What causes DataConsistencyFailedToGetSinkFileMetadata?

Failed to get sink file metadata for data consistency check. Integration runtime configuration is incorrect or outdated. Authentication credentials or permissions are insufficient. The feature or setting is not supported for the selected connector or copy mode

How do I fix DataConsistencyFailedToGetSinkFileMetadata?

Verify the pipeline identity has 'Storage Blob Data Reader' on the sink storage account — ADF reads the file metadata after writing to verify consistency, so read access is required even for write operations.. Check whether the sink storage account's firewall or network settings changed since the last successful run — if the sink storage now restricts access, ADF cannot read back the file metadata after writing.. Disable the 'Data consistency validation' setting in the copy activity if consistent verification is not strictly required — go to the copy activity Settings tab and turn off the validation feature to stop this error.. Add a retry policy to the copy activity — a transient storage API throttle or momentary network issue can cause the metadata read to fail right after the write completes.. Review the ADF Monitor for the specific storage error code in the inner error — a 403 Forbidden indicates a permissions issue, while a 503 indicates throttling or temporary unavailability.

Medium severitydata source

Power BI Refresh Error:
DataConsistencyFailedToGetSinkFileMetadata

What does this error mean?

ADF could not retrieve the file metadata from the sink to verify the copy completed successfully. Check sink storage permissions and that the file was written.

Common causes

1Failed to get sink file metadata for data consistency check
2Integration runtime configuration is incorrect or outdated
3Authentication credentials or permissions are insufficient
4The feature or setting is not supported for the selected connector or copy mode

How to fix it

1Verify the pipeline identity has 'Storage Blob Data Reader' on the sink storage account — ADF reads the file metadata after writing to verify consistency, so read access is required even for write operations.
2Check whether the sink storage account's firewall or network settings changed since the last successful run — if the sink storage now restricts access, ADF cannot read back the file metadata after writing.
3Disable the 'Data consistency validation' setting in the copy activity if consistent verification is not strictly required — go to the copy activity Settings tab and turn off the validation feature to stop this error.
4Add a retry policy to the copy activity — a transient storage API throttle or momentary network issue can cause the metadata read to fail right after the write completes.
5Review the ADF Monitor for the specific storage error code in the inner error — a 403 Forbidden indicates a permissions issue, while a 503 indicates throttling or temporary unavailability.

Frequently asked questions

Does this error affect all pipeline runs or just the current one?

Depends on the root cause. A persistent misconfiguration fails every run; a transient issue may resolve on retry. Check the run history.

Can this error appear in Azure Data Factory and Microsoft Fabric pipelines?

Yes — the same connector errors appear in both ADF and Fabric Data Factory pipelines.

How do I see the full error detail for an ADF pipeline failure?

In ADF Monitor, click the failed run, then the failed activity. The detail pane shows the error code, message, and sub-error codes.

Will downstream Power BI datasets be affected when an ADF pipeline fails?

Yes — a dataset refreshing after the pipeline will use stale data or fail if the target table was cleared. The Power BI refresh may succeed while serving wrong data.

Official documentation: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-factory/connector-troubleshoot-guide