berachain · camembera · Aug 25, 2026 · Aug 26, 2026 · Aug 26, 2026 · Aug 27, 2026
diff --git a/docs.json b/docs.json
@@ -289,6 +289,7 @@
             "group": "Setup & Deployment",
             "pages": [
               "nodes/operations/quickstart",
+              "nodes/operations/snapshots",
               "nodes/operations/self-hosted-rpc",
               "nodes/guides/local-devnet-docker",
               "nodes/guides/local-devnet-kurtosis",

diff --git a/nodes/operations/quickstart.mdx b/nodes/operations/quickstart.mdx
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ ls;
 # README.md                     run-reth.sh     setup-reth.sh
 # env.sh                        run-beacond.sh  setup-beacond.sh
 # fetch-berachain-params.sh
+# fetch-berachain-snapshot.js
 ```
 
 The file `env.sh` contains environment variables used in the other scripts.
@@ -181,118 +182,16 @@ The `setup-reth.sh` script creates the Reth datadir and initializes it with `--c
 
 ## Step 6 - Fetch snapshots (optional)
 
-Snapshots are collections of files from a node's backend that represent its state at a specific time. Restoring a snapshot is much faster than syncing from the network, so this step can dramatically speed up your initial sync on a new node.
+Restoring a snapshot is much faster than syncing from genesis. Do this **before** Step 7.
 
-<Info>
-  Do this step **before** starting your clients (Step 7). If you've already started syncing, you'll
-  need to stop the clients, clean the data directories, then restore snapshots.
-</Info>
-
-Snapshots can be applied to both the consensus (beacond) and execution clients. Restoring both snapshots simultaneously provides the fastest sync.
-
-### 6a - Obtain snapshots
-
-Berachain and the community offer snapshots for Mainnet and Bepolia. You can download snapshots at the following links.
-
-- [Awesome Berachain Validators](https://github.com/chuck-bear/awesome-berachain-validators) is a community-maintained list; all of them have great download speed.
-
-- Or, use the `fetch-berachain-snapshot.js` script — already on disk from Step 1 — downloads the latest official Berachain snapshots for both the beacon-kit consensus layer and the execution layer. It reads the snapshot index at `snapshots.berachain.com`, picks the most recent files matching your options, and saves them to a `downloads/` directory.
-
-```bash
-# FROM: ~/beranode (or any directory — use -o to change download folder)
-
-# Default: mainnet, pruned
-node fetch-berachain-snapshot.js
-
-# Examples:
-node fetch-berachain-snapshot.js --network bepolia --type archive
-node fetch-berachain-snapshot.js -o /var/snapshots --execution-only
-
-# [Expected Output]:
-# Bera Snapshot Downloader
-# -------------------------
-# Network: mainnet
-# Client: reth
-# Type: pruned
-#
-# Fetching snapshot index from:
-#   https://snapshots.berachain.com/index.csv
-# [...]
-# ✓ All downloads completed!
-```
-
-Available options:
-
-- `--network` or `-n`: `mainnet` or `bepolia` (default: `mainnet`)
-- `--type` or `-t`: `pruned` or `archive` (default: `pruned`)
-- `--output` or `-o`: Download directory (default: `downloads` in the current working directory)
-- `--el-client`: Execution snapshot type prefix in the CSV (default: `reth`)
-- `--beacon-only`: Beacon-kit snapshot only
-- `--execution-only` or `--el-only`: Execution-layer snapshot only
-- `--help` or `-h`: Show help message
-
-### 6b - Stop clients
-
-If you've already started your clients, shut down `beacond` and your execution client now. Otherwise, skip to 6c.
-
-### 6c - Clean existing chain data
-
-To clean the Beacon Kit and reth data store:
+Official Berachain snapshots are available for
+[Mainnet](https://snapshots.berachain.com) and [Bepolia](https://bepolia.snapshots.berachain.com/). Full restore commands and documentation are available on [Snapshots](/nodes/operations/snapshots).
 
