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.
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.
Msg 50000, Level 16, State 1, Line 5 RAISERROR: Invalid usage of the RAISERROR statement.
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.
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.
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.
Incorrect syntax, missing message ID, invalid severity level, mismatched argument count, and insufficient permissions are primary triggers.
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.
Deployment scripts referencing new message IDs, dynamic SQL assembling malformed RAISERROR, and TRY…CATCH re-throws are typical scenarios.
Centralize custom messages, wrap RAISERROR in helper procedures, use THROW in SQL Server 2012+, and add unit tests.
Msg 1326 (login failure), Msg 50001 (custom), and TRY…CATCH THROW errors share similar debugging techniques.
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Microsoft marks RAISERROR for deprecation; THROW is recommended in new code starting SQL Server 2012.
Yes. Add the WITH LOG option to record messages with severity >=19.
Use 11–16 for typical user errors. Severity 20–25 disconnects sessions and should be reserved for system errors.
Galaxy’s context-aware AI highlights invalid RAISERROR syntax and suggests THROW replacements, preventing runtime failures.