# GetItem
<a name="API_GetItem_v20111205"></a>

**Important**  
***This section refers to API version 2011-12-05, which is deprecated and should not be used for new applications.***  
 **For documentation on the current low-level API, see the [Amazon DynamoDB API Reference](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/amazondynamodb/latest/APIReference/).**

## Description
<a name="API_GetItem_Description"></a>

The `GetItem` operation returns a set of `Attributes` for an item that matches the primary key. If there is no matching item, `GetItem` does not return any data.

The `GetItem` operation provides an eventually consistent read by default. If eventually consistent reads are not acceptable for your application, use `ConsistentRead`. Although this operation might take longer than a standard read, it always returns the last updated value. For more information, see [DynamoDB read consistency](HowItWorks.ReadConsistency.md).

## Requests
<a name="API_GetItem_RequestParameters"></a>

### Syntax
<a name="API_GetItem_RequestParameters.syntax"></a>

```
// This header is abbreviated.
// For a sample of a complete header, see DynamoDB low-level API.
POST / HTTP/1.1 
x-amz-target: DynamoDB_20111205.GetItem
content-type: application/x-amz-json-1.0 

{"TableName":"Table1",
 	"Key": 
		{"HashKeyElement": {"S":"AttributeValue1"},
		"RangeKeyElement": {"N":"AttributeValue2"} 
	},
	"AttributesToGet":["AttributeName3","AttributeName4"],
	"ConsistentRead":Boolean
}
```


****  

|  Name  |  Description  |  Required | 
| --- | --- | --- | 
|  TableName  |  The name of the table containing the requested item.  Type: String  |  Yes  | 
|  Key  | The primary key values that define the item. For more information about primary keys, see [Primary key](HowItWorks.CoreComponents.md#HowItWorks.CoreComponents.PrimaryKey).Type: Map of `HashKeyElement` to its value and `RangeKeyElement` to its value. | Yes | 
| AttributesToGet  | Array of Attribute names. If attribute names are not specified then all attributes will be returned. If some attributes are not found, they will not appear in the result.Type: Array | No | 
| ConsistentRead  | If set to `true`, then a consistent read is issued, otherwise eventually consistent is used.Type: Boolean | No | 

## Responses
<a name="API_GetItem_ResponseElements"></a>

### Syntax
<a name="API_GetItem_ResponseElements.syntax"></a>

```
HTTP/1.1 200 
x-amzn-RequestId: 8966d095-71e9-11e0-a498-71d736f27375 
content-type: application/x-amz-json-1.0
content-length: 144

{"Item":{
	"AttributeName3":{"S":"AttributeValue3"},
	"AttributeName4":{"N":"AttributeValue4"},
	"AttributeName5":{"B":"dmFsdWU="}
	},
"ConsumedCapacityUnits": 0.5
}
```


****  

|  Name  |  Description  | 
| --- | --- | 
|  Item  | Contains the requested attributes.Type: Map of attribute name-value pairs. | 
| ConsumedCapacityUnits | The number of read capacity units consumed by the operation. This value shows the number applied toward your provisioned throughput. Requests for non-existent items consume the minimum read capacity units, depending on the type of read. For more information see [DynamoDB provisioned capacity mode](provisioned-capacity-mode.md). Type: Number | 

## Special errors
<a name="API_GetItem_SpecialErrors"></a>

No errors specific to this operation.

## Examples
<a name="API_GetItem_Examples"></a>

 For examples using the AWS SDK, see [Working with items and attributes in DynamoDB](WorkingWithItems.md).

### Sample request
<a name="API_GetItem_Examples_Request"></a>

```
// This header is abbreviated.
// For a sample of a complete header, see DynamoDB low-level API.
POST / HTTP/1.1 
x-amz-target: DynamoDB_20111205.GetItem
content-type: application/x-amz-json-1.0 

{"TableName":"comptable",
	"Key":
		{"HashKeyElement":{"S":"Julie"},
		"RangeKeyElement":{"N":"1307654345"}},
	"AttributesToGet":["status","friends"],
	"ConsistentRead":true
}
```

### Sample response
<a name="API_GetItem_Examples_Response"></a>

Notice the ConsumedCapacityUnits value is 1, because the optional parameter `ConsistentRead` is set to `true`. If `ConsistentRead` is set to `false` (or not specified) for the same request, the response is eventually consistent and the ConsumedCapacityUnits value would be 0.5.

```
HTTP/1.1 200 
x-amzn-RequestId: 8966d095-71e9-11e0-a498-71d736f27375 
content-type: application/x-amz-json-1.0
content-length: 72

{"Item":
	{"friends":{"SS":["Lynda, Aaron"]},
	"status":{"S":"online"}
	},
"ConsumedCapacityUnits": 1
}
```