# Can you recover deleted documents when you didnt take s snapshot? **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [June 24, 2020, 4:17pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/can-you-recover-deleted-documents-when-you-didnt-take-s-snapshot/238531 "2020-06-24T16:17:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chappers72](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/chappers72/32/71045_2.png) [@chappers72](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/chappers72)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2020, 4:17pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/can-you-recover-deleted-documents-when-you-didnt-take-s-snapshot/238531/1 "2020-06-24T16:17:02Z")
I deleted some documents in a bulk process last night by mistake. I need to get them back, I have restores of my VM data directory but they do not appear there (as per docs). Can I get them back? ---
**Author:** ![warkolm](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/warkolm/32/39224_2.png) [@warkolm](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/warkolm)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2020, 1:16am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/can-you-recover-deleted-documents-when-you-didnt-take-s-snapshot/238531/2 "2020-06-25T01:16:27Z")
Assuming you have done no other changes to the indices since you deleted those docs, you _might_ be able to shut down Elasticsearch, copy the backed up directories back in, start Elasticsearch and hope it works. Otherwise, without a snapshot you don't have any other choice, sorry to say. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2020, 1:16am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/can-you-recover-deleted-documents-when-you-didnt-take-s-snapshot/238531/3 "2020-07-23T01:16:32Z")
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