---
title: Automate Snapshots of Cloud Accounts via the Cloudcraft API
description: Datadog, the leading service for cloud-scale monitoring.
breadcrumbs: >-
  Docs > Cloudcraft (Standalone) > Advanced > Automate Snapshots of Cloud
  Accounts via the Cloudcraft API
---

# Automate Snapshots of Cloud Accounts via the Cloudcraft API

## Overview{% #overview %}

Cloudcraft's Auto Layout feature, accessible through the web application, is a powerful tool for automatically generating diagrams of your AWS environment. This functionality can significantly streamline documentation processes and facilitate the onboarding of new team members.

This guide provides a step-by-step approach to utilizing this feature via common command-line utilities and the Cloudcraft developer API.

{% alert level="info" %}
The ability to add and scan AWS and Azure accounts, as well as to use Cloudcraft's developer API, is only available to Pro subscribers. Check out [Cloudcraft's pricing page](https://www.cloudcraft.co/pricing) for more information.
{% /alert %}

## Prerequisites{% #prerequisites %}

- An active [Cloudcraft Pro subscription](https://www.cloudcraft.co/pricing).
- An API key with read-write permissions.
- The account ID of the AWS or Azure account you wish to scan.
- Access to a Unix-like environment (Linux, macOS, or Windows Subsystem for Linux).
- Familiarity with command-line operations.
- Basic knowledge of API usage.

## Take a snapshot of the account{% #take-a-snapshot-of-the-account %}

Start by creating a snapshot of your AWS or Azure account using the [Snapshot AWS account](https://docs.datadoghq.com/cloudcraft/api/aws-accounts.md#snapshot-aws-account) or [Snapshot Azure account](https://docs.datadoghq.com/cloudcraft/api/azure-accounts.md#snapshot-an-azure-account) endpoints. This process mirrors the functionality of the Scan Now button in the Cloudcraft UI and outputs the snapshot in JSON format.

Execute the following command in your terminal:

```shell
curl \
  --url 'https://api.cloudcraft.co/PROVIDER/account/ACCOUNT_ID/REGION/json' \
  --tlsv1.2 \
  --proto '=https' \
  --silent \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer API_KEY"
```

Replace `PROVIDER` with the cloud provider, for example, `azure` or `aws`, `ACCOUNT_ID` with the ID of your AWS or Azure account in Cloudcraft, `REGION` with your desired scan region, and `API_KEY` with your Cloudcraft API key.

After executing the command, the JSON representation of your AWS account snapshot is displayed. To save this output directly to a file, use the following command:

```shell
curl \
  --url 'https://api.cloudcraft.co/PROVIDER/account/ACCOUNT_ID/REGION/json' \
  --tlsv1.2 \
  --proto '=https' \
  --silent \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer API_KEY" > '/tmp/account-infra.json'
```

The snapshot is saved with the filename `account-infra.json` in your temporary directory.

## Generate a new blueprint{% #generate-a-new-blueprint %}

Next, create a new blueprint in your Cloudcraft account using the [Create blueprint](https://docs.datadoghq.com/cloudcraft/api/blueprints.md#create-a-blueprint) API endpoint. The saved snapshot data serves as the payload for this request.

Execute the following command in your terminal:

```shell
curl \
  --request 'POST' \
  --url 'https://api.cloudcraft.co/blueprint' \
  --tlsv1.2 \
  --proto '=https' \
  --silent \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer API_KEY" \
  --data '@/tmp/account-infra.json'
```

Remember to replace `API_KEY` with your actual Cloudcraft API key.

Upon completion, a new blueprint reflecting your cloud infrastructure is created in your Cloudcraft account, replicating the effect of manually using the Scan Now and Auto Layout buttons.

If you have any questions or trouble with the process, [contact Cloudcraft's support team](https://app.cloudcraft.co/app/support).