Reference
Version · 6.0
Change Automation Reference

cloneDatabase

Last updated: August 12, 2026

Creates a clone of an existing database in Snowflake with support for Time Travel, transient clones, and comprehensive configuration options.

Note: This change type does not support database inspection features (snapshot, diff, diff-changelog, and generate-changelog commands).

Available attributes

Attribute	Type	Description	Required
`databaseName`	String	Name of the new cloned database	Yes
`sourceDatabase`	String	Name of the source database to clone	Yes
`replaceIfExists`	Boolean	Replace the database if it already exists using `OR REPLACE`	No
`ifNotExists`	Boolean	Only create the database if it doesn't exist using `IF NOT EXISTS`*	No
`isTransient`	Boolean	Create a transient cloned database	No
`dataRetentionTimeInDays`	Integer	Days to retain data for Time Travel (0-90)	No
`maxDataExtensionTimeInDays`	Integer	Maximum days Time Travel retention can be extended	No
`defaultDdlCollation`	String	Default collation for objects in the database	No
`storageSerializationPolicy`	String	Storage format policy (`COMPATIBLE` or `OPTIMIZED`)	No
`externalVolume`	String	External volume for Iceberg tables	No
`catalog`	String	Catalog integration for Iceberg tables	No
`replaceInvalidCharacters`	Boolean	Replace invalid UTF-8 characters in Iceberg tables	No
`ignoreTablesWithInsufficientDataRetention`	Boolean	Ignore tables with insufficient data retention for Time Travel	No
`ignoreHybridTables`	Boolean	Ignore hybrid tables during cloning	No
`comment`	String	Comment describing the database	No
`timeTravelClause`	Nested	Time travel options for cloning from historical state	No
`contacts`	Nested	Key-value pairs mapping contact purposes to contact names	No

* replaceIfExists and ifNotExists are mutually exclusive

timeTravelClause attributes

Attribute	Type	Description	Required
`timeTravelType`	String	Type of Time Travel (`AT` or `BEFORE`)	Yes
`timestamp`	String	Timestamp for AT/BEFORE clause (supports SQL expressions)*	No
`offset`	String	Offset in seconds for Time Travel (e.g., `-1`)*	No
`statement`	String	Query ID or statement reference for Time Travel*	No

* Exactly one of timestamp, offset, or statement must be specified

contacts attributes

Attribute	Type	Description	Required
`key`	String	Contact purpose: `steward`, `support`, or `approver`	Yes
`value`	String	Name of existing contact object (simple, schema, or fully qualified)	Yes

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<databaseChangeLog
        xmlns="http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/dbchangelog"
        xmlns:pro-snowflake="http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/pro-snowflake"
        xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
        xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/dbchangelog
        http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/dbchangelog/dbchangelog-latest.xsd
        http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/pro-snowflake
        http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/pro-snowflake/liquibase-pro-snowflake-latest.xsd">

    <!-- Basic clone -->
    <changeSet id="clone-database-basic" author="examples">
        <pro-snowflake:cloneDatabase
                databaseName="CLONE_DB"
                sourceDatabase="SOURCE_DB"
                ifNotExists="true"/>
    </changeSet>

    <!-- Clone with Time Travel AT TIMESTAMP -->
    <changeSet id="clone-database-timestamp" author="examples">
        <pro-snowflake:cloneDatabase
                databaseName="CLONE_DB_TIMESTAMP"
                sourceDatabase="SOURCE_DB">
            <pro-snowflake:timeTravelClause timeTravelType="AT">
                <pro-snowflake:timestamp>DATEADD(seconds, -60, current_timestamp)::TIMESTAMP_TZ</pro-snowflake:timestamp>
            </pro-snowflake:timeTravelClause>
        </pro-snowflake:cloneDatabase>
    </changeSet>

    <!-- Clone with Time Travel BEFORE OFFSET -->
    <changeSet id="clone-database-offset" author="examples">
        <pro-snowflake:cloneDatabase
                databaseName="CLONE_DB_OFFSET"
                sourceDatabase="SOURCE_DB"
                ignoreTablesWithInsufficientDataRetention="true">
            <pro-snowflake:timeTravelClause timeTravelType="BEFORE">
                <pro-snowflake:offset>-1</pro-snowflake:offset>
            </pro-snowflake:timeTravelClause>
        </pro-snowflake:cloneDatabase>
    </changeSet>

