What causes SftpOperationFail?

The SFTP user does not have read or write permission on the target directory or file. The SFTP server returned an unexpected error code for the requested operation. The SFTP file path in the dataset contains a typo or a directory that does not exist. A transient SFTP server issue caused the operation to fail

How do I fix SftpOperationFail?

Check the specific SFTP error code in the ADF activity run output for a more detailed failure reason.. Verify the SFTP user account has read/write permissions on the configured path.. Confirm the file or directory path exists on the SFTP server.. Add a retry policy to the copy activity to handle transient SFTP failures.

High severitydata source

Power BI Refresh Error:
SftpOperationFail

What does this error mean?

A general SFTP operation failure occurred during an ADF copy activity — file access issues, permission problems, or unexpected SFTP server behavior.

Common causes

1The SFTP user does not have read or write permission on the target directory or file
2The SFTP server returned an unexpected error code for the requested operation
3The SFTP file path in the dataset contains a typo or a directory that does not exist
4A transient SFTP server issue caused the operation to fail

How to fix it

1Check the specific SFTP error code in the ADF activity run output for a more detailed failure reason.
2Verify the SFTP user account has read/write permissions on the configured path.
3Confirm the file or directory path exists on the SFTP server.
4Add a retry policy to the copy activity to handle transient SFTP failures.

Frequently asked questions

Does this error affect all pipeline runs or just the current one?

Depends on the root cause. A persistent misconfiguration fails every run; a transient issue may resolve on retry. Check the run history.

Can this error appear in Azure Data Factory and Microsoft Fabric pipelines?

Yes — the same connector errors appear in both ADF and Fabric Data Factory pipelines.

How do I see the full error detail for an ADF pipeline failure?

In ADF Monitor, click the failed run, then the failed activity. The detail pane shows the error code, message, and sub-error codes.

Will downstream Power BI datasets be affected when an ADF pipeline fails?

Yes — a dataset refreshing after the pipeline will use stale data or fail if the target table was cleared. The Power BI refresh may succeed while serving wrong data.

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