What causes UserErrorOdbcInvalidQueryString?

Invalid ODBC query string. Integration runtime configuration is incorrect or outdated. Authentication credentials or permissions are insufficient. The feature or setting is not supported for the selected connector or copy mode

How do I fix UserErrorOdbcInvalidQueryString?

Read the activity run output for the ODBC driver's specific error message — different ODBC data sources (MySQL, IBM DB2, Teradata, generic ODBC) use different SQL dialects and produce different query error messages.. Test the query string directly against the ODBC data source using the ODBC Data Source Administrator or a database client tool on the SHIR host machine.. Check for dialect-specific syntax issues — common problems include using double-quoted identifiers (some ODBC drivers require backticks or square brackets), unsupported SQL functions, or non-standard date literals.. If the query is passed via a pipeline parameter or dynamic expression, verify that the resolved value is a valid SQL string — add a Wait activity before the copy and check the parameter value in the debug run.. Verify the query does not contain semicolons, multiple statements, or DDL commands — ODBC copy activity sources must be single SELECT statements.

Medium severityconfiguration

Power BI Refresh Error:
UserErrorOdbcInvalidQueryString

What does this error mean?

The ODBC query string specified in the copy activity source is not valid for the ODBC driver. Verify the SQL syntax is compatible with the connected ODBC data source.

Common causes

1Invalid ODBC query string
2Integration runtime configuration is incorrect or outdated
3Authentication credentials or permissions are insufficient
4The feature or setting is not supported for the selected connector or copy mode

How to fix it

1Read the activity run output for the ODBC driver's specific error message — different ODBC data sources (MySQL, IBM DB2, Teradata, generic ODBC) use different SQL dialects and produce different query error messages.
2Test the query string directly against the ODBC data source using the ODBC Data Source Administrator or a database client tool on the SHIR host machine.
3Check for dialect-specific syntax issues — common problems include using double-quoted identifiers (some ODBC drivers require backticks or square brackets), unsupported SQL functions, or non-standard date literals.
4If the query is passed via a pipeline parameter or dynamic expression, verify that the resolved value is a valid SQL string — add a Wait activity before the copy and check the parameter value in the debug run.
5Verify the query does not contain semicolons, multiple statements, or DDL commands — ODBC copy activity sources must be single SELECT statements.

Frequently asked questions

Does this configuration error affect every pipeline run?

Yes — configuration errors are deterministic. Every run fails until fixed; retrying does not help.

How do I validate an ADF pipeline configuration before running it?

Click 'Validate' in the ADF authoring UI for configuration checks. For data flows, use Debug mode with a small sample to validate expressions and mappings.

Can dynamic content expressions in ADF cause configuration errors at runtime?

Yes — @activity(), @pipeline(), or @dataset() parameters that resolve to null or an unexpected type cause runtime failures even when design-time validation passes.

Do configuration errors appear in the ADF activity output?

Yes — the ADF Monitor activity detail shows the error code and the specific property that is invalid or missing.

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