    <!-- Transient clone with full configuration -->
    <changeSet id="clone-database-full" author="examples">
        <pro-snowflake:cloneDatabase
                databaseName="CLONE_DB_FULL"
                sourceDatabase="SOURCE_DB"
                replaceIfExists="true"
                isTransient="true"
                dataRetentionTimeInDays="5"
                maxDataExtensionTimeInDays="10"
                defaultDdlCollation="en_US"
                storageSerializationPolicy="OPTIMIZED"
                ignoreHybridTables="true"
                comment="Transient clone with full configuration">
            <pro-snowflake:contacts>
                <pro-snowflake:entry key="steward" value="db_steward"/>
                <pro-snowflake:entry key="support" value="db_support"/>
            </pro-snowflake:contacts>
        </pro-snowflake:cloneDatabase>
    </changeSet>

</databaseChangeLog>

{
  "databaseChangeLog": [
    {
      "changeSet": {
        "id": "clone-database-basic",
        "author": "examples",
        "changes": [
          {
            "cloneDatabase": {
              "databaseName": "CLONE_DB",
              "sourceDatabase": "SOURCE_DB",
              "ifNotExists": true
            }
          }
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "changeSet": {
        "id": "clone-database-timestamp",
        "author": "examples",
        "changes": [
          {
            "cloneDatabase": {
              "databaseName": "CLONE_DB_TIMESTAMP",
              "sourceDatabase": "SOURCE_DB",
              "timeTravelClause": {
                "timeTravelType": "AT",
                "timestamp": "DATEADD(seconds, -60, current_timestamp)::TIMESTAMP_TZ"
              }
            }
          }
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "changeSet": {
        "id": "clone-database-full",
        "author": "examples",
        "changes": [
          {
            "cloneDatabase": {
              "databaseName": "CLONE_DB_FULL",
              "sourceDatabase": "SOURCE_DB",
              "replaceIfExists": true,
              "isTransient": true,
              "dataRetentionTimeInDays": 5,
              "maxDataExtensionTimeInDays": 10,
              "defaultDdlCollation": "en_US",
              "storageSerializationPolicy": "OPTIMIZED",
              "ignoreHybridTables": true,
              "comment": "Transient clone with full configuration",
              "contacts": {
                "entries": [
                  {
                    "entry": {
                      "key": "steward",
                      "value": "db_steward"
                    }
                  },
                  {
                    "entry": {
                      "key": "support",
                      "value": "db_support"
                    }
                  }
                ]
              }
            }
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  ]
}

databaseChangeLog:
  # Basic clone
  - changeSet:
      id: clone-database-basic
      author: examples
      changes:
        - cloneDatabase:
            databaseName: CLONE_DB
            sourceDatabase: SOURCE_DB
            ifNotExists: true

  # Clone with Time Travel AT TIMESTAMP
  - changeSet:
      id: clone-database-timestamp
      author: examples
      changes:
        - cloneDatabase:
            databaseName: CLONE_DB_TIMESTAMP
            sourceDatabase: SOURCE_DB
            timeTravelClause:
              timeTravelType: AT
              timestamp: DATEADD(seconds, -60, current_timestamp)::TIMESTAMP_TZ

  # Transient clone with full configuration
  - changeSet:
      id: clone-database-full
      author: examples
      changes:
        - cloneDatabase:
            databaseName: CLONE_DB_FULL
            sourceDatabase: SOURCE_DB
            replaceIfExists: true
            isTransient: true
            dataRetentionTimeInDays: 5
            maxDataExtensionTimeInDays: 10
            defaultDdlCollation: en_US
            storageSerializationPolicy: OPTIMIZED
            ignoreHybridTables: true
            comment: Transient clone with full configuration
            contacts:
              entries:
                - entry:
                    key: steward
                    value: db_steward
                - entry:
                    key: support
                    value: db_support

--liquibase formatted sql

--changeset examples:basic-clone
-- Basic clone
CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS CLONE_DB CLONE SOURCE_DB;

