# Create backup schedule

`POST /indexes/{index_name}/backup-schedules`

:::code-group
```shellscript title="curl"
curl -sS -X POST "https://api.pinecone.io/indexes/${INDEX_NAME}/backup-schedules" \
  -H "api-key: ${PINECONE_API_KEY}" \
  -H "X-Pinecone-Api-Version: 2026-04" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "my-nightly-backup",
    "schedule": {
      "type": "time-based",
      "frequency": "daily"
    },
    "retention": {
      "expire_after_days": 7
    }
  }'
```
:::

:::code-group
```json title="curl"
{
  "schedule_id": "c688ed12-5a39-4254-9518-bd394b7f4886",
  "name": "my-nightly-backup",
  "index_id": "d40265e4-a492-402b-9cf1-973b4908b7a0",
  "project_id": "cc95c601-bf08-4973-9a1d-a65a1b528759",
  "schedule_type": "time-based",
  "frequency": "daily",
  "retention_expire_after_days": 7,
  "enabled": true,
  "next_scheduled_run": "2026-04-24T06:00:00+00:00",
  "created_at": "2026-04-23T16:36:51.267528+00:00"
}
```
:::

:::callout{intent="note"}
This endpoint requires `X-Pinecone-Api-Version: 2026-04`.
:::

Create a recurring backup schedule for an index. Backups are created automatically based on the specified frequency and expired according to the retention policy. Each index supports one active schedule at a time.

### Path parameters

- `index_name` (string, required) — The name of the index to create a backup schedule for.

### Body parameters

- `name` (string, required) — A human-readable name for the backup schedule. Backups created by the schedule are automatically named `{name}-{ISO8601_timestamp}`.

- `schedule` (object, required) — The schedule configuration.

  :::accordion{title="Show schedule properties"}
  - `type` (string, required) — The type of schedule. Currently only `time-based` is supported.

  - `frequency` (string, required) — How often backups are created. One of `daily`, `weekly`, or `monthly`.
  :::

- `retention` (object, required) — The retention policy for backups created by this schedule.

  :::accordion{title="Show retention properties"}
  - `expire_after_days` (integer, required) — The number of days after which backups created by this schedule are automatically deleted.
  :::

### Error responses

| Status | Description                                                                    |
| ------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| 403    | Scheduled backups are not available for your plan.                             |
| 404    | Index not found.                                                               |
| 409    | This index already has an enabled backup schedule. Disable or delete it first. |

```shellscript
curl -sS -X POST "https://api.pinecone.io/indexes/${INDEX_NAME}/backup-schedules" \
  -H "api-key: ${PINECONE_API_KEY}" \
  -H "X-Pinecone-Api-Version: 2026-04" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "my-nightly-backup",
    "schedule": {
      "type": "time-based",
      "frequency": "daily"
    },
    "retention": {
      "expire_after_days": 7
    }
  }'
```

```json
{
  "schedule_id": "c688ed12-5a39-4254-9518-bd394b7f4886",
  "name": "my-nightly-backup",
  "index_id": "d40265e4-a492-402b-9cf1-973b4908b7a0",
  "project_id": "cc95c601-bf08-4973-9a1d-a65a1b528759",
  "schedule_type": "time-based",
  "frequency": "daily",
  "retention_expire_after_days": 7,
  "enabled": true,
  "next_scheduled_run": "2026-04-24T06:00:00+00:00",
  "created_at": "2026-04-23T16:36:51.267528+00:00"
}
```

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## Related pages

- [Create backup schedule](./database-2026-07-control-plane-create-backup-schedule.md)
- [List backup schedules](./database-2026-07-control-plane-list-backup-schedules.md)
- [Describe backup schedule](./database-2026-07-control-plane-describe-backup-schedule.md)
- [Update backup schedule](./database-2026-07-control-plane-update-backup-schedule.md)
- [Delete backup schedule](./database-2026-07-control-plane-delete-backup-schedule.md)
- [List backup schedule history](./database-2026-07-control-plane-list-backup-schedule-history.md)
- [List backup schedules](./database-2026-04-control-plane-list-backup-schedules.md)
- [Describe backup schedule](./database-2026-04-control-plane-describe-backup-schedule.md)
- [Update backup schedule](./database-2026-04-control-plane-update-backup-schedule.md)
- [Delete backup schedule](./database-2026-04-control-plane-delete-backup-schedule.md)

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