What causes SYNAPSE_SQL_0004?

The upstream pipeline (ADF, Databricks) failed and did not write the expected file. File path or container name changed without updating the external table definition. The file was deleted by a retention policy before the Synapse query ran. The partition folder structure changed (e.g., date format change in the path)

How do I fix SYNAPSE_SQL_0004?

Step 1: Verify the file exists in the storage account using Azure Storage Explorer or the portal.. Step 2: Check the external table definition: `SELECT location FROM sys.external_tables WHERE name = ' ';`. Step 3: Ensure the upstream pipeline completed successfully before the Synapse query runs.. Step 4: Update the external table's LOCATION if the path has changed.. Step 5: Add a pipeline dependency in ADF to ensure file existence before querying.

High severityconfiguration

Power BI Refresh Error:
SYNAPSE_SQL_0004

What does this error mean?

An external table in Synapse references a file path in ADLS Gen2 or Azure Blob Storage that does not exist.

Common causes

1The upstream pipeline (ADF, Databricks) failed and did not write the expected file
2File path or container name changed without updating the external table definition
3The file was deleted by a retention policy before the Synapse query ran
4The partition folder structure changed (e.g., date format change in the path)

How to fix it

1Step 1: Verify the file exists in the storage account using Azure Storage Explorer or the portal.
2Step 2: Check the external table definition: `SELECT location FROM sys.external_tables WHERE name = '<table>';`
3Step 3: Ensure the upstream pipeline completed successfully before the Synapse query runs.
4Step 4: Update the external table's LOCATION if the path has changed.
5Step 5: Add a pipeline dependency in ADF to ensure file existence before querying.

Frequently asked questions

How do I monitor for External Table Location Not Found 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