Error: dynamodb stream missing fields

Answered by Rafal Wilinski
Last updated: October 23rd, 2026
Solution
Missing stream fields usually reflect StreamViewType or the kind of change. KEYS_ONLY contains only primary keys; NEW_IMAGE, OLD_IMAGE, and NEW_AND_OLD_IMAGES include the corresponding item images. The primary key does not need to contain every field you want to consume.
- INSERT has no OldImage because no prior item existed. REMOVE has no NewImage because the item was deleted.
- An optional attribute missing from the original item is also missing from that image. Images describe the item at the time of the change, not its current state.
- Read the fields under record.dynamodb.NewImage or OldImage. Values use DynamoDB type wrappers; decode them with unmarshall or boto3 TypeDeserializer.
- Inspect DescribeTable.StreamSpecification and LatestStreamArn to confirm the active stream and view type.
An existing stream’s view type cannot be edited in place. Where permitted, changing it requires disabling and re-enabling the stream, which creates a new ARN and requires consumer updates. Plan that transition rather than toggling Streams blindly, especially for global tables or other dependent integrations. Previously captured records do not acquire additional images.
See stream record structure and AWS documentation.
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