 ```bash
 # FROM: ~/beranode
 
-source env.sh;
-$BEACOND_BIN --home $BEACOND_HOME comet unsafe-reset-all;
-
-# [Expected Output]:
-# Removed all blockchain history dir=var/beacond/data
-# Reset private validator file to genesis state key=..
-
-ls var/reth/data;
-
-# [Expected Output]:
-# (empty or prior db contents)
-
-rm -r var/reth/data;
-mkdir -p var/reth/data;
-```
-
-### 6d - Install BeaconKit snapshot
-
-The snapshots distributed by Berachain are designed to be installed in the beacond home directory, which contains both `config` and `data`:
-
-```bash
-# FROM: ~/beranode
-
-# Find the beacon-kit snapshot file (filename pattern: snapshot_beacon-kit-*)
-BEACON_SNAPSHOT=$(ls downloads/snapshot_beacon-kit-*.tar.lz4 | head -1)
-lz4 -d "$BEACON_SNAPSHOT" | tar xv -C var/beacond/;
-
-# [Expected Output]:
-# x data/
-# x data/cs.wal/
-# x data/cs.wal/wal.10416
-# ...
-```
-
-### 6e - Install execution layer snapshot
-
-Official Reth snapshot archives list **`db/`**, **`rocksdb/`**, and **`blobstore/`** at the **root** of the tarball (not under a `data/` directory). Your `bera-reth node --datadir` must be the directory that contains those folders. In this layout that is `var/reth/data` (see `setup-reth.sh` / `env.sh`), so pass **`-C var/reth/data`** to `tar`.
-
-```bash
-# FROM: ~/beranode
-
-# Find the execution layer snapshot
-EL_SNAPSHOT=$(ls downloads/snapshot_reth-*.tar.lz4 | head -1)
-lz4 -d "$EL_SNAPSHOT" | tar xv -C var/reth/data;
-
-# [Expected Output] (current official bundles):
-# x db/
-# x db/mdbx.dat
-# x rocksdb/
-# x blobstore/
-# ...
+node fetch-berachain-snapshot.js --network mainnet --type pruned
+node fetch-berachain-snapshot.js --network bepolia --type pruned
 ```
 
 ## Step 7 - Run both clients

diff --git a/nodes/operations/snapshots.mdx b/nodes/operations/snapshots.mdx
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+---
+title: "Snapshots"
+---
+
+A snapshot lets you set up a new node in hours, not days. Berachain publishes a new snapshot once each day, for Mainnet and for Bepolia.
+
+<Info>
+  Do this step before you start the clients. If you already started to sync, do these steps first:
+  stop both clients, delete the chain data, then restore the snapshot.
+</Info>
+
+## Reth storage v1 vs v2
+
+Bera-Reth, Berachain's execution client, is built on the upstream Reth project. Reth v2 added storage v2, a new on-disk layout that splits data by how the node uses it instead of holding everything in one database.
+
+Storage v2 uses less disk (~20%), performs faster, and is the default for new installations.
+See [Reth's storage documentation](https://reth.rs/run/storage/).
+
+Berachain's official snapshots use storage v2, for both Mainnet and Bepolia. Some community node operators still publish storage v1 snapshots; see [Awesome Berachain Validators](https://github.com/chuck-bear/awesome-berachain-validators).
+
+To check which layout a datadir already uses, run `bera-reth db --datadir <dir> settings`.
+
+<Warning>
+  Bera-Reth records the storage layout when it creates a datadir, and **does not change it later**.
+  Setting or clearing a flag on an existing datadir does not convert it. To move an existing node to
+  storage v2, restore a storage v2 snapshot into a new datadir.
+</Warning>
+
+## Migrating from storage v1 to v2
+
+Restore a storage v2 snapshot into a new, empty datadir: the same procedure as a new node setup. This is the recommended path, and the steps below cover it. 
+
+This procedure only affects the execution layer. Beacon Kit storage format has not changed. Your consensus-layer data and your validator keys are safe during this procedure.
+
+Do these steps to move an existing node to storage v2:
+
+1. Stop the execution client and Beacon-Kit.
+2. Delete or preserve the old Bera-Reth datadir (example: `var/reth/data`). A storage v1 datadir and a storage v2 datadir are not compatible with each other. Keep a copy of the old datadir only if you want a way back to storage v1.
+3. Restore a snapshot into the empty datadir; see [Restoring an official snapshot](#restoring-an-official-snapshot), below.
+4. You do not need to change any configuration or startup options.   Restart the Bera-Reth and Beacon-Kit.
+
+## `bera-reth download` and its options
+
+The `bera-reth download` command restores an execution-layer datadir from a storage v2 snapshot manifest. This is faster than a full network sync.
+
+After it extracts each file, `bera-reth download` checks that file against the manifest's checksum. If a file doesn't match, it deletes the file and downloads it again. A damaged or incomplete download can't leave you with a datadir that looks correct but isn't.
+
+**Required:**
+
+- **`--chain <mainnet|bepolia>`**: chooses the network snapshot to download.
+- **`--datadir <dir>`**: the target directory. Do not point this at a running node's data or storage v1 data.
+- **`--manifest-url <url>`**: the `manifest.json` URL for the snapshot you want. Copy it from the [Mainnet](https://snapshots.berachain.com/) or [Bepolia](https://bepolia.snapshots.berachain.com/) snapshot site. For a third-party snapshot, copy the URL that provider publishes.
+
+**Pick exactly one preset:**
+
+- **`--minimal`**: downloads the smallest working node. It can sync forward from the snapshot's block. Most operators should use this.
+- **`--archive`**: downloads everything in the manifest: full transaction, receipt, and state-history data. This needs far more disk space and download time than `--minimal`.
+- **`--full`**: downloads data matching a full, non-archive node's [default pruning settings](https://reth.rs/run/storage/pruning/). More than `--minimal` and far less than `--archive`.
+
+**Useful flags:**
+
+- **`--force`**: deletes the existing `db`, `rocksdb`, `static_files`, and `reth.toml` under `--datadir` first. Use this when the target directory already holds different or partial data.
+- **`--print-plan-json`**: reads the manifest and prints the download plan, without downloading or writing anything. Safe to run against a real `--datadir`. Use it to check a manifest URL or estimate the download size before you restore.
+- **`--download-concurrency <n>`**: how many downloads run at once (default 8). Raise it on a fast connection; lower it if the source throttles or drops connections.
+
+You can run this command again on a datadir with a partial or damaged restore. This is safe, and often the fix: every file is checked against the manifest's checksum, and anything missing, wrong-sized, or failing that check is deleted and re-downloaded automatically. This check only covers the files in your chosen preset; restoring with `--minimal` doesn't check files outside it.
+
+Copy `<manifest-url>` from the snapshot site for your network before you run these.
+
+## Restoring an official snapshot
+
+```bash
+# Restore a pruned Bepolia node
+bera-reth download --chain bepolia --datadir var/reth/data \
+  --manifest-url <manifest-url> --minimal
+
+# Restore a pruned Mainnet node
+bera-reth download --chain mainnet --datadir var/reth/data \
+  --manifest-url <manifest-url> --minimal
+
+# Dry run - verifies snapshot files on disk
+bera-reth download --chain bepolia --datadir var/reth/data \
+  --manifest-url <manifest-url> --minimal --print-plan-json
+```
+
+