--changeset examples:clone-with-time-travel-at-timestamp
-- Clone with Time Travel AT TIMESTAMP
CREATE DATABASE CLONE_DB_TIMESTAMP CLONE SOURCE_DB AT (TIMESTAMP => DATEADD(seconds, -60, current_timestamp)::TIMESTAMP_TZ);

--changeset examples:clone-with-time-travel-before-offset-and-ignore-option
-- Clone with Time Travel BEFORE OFFSET and IGNORE option
CREATE DATABASE CLONE_DB_OFFSET CLONE SOURCE_DB BEFORE (OFFSET => -1) IGNORE TABLES WITH INSUFFICIENT DATA RETENTION;

--changeset examples:transient-clone-with-full-configuration
-- Transient clone with full configuration
CREATE TRANSIENT DATABASE CLONE_DB_FULL CLONE SOURCE_DB
    DATA_RETENTION_TIME_IN_DAYS = 5
    MAX_DATA_EXTENSION_TIME_IN_DAYS = 10
    DEFAULT_DDL_COLLATION = 'en_US'
    STORAGE_SERIALIZATION_POLICY = OPTIMIZED
    WITH CONTACT (STEWARD = db_steward, SUPPORT = db_support)
    COMMENT = 'Transient clone with full configuration';

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<databaseChangeLog
        xmlns="http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/dbchangelog"
        xmlns:pro-snowflake="http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/pro-snowflake"
        xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
        xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/dbchangelog
        http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/dbchangelog/dbchangelog-latest.xsd
        http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/pro-snowflake
        http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/pro-snowflake/liquibase-pro-snowflake-latest.xsd">

    <!-- Basic clone -->
    <changeSet id="clone-database-basic" author="examples">
        <pro-snowflake:cloneDatabase
                databaseName="CLONE_DB"
                sourceDatabase="SOURCE_DB"
                ifNotExists="true"/>
    </changeSet>

    <!-- Clone with Time Travel AT TIMESTAMP -->
    <changeSet id="clone-database-timestamp" author="examples">
        <pro-snowflake:cloneDatabase
                databaseName="CLONE_DB_TIMESTAMP"
                sourceDatabase="SOURCE_DB">
            <pro-snowflake:timeTravelClause timeTravelType="AT">
                <pro-snowflake:timestamp>DATEADD(seconds, -60, current_timestamp)::TIMESTAMP_TZ</pro-snowflake:timestamp>
            </pro-snowflake:timeTravelClause>
        </pro-snowflake:cloneDatabase>
    </changeSet>

    <!-- Clone with Time Travel BEFORE OFFSET -->
    <changeSet id="clone-database-offset" author="examples">
        <pro-snowflake:cloneDatabase
                databaseName="CLONE_DB_OFFSET"
                sourceDatabase="SOURCE_DB"
                ignoreTablesWithInsufficientDataRetention="true">
            <pro-snowflake:timeTravelClause timeTravelType="BEFORE">
                <pro-snowflake:offset>-1</pro-snowflake:offset>
            </pro-snowflake:timeTravelClause>
        </pro-snowflake:cloneDatabase>
    </changeSet>

    <!-- Transient clone with full configuration -->
    <changeSet id="clone-database-full" author="examples">
        <pro-snowflake:cloneDatabase
                databaseName="CLONE_DB_FULL"
                sourceDatabase="SOURCE_DB"
                replaceIfExists="true"
                isTransient="true"
                dataRetentionTimeInDays="5"
                maxDataExtensionTimeInDays="10"
                defaultDdlCollation="en_US"
                storageSerializationPolicy="OPTIMIZED"
                ignoreHybridTables="true"
                comment="Transient clone with full configuration">
            <pro-snowflake:contacts>
                <pro-snowflake:entry key="steward" value="db_steward"/>
                <pro-snowflake:entry key="support" value="db_support"/>
            </pro-snowflake:contacts>
        </pro-snowflake:cloneDatabase>
    </changeSet>

</databaseChangeLog>

{
  "databaseChangeLog": [
    {
      "changeSet": {
        "id": "clone-database-basic",
        "author": "examples",
        "changes": [
          {
            "cloneDatabase": {
              "databaseName": "CLONE_DB",
              "sourceDatabase": "SOURCE_DB",
              "ifNotExists": true
            }
          }
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "changeSet": {
        "id": "clone-database-timestamp",
        "author": "examples",
        "changes": [
          {
            "cloneDatabase": {
              "databaseName": "CLONE_DB_TIMESTAMP",
              "sourceDatabase": "SOURCE_DB",
              "timeTravelClause": {
                "timeTravelType": "AT",
                "timestamp": "DATEADD(seconds, -60, current_timestamp)::TIMESTAMP_TZ"
              }
            }
          }
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "changeSet": {
        "id": "clone-database-full",
        "author": "examples",
        "changes": [
          {
            "cloneDatabase": {
              "databaseName": "CLONE_DB_FULL",
              "sourceDatabase": "SOURCE_DB",
              "replaceIfExists": true,
              "isTransient": true,
              "dataRetentionTimeInDays": 5,
              "maxDataExtensionTimeInDays": 10,
              "defaultDdlCollation": "en_US",
              "storageSerializationPolicy": "OPTIMIZED",
              "ignoreHybridTables": true,
              "comment": "Transient clone with full configuration",
              "contacts": {
                "entries": [
                  {
                    "entry": {
                      "key": "steward",
                      "value": "db_steward"
                    }
                  },
                  {
                    "entry": {
                      "key": "support",
                      "value": "db_support"
                    }
                  }
                ]
              }
            }
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  ]
}

databaseChangeLog:
  # Basic clone
  - changeSet:
      id: clone-database-basic
      author: examples
      changes:
        - cloneDatabase:
            databaseName: CLONE_DB
            sourceDatabase: SOURCE_DB
            ifNotExists: true

  # Clone with Time Travel AT TIMESTAMP
  - changeSet:
      id: clone-database-timestamp
      author: examples
      changes:
        - cloneDatabase:
            databaseName: CLONE_DB_TIMESTAMP
            sourceDatabase: SOURCE_DB
            timeTravelClause:
              timeTravelType: AT
              timestamp: DATEADD(seconds, -60, current_timestamp)::TIMESTAMP_TZ

  # Transient clone with full configuration
  - changeSet:
      id: clone-database-full
      author: examples
      changes:
        - cloneDatabase:
            databaseName: CLONE_DB_FULL
            sourceDatabase: SOURCE_DB
            replaceIfExists: true
            isTransient: true
            dataRetentionTimeInDays: 5
            maxDataExtensionTimeInDays: 10
            defaultDdlCollation: en_US
            storageSerializationPolicy: OPTIMIZED
            ignoreHybridTables: true
            comment: Transient clone with full configuration
            contacts:
              entries:
                - entry:
                    key: steward
                    value: db_steward
                - entry:
                    key: support
                    value: db_support

--liquibase formatted sql

--changeset examples:basic-clone
-- Basic clone
CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS CLONE_DB CLONE SOURCE_DB;

--changeset examples:clone-with-time-travel-at-timestamp
-- Clone with Time Travel AT TIMESTAMP
CREATE DATABASE CLONE_DB_TIMESTAMP CLONE SOURCE_DB AT (TIMESTAMP => DATEADD(seconds, -60, current_timestamp)::TIMESTAMP_TZ);

--changeset examples:clone-with-time-travel-before-offset-and-ignore-option
-- Clone with Time Travel BEFORE OFFSET and IGNORE option
CREATE DATABASE CLONE_DB_OFFSET CLONE SOURCE_DB BEFORE (OFFSET => -1) IGNORE TABLES WITH INSUFFICIENT DATA RETENTION;

--changeset examples:transient-clone-with-full-configuration
-- Transient clone with full configuration
CREATE TRANSIENT DATABASE CLONE_DB_FULL CLONE SOURCE_DB
    DATA_RETENTION_TIME_IN_DAYS = 5
    MAX_DATA_EXTENSION_TIME_IN_DAYS = 10
    DEFAULT_DDL_COLLATION = 'en_US'
    STORAGE_SERIALIZATION_POLICY = OPTIMIZED
    WITH CONTACT (STEWARD = db_steward, SUPPORT = db_support)
    COMMENT = 'Transient clone with full configuration';

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cloneDatabase

Available attributes

timeTravelClause attributes

contacts attributes

XML example

JSON example

YAML example

SQL example

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