What causes Fabric Copy Activity Error 20020?

A wildcard pattern (e.g., '*.csv' or 'folder/*/file.parquet') was entered in the file path field of a connector that does not natively support wildcard expansion. The dataset or linked service was migrated from Azure Data Factory where wildcard support was available for the connector, but the equivalent Fabric connector has different capabilities. A dynamic expression intended to build a specific path string accidentally produces a wildcard character in the resolved value. Confusion between the 'wildcard file path' and 'file path' settings in the copy activity source configuration, resulting in wildcards in the wrong field

How do I fix Fabric Copy Activity Error 20020?

Step 1: Open the copy activity source configuration and review the file path and wildcard file path fields to confirm where the wildcard character is set.. Step 2: Check the official Microsoft Fabric connector documentation for your specific source connector to verify whether wildcard path patterns are supported.. Step 3: If wildcards are not supported, replace the wildcard path with an explicit file path or use a ForEach activity to iterate over a list of specific file paths instead.. Step 4: If you need dynamic file discovery, consider using a Get Metadata activity upstream to list files, then pass the explicit file names to the copy activity via pipeline parameters.. Step 5: If the wildcard was introduced by a dynamic expression, add a debug print of the resolved expression value before the copy activity to catch accidental wildcard characters in the output.

Medium severityconfigurationMicrosoft Fabric →

Power BI Refresh Error:
Fabric Copy Activity Error 20020

What does this error mean?

The copy activity source path contains a wildcard character, but the connector or configuration being used does not support wildcard-based file path resolution. The activity fails at the path evaluation stage before any data transfer begins.

Common causes

1A wildcard pattern (e.g., '*.csv' or 'folder/*/file.parquet') was entered in the file path field of a connector that does not natively support wildcard expansion
2The dataset or linked service was migrated from Azure Data Factory where wildcard support was available for the connector, but the equivalent Fabric connector has different capabilities
3A dynamic expression intended to build a specific path string accidentally produces a wildcard character in the resolved value
4Confusion between the 'wildcard file path' and 'file path' settings in the copy activity source configuration, resulting in wildcards in the wrong field

How to fix it

1Step 1: Open the copy activity source configuration and review the file path and wildcard file path fields to confirm where the wildcard character is set.
2Step 2: Check the official Microsoft Fabric connector documentation for your specific source connector to verify whether wildcard path patterns are supported.
3Step 3: If wildcards are not supported, replace the wildcard path with an explicit file path or use a ForEach activity to iterate over a list of specific file paths instead.
4Step 4: If you need dynamic file discovery, consider using a Get Metadata activity upstream to list files, then pass the explicit file names to the copy activity via pipeline parameters.
5Step 5: If the wildcard was introduced by a dynamic expression, add a debug print of the resolved expression value before the copy activity to catch accidental wildcard characters in the output.

Frequently asked questions

Which Fabric connectors do support wildcard paths?

Connectors such as Azure Blob Storage, Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2, and SFTP support wildcard file path patterns in the copy activity source. Connectors for databases, REST APIs, and some SaaS sources do not. Always consult the individual connector's documentation for the 'Source properties' section.

Is there a way to copy multiple files matching a pattern without wildcards?

Yes. Use a Get Metadata activity with the 'Child Items' field list option to retrieve all files in a folder, then use a Filter activity to apply your pattern logic in an expression, and pass the resulting file list into a ForEach loop that calls the copy activity for each file.