diff --git a/docs/docs/configuration/snapshots.md b/docs/docs/configuration/snapshots.md index 815e301ba..01c034a04 100644 --- a/docs/docs/configuration/snapshots.md +++ b/docs/docs/configuration/snapshots.md @@ -9,4 +9,25 @@ Snapshots are accessible in the UI in the Explore pane. This allows for quick su To only save snapshots for objects that enter a specific zone, [see the zone docs](./zones.md#restricting-snapshots-to-specific-zones) -Snapshots sent via MQTT are configured in the [config file](https://docs.frigate.video/configuration/) under `cameras -> your_camera -> mqtt` +Snapshots sent via MQTT are configured in the [config file](/configuration) under `cameras -> your_camera -> mqtt` + +## Frame Selection + +Frigate does not save every frame — it picks a single "best" frame for each tracked object and uses it for both the snapshot and clean copy. As the object is tracked across frames, Frigate continuously evaluates whether the current frame is better than the previous best based on detection confidence, object size, and the presence of key attributes like faces or license plates. Frames where the object touches the edge of the frame are deprioritized. The snapshot is written to disk once tracking ends using whichever frame was determined to be the best. + +MQTT snapshots are published more frequently — each time a better thumbnail frame is found during tracking, or when the current best image is older than `best_image_timeout` (default: 60s). These use their own annotation settings configured under `cameras -> your_camera -> mqtt`. + +## Clean Copy + +Frigate can produce up to two snapshot files per event, each used in different places: + +| Version | File | Annotations | Used by | +| --- | --- | --- | --- | +| **Regular snapshot** | `-.jpg` | Respects your `timestamp`, `bounding_box`, `crop`, and `height` settings | API (`/api/events//snapshot.jpg`), MQTT (`/