How to find and export your Amazon DynamoDB data.

Amazon DynamoDB shows item count and table size for each table in the console and in describe-table output. DynamoDB refreshes both values only about every six hours. Report the summed table size in GB.

At a glance

Report in: GB
Category: Databases and warehouses
Checked: September 2026

Check your data

Where Amazon DynamoDB shows how much you have.

In the DynamoDB console, choose Tables, open a table, and read its item count and table size on the Overview tab.
From the CLI, list tables with aws dynamodb list-tables, then run aws dynamodb describe-table --table-name MyTable --query "Table.[ItemCount,TableSizeBytes,CreationDateTime]" for each one. Repeat in every Region you use.
Add up TableSizeBytes and divide by 1073741824 for GB. Recent writes may not show, because the values update about every six hours.

Plan and role. No special plan is needed. You need IAM permissions for dynamodb:ListTables and dynamodb:DescribeTable in each Region that has tables.

What to report on the Polyshares intake.

Report Amazon DynamoDB in GB. The intake also asks how many years the company has used it and how many seats it has.

On the Polyshares intake, report the summed TableSizeBytes in GB. Global secondary indexes report their own IndexSizeBytes, so leave those out, and replicas in global tables are copies. For billing, DynamoDB adds 100 bytes of overhead per item that DescribeTable does not include. For years in use, CreationDateTime gives each table's start date; for seats, count the users or accounts whose items the tables hold.

Export the full history.

Turn on point-in-time recovery. On the table's Backups tab, under Point in Time Recovery, choose Edit and turn it on, or run aws dynamodb update-continuous-backups --table-name MyTable --point-in-time-recovery-specification PointInTimeRecoveryEnabled=true
In the console, choose Exports to S3 > Export to S3, pick the source table and destination bucket, choose Full export, and set Exported file format to DynamoDB JSON or Amazon Ion. From the CLI: aws dynamodb export-table-to-point-in-time --table-arn arn:aws:dynamodb:REGION:ACCOUNT:table/MyTable --s3-bucket my-bucket --export-format DYNAMODB_JSON
Wait for the export status to change from PENDING to COMPLETED. Data lands under AWSDynamoDB/ExportId/data/ as gzip-compressed files, and manifest-summary.json records the item count.

Exports require PITR and can only use a point in time within the recovery period, which you set from 1 to 35 days. A full export is a snapshot of the table at one moment, not a change history; incremental exports cover changed items over windows of 15 minutes to 24 hours. Exports run asynchronously, do not consume read capacity and do not affect table performance. They are charged on table size, plus S3 storage and requests, and exported data is not transactionally consistent.

The intake only needs the size, so you do not have to run an export to fill it in. You also do not need to clean or scrub an export. Polyshares handles anonymization before anything moves.

Why Amazon DynamoDB data has value for AI training.

DynamoDB often backs the busiest paths in an application: sessions, orders, device state, messages and event records keyed by customer and time. A full export captures every item with its attributes, which gives a large record of how an application's users and systems actually behave.

What stays private.

Exports go to an S3 bucket you own, so attributes such as tokens or personal fields can be stripped before any file is shared.

We anonymize identifying details before anything moves. Polyshares does that work, so your team does not have to scrub records first.

Your company keeps ownership of its data. The license is bounded to defined material and a defined use.

Polyshares is the buyer and pays your company directly. There is no fee or commission, and Polyshares reviews the record before it makes any offer.

Common questions about Amazon DynamoDB data.

Why hasn't the item count changed after I added data?

DynamoDB updates ItemCount and TableSizeBytes approximately every six hours, so recent changes may not be reflected yet.

Do I have to turn on point-in-time recovery to export?

Yes. An export request for a table without PITR fails. PITR is billed based on table size while it is on.

Will an export slow down my table?

No. Exports are asynchronous, do not use read capacity units and have no impact on table performance or availability.

Source: Amazon DynamoDB API Reference: TableDescription, Amazon DynamoDB: Data export to Amazon S3, how it works, Amazon DynamoDB: Requesting a table export. Checked September 2026.

Put your numbers on the intake.

List your systems, their sizes and your headcount in one intake. Polyshares reviews the record and prices it. There is no fee or commission to your company.