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High severitycredentials

Power BI Refresh Error:
SftpAuthenticationFailure

What does this error mean?

ADF failed to authenticate to the SFTP server. The username, password, or SSH private key in the linked service is incorrect.

Common causes

  • 1The SFTP username or password in the ADF linked service is incorrect or expired
  • 2The SSH private key stored in the linked service does not match the public key on the SFTP server
  • 3The SFTP server has been reconfigured to require key-based authentication only, but the linked service uses password auth
  • 4Account lockout due to previous failed authentication attempts

How to fix it

  1. 1Test the SFTP credentials manually from the self-hosted IR machine: sftp <user>@<host>.
  2. 2Re-enter the username and password (or re-upload the SSH private key) in the ADF linked service.
  3. 3Verify the SFTP server's authorized_keys file contains the public key corresponding to the ADF private key.
  4. 4Check the SFTP server logs for the exact authentication failure reason.

Frequently asked questions

Does this error affect all pipeline runs?

Yes — once credentials expire or are revoked, every scheduled and manual pipeline run fails until updated.

How do I store credentials more securely in ADF?

Store secrets in Azure Key Vault and reference them in linked services — rotating a credential requires only updating the Key Vault secret.

Can I set up monitoring for credential expiry before pipelines fail?

For service principal secrets, set Azure Monitor alerts on Key Vault or App Registration expiry. For OAuth tokens, proactive rotation on a fixed schedule prevents failures.

Will re-entering credentials in the ADF linked service fix all pipelines that use it?

Yes — all pipelines using the same linked service succeed immediately after credentials are updated.

Official documentation: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-factory/connector-troubleshoot-ftp-sftp-http

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