---
type: api
title: Stop snapshot lifecycle management
description: Stop all snapshot lifecycle management (SLM) operations and the SLM plugin.
url: https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4371/api/doc/elasticsearch/v9/operation/operation-slm-stop
resource: https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4371/api/doc/elasticsearch/v9/operation/operation-slm-stop
products:
  - Elasticsearch
---

# Stop snapshot lifecycle management

Availability: 7.6+

## Paths

- `POST` `/_slm/stop`

- [Api key auth](/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4371/api/doc/elasticsearch/v9/authentication#apikeyauth)
- [Basic auth](/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4371/api/doc/elasticsearch/v9/authentication#basicauth)
- [Bearer auth](/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4371/api/doc/elasticsearch/v9/authentication#bearerauth)

## Description

Stop all snapshot lifecycle management (SLM) operations and the SLM plugin.
This API is useful when you are performing maintenance on a cluster and need to prevent SLM from performing any actions on your data streams or indices.
Stopping SLM does not stop any snapshots that are in progress.
You can manually trigger snapshots with the run snapshot lifecycle policy API even if SLM is stopped.

The API returns a response as soon as the request is acknowledged, but the plugin might continue to run until in-progress operations complete and it can be safely stopped.
Use the get snapshot lifecycle management status API to see if SLM is running.

## Query String Parameters

- `master_timeout` (string Duration · default: 30s)
  The period to wait for a connection to the master node.
If no response is received before the timeout expires, the request fails and returns an error.
To indicate that the request should never timeout, set it to `-1`.
- `timeout` (string Duration · default: 30s)
  The period to wait for a response.
If no response is received before the timeout expires, the request fails and returns an error.
To indicate that the request should never timeout, set it to `-1`.

## Response

`application/json`

- `acknowledged` (boolean)
  For a successful response, this value is always true. On failure, an exception is returned instead.
## Code Examples

#### Console

```console
POST /_slm/stop
```

#### curl

```curl
curl -X POST "/_slm/stop"
```