How do I use a lifecycle configuration rule to empty an S3 bucket?

Resolution

Note: If you receive errors when you run AWS Command Line Interface (AWS CLI) commands, then see Troubleshooting errors for the AWS CLI. Also, make sure that you're using the most recent AWS CLI version.

Note: This lifecycle configuration guidance applies only to general-purpose Amazon S3 buckets. Directory buckets have different lifecycle management requirements. Table buckets don't support lifecycle configuration rules.

Important: The following resolution permanently deletes all data in your S3 bucket. Because you can't recover the data, review all objects and data in the bucket before you delete them.

To empty a bucket with a lifecycle configuration rule, use either the console or the AWS CLI.

Using the console

You can create a lifecycle configuration rule in the console that expires current versions of objects and permanently deletes previous versions of objects. To create the rule, complete the following steps:

1. Open the Amazon S3 console.
2. From the list of general-purpose buckets, select the bucket that you want to empty.
3. Choose the Management tab.
4. Choose Create lifecycle rule.
5. For Lifecycle rule name, enter a rule name.
6. For Choose a rule scope, choose Apply to all objects in the bucket.
7. Select I acknowledge that this rule will apply to all objects in the bucket.
8. For Lifecycle rule actions, select the following options:
   Expire current versions of objects
   Permanently delete noncurrent versions of objects
   Delete expired object delete markers or incomplete multipart uploads
9. In the Expire current versions of objects field, for the Days after object creation field, enter 1.
10. In the Permanently delete noncurrent versions of objects field, for the Days after objects become noncurrent field, enter 1.
11. To delete all versions, keep the Number of newer versions to retain (Optional) field empty.
12. Select Delete incomplete multipart uploads, and then enter 1 for the Number of days field.
13. Choose Create rule.
14. To create a second lifecycle rule, repeat steps 4-7.
15. Select Delete expired object delete markers or incomplete multipart uploads.
16. Select Delete expired object delete markers.
17. Choose Create rule.

Amazon S3 runs lifecycle configuration rules once a day. After the first time Amazon S3 runs the rules, it marks for deletion all objects that are eligible for expiration. You're no longer charged for objects that you mark for deletion.

Amazon S3 asynchronously expires object versions and removes delete markers. It might take the rules a few days to run before the bucket is empty. For more information about asynchronous object removal in Amazon S3, see Expiring objects.

Using the AWS CLI

You can use the AWS CLI to create a lifecycle rule to empty your S3 bucket. Complete the following steps:

1. Create a file with your JSON content, such as lifecycle-rules.json. The following code example shows a set of lifecycle rules:

   {  "Rules": [{  
         "Expiration": {  
           "Days": 1  
         },  
         "ID": "FullDelete",  
         "Filter": {  
           "Prefix": ""  
         },  
         "Status": "Enabled",  
         "NoncurrentVersionExpiration": {  
           "NoncurrentDays": 1  
         },  
         "AbortIncompleteMultipartUpload": {  
           "DaysAfterInitiation": 1  
         }  
       },  
       {  
         "Expiration": {  
           "ExpiredObjectDeleteMarker": true  
         },  
         "ID": "DeleteMarkers",  
         "Filter": {  
           "Prefix": ""  
         },  
         "Status": "Enabled"  
       }  
     ]  
   }

2. Run the put-bucket-lifecycle-configuration command to create or update your lifecycle configuration. The following command uses a JSON file named lifecycle-rules.json:

   aws s3api put-bucket-lifecycle-configuration --bucket delete-marker-testing-demo --lifecycle-configuration file://lifecycle-rules.json

Note: You can add a prefix filter to the JSON content to apply the rule only at the prefix level. The following is an example command:

"Filter": {  "Prefix": "folder1/"  
},

Related information

Removing expired object delete markers in a versioning-enabled bucket

Managing the lifecycle of objects

How do I delete Amazon S3 objects and buckets?

Deleting a general purpose bucket

Setting an S3 Lifecycle configuration on a bucket