What causes XmlInvalid?

The XML file has unclosed tags, nested errors, or encoding issues that make it non-well-formed XML. The file has a .xml extension but is not XML (e.g., it is an HTML file or a binary file). The XML file uses a DTD or entity reference not supported by the ADF XML parser. The XML was partially written before an upload failure, leaving it incomplete

How do I fix XmlInvalid?

Validate the XML file using an online XML validator or xmllint to identify the exact error.. Re-generate or re-download the XML file from the source if it was corrupted during upload.. If the file uses external entity references (XXE), simplify it to use only internal entities.. Enable fault tolerance on the copy activity to skip invalid files and log them for investigation.

High severitydata source

Power BI Refresh Error:
XmlInvalid

What does this error mean?

The XML file is not valid — it is malformed, has structural errors, or uses XML features not supported by the ADF XML parser.

Common causes

1The XML file has unclosed tags, nested errors, or encoding issues that make it non-well-formed XML
2The file has a .xml extension but is not XML (e.g., it is an HTML file or a binary file)
3The XML file uses a DTD or entity reference not supported by the ADF XML parser
4The XML was partially written before an upload failure, leaving it incomplete

How to fix it

1Validate the XML file using an online XML validator or xmllint to identify the exact error.
2Re-generate or re-download the XML file from the source if it was corrupted during upload.
3If the file uses external entity references (XXE), simplify it to use only internal entities.
4Enable fault tolerance on the copy activity to skip invalid files and log them for investigation.

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