How to Truncate a Table in Redshift

Last updated July 25, 2026 · By the SaturnSQL team

TRUNCATE removes all rows instantly and reclaims the space without a VACUUM. The gotcha: unlike Postgres, TRUNCATE in Redshift commits the current transaction immediately and cannot be rolled back.

TRUNCATE TABLE session_logs;

Because TRUNCATE issues an implicit COMMIT, never mix it with other statements you might want to roll back. If you need a reversible full delete inside a transaction, use DELETE FROM without a WHERE clause and accept the VACUUM cost afterwards.

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