What causes SYNAPSE_SQL_0003?

The Synapse managed identity has not been granted Storage Blob Data Reader on the storage account. External table's DATA_SOURCE references a credential that the user cannot use. The database-scoped credential is not accessible to the current user

How do I fix SYNAPSE_SQL_0003?

Step 1: Grant Storage Blob Data Reader to the Synapse managed identity on the ADLS Gen2 account.. Step 2: Ensure the database-scoped credential is created and the user has REFERENCES permission.. Step 3: Test with: `SELECT TOP 10 * FROM OPENROWSET(BULK '...', ...) AS r;`. Step 4: Check if hierarchical namespace is enabled on the storage account (required for Synapse).

High severitypermissions

Power BI Refresh Error:
SYNAPSE_SQL_0003

What does this error mean?

The Synapse SQL pool user lacks permission to query external data sources (ADLS Gen2, Blob storage).

Common causes

1The Synapse managed identity has not been granted Storage Blob Data Reader on the storage account
2External table's DATA_SOURCE references a credential that the user cannot use
3The database-scoped credential is not accessible to the current user

How to fix it

1Step 1: Grant Storage Blob Data Reader to the Synapse managed identity on the ADLS Gen2 account.
2Step 2: Ensure the database-scoped credential is created and the user has REFERENCES permission.
3Step 3: Test with: `SELECT TOP 10 * FROM OPENROWSET(BULK '...', ...) AS r;`
4Step 4: Check if hierarchical namespace is enabled on the storage account (required for Synapse).

Frequently asked questions

How do I monitor for Permission Denied on External Data Source in my pipelines?

Connect Azure Data Factory to MetricSign — failed pipeline runs trigger incident alerts with the root cause, so your team is notified before users notice report failures.

Official documentation: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/synapse-analytics/sql/troubleshoot-synapse-studio