How to Truncate a Table in Snowflake

Last updated July 24, 2026 · By the SaturnSQL team

TRUNCATE TABLE removes all rows instantly while keeping the table structure, grants, and clustering keys. Unlike DROP, the table stays; unlike DELETE, no WHERE clause is possible.

TRUNCATE TABLE orders;

Truncated data remains recoverable via Time Travel for the retention period, so a mistaken TRUNCATE is not fatal: recreate the data with CREATE TABLE ... CLONE ... AT or an INSERT from a historical SELECT.

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