aws s3 rm: Delete Objects from S3 in CI

Remove one or many objects from an S3 bucket or prefix.

aws s3 rm deletes objects from S3. With --recursive it removes everything under a prefix. In CI it is used to clean up old build artifacts, expired preview environments, or temporary upload paths.

Common flags

--recursive - delete all objects under a prefix
--exclude / --include - filter which objects are deleted
--dryrun - list what would be deleted without deleting
--quiet - suppress per-object output

Example in CI

Tear down a preview environment prefix.

shell

aws s3 rm s3://${PREVIEW_BUCKET}/pr-${PR_NUMBER} --recursive

Common errors in CI

An error occurred (AccessDenied) - IAM policy lacks s3:DeleteObject
Unable to locate credentials - OIDC role not configured in the job
The specified key does not exist - prefix typo; nothing matches

Key takeaways

aws s3 rm deletes objects; --recursive clears an entire prefix.
Always test destructive deletes with --dryrun first in CI.
AccessDenied means the role is missing s3:DeleteObject.

Related guides

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