getredash/redash · error · Exception

Python query helpers require a current user.

Error message

Python query helpers require a current user.

What it means

Python query helpers (_get_data_source, get_query_result, get_current_user) execute with the identity of the user who triggered execution, stored as runner._current_user. If it is unset, any helper call raises this Exception — the runner can't safely authorize access without knowing the user.

Source

Thrown at redash/query_runner/python.py:306

        ):
            raise Exception("You do not have access to query id %s." % query_id)

        return query.latest_query_data.data

    def dataframe_to_result(self, result, df):
        converted_result = pandas_to_result(df)

        result["rows"] = converted_result["rows"]
        for column in converted_result["columns"]:
            self.add_result_column(result, column["name"], column["friendly_name"], column["type"])

    def get_current_user(self):
        return self._get_current_user().to_dict()

    def _get_current_user(self):
        user = getattr(self, "_current_user", None)
        if user is None:
            raise Exception("Python query helpers require a current user.")
        return user

    def test_connection(self):
        pass

    def validate_result(self, result):
        """Validate the result after executing the query.

        Parameters:
        :result dict: The result dict.
        """
        if not result:
            raise Exception("local variable `result` should not be empty.")
        if not isinstance(result, dict):
            raise Exception("local variable `result` should be of type `dict`.")
        if "rows" not in result:
            raise Exception("Missing `rows` field in `result` dict.")
        if "columns" not in result:

View on GitHub (pinned to ca79fe988d)

Solutions

  1. Restart/upgrade all query worker processes so they run the version that injects the current user
  2. Trigger execution as a logged-in user (normal 'Execute' in the UI) rather than via contexts without a user
  3. In embedded tooling, ensure the execution request carries the user and the runner sets _current_user before helpers are called
  4. Check for None before calling helpers and fail with a clearer message

Example fix

# before
result = get_query_result(123)  # may raise if no current user
# after
user = getattr(runner, '_current_user', None)
if user is None:
    result = {'rows': [], 'columns': []}  # skip or handle
else:
    result = get_query_result(123)
Defensive patterns

Strategy: type-guard

Validate before calling

if getattr(runner, '_current_user', None) is None:
    raise Skip('No current user; cannot use query helpers')

Type guard

def helpers_available(runner) -> bool:
    return getattr(runner, '_current_user', None) is not None

Try / catch

try:
    result = get_query_result(qid)
except Exception as e:
    if 'require a current user' in str(e):
        result = {'rows': [], 'columns': []}  # graceful empty result

Prevention

When it happens

Trigger: Executing a Python query that calls execute_query()/get_query_result()/get_source_schema()/get_current_user() via a path that doesn't set _current_user — e.g. test_connection, API key executions, older workers/celery tasks that never injected the user, or ad-hoc runs before the feature existed.

Common situations: Upgrading Redash where the query was previously runnable but user context injection wasn't wired (workers not restarted after upgrade); running through a scheduler context that lacks a user; direct worker testing.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of getredash/redash@ca79fe988d (2026-08-28). Data as JSON: /api/errors/f694d74972219b51. Report an issue: GitHub.