What causes DatabaseError?

A prior failed dbt run left the test results table in a locked or corrupted state. The schema of the existing test results table does not match the current test definition (column added or removed). The warehouse virtual warehouse is suspended and cannot execute the INSERT statement. Concurrent dbt test runs are writing to the same audit table simultaneously, causing lock contention

How do I fix DatabaseError?

Step 1: Drop and recreate the affected test results table: DROP TABLE IF EXISTS schema_dbt_test__audit.test_name.. Step 2: Ensure the virtual warehouse used for the dbt run is active before starting the job.. Step 3: If schema drift is the cause, run dbt test --full-refresh to force recreation of the audit tables.. Step 4: Stagger concurrent dbt test runs or use separate audit schemas per environment to avoid lock collisions.. Step 5: Add a retry policy to the dbt Cloud job for transient INSERT failures.

Medium severityexecution

Power BI Refresh Error:
DatabaseError

What does this error mean?

dbt failed to create or insert rows into the test results table in the warehouse when store_failures_as is configured, typically due to a table lock, schema mismatch, or exhausted disk quota.

Common causes

1A prior failed dbt run left the test results table in a locked or corrupted state
2The schema of the existing test results table does not match the current test definition (column added or removed)
3The warehouse virtual warehouse is suspended and cannot execute the INSERT statement
4Concurrent dbt test runs are writing to the same audit table simultaneously, causing lock contention

How to fix it

1Step 1: Drop and recreate the affected test results table: DROP TABLE IF EXISTS schema_dbt_test__audit.test_name.
2Step 2: Ensure the virtual warehouse used for the dbt run is active before starting the job.
3Step 3: If schema drift is the cause, run dbt test --full-refresh to force recreation of the audit tables.
4Step 4: Stagger concurrent dbt test runs or use separate audit schemas per environment to avoid lock collisions.
5Step 5: Add a retry policy to the dbt Cloud job for transient INSERT failures.

Frequently asked questions

If the audit table write fails, does dbt still report which tests failed?

Yes — dbt reports test pass/fail counts in the CLI output and in run_results.json regardless of whether the audit table write succeeds. The failure only affects row-level investigation in the warehouse.

Can I disable store_failures for a single test without changing the global setting?

Yes — add store_failures: false to the individual test configuration in your schema.yml or dbt_project.yml tests block to override the global setting for that test only.