What causes XmlAttributeColumnNameConflict?

The XML file has an element that contains both a child element and an attribute with the same name. The XML namespace prefix creates a naming collision when ADF flattens the XML into a tabular structure

How do I fix XmlAttributeColumnNameConflict?

Enable the "Attributes node name" setting in the XML source dataset to prefix attribute names and avoid conflicts.. Use an ADF data flow transformation to read the XML with schema drift and handle the naming conflict explicitly.. If you control the XML source, rename the conflicting attribute or element to eliminate the collision.

Medium severitydata source

Power BI Refresh Error:
XmlAttributeColumnNameConflict

What does this error mean?

An XML element has an attribute whose name conflicts with a child element name at the same level. ADF cannot flatten the structure when names collide.

Common causes

1The XML file has an element that contains both a child element and an attribute with the same name
2The XML namespace prefix creates a naming collision when ADF flattens the XML into a tabular structure

How to fix it

1Enable the "Attributes node name" setting in the XML source dataset to prefix attribute names and avoid conflicts.
2Use an ADF data flow transformation to read the XML with schema drift and handle the naming conflict explicitly.
3If you control the XML source, rename the conflicting attribute or element to eliminate the collision.

Frequently asked questions

Does this error affect all pipeline runs or just the current one?

Depends on the root cause. A persistent misconfiguration fails every run; a transient issue may resolve on retry. Check the run history.

Can this error appear in Azure Data Factory and Microsoft Fabric pipelines?

Yes — the same connector errors appear in both ADF and Fabric Data Factory pipelines.

How do I see the full error detail for an ADF pipeline failure?

In ADF Monitor, click the failed run, then the failed activity. The detail pane shows the error code, message, and sub-error codes.

Will downstream Power BI datasets be affected when an ADF pipeline fails?

Yes — a dataset refreshing after the pipeline will use stale data or fail if the target table was cleared. The Power BI refresh may succeed while serving wrong data.

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