Protection Levels

SnapBack provides three distinct protection levels that give you granular control over how your files are protected. Each level offers a different balance between protection and workflow flexibility.

Canonical Signage: SnapBack’s protection levels are formalized using a canonical signage system:

Watch (watch) - 🟢 Green circle

Warn (warn) - 🟡 Yellow circle

Block (block) - 🔴 Red circle

These canonical values are used consistently across the VS Code extension, CLI, web dashboard, and all integrations.

The Traffic Light System

SnapBack uses a traffic light metaphor to make protection levels intuitive and easy to understand:

🟢

Watch

Silent auto-snapshots with zero friction. Perfect for files you want to protect without any workflow interruption.

Best for: Configuration files, documentation, assets

🟡

Warn

Confirmation before save. Provides a gentle reminder to think before making changes to important files.

Best for: Source code, critical configuration, production files

🔴

Block

Required note (audit trail). Blocks changes until you provide context, creating an audit trail for critical modifications.

Best for: Secrets, production databases, critical infrastructure

Setting Protection Levels

You can set protection levels in several ways:

VS Code Extension

Right-click any file or folder in the explorer
Select “SnapBack: Set Protection Level”
Choose from Watch, Warn, or Block

// Example .snapbackprotected file
{
  "rules": [
    {
      "pattern": "**/*.config.js",
      "level": "warn"
    },
    {
      "pattern": "**/.env*",
      "level": "block"
    },
    {
      "pattern": "docs/**",
      "level": "watch"
    }
  ]
}

CLI Tool

# Set protection level for a specific file
snapback protect --file src/config.ts --level warn

# Set protection level for all files matching a pattern
snapback protect --pattern "**/*.env" --level block

Smart Defaults

SnapBack comes with intelligent defaults that automatically assign appropriate protection levels based on file types and patterns:

When to Use Each Level

Watch (🟢)

Use for files where you want automatic protection without any workflow interruption:

Documentation files
Static assets (images, CSS, etc.)
Test files
Non-critical configuration
Generated files

Warn (🟡)

Use for files where you want a gentle reminder to think before making changes:

Source code files
Critical configuration files
Build scripts
Package manifests
CI/CD configuration

Block (🔴)

Use for files where changes should be carefully considered and documented:

Environment files (.env, .env.local, etc.)
Production database configuration
API keys and secrets
Critical infrastructure configuration
Files that require audit trails

Best Practices

📁 Organize by Sensitivity

Group files by sensitivity level and apply protection accordingly. Critical secrets should be blocked, while documentation can be watched.

🔄 Review Regularly

Periodically review your protection levels as your project evolves. What was once safe might become critical.

👥 Team Consistency

Establish team conventions for protection levels to ensure consistent application across your codebase.

📝 Document Your Rules

Add comments to your .snapbackprotected file explaining why certain files have specific protection levels.

Canonical Signage System

SnapBack’s protection levels are formalized through a canonical signage system that ensures consistency across all user interfaces: