

Click the SnapBack icon in your status bar to instantly access:

• Protection status at a glance
• Quick actions (snapshot, restore, protect)
• Jump to your web dashboard
• Session statistics

Privacy-First

100% local by default. Your code never leaves your machine. Cloud sync is optional.

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Quick Start

1. Install

VS Code Marketplace (Recommended)

ext install MarcelleLabs.snapback-vscode

Or install from the marketplace

2. Protect Your First File

1. Open any critical file (.env, auth.ts, database.ts)
2. Right-click → SnapBack: Protect This File
3. Choose a protection level:

Level	Icon	Behavior
Watch	👁️	Monitor silently, auto-snapshot on changes
Warn	⚠️	Show banner before risky edits
Block	🔒	Require confirmation for any edit

3. Your First Restore

When AI breaks something:

1. Cmd+Shift+P → SnapBack: Restore Snapshot
2. Select the snapshot (timestamped, with AI tool attribution)
3. Preview the diff → Confirm
4. Done. File restored.

Shortcut: Cmd+Shift+S creates a snapshot, Cmd+Shift+R restores.

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Status Bar Quick Access

The SnapBack status bar item gives you one-click access to everything:

┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│  SnapBack Quick Actions             │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│  📸  Create Snapshot                │
│  ↩️   Quick Restore                 │
│  🛡️   Protect Current File          │
│  📊  Open Dashboard                 │
│  ⚙️   Settings                      │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘

Click the status bar → select an action → done. No command palette required.

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MCP Integration

SnapBack includes a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables AI assistants to coordinate with your protection system.

For AI Assistants (Claude, Cursor, etc.)

When configured, AI assistants can:

snap({mode: "start", task: "refactor auth module"})
→ SnapBack creates checkpoint, returns context

snap({mode: "check", files: ["auth.ts"]})
→ Validates changes against learned patterns

snap_end({ok: 1, learnings: ["Always backup before auth changes"]})
→ Records session outcome for future learning

MCP Tools Available

Tool	Purpose
snap	Start task, get context, quick check
check	Validate code against patterns
advise	Get risk analysis before changes
pulse	Health check and session status
snap_learn	Record a new pattern
snap_violation	Report a mistake for learning
snap_end	Complete task with learnings
snap_fix	List/restore snapshots
snap_help	Get workflow guidance

Setup MCP

Add to your AI assistant's MCP configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "snapback": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@snapback/mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

Full MCP documentation →

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CLI Integration

For terminal workflows and automation, install the SnapBack CLI:

npm install -g @snapback/cli

CLI Commands

# Create a snapshot before risky operations
snapback snap "before refactor"

# List recent snapshots
snapback list

# Restore a specific snapshot
snapback restore <snapshot-id>

# Check file against learned patterns
snapback check src/auth.ts

# View protection status
snapback status

The CLI shares the same .snapback/ database as the extension—your snapshots and learnings sync automatically.

CLI documentation →

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Commands

Core Commands

Command	Shortcut	Description
Create Snapshot	Cmd+Shift+S	Snapshot current file state
Quick Restore	Cmd+Shift+R	Restore most recent snapshot
Undo AI Change	—	Revert the last AI-detected change
View All Snapshots	—	Browse snapshot history with diffs

Protection Commands

Command	Description
Protect File	Add file to protection with level selection
Protect Entire Repo	Auto-protect based on patterns
Change Protection Level	Adjust Watch/Warn/Block
View Protected Files	See all protected files

Session Commands

Command	Description
Restore Session	Restore multiple files from a session
Compare with Snapshot	Diff current vs snapshot
Delete Older Snapshots	Clean up old snapshots

Access all commands: Cmd+Shift+P → type "SnapBack"

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Authentication

SnapBack works 100% offline with full functionality. Sign in to unlock cloud features.

Sign In (Optional)

1. Cmd+Shift+P → SnapBack: Sign In
2. Browser opens → Sign in with GitHub or Google
3. Extension auto-connects

What Cloud Unlocks

Feature	Local	Cloud
Snapshots	✅ Unlimited	✅ + Sync
AI Detection	✅ 11 tools	✅ Same
Pattern Learning	✅ Local patterns	✅ + Community patterns
Cross-device	❌	✅ Yes
Team sharing	❌	✅ Yes

Sign Out

Cmd+Shift+P → SnapBack: Sign Out — all local data preserved.

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Configuration

Quick Setup (.snapbackrc)

Create .snapbackrc in your workspace root:

{
  "protection": {
    "patterns": {
      "*.env*": "block",
      "src/auth/**": "warn",
      "**/database/**": "watch"
    }
  },
  "snapshots": {
    "autoCreate": true,
    "maxAge": "30d"
  }
}

VS Code Settings

{
  "snapback.autoProtect": true,
  "snapback.protectionPatterns": ["*.env*", "**/*.key"],
  "snapback.telemetry": false
}

Full configuration reference →

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Privacy & Security

• Local-first: All data in .snapback/ in your workspace
• No telemetry without explicit consent
• No code upload: We never see your code
• Open source: Audit at github.com/snapback-dev
• Cloud optional: Full functionality offline

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Troubleshooting

Extension Not Activating?

1. Requires VS Code 1.80+
2. Cmd+Shift+P → "Developer: Reload Window"
3. Check Output panel → "SnapBack" for errors

Snapshots Not Appearing?

1. Check .snapback/ directory exists in workspace
2. Verify file is protected: look for badge in explorer
3. Confirm disk space available

MCP Not Connecting?

1. Verify MCP config syntax
2. Check AI assistant supports MCP
3. See MCP troubleshooting →

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Get Help & Give Feedback

We're building SnapBack in public and your feedback shapes the product.

• Discord: Join our community →
• GitHub Issues: Report bugs →
• Feature Requests: Discussions →
• Twitter: @snapbackdev

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Links

Resource	Link
Documentation	docs.snapback.dev
Website	snapback.dev
GitHub	github.com/snapback-dev
MCP Server	@snapback/mcp-server
CLI	@snapback/cli
Changelog	View releases

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_{Built with 💚 by Marcelle Labs}