What causes INVALID_ARGUMENT?

A Spark configuration key or value in the cluster config is not valid for the selected DBR version. A cluster policy violation — a policy constraint rejected a configuration value. An init script received an argument or environment variable that it cannot parse. An API call to create or modify the cluster passed an unsupported field or value. A recently updated cluster configuration introduced an invalid Spark property

How do I fix INVALID_ARGUMENT?

Open the cluster event log and look for the specific invalid argument message. Review recent changes to the cluster configuration — Spark config keys, instance types, or policy settings. Check the cluster policy for any constraints that may be rejecting the configured value. Validate Spark configuration key names against the DBR version documentation. If the cluster is created via API or Terraform, validate the API payload against the Databricks Clusters API schema

High severitycluster

Power BI Refresh Error:
INVALID_ARGUMENT

What does this error mean?

A Databricks cluster was terminated because it received an invalid argument — typically from a misconfigured Spark config, cluster policy, init script parameter, or API call with an unsupported value.

Common causes

1A Spark configuration key or value in the cluster config is not valid for the selected DBR version
2A cluster policy violation — a policy constraint rejected a configuration value
3An init script received an argument or environment variable that it cannot parse
4An API call to create or modify the cluster passed an unsupported field or value
5A recently updated cluster configuration introduced an invalid Spark property

How to fix it

1Open the cluster event log and look for the specific invalid argument message
2Review recent changes to the cluster configuration — Spark config keys, instance types, or policy settings
3Check the cluster policy for any constraints that may be rejecting the configured value
4Validate Spark configuration key names against the DBR version documentation
5If the cluster is created via API or Terraform, validate the API payload against the Databricks Clusters API schema

Frequently asked questions

How do I find which argument was invalid?

Open the cluster in the Databricks UI → Event Log. The termination event usually contains the specific key or value that triggered the error.

Can a cluster policy cause INVALID_ARGUMENT?

Yes — if a cluster configuration violates a workspace policy (e.g., a node type not permitted by the policy), the cluster may be rejected or terminated with INVALID_ARGUMENT.