Scenario: You want to rollback changes due to a problematic query (e.g., accidental data modification or corruption). Snowflake provides two powerful tools:

✅B. CLONE ... BEFORE (STATEMENT => 'query_id')

This usesTime Travel + Zero-Copy Cloning.

You canclone a table as it existed before a specific query.

It creates a full copy of the table's state at that momentwithout duplicating storage.

Example:

CREATE TABLE prd_table_bkp CLONE prd_table

BEFORE (STATEMENT => '01a2b3c4-0000-0000-0000-123456789abc');

✅D. ALTER TABLE ... SWAP WITH ...

Once you've cloned the backup, you canswap itwith the live table.

This is afast, atomic operation— ideal for rollback.

Example:

ALTER TABLE prd_table SWAP WITH prd_table_bkp;

❌Why the Other Options Are Incorrect:

A. SELECT SYSTEM$CANCEL_QUERY(...)

Cancels a currently running query — doesn’t help if the query already executed and caused damage.

C. CREATE TABLE ... AS SELECT * FROM RESULT_SCAN(...)

Reconstructsresults, not the original table.

Only captures output rows, not full table state.

Not ideal for rollback.

E. Contact Snowflake Support to retrieve Fail-safe data

Fail-safe is for disaster recovery only, and only accessible by Snowflake support.

It’snotintended for routine rollback or recovery and has a 7-day fixed retention (non-configurable).

????SnowPro Administrator References:

Zero-Copy Cloning with Time Travel

ALTER TABLE SWAP

System Functions – SYSTEM$CANCEL_QUERY

Fail-safe Overview