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Delete all DynamoDB items without deleting the table

Prerequisite:   Download Dynobase (free to try) in order to follow the steps below

Dynobase Truncate scans a DynamoDB table and deletes its items while keeping the table resource. It is not an atomic DynamoDB truncate operation, and reads and deletes consume capacity. Pause application writers if you need the table to remain empty.

Dynobase 3.0 table workspace before choosing a table operation
Dynobase 3.0 interface with demo data. Follow the written steps below for this operation.
1
Select Truncate

Right-click the intended table in the sidebar and choose Truncate. Verify its profile, Region, and name before continuing.

2
Confirm with TRUNCATE

Type TRUNCATE in the confirmation field and start the operation. Review the warning: the job deletes items rather than dropping and recreating the table.

3
Verify the result

Wait for the process to finish and inspect errors. Run another scan to check for remaining items, especially if other applications were writing during the operation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does truncation work?

DynamoDB has no table-wide Truncate API. Dynobase paginates a scan and deletes the discovered items; the operation is not atomic and concurrent writes can leave items behind.

What are the alternatives?

Write a paginated scan-and-delete script, or delete and recreate the table when losing and rebuilding its resource configuration is acceptable. For retention-based cleanup, consider TTL, which is asynchronous rather than immediate.

Why keep the table instead of recreating it?

Keeping the table preserves its resource identity and settings. Deleting and recreating it can disrupt integrations and infrastructure state, so review all dependencies first.

How fast is truncation?

Duration depends on item count and size, available read and write throughput, indexes, network conditions, and retries. There is no reliable fixed completion time; monitor the operation and check the final state.

Is emptying a table free?

Scanning consumes read capacity and deleting consumes write capacity. Index maintenance and global-table replication can add charges; estimate the workload with the pricing calculator.
Keep the table while removing its items

Use Truncate for deliberate scan-and-delete cleanup. Back up data you may need, pause competing writers, and verify completion before reusing the table.

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