What causes DatabricksUnityNotConfiguredError?

The catalog field is absent from the dbt profile, and the target uses a three-part identifier (catalog.schema.table). The Databricks workspace does not have Unity Catalog enabled. The cluster or SQL warehouse used is not configured for Unity Catalog access. The service principal lacks USE CATALOG privilege on the target catalog

How do I fix DatabricksUnityNotConfiguredError?

Step 1: Add the catalog field to the dbt profile under your Databricks target: catalog: my_catalog.. Step 2: Confirm Unity Catalog is enabled in the Databricks workspace admin settings.. Step 3: Ensure the SQL warehouse or cluster is Unity Catalog-compatible — single-user or shared access mode is required.. Step 4: Grant the service principal USE CATALOG on the target catalog: GRANT USE CATALOG ON CATALOG TO ;. Step 5: Run dbt debug to validate the profile and confirm the Databricks connection resolves correctly.

High severityconfiguration

Power BI Refresh Error:
DatabricksUnityNotConfiguredError

What does this error mean?

The dbt-databricks adapter attempted to use Unity Catalog features but the profile is missing a catalog value, or the workspace and compute are not Unity Catalog-enabled.

Common causes

1The catalog field is absent from the dbt profile, and the target uses a three-part identifier (catalog.schema.table)
2The Databricks workspace does not have Unity Catalog enabled
3The cluster or SQL warehouse used is not configured for Unity Catalog access
4The service principal lacks USE CATALOG privilege on the target catalog

How to fix it

1Step 1: Add the catalog field to the dbt profile under your Databricks target: catalog: my_catalog.
2Step 2: Confirm Unity Catalog is enabled in the Databricks workspace admin settings.
3Step 3: Ensure the SQL warehouse or cluster is Unity Catalog-compatible — single-user or shared access mode is required.
4Step 4: Grant the service principal USE CATALOG on the target catalog: GRANT USE CATALOG ON CATALOG <name> TO <service_principal>;
5Step 5: Run dbt debug to validate the profile and confirm the Databricks connection resolves correctly.

Frequently asked questions

Is the catalog field required in every dbt-databricks profile?

It is required when models use three-part identifiers (catalog.schema.table). For legacy Hive Metastore targets using two-part identifiers (schema.table), the catalog field can be omitted.

Can I use Unity Catalog and the Hive Metastore in the same dbt project?

Yes — you can have multiple dbt targets: one pointing to Unity Catalog (with catalog) and one to Hive Metastore (without catalog). Use environment-specific profiles or --target flags to switch.