## Query text access in Databricks

URL: https://docs.atlan.com/apps/connectors/data-warehouses/databricks/faq/databricks-sql-masking-change

> What Databricks's SQL query text masking change affects in Atlan, what it doesn't affect, and how to keep query-text features running.

Databricks now masks the SQL text of queries in query history by default. Your lineage graph and catalog aren't affected, and one scoped grant keeps everything else running as it does today.

> **Where things stand**
>
> Atlan is verifying the grant end to end with the Databricks team before asking any customer to change anything. A short guide for your Databricks account admin will be linked here the moment that is done. Already seeing the change and want to move sooner? Reach out to your Atlan account team and they will prioritize your environment.

#### Why can't I see query text in Atlan for my Databricks assets?

Databricks now masks the `statement_text` column in `system.query.history` by default. Since Atlan reads query history to surface SQL detail, four capabilities stop updating until access is restored:

- **Usage and popularity metrics**, including column popularity
- **SQL detail in lineage**: the statement behind an edge and its joins
- **Queries shown on asset profiles**
- **SQL Intelligence in Context Agents Studio**, which enriches assets from query logs

Historical data is preserved; only queries run after the masking change are missing. Table-level and column-level lineage, asset discovery, metadata, tags, classifications, contracts, and glossary aren't affected—those come from Unity Catalog system tables, which are a separate source unrelated to query text.

#### What has Databricks changed?

The `statement_text` column in `system.query.history` is now masked by default. Only account admins and members of the account-level group `databricks_pii_access` can read it. Every other identity sees ``. This is a Databricks platform change. It applies to every tool that reads query history, not only Atlan.

#### When does it reach my account?

The rollout began on June 22, 2026 and becomes the default for all accounts on August 26, 2026. It's staged, so timing varies by account. Access granted ahead of your rollout means you won't notice the change at all.

#### Did Atlan cause this?

No. This is a Databricks platform change that affects every system reading query history. Restoring query text requires a one-time change by your Databricks account admin. Atlan is validating the exact steps with the Databricks team.

#### What does Atlan read from query history?

The shape of queries, not the data inside your tables. This is the entire scope, and the grant doesn't change it.

| Atlan reads | Atlan doesn't read |
|---|---|
| The SQL text of queries, who ran them and when, from `system.query.history` only | The contents of your tables. No table data is copied as part of this grant. |
| The tables and columns each query touched, to compute usage and popularity and enrich lineage with the underlying SQL | Any other system table, workspace object, or catalog the service principal couldn't already read. |

Atlan doesn't need the personal data that can appear inside a query. It reads the structure of the statement.

#### How do I check where my connection stands?

Run this as the same service principal your Atlan connection uses. Masking depends on who is reading, so a Databricks account admin always sees query text even when Atlan can't.

```sql
SELECT COUNT(*) AS queries_checked,
 SUM(CASE WHEN statement_text = '' THEN 1 ELSE 0 END) AS redacted,
 SUM(CASE WHEