What causes MacroInvalidDispatchArgError?

A macro is called with a positional argument where a keyword argument is required, or vice versa. A `dbt_utils` or `dbt_date` macro is called with an argument that was renamed or removed in a package version upgrade. A custom dispatch macro is defined for one adapter (e.g., Snowflake) but the project is running against a different adapter (e.g., BigQuery) with no fallback. The `dispatch` list in dbt_project.yml points to a namespace that does not contain the macro being called. A macro uses `adapter.dispatch()` with a macro name that has a typo or does not exist in the specified package

How do I fix MacroInvalidDispatchArgError?

Check the exact macro name and all argument names in the calling model or macro against the macro definition or package documentation.. Run `dbt compile --select ` to surface the full traceback showing which macro call failed and what arguments were passed.. If the error appeared after a package upgrade, check the package's CHANGELOG for breaking argument changes and update all call sites.. Verify your `dispatch` config in dbt_project.yml — the namespace ordering determines which implementation is used for each adapter.. Test the macro call in isolation with `dbt run-operation --args '{arg: value}'` before embedding it in a model.

Medium severityconfiguration

Power BI Refresh Error:
MacroInvalidDispatchArgError

What does this error mean?

dbt could not dispatch a macro call because the arguments passed do not match any of the available macro signatures for the target adapter. This typically occurs when using adapter-specific macros (e.g., dbt_utils cross-database macros) or when calling a custom macro with wrong argument names or types.

Common causes

1A macro is called with a positional argument where a keyword argument is required, or vice versa
2A `dbt_utils` or `dbt_date` macro is called with an argument that was renamed or removed in a package version upgrade
3A custom dispatch macro is defined for one adapter (e.g., Snowflake) but the project is running against a different adapter (e.g., BigQuery) with no fallback
4The `dispatch` list in dbt_project.yml points to a namespace that does not contain the macro being called
5A macro uses `adapter.dispatch()` with a macro name that has a typo or does not exist in the specified package

How to fix it

1Check the exact macro name and all argument names in the calling model or macro against the macro definition or package documentation.
2Run `dbt compile --select <model>` to surface the full traceback showing which macro call failed and what arguments were passed.
3If the error appeared after a package upgrade, check the package's CHANGELOG for breaking argument changes and update all call sites.
4Verify your `dispatch` config in dbt_project.yml — the namespace ordering determines which implementation is used for each adapter.
5Test the macro call in isolation with `dbt run-operation <macro_name> --args '{arg: value}'` before embedding it in a model.

Frequently asked questions

How does dbt macro dispatch work?

When `adapter.dispatch('macro_name', 'package')` is called, dbt searches for an adapter-specific implementation (e.g., `snowflake__macro_name`) before falling back to the default. If no implementation is found for the current adapter, the call fails.

I upgraded dbt-utils and now MacroInvalidDispatchArgError appears. What changed?

dbt-utils v0.9+ renamed several cross-database macros and changed some argument names. Check the dbt-utils migration guide for your version and update all macro call sites.