How to Fix Frigate Clips Not Saving to Storage
- Recording not enabled for the camera
- Storage mount/permissions issue
- Retention set too low / zero
Problem Description
Frigate detects events and shows them in the web UI, but the recorded clips are not saved to your storage drive. The event list shows entries but clicking them shows no video, or the clips directory is empty. This happens when the storage path is not correctly mapped in Docker, the disk is full, recording is not enabled per camera, or the Frigate process lacks write permissions to the storage directory.
Why This Happens in Real Homes
Frigate detecting events but not saving clips usually means recording isn't actually capturing to disk — either recording is disabled for that camera, the storage isn't writable or is full, or the retention/record mode isn't set to keep the footage. Events (the detection metadata) and recordings (the video) are separate, so you can see events with no saved clip.
Enable recording for the camera and set the record mode and retention to capture what you want (for example, recordings around detected events), then verify the media storage is mounted, has correct write permissions, and isn't full. Check disk health and that the path is writable from inside the container. With recording enabled and healthy, writable storage, the clips save alongside the events.
Symptoms
- Clips not saving
- Events show but no clip saved
- No recordings on disk
- Clips missing from storage
- Recording not written
- Events without footage
- Storage empty of clips
- Clips not retained
Recognize these? Here's what usually causes it.
Common Causes
- Recording not enabled for the camera
- Storage mount/permissions issue
- Retention set too low / zero
- Storage full
- record mode not capturing the event
- Path/mount not writable
- Disk/media problem
- Config error
Most fixes happen in the first 3 steps.
Do not assume detections imply clips are being written successfully.
Tools & Requirements
Step-by-Step Solution
Check the storage path in frigate.yml
Frigate saves event clips and recordings to the path defined in your config. Default is /media/frigate. In Docker: this path must be mapped to a host volume or mount — if the container path is not mapped, clips write to the container filesystem and are lost on restart. Check your docker-compose.yml for: volumes: - /path/on/host:/media/frigate. Verify the host path exists and has free space: df -h /path/on/host.
Check disk space
When the storage drive is full, Frigate silently fails to save new clips. Check available space on the storage mount. Frigate recordings at 1080p with 6 cameras typically use 10-20GB per day depending on bitrate and motion frequency. If using a small SD card or SSD: set retention limits in frigate.yml — record: retain: days: 7 to auto-delete clips older than 7 days. Without retention limits, storage fills up and new clips cannot be written.
Verify recording is enabled for the camera
Each camera must have recording explicitly enabled. In frigate.yml: cameras: your_camera: record: enabled: true. If record is not set or set to false: Frigate detects motion and creates events but does not save video clips. You can also set record: retain: days and events: retain: default to control how long clips and event recordings are kept. Without retain settings, clips are kept indefinitely until storage runs out.
Check file permissions on the storage directory
The Frigate process must have write permission to the storage directory. If running in Docker: the container user (typically root or 1000:1000) must own or have write access to the mounted host directory. Check permissions: ls -la /path/on/host. If permission denied errors appear in Frigate logs: run chmod 777 /path/on/host (for testing) or chown the directory to match the container user ID. In Home Assistant add-on: the storage path is managed automatically, but external drives need proper mount configuration.
Check for filesystem errors
If the storage drive has filesystem corruption (common with unexpected power loss on ext4 or NTFS): Frigate may fail to create new files. Check system logs (dmesg) for I/O errors or filesystem warnings. Run fsck on the storage partition (unmount first). For USB-attached drives: check for cable or connector issues — USB drives that disconnect briefly during heavy writes cause data loss and filesystem corruption. Consider using an SSD instead of spinning USB drives for more reliable storage.
Quick Solutions
Still having issues? This is usually the deeper cause below.
If this comes back after following these steps, check whether a recent app or firmware update reset a default setting — the fix works, but the setting gets reverted silently.
Use dedicated recording volumes with health monitoring.
This issue almost always looks more complex than it is — the majority of cases trace back to a single setting, a stale credential, or a default that shipped wrong.
- Recording not enabled for the camera
- Storage mount/permissions issue
- Retention set too low / zero
- Storage full
- record mode not capturing the event
Before you go — try one of these (they fix most cases).
Official Manufacturer Manual
Frigate provides official product documentation through their online manual rather than downloadable PDF. Access setup guides, troubleshooting steps, and product specifications for your Frigate Clip Storage.
Source: docs.frigate.video
Need More Help? Frigate Support
Note: The contact information below connects you directly to Frigate's official customer support team, not Trunetto. They can help with warranty claims, device replacements, and advanced technical issues.
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