SQL Server RAISERROR Explained: Causes & Fixes

Common SQL Errors

Galaxy Team
June 25, 2025
T-SQL Runtime Error

RAISERROR is a T-SQL statement that intentionally throws a user-defined error; mistakes in its syntax or parameters trigger runtime errors during query execution.

SQL Server
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What is the RAISERROR statement error in SQL Server?

RAISERROR in SQL Server appears when the statement is mis-used, references a missing message ID, or supplies bad parameter values. Correct the syntax, ensure the message exists (sp_addmessage), and set severity 0–18 to resolve the issue.

Typical Error Message

Msg 50000, Level 16, State 1, Line 5 RAISERROR: Invalid usage of the RAISERROR statement.

Explanation

Table of Contents

What is the SQL Server RAISERROR statement error?

The RAISERROR statement lets developers raise custom errors inside stored procedures, triggers, and batches.

When the statement’s syntax, message ID, or severity is wrong, SQL Server halts execution and produces runtime error 50000 or another message number.

Because RAISERROR stops the batch and may roll back transactions, fixing it quickly is crucial for maintaining application stability and data integrity.

When does the RAISERROR error occur?

The error fires during compilation or execution if RAISERROR references a nonexistent sys.messages entry, passes a severity outside 0–25, or omits a required parameter such as message string or message ID.

It also appears when parameter placeholders and argument counts do not match, or when TRY…CATCH re-throws an error with bad formatting.

Why is resolving RAISERROR important?

Unresolved RAISERROR failures abort batches, cancel transactions, and propagate unhandled errors to calling applications, resulting in failed deployments, broken ETL jobs, or user-facing outages.

Cleaning up RAISERROR usage improves error handling, preserves data consistency, and simplifies debugging.

What Causes This Error?

Incorrect syntax, missing message ID, invalid severity level, mismatched argument count, and insufficient permissions are primary triggers.

How to Fix RAISERROR

Validate message IDs, add missing sys.messages entries with sp_addmessage, use legal severity 0-18 for user errors, and align parameter placeholders with supplied arguments.

Common Scenarios and Solutions

Deployment scripts referencing new message IDs, dynamic SQL assembling malformed RAISERROR, and TRY…CATCH re-throws are typical scenarios.

Best Practices to Avoid This Error

Centralize custom messages, wrap RAISERROR in helper procedures, use THROW in SQL Server 2012+, and add unit tests.

Related Errors and Solutions

Msg 1326 (login failure), Msg 50001 (custom), and TRY…CATCH THROW errors share similar debugging techniques.

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Common Causes

Related Errors

FAQs

Is RAISERROR deprecated?

Microsoft marks RAISERROR for deprecation; THROW is recommended in new code starting SQL Server 2012.

Can I log RAISERROR messages to the SQL Server log?

Yes. Add the WITH LOG option to record messages with severity >=19.

What severity should I use?

Use 11–16 for typical user errors. Severity 20–25 disconnects sessions and should be reserved for system errors.

How does Galaxy help?

Galaxy’s context-aware AI highlights invalid RAISERROR syntax and suggests THROW replacements, preventing runtime failures.

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