How to fix ContinuousBackupsUnavailableException: Continuous backups are not enabled on the table in DynamoDB

First, verify whether continuous backups are enabled on your table using the AWS CLI:

aws dynamodb describe-continuous-backups --table-name YOUR_TABLE_NAME

Look at the PointInTimeRecoveryDescription object. If PointInTimeRecoveryStatus shows DISABLED, continuous backups are not enabled. The output will look like:

{
  "ContinuousBackupsDescription": {
    "PointInTimeRecoveryDescription": {
      "PointInTimeRecoveryStatus": "DISABLED"
    }
  }
}

Enable point-in-time recovery for your table by running:

aws dynamodb update-continuous-backups \
    --table-name YOUR_TABLE_NAME \
    --point-in-time-recovery-specification PointInTimeRecoveryEnabled=true

Replace YOUR_TABLE_NAME with your actual DynamoDB table name. This command enables continuous backups immediately and DynamoDB will start creating recovery points.

After enabling, verify the status changed to ENABLED:

aws dynamodb describe-continuous-backups --table-name YOUR_TABLE_NAME

You should see:

{
  "ContinuousBackupsDescription": {
    "PointInTimeRecoveryDescription": {
      "PointInTimeRecoveryStatus": "ENABLED",
      "EarliestRestorableDateTime": "2025-01-01T14:30:00Z",
      "LatestRestorableDateTime": "2025-01-02T14:30:00Z"
    }
  }
}

Note the EarliestRestorableDateTime - DynamoDB needs time to capture recovery points, so the earliest restore time may be current time minus a few minutes.

If you prefer using the AWS Console instead of CLI:

1. Navigate to the DynamoDB console
2. In the left sidebar, select Tables
3. Click on your table name
4. Go to the Backups tab
5. Under Point in Time Recovery, click Edit
6. Toggle Turn on point-in-time recovery to enabled
7. Click Save changes

The console will confirm when PITR has been enabled.

Once continuous backups are enabled, you can restore to a point in time. You can restore using:

aws dynamodb restore-table-to-point-in-time \
    --source-table-name YOUR_TABLE_NAME \
    --target-table-name YOUR_TABLE_NAME_RESTORED \
    --restore-date-time 2025-01-02T10:00:00Z

Or use the AWS Console: Go to your table's Backups tab and select Restore to point in time.

Important: Restores always create a new table, not replacing the original. You can then rename or migrate data as needed.