# Recover the Chromatic baseline

Recover the Chromatic baseline when the visual check stops because of an account limit, or when the last `main` build is not a trusted baseline. [Chromatic visual coverage](/contributor/ci-cd.md#chromatic-visual-coverage) describes the check.

## Before you start

You need an account owner for the quota and billing check, and `CHROMATIC_PROJECT_TOKEN` in your environment.

## Recover the baseline

1. With the account owner, check the project's current quota/billing and the linked build's results. Resolve any account limit and confirm UI tests or UI review are enabled before retrying.

2. Coordinate one full run on the current `main` commit after confirming snapshot capacity. From the repository root:

   ```
   vp run --filter webapp build-storybook

   cd webapp

   vp exec chromatic --storybook-build-dir=storybook-static --only-changed=false --force-rebuild
   ```

   Supply `CHROMATIC_PROJECT_TOKEN` through the environment, never a committed file or command argument. `--force-rebuild` prevents same-commit build reuse. `--only-changed=false` requests full snapshots instead of TurboSnap inheritance.

3. Verify in Chromatic that the build captured snapshots and completed testing. Inspect every difference and component/interaction error. CI never auto-accepts, including on `main`: manually accept only intentional, inspected differences, then rerun the check. Never accept a publish-only, limited, errored or untested build as the recovery baseline.

4. Reproduce component failures with the affected stories. Fix defects with story or regression coverage, or link a scoped defect with reproduction details. For earlier errors that no longer reproduce, record the verification evidence rather than assuming a successful upload fixed them.

5. Record the `main` commit, build URL, captured/inherited counts, quota check and error dispositions in the issue tracking the recovery. Then rerun affected PRs.

## Check that it worked

The Chromatic build for the `main` commit captured snapshots and completed testing, with no unreviewed difference and no component error. A pull request that you rerun compares against that build.