How to Fix "Access Denied" in Snowflake

How do I fix "access denied" errors in Snowflake?

Resolve Snowflake "access denied" errors by inspecting role privileges and granting the exact rights required to run the blocked statement.

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Description

Example H2

Example H3

What triggers the "access denied" error?

Snowflake returns "access denied" when your current role lacks a privilege—USAGE on a database, SELECT on a table, EXECUTE on a warehouse, etc.—needed by the statement you just ran. The error text usually lists the blocked object.

How can I see my current role and grants?

Run SELECT CURRENT_ROLE(); to confirm the active role.Then query SHOW GRANTS TO ROLE <role_name>; to list every privilege that role holds on every object.

How do I identify the missing privilege fast?

Compare the object in the error message to the grants list.If the role lacks USAGE on the database or schema, or SELECT on the table, that privilege is the culprit.

How do I grant the missing privilege?

Connect as a SECURITYADMIN-level role (or any role with the MANAGE GRANTS & USAGE rights) and issue an explicit GRANT statement.Use the fully qualified object name to avoid ambiguity.

Example 1 – Grant database USAGE

GRANT USAGE ON DATABASE sales_db TO ROLE analyst;

Example 2 – Grant SELECT on a table

GRANT SELECT ON TABLE sales_db.public.orders TO ROLE analyst;

How do I test the fix safely?

Switch back to the blocked user’s role with USE ROLE analyst; and re-run the original query. If it succeeds, you granted the correct privilege.If not, repeat the privilege gap analysis.

What are best practices to avoid future errors?

Create dedicated roles (e.g., ANALYST_READ) mapped to business activities, grant only the minimal rights they need, and apply them to users instead of ad-hoc direct grants.

Common mistakes to avoid

Granting on the wrong object level – Granting SELECT on the database instead of the table appears to work but does not cover table access.Always grant at the exact object level.

Skipping USAGE grants – Even with SELECT on a table, the role still needs USAGE on its database and schema. Grant both layers.

Why How to Fix "Access Denied" in Snowflake is important

How to Fix "Access Denied" in Snowflake Example Usage


-- Analyst role cannot query orders; receives "access denied: no SELECT privilege on table"
SELECT * FROM sales_db.public.orders;

-- SECURITYADMIN fixes privileges
USE ROLE securityadmin;
GRANT USAGE ON DATABASE sales_db TO ROLE analyst;
GRANT USAGE ON SCHEMA sales_db.public TO ROLE analyst;
GRANT SELECT ON TABLE sales_db.public.orders TO ROLE analyst;

-- Analyst retries successfully
USE ROLE analyst;
SELECT id, customer_id, total_amount FROM sales_db.public.orders LIMIT 10;

How to Fix "Access Denied" in Snowflake Syntax


-- Grant database usage so a role can see schemas
GRANT USAGE ON DATABASE sales_db TO ROLE analyst;

-- Grant schema usage so a role can see tables within the schema
GRANT USAGE ON SCHEMA sales_db.public TO ROLE analyst;

-- Grant table-level privileges for read access
GRANT SELECT ON TABLE sales_db.public.orders TO ROLE analyst;

-- Combine: allow role to query orders joined to customers and products
GRANT SELECT ON TABLE sales_db.public.customers TO ROLE analyst;
GRANT SELECT ON TABLE sales_db.public.products TO ROLE analyst;

Common Mistakes

Granting privileges to the user instead of the role. Snowflake recommends role-based access. Always grant to a role, then assign the role to users.
Adding SELECT without USAGE on database and schema. Both USAGE layers are mandatory. Grant USAGE on database and schema before object-level privileges.