How to fix BackupNotFoundException: Backup not found in DynamoDB

DynamoDBINTERMEDIATEMEDIUMUpdated Dec 29, 2025· 119 views

This error occurs when you attempt to access or restore a DynamoDB backup using a BackupARN that does not exist, has been deleted, or is in a different AWS region. Verify the backup exists and the ARN is correct before attempting operations.

Quick fix

Fixes BackupNotFoundException: Backup not found

arn:aws:dynamodb:region:account-id:table/table-name/backup/backup-id
  1. Verify the backup ARN format and contents
  2. List available backups to find the correct ARN
  3. Check the backup status
  4. Confirm you are in the correct AWS region
dynamodb — error
arn:aws:dynamodb:region:account-id:table/table-name/backup/backup-id
BackupNotFoundException: Backup not found

What this error means

The BackupNotFoundException error indicates that DynamoDB cannot find the backup you're trying to access. This is a client fault error thrown by backup operations like DescribeBackup, DeleteBackup, or RestoreTableFromBackup when the provided backup ARN does not correspond to an existing backup in the specified AWS account and region. The backup may have been previously deleted, the ARN may be malformed or incorrect, or you may be querying in the wrong region.

Typical symptoms

  • DescribeBackup, RestoreTableFromBackup, or DeleteBackup API calls fail with BackupNotFoundException
  • AWS Management Console shows a 'Backup not found' error when attempting to restore
  • Terraform or CloudFormation deployments fail when referencing a backup ARN
  • Scripts that worked previously suddenly fail with this error after some time
  • Cross-region restore attempts fail with backup not found errors

Common causes

  1. The backup ARN is incorrect or contains a typo in the table name, backup ID, region, or account ID
  2. The backup was already deleted by a previous operation or user
  3. You are querying a different AWS region than where the backup was created
  4. You are using an AWS account that does not own the backup
  5. The backup exists but is not in an AVAILABLE state (still CREATING or already DELETED)
  6. The backup was created using AWS Backup service and you are trying to access it via DynamoDB API

How to fix "BackupNotFoundException: Backup not found"

1Verify the backup ARN format and contents

Check that your backup ARN follows the correct format and contains accurate information:

bash
arn:aws:dynamodb:region:account-id:table/table-name/backup/backup-id

Example:

bash
arn:aws:dynamodb:us-east-1:123456789012:table/MyTable/backup/01234567890123-abcdefgh

Verify each component:
- region: Must match where the backup was created (e.g., us-east-1, eu-west-1)
- account-id: Must be your AWS account ID
- table-name: Must exactly match your table name (case-sensitive)
- backup-id: Must be the correct backup identifier

2List available backups to find the correct ARN

Use the AWS CLI to list all backups for your table and verify it exists:

bash
aws dynamodb list-backups --region us-east-1

Or list backups for a specific table:

bash
aws dynamodb list-backups --table-name MyTable --region us-east-1

Look for your backup in the output and copy the exact BackupArn value. The backup status must be AVAILABLE to use it for restore operations.

3Check the backup status

If you have a backup ARN, verify its current status using describe-backup:

bash
aws dynamodb describe-backup \
  --backup-arn arn:aws:dynamodb:us-east-1:123456789012:table/MyTable/backup/01234567890123-abcdefgh \
  --region us-east-1

The response includes BackupStatus which should be AVAILABLE. If the backup is not found, the command will fail with BackupNotFoundException. If the status is CREATING or DELETING, wait for the operation to complete.

4Confirm you are in the correct AWS region

DynamoDB backups are region-specific. Ensure your CLI/SDK is configured for the correct region:

bash
# Set region explicitly in the command
aws dynamodb list-backups --region us-east-1

# Or check your default region
aws configure get region

# Change default region if needed
aws configure set region us-east-1

If you created the backup in one region (e.g., us-east-1) but are trying to restore it in another (e.g., eu-west-1), you must first specify the correct region or copy the backup to the target region.

5Retry the operation with the correct backup ARN

Once you have verified the backup exists and obtained the correct ARN, retry your operation:

javascript
const { DynamoDBClient, RestoreTableFromBackupCommand } = require('@aws-sdk/client-dynamodb');

const client = new DynamoDBClient({ region: 'us-east-1' });

const command = new RestoreTableFromBackupCommand({
  BackupArn: 'arn:aws:dynamodb:us-east-1:123456789012:table/MyTable/backup/01234567890123-abcdefgh',
  TargetTableName: 'MyTable-Restored'
});

const response = await client.send(command);
console.log('Restore initiated:', response.TableDescription.TableArn);

Or using Python/boto3:

python
import boto3

dynamodb = boto3.client('dynamodb', region_name='us-east-1')

response = dynamodb.restore_table_from_backup(
    TargetTableName='MyTable-Restored',
    BackupArn='arn:aws:dynamodb:us-east-1:123456789012:table/MyTable/backup/01234567890123-abcdefgh'
)

print('Restore initiated:', response['TableDescription']['TableArn'])

Advanced notes

If you created backups using AWS Backup service (rather than DynamoDB's on-demand backup feature), you cannot access them directly via the DynamoDB API using standard backup ARNs. AWS Backup backups use recovery points instead, which must be managed through the AWS Backup console or API. To check if a backup is from AWS Backup, look at the BackupType field in list-backups output—it will show AWS_BACKUP instead of USER. For cross-region restore scenarios, ensure you've copied the backup to the target region first using the AWS Backup service. Additionally, ensure your IAM user or role has the dynamodb:DescribeBackup, dynamodb:RestoreTableFromBackup, and related permissions. Rate limits for DynamoDB backup operations are 50 requests per second for CreateBackup and DeleteBackup, and 10 requests per second for RestoreTableFromBackup per account.

Frequently asked questions

What does "BackupNotFoundException: Backup not found" mean?
The BackupNotFoundException error indicates that DynamoDB cannot find the backup you're trying to access. This is a client fault error thrown by backup operations like DescribeBackup, DeleteBackup, or RestoreTableFromBackup when the provided backup ARN does not correspond to an existing backup in the specified AWS account and region. The backup may have been previously deleted, the ARN may be malformed or incorrect, or you may be querying in the wrong region.
How do I fix "BackupNotFoundException: Backup not found"?
This error occurs when you attempt to access or restore a DynamoDB backup using a BackupARN that does not exist, has been deleted, or is in a different AWS region. Verify the backup exists and the ARN is correct before attempting operations.
What causes "BackupNotFoundException: Backup not found"?
The backup ARN is incorrect or contains a typo in the table name, backup ID, region, or account ID The backup was already deleted by a previous operation or user You are querying a different AWS region than where the backup was created
Is the "BackupNotFoundException: Backup not found" error serious?
It is a medium-severity error — more of a blocker than a risk. The steps above resolve it.

Official resources & further reading