dbt-labs/dbt-core · error

adapter should be configured for the parse phase

Error message

adapter should be configured for the parse phase

What it means

During parse-phase Jinja method dispatch (`call_method` for `get_columns_in_relation`), the code retrieves the parse-phase adapter state via `parse_adapter_state()` and panics if it is None. The state is installed when the parse adapter is constructed, so a None here means the method was invoked outside the parse phase or before the adapter state was configured.

Solutions

1. Ensure the adapter is constructed/registered with its parse state during the parse phase
2. Update adapter and parser crates to matching versions
3. Move/refrain from calling `get_columns_in_relation` outside parse-phase evaluation
4. Replace the expect with a proper error reporting the missing phase state

Example fix

// before
self.parse_adapter.parse_adapter_state().expect("adapter should be configured for the parse phase")
// after
let state = self.parse_adapter.parse_adapter_state()
    .ok_or_else(|| format_err!("get_columns_in_relation called outside parse phase"))?;

// guard before calling phase-specific jinja methods
if adapter.parse_adapter_state().is_none() {
    return Err("get_columns_in_relation requires parse-phase adapter state".into());
}

let Some(state) = self.parse_adapter.parse_adapter_state() else {
    return Err(format_err!("adapter not in parse phase"));
};

When it happens

Trigger: A dbt template calls `get_columns_in_relation` while the adapter is not in parse phase (e.g. during runtime/execute phase, or an adapter variant whose `parse_adapter_state` was never set before `call_method` runs).

Common situations: Custom adapters not wiring up `parse_adapter_state` in their parse-phase construction; macros invoking `get_columns_in_relation` at the wrong phase; version skew between dbt-parser and adapter crates changing the state setup contract.

Understand the failure class

Background: "Invalid state transition" errors: "status must be X, actually Y", "already rejected/charging/uninstalled", "cannot ... while running" — what they mean when a library rejects your call — this error's family across 31 libraries.

Related errors

• Adapter must be configured for the parse phase
• Adapter should be available during parse phase
• adapter not found in context
• agate_table
• Athena

AI-assisted analysis of dbt-labs/dbt-core@0267ce9170 (2026-09-07). Data as JSON: /api/errors/d14e1844ba99edf5. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at crates/dbt-parser/src/dbt_namespace.rs:60

        name: &str,
        args: &[MinijinjaValue],
        listeners: &[Rc<dyn RenderingEventListener>],
    ) -> Result<MinijinjaValue, MinijinjaError> {
        // Intercept specific method calls to track them
        match name {
            "get_columns_in_relation" => {
                // Track the call in the parse adapter
                // Extract relation from args
                let relation = args.first().ok_or_else(|| {
                    MinijinjaError::new(
                        MinijinjaErrorKind::InvalidOperation,
                        "get_columns_in_relation requires one argument",
                    )
                })?;
                let relation = downcast_value_to_dyn_base_relation(relation)?;
                self.parse_adapter
                    .parse_adapter_state()
                    .expect("adapter should be configured for the parse phase")
                    .record_get_columns_in_relation_call(state, relation.as_ref())?;

                // Delegate to the original dbt.get_columns_in_relation template
                let template_name = "dbt.get_columns_in_relation";
                if let Ok(template) = state.env().get_template(template_name) {
                    let base_ctx = state.get_base_context();
                    let template_state = template.eval_to_state(base_ctx, listeners)?;
                    let func = template_state
                        .lookup("get_columns_in_relation", listeners)
                        .ok_or_else(|| {
                            MinijinjaError::new(
                                MinijinjaErrorKind::InvalidOperation,
                                "get_columns_in_relation macro not found",
                            )
                        })?;
                    func.call(&template_state, args, listeners)
                } else {
                    Err(MinijinjaError::new(

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