---
title: "How to Use Databricks Time Travel for Delta Lake Recovery"
description: "Databricks' time travel feature allows users to recover earlier versions of a Delta Lake table, enabling corrections of incorrect data while adhering to retention policies."
url: https://srinimf.com/2024/04/18/databricks-time-travel-tutorial-on-recovering-delta-tables/
date: 2024-04-18
modified: 2026-10-10
author: "Srini"
image: https://i0.wp.com/srinimf.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/pexels-photo-6002000.jpeg?fit=1880%2C1214&ssl=1
categories: ["databricks"]
tags: ["Databricks Delta Time travel", "Versioning in Databricks"]
type: post
lang: en
---

# How to Use Databricks Time Travel for Delta Lake Recovery

To illustrate, you write incorrect data to a [Delta Lake](https://srinimf.com/2025/11/08/exploring-the-latest-delta-lake-features-in-databricks/) table in Databricks. Using Time travel you can correct it. Time travel lets you access earlier versions of a Delta table. This makes it possible to revert to a point before the incorrect data was written.

![Databricks Delta Time travel](https://i0.wp.com/srinimf.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/pexels-photo-6238608.jpeg?resize=1880%2C1255&ssl=1)*Photo by Max Vakhtbovycn on Pexels.com*

Table of contents

1. [Databricks Time Travel: Recover a Delta Lake Table](https://srinimf.com/2024/04/18/databricks-time-travel-tutorial-on-recovering-delta-tables/#databricks-time-travel-recover-a-delta-lake-table)
   1. [Choose the Correct Version](https://srinimf.com/2024/04/18/databricks-time-travel-tutorial-on-recovering-delta-tables/#choose-the-correct-version)
   2. [Restoring the Table](https://srinimf.com/2024/04/18/databricks-time-travel-tutorial-on-recovering-delta-tables/#restoring-the-table)
   3. [Verify the Data](https://srinimf.com/2024/04/18/databricks-time-travel-tutorial-on-recovering-delta-tables/#verify-the-data)

## **Databricks Time Travel: Recover a Delta Lake Table**

Here are the commands that show how the Time travel technique works.

### **Choose the Correct Version**

First, choose the version of the Delta Lake table that holds the correct data. You can view the history of changes to a Delta table using the `DESCRIBE HISTORY` command in Databricks.

```
DESCRIBE HISTORY EMP
```

This command displays a list of all Delta table versions, including timestamps and actions taken.

![Describe](https://i0.wp.com/srinimf.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/image-3.png?resize=1158%2C406&ssl=1)

### **Restoring the Table**

Select the appropriate version by checking all timestamps. Use the RESTORE command to recover data from that version.

```
RESTORE EMP TO VERSION AS OF 2
```

![RESTORE](https://i0.wp.com/srinimf.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/image-5.png?resize=1195%2C254&ssl=1)

### **Verify the Data**

Finally, after restoring the table, verify that the correct data has been recovered by querying the table.

```
SELECT * FROM EMP
```

Finally, check the recovered data to ensure it matches your previous data.

![Verify the data](https://i0.wp.com/srinimf.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/image-6.png?resize=1146%2C390&ssl=1)

Conclusion

Using Delta Lake’s time travel feature, you can go back to an earlier version of a Delta table and restore it to a state without the wrong data. However, keep in mind that retention policies can lead to the automatic deletion of older versions. **It’s crucial to recover the table quickly** before the version you need is gone.

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