Error: AWS CLI DynamoDB Error Parsing Parameter

Error parsing parameter means the AWS CLI could not decode an argument before sending the request. Common causes are shell quoting, invalid JSON, or a file containing the wrong structure for that parameter.

For --item, save this JSON as item.json:

{
  "pk": { "S": "record-1" },
  "amount": { "N": "12.50" }
}

python3 -m json.tool item.json
aws dynamodb put-item --table-name Records --item file://item.json

JSON requires double-quoted property names and strings, no trailing commas and no comments. The file must contain an object, not a quoted string containing JSON. DynamoDB CLI data operations use typed AttributeValue objects; numbers inside N are strings.

Use file:// to load text instead of letting the shell reinterpret it. A --cli-input-json file holds the entire operation input, including TableName and Item, while --item expects only the attribute map. Preserve escapes that JSON actually needs; do not remove all backslashes. Check file encoding and use shell-specific quoting when passing inline JSON, especially in PowerShell.

See CLI examples and AWS documentation.