AWS CLI — Databases (RDS & DynamoDB) Cheat Sheet 2026

AWS CLI Databases (RDS & DynamoDB) Cheat Sheet is the complete quick-reference of AWS CLI Databases (RDS & DynamoDB) commands grouped by function. Copy any command with one click and find what you need with Ctrl+F in under 3 seconds.

Databases (RDS & DynamoDB)

Action	Command	Useful flags
Display help for a specific RDS subcommand	`aws rds <subcommand> help`
Stop instance	`aws rds stop-db-instance --db-instance-identifier <instance_identifier>`	`--db-instance-identifier`
Start instance	`aws rds start-db-instance --db-instance-identifier <instance_identifier>`	`--db-instance-identifier`
Modify an RDS instance	`aws rds modify-db-instance --db-instance-identifier <instance_identifier> <parameters> --apply-immediately`	`--db-instance-identifier --apply-immediately`
Apply updates to an RDS instance	`aws rds apply-pending-maintenance-action --resource-identifier <database_arn> --apply-action <system-update> --opt-in-type <immediate>`	`--resource-identifier --apply-action --opt-in-type`
Change an instance identifier	`aws rds modify-db-instance --db-instance-identifier <old_instance_identifier> --new-db-instance-identifier <new_instance_identifier>`	`--db-instance-identifier --new-db-instance-identifier`
Reboot an instance	`aws rds reboot-db-instance --db-instance-identifier <instance_identifier>`	`--db-instance-identifier`
Delete an instance	`aws rds delete-db-instance --db-instance-identifier <instance_identifier> --final-db-snapshot-identifier <snapshot_identifier> --delete-automated-backups`	`--db-instance-identifier --final-db-snapshot-identifier --delete-automated-backups`
Create a table	`aws dynamodb create-table --table-name <table_name> --attribute-definitions <AttributeName=S,AttributeType=S> --key-schema <AttributeName=S,KeyType=HASH> --provisioned-throughput <ReadCapacityUnits=5,WriteCapacityUnits=5>`	`--table-name --attribute-definitions --key-schema --provisioned-throughput`
List all tables in the DynamoDB	`aws dynamodb list-tables`
Get details about a specific table	`aws dynamodb describe-table --table-name <table_name>`	`--table-name`
Add an item to a table	`aws dynamodb put-item --table-name <table_name> --item '<{"AttributeName": {"S": "value">}}'`	`--table-name --item`

⚠️ Dangerous / Destructive Commands

These commands are irreversible. Verify your environment (dev/staging vs prod) before running them.

Action	Command	Warning
⚠️ Rds delete-db-instance	`aws rds delete-db-instance --db-instance-identifier <instance_identifier> --final-db-snapshot-identifier <snapshot_identifier> --delete-automated-backups`	Irreversible — verify the target before running

FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Databases (RDS & DynamoDB) and the other groups?

Each group in this AWS CLI cheat sheet covers a distinct area. Databases (RDS & DynamoDB) focuses on its specific scope, while the other groups and the remaining groups cover networking, storage, security and diagnostics respectively.

How do I check the installed AWS CLI version?

Run the version command (usually aws version or aws --version). The output shows the client and, when applicable, the server version.

Why does AWS CLI return ‘permission denied’?

A ‘permission denied’ error in AWS CLI usually means the current user lacks sufficient privileges or credentials are not configured. Check: (1) assigned IAM/RBAC roles, (2) an active authentication context via the corresponding login command.

How do I filter AWS CLI output by status or name?

Use flags such as --filter, --selector or --query depending on the tool. You can also pipe into grep or jq to process JSON:

aws list | grep RUNNING

What is the fastest way to debug a AWS CLI error?

Add the verbose flag (--verbose, -v or --debug) to the failing command. This reveals the underlying HTTP/API calls and the full error response body.

Official sources & references

Commands cross-checked against vendor documentation and high-authority repositories:

raw.githubusercontent.com