What causes DataConsistencyFailedToGetSourceFileMetadata?

Failed to get source 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 Integration runtime configuration is incorrect or outdated.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 DataConsistencyFailedToGetSourceFileMetadata?

Check whether the source file was deleted, moved, or renamed after ADF listed it — this race condition occurs when upstream processes write to the same storage location during the copy.. If the source storage account has been reconfigured (firewall rules changed, SAS token expired, managed identity permissions revoked), fix the access issue and retry — the metadata read uses the same credentials as the data read.. Disable the 'Data consistency validation' setting in the copy activity if the source storage does not support metadata reads (some connectors have limited metadata API support) — go to Settings in the copy activity and turn off the validation.. Add a retry policy to the copy activity — if the source file is written by an upstream process, a brief unavailability during the write can cause transient metadata failures that resolve on retry.. Check the ADF Monitor output for the specific storage error code — it indicates whether this is a permissions issue, a transient network failure, or a file-not-found error.

Medium severitydata source

Power BI Refresh Error:
DataConsistencyFailedToGetSourceFileMetadata

What does this error mean?

ADF could not retrieve the file metadata from the source to perform data consistency validation. The source file may have been deleted or modified during the copy operation.

Common causes

1Failed to get source 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2Integration runtime configuration is incorrect or outdated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

1Check whether the source file was deleted, moved, or renamed after ADF listed it — this race condition occurs when upstream processes write to the same storage location during the copy.
2If the source storage account has been reconfigured (firewall rules changed, SAS token expired, managed identity permissions revoked), fix the access issue and retry — the metadata read uses the same credentials as the data read.
3Disable the 'Data consistency validation' setting in the copy activity if the source storage does not support metadata reads (some connectors have limited metadata API support) — go to Settings in the copy activity and turn off the validation.
4Add a retry policy to the copy activity — if the source file is written by an upstream process, a brief unavailability during the write can cause transient metadata failures that resolve on retry.
5Check the ADF Monitor output for the specific storage error code — it indicates whether this is a permissions issue, a transient network failure, or a file-not-found error.

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