DynamoDB export — Point in time recovery is not enabled

TL;DR — Export to Amazon S3 (ExportTableToPointInTime) requires Point-in-Time Recovery (PITR) on the source table. If PITR is off you get PointInTimeRecoveryUnavailableException: Point in time recovery is not enabled for table '<name>'. Enable PITR, wait for it to become active, then request the export.

What it means

An error occurred (PointInTimeRecoveryUnavailableException) when calling the
ExportTableToPointInTime operation: Point in time recovery is not enabled for
table 'my-dynamodb-table'

DynamoDB's full and incremental export to S3 feature reads from the table's PITR continuous backups, not from live table capacity. That's why it never consumes RCUs and can export a table's state at any point in the recovery window — but it only works when PITR is enabled. No PITR, no export.

Why it happens

• PITR was never turned on for the table (it's off by default).
• PITR was recently enabled but isn't ACTIVE yet, or the requested ExportTime predates the point PITR started tracking.
• Wrong table/region — the export targets a table (or region replica) that doesn't have PITR configured.
• ExportTime outside the recovery window — PITR retains the last 35 days; an earlier timestamp isn't available.

How to fix it

1. Enable PITR on the source table — UpdateContinuousBackups with PointInTimeRecoveryEnabled: true, or toggle it in the console under Backups.
2. Wait until PITR is ACTIVE before exporting; check with DescribeContinuousBackups.
3. Keep ExportTime inside the window — within the last 35 days and at or after the moment PITR was enabled. Omit it to export the current point in time.
4. Confirm the IAM permissions — the caller needs dynamodb:ExportTableToPointInTime plus s3:PutObject/s3:AbortMultipartUpload on the destination bucket.
5. Target the right table ARN and region in the export request.

Need to move a table's data around after the export, or verify what actually landed in S3? The DynoTable desktop app imports and browses DynamoDB JSON so you can confirm the exported items match the source.

Related errors

• BackupNotFoundException — a referenced on-demand backup ARN doesn't exist.
• ResourceNotFoundException — the table itself wasn't found.
• Learn: DynamoDB backup & PITR