What causes DYNAMIC_TABLE_TARGET_LAG_EXCEEDED?

The base table query is too complex to complete within the target lag window. The warehouse was suspended or at maximum queue depth during the scheduled refresh. A large data volume change in the base table caused a full refresh instead of incremental. The target lag was set too aggressively for the underlying query complexity

How do I fix DYNAMIC_TABLE_TARGET_LAG_EXCEEDED?

Step 1: Check the dynamic table refresh history: SELECT * FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.DYNAMIC_TABLE_REFRESH_HISTORY WHERE NAME = 'table_name'.. Step 2: If the warehouse was suspended, ensure auto-resume is enabled or increase the warehouse size.. Step 3: Optimize the base query — add filters, reduce joins, or use incremental refresh logic.. Step 4: Increase the target lag to be more realistic: ALTER DYNAMIC TABLE table_name SET TARGET_LAG = '10 minutes'.. Step 5: Add a Snowflake task or alert to notify when lag exceeds threshold before it affects consumers.

High severityexecution

Power BI Refresh Error:
DYNAMIC_TABLE_TARGET_LAG_EXCEEDED

What does this error mean?

A Snowflake dynamic table failed to refresh within its configured target lag, meaning downstream consumers are reading data that is older than the defined freshness SLA.

Common causes

1The base table query is too complex to complete within the target lag window
2The warehouse was suspended or at maximum queue depth during the scheduled refresh
3A large data volume change in the base table caused a full refresh instead of incremental
4The target lag was set too aggressively for the underlying query complexity

How to fix it

1Step 1: Check the dynamic table refresh history: SELECT * FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.DYNAMIC_TABLE_REFRESH_HISTORY WHERE NAME = 'table_name'.
2Step 2: If the warehouse was suspended, ensure auto-resume is enabled or increase the warehouse size.
3Step 3: Optimize the base query — add filters, reduce joins, or use incremental refresh logic.
4Step 4: Increase the target lag to be more realistic: ALTER DYNAMIC TABLE table_name SET TARGET_LAG = '10 minutes'.
5Step 5: Add a Snowflake task or alert to notify when lag exceeds threshold before it affects consumers.

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum target lag for a Snowflake dynamic table?

The minimum target lag is 1 minute for most dynamic tables. Downstream dynamic tables in a pipeline chain must have a target lag at least as large as their upstream dependencies.

Does Snowflake charge for dynamic table refreshes?

Yes — dynamic table refreshes consume compute credits from the warehouse assigned to the dynamic table. Frequent refreshes on complex tables can accumulate significant costs.