Error: dynamodb cannot read properties of undefined

What's Causing This Error

This is an error that you may run into in the Node.js environment. You may face it locally or even in a Node.js Lambda function. There is no true cause for this error, but it is typically caused when trying to read an item from DynamoDB when nothing is returned from the query or scan.

Consider the snippet below.

const { Items = [] } = await documentClient.scan(scanParams).promise();

// will throw error if there is no error for 0th index.

console.log(Items[0].id); 

Solution: Here's How To Resolve It

Try a few of the solutions listed below to see if they will solve your error.

1. Ensure that the item you're trying to read from DynamoDB exists. You can use the optional params - item?.id.
2. Ensure that you have implemented proper error handling to help your application recover from such errors.