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High severitycredentials

Power BI Refresh Error:
SftpPermissionDenied

What does this error mean?

The SFTP user authenticated but was denied permission to read or write the file or directory — an authorization error, not authentication.

Common causes

  • 1The SFTP user account lacks read or write permission on the target directory
  • 2The directory or file has restrictive Unix permissions (chmod) that exclude the SFTP user
  • 3The SFTP server is using a chroot jail that restricts access to a subset of the filesystem

How to fix it

  1. 1Log in to the SFTP server with the same credentials and verify read/write the target path.
  2. 2Check the file and directory permissions on the SFTP server: ls -la <path>.
  3. 3Ask the SFTP server administrator to grant the required permissions to the SFTP user.
  4. 4If using a chroot jail, verify the configured path is within the jail's allowed path.

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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