Backblaze B2 keeps all file versions forever unless lifecycle rules say otherwise

TL;DR

Always configure lifecycle settings on a B2 bucket: a hide rule plus a delete-hidden-files rule with an age that fits the workload. Never enable Object Lock on buckets that rely on lifecycle expiration.

Steps

1. Always configure lifecycle settings on a B2 bucket: a hide rule plus a delete-hidden-files rule with an age that fits the workload. Never enable Object Lock on buckets that rely on lifecycle expiration. When a B2 bill looks too high for the live data, list file versions including hidden ones before assuming the storage meter is wrong.

When to use

You are seeing this: When a B2 bill looks too high for the live data, list file versions including hidden ones before assuming the storage meter is wrong. Use this skill when you run into "Backblaze B2 keeps all file versions forever unless lifecycle rules say otherwise".

When not to use

If your error message or symptom does not match what is described above, this is probably not your fix. Search for your exact error text instead of forcing this one to fit.

Versions

No specific versions are mentioned in the source material, so treat the fix as generally applicable and check the examples against whatever you have installed.

Why this happens

The original report does not dig into a root cause. It documents the symptom and the fix that resolved it.

Source: Web (cloud-cache-action B2 setup guide): Backblaze B2 keeps every uploaded version of a file forever unless you tell it otherwise. Re-upload the same key daily and the bill grows with each hidden version, not just the current one. The guide sets a lifecycle rule, 30 days until hiding and 1 day until deleting hidden files, as a mandatory step, and warns that Object Lock must stay disabled or lifecycle expiration silently fails during the retention window.

Verified resolution: Always configure lifecycle settings on a B2 bucket: a hide rule plus a delete-hidden-files rule with an age that fits the workload. Never enable Object Lock on buckets that rely on lifecycle expiration. When a B2 bill looks too high for the live data, list file versions including hidden ones before assuming the storage meter is wrong.

Source URL: https://github.com/xsavikx/cloud-cache-action/blob/HEAD/docs/providers/backblaze-b2.md