diff --git a/src/internal/operations/backup.go b/src/internal/operations/backup.go
index 80cd4055a..937e6733d 100644
--- a/src/internal/operations/backup.go
+++ b/src/internal/operations/backup.go
@@ -934,24 +934,49 @@ func (op *BackupOperation) createBackupModels(
 		model.ServiceTag: op.Selectors.PathService().String(),
 	}
 
-	// Add tags to mark this backup as either assist or merge. This is used to:
+	// Add tags to mark this backup as preview, assist, or merge. This is used to:
 	// 1. Filter assist backups by tag during base selection process
-	// 2. Differentiate assist backups from merge backups
-	if isMergeBackup(
+	// 2. Differentiate assist backups, merge backups, and preview backups.
+	//
+	// model.BackupTypeTag has more info about how these tags are used.
+	switch {
+	case op.Options.ToggleFeatures.PreviewBackup:
+		// Preview backups need to be successful and without errors to be considered
+		// valid. Just reuse the merge base check for that since it has the same
+		// requirements.
+		if !isMergeBackup(
+			snapID,
+			ssid,
+			op.Options.FailureHandling,
+			op.Errors) {
+			return clues.New("failed preview backup").WithClues(ctx)
+		}
+
+		tags[model.BackupTypeTag] = model.PreviewBackup
+
+	case isMergeBackup(
 		snapID,
 		ssid,
 		op.Options.FailureHandling,
-		op.Errors) {
+		op.Errors):
 		tags[model.BackupTypeTag] = model.MergeBackup
-	} else if isAssistBackup(
+
+	case isAssistBackup(
 		opStats.hasNewDetailEntries,
 		snapID,
 		ssid,
 		op.Options.FailureHandling,
-		op.Errors) {
+		op.Errors):
 		tags[model.BackupTypeTag] = model.AssistBackup
-	} else {
-		return clues.New("backup is neither assist nor merge").WithClues(ctx)
+
+	default:
+		return clues.New("unable to determine backup type due to operation errors").
+			WithClues(ctx)
+	}
+
+	// Additional defensive check to make sure we tag things as expected above.
+	if len(tags[model.BackupTypeTag]) == 0 {
+		return clues.New("empty backup type tag").WithClues(ctx)
 	}
 
 	ctx = clues.Add(ctx, model.BackupTypeTag, tags[model.BackupTypeTag])
diff --git a/src/internal/operations/backup_test.go b/src/internal/operations/backup_test.go
index 26b8612c5..d8286c60e 100644
--- a/src/internal/operations/backup_test.go
+++ b/src/internal/operations/backup_test.go
@@ -1649,7 +1649,6 @@ func (suite *AssistBackupIntegrationSuite) TestBackupTypesForFailureModes() {
 	var (
 		acct     = tconfig.NewM365Account(suite.T())
 		tenantID = acct.Config[account.AzureTenantIDKey]
-		opts     = control.DefaultOptions()
 		osel     = selectors.NewOneDriveBackup([]string{userID})
 	)
 
@@ -1667,6 +1666,7 @@ func (suite *AssistBackupIntegrationSuite) TestBackupTypesForFailureModes() {
 		collFunc                func() []data.BackupCollection
 		injectNonRecoverableErr bool
 		failurePolicy           control.FailurePolicy
+		previewBackup           bool
 		expectRunErr            assert.ErrorAssertionFunc
 		expectBackupTag         string
 		expectFaults            func(t *testing.T, errs *fault.Bus)
@@ -1829,6 +1829,67 @@ func (suite *AssistBackupIntegrationSuite) TestBackupTypesForFailureModes() {
 				assert.Greater(t, len(errs.Recovered()), 0, "recovered errors")
 			},
 		},
+
+		{
+			name: "preview, fail after recovery, no errors",
+			collFunc: func() []data.BackupCollection {
+				bc := []data.BackupCollection{
+					makeBackupCollection(
+						tmp,
+						locPath,
+						[]dataMock.Item{
+							makeMockItem("file1", nil, time.Now(), false, nil),
+							makeMockItem("file2", nil, time.Now(), false, nil),
+						}),
+				}
+
+				return bc
+			},
+			failurePolicy:   control.FailAfterRecovery,
+			previewBackup:   true,
+			expectRunErr:    assert.NoError,
+			expectBackupTag: model.PreviewBackup,
+			expectFaults: func(t *testing.T, errs *fault.Bus) {
+				assert.NoError(t, errs.Failure(), clues.ToCore(errs.Failure()))
+				assert.Empty(t, errs.Recovered(), "recovered errors")
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "preview, fail after recovery, non-recoverable errors",
+			collFunc: func() []data.BackupCollection {
+				return nil
+			},
+			injectNonRecoverableErr: true,
+			failurePolicy:           control.FailAfterRecovery,
+			previewBackup:           true,
+			expectRunErr:            assert.Error,
+			expectFaults: func(t *testing.T, errs *fault.Bus) {
+				assert.Error(t, errs.Failure(), clues.ToCore(errs.Failure()))
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "preview, fail after recovery, recoverable errors",
+			collFunc: func() []data.BackupCollection {
+				bc := []data.BackupCollection{
+					makeBackupCollection(
+						tmp,
+						locPath,
+						[]dataMock.Item{
+							makeMockItem("file1", nil, time.Now(), false, nil),
+							makeMockItem("file2", nil, time.Now(), false, assert.AnError),
+						}),
+				}
+
+				return bc
+			},
+			failurePolicy: control.FailAfterRecovery,
+			previewBackup: true,
+			expectRunErr:  assert.Error,
+			expectFaults: func(t *testing.T, errs *fault.Bus) {
+				assert.Error(t, errs.Failure(), clues.ToCore(errs.Failure()))
+				assert.Greater(t, len(errs.Recovered()), 0, "recovered errors")
+			},
+		},
 	}
 	for _, test := range table {
 		suite.Run(test.name, func() {
@@ -1856,7 +1917,9 @@ func (suite *AssistBackupIntegrationSuite) TestBackupTypesForFailureModes() {
 			cs = append(cs, mc)
 			bp := opMock.NewMockBackupProducer(cs, data.CollectionStats{}, test.injectNonRecoverableErr)
 
+			opts := control.DefaultOptions()
 			opts.FailureHandling = test.failurePolicy
+			opts.ToggleFeatures.PreviewBackup = test.previewBackup
 
 			bo, err := NewBackupOperation(
 				ctx,
diff --git a/src/pkg/control/options.go b/src/pkg/control/options.go
index 0f7d559aa..7db2d9038 100644
--- a/src/pkg/control/options.go
+++ b/src/pkg/control/options.go
@@ -86,4 +86,9 @@ type Toggles struct {
 	// DisableConcurrencyLimiter removes concurrency limits when communicating with
 	// graph API. This flag is only relevant for exchange backups for now
 	DisableConcurrencyLimiter bool `json:"disableConcurrencyLimiter,omitempty"`
+
+	// PreviewBackup denotes that this backup contains a subset of information for
+	// the protected resource. PreviewBackups are used to demonstrate value by
+	// being quick to create.
+	PreviewBackup bool `json:"previewBackup"`
 }