What causes DatabaseError?

The source table was dropped, renamed, or moved to a different schema after the dbt source was defined. The loaded_at_field column specified in sources.yml does not exist on the table. The dbt role does not have SELECT privilege on the source table. The source table was never created in this environment (e.g., a dev environment missing production tables)

How do I fix DatabaseError?

Step 1: Confirm the source table exists: run SELECT * FROM information_schema.tables WHERE table_name = 'your_table'.. Step 2: Verify the loaded_at_field column name in sources.yml matches the actual column name (case-sensitive in some warehouses).. Step 3: Grant SELECT privilege to the dbt role: GRANT SELECT ON TABLE source_schema.source_table TO ROLE dbt_role.. Step 4: If the table was renamed, update the identifier: field in the source definition.. Step 5: Use the warn_after and error_after thresholds to control severity — set warn_after conservatively to avoid false alarms.

High severitydata_quality

Power BI Refresh Error:
DatabaseError

What does this error mean?

A dbt source freshness check failed because the source table does not exist in the data warehouse or the loaded_at_field column is missing, making freshness calculation impossible.

Common causes

1The source table was dropped, renamed, or moved to a different schema after the dbt source was defined
2The loaded_at_field column specified in sources.yml does not exist on the table
3The dbt role does not have SELECT privilege on the source table
4The source table was never created in this environment (e.g., a dev environment missing production tables)

How to fix it

1Step 1: Confirm the source table exists: run SELECT * FROM information_schema.tables WHERE table_name = 'your_table'.
2Step 2: Verify the loaded_at_field column name in sources.yml matches the actual column name (case-sensitive in some warehouses).
3Step 3: Grant SELECT privilege to the dbt role: GRANT SELECT ON TABLE source_schema.source_table TO ROLE dbt_role.
4Step 4: If the table was renamed, update the identifier: field in the source definition.
5Step 5: Use the warn_after and error_after thresholds to control severity — set warn_after conservatively to avoid false alarms.

Frequently asked questions

Can I configure freshness checks to warn instead of error for non-critical sources?

Yes — use warn_after for advisory thresholds and error_after for hard failures. Set error_after only for sources that would cause incorrect downstream results if stale.

Does dbt freshness check every source or only those with loaded_at_field defined?

Only sources with a loaded_at_field (or warehouse-level metadata support) are checked. Sources without this field are skipped silently — add loaded_at_field to any source you want to monitor.