23 DynamoDB Operations
DynamoDB operations create tables, read and change items, and move data through imports, exports and backups. Use GetItem for a known full key, Query for a partition-key access pattern, and Scan when you must examine a table or index. The guides below cover native APIs and desktop workflows, grouped by the task you need to perform.
Updated October 23, 2026. DynamoDB has no TRUNCATE or relational joins. DescribeTable returns key and index definitions, but other attributes can vary per item, so inspecting the data is necessary to discover their shapes.
For application code, use the SDK examples; for request parameters, try the query builder. Query and Scan can return multiple pages, and their filters do not reduce read capacity already consumed.
Table operations
Creating and removing tables, and clearing one out without deleting it.
- Create a table. Define the partition key, optional sort key, indexes and capacity mode; non-key attributes do not need a schema.
- Delete a table. Delete a table and its indexes after checking deletion protection and recovery options; restores create a new table.
- Delete all items. Scan for keys and batch-delete items while keeping the table and settings. DynamoDB has no TRUNCATE; reads and writes consume capacity.
Item operations
Reading and changing the records inside a table.
- Query a table. Read items matching a partition key and optional sort-key condition on a table or index; paginate beyond the first response.
- Add an item. Write an item with PutItem. An existing item with the same key is replaced unless a condition prevents it.
- Update an item. Use UpdateItem to change selected attributes. It can create an item if none exists, so add a condition when existence matters.
- Delete an item. Delete one item using its full primary key, optionally checking a condition before removal.
- Conditional write and update. Apply a write only when its condition holds, for example a version check that prevents overwriting a concurrent change.
Import and export
Getting data in and out, in the formats teams actually use.
- Import CSV. Load CSV records with a desktop import, or use native S3 import when creating a new table.
- Import JSON. Import plain JSON through a desktop workflow. Native S3 import instead accepts DynamoDB JSON, CSV or Amazon Ion and creates a new table.
- Export to CSV. Save table or query results as CSV for a spreadsheet; read-based exports consume table capacity.
- Export to JSON. Save records as JSON for inspection or seeding another table. Use native backups or PITR when you need managed recovery.
- Export to S3. Export a full snapshot or incremental changes to S3 using PITR, without table read capacity; filter or project data when needed.
Design and modeling
Deciding on keys and access patterns before you write any data.
- Data modeling. Model entities, access patterns and indexes visually before creating tables.
- Single-table design. Model several entities into one table and see how the keys overlap.
- Schema explorer. Inspect attributes observed in table items; DescribeTable reports keys and indexes, not a schema for every non-key attribute.
Querying and search
Other ways to get at the data once it is in.
- Use SQL with DynamoDB. Use PartiQL for supported SQL-style reads and writes; key predicates still determine whether a read scans.
- Semantic and vector search. Find items by meaning with the semantic-search workflow and vector representations.
- JSON path filtering. Build filters on nested attributes visually; filters do not reduce the capacity used to read evaluated items.
- Compare two items. See exactly what differs between two records.
Local and developer tooling
Working against a local instance, and driving DynamoDB from code.
- DynamoDB Local admin GUI. Browse and edit a local instance the same way as a real table.
- Infrastructure and operation code. Generate table infrastructure or supported data-operation code for use in your own tools.
- MCP server for AI tools. Connect AI coding tools to DynamoDB context through the Dynobase MCP server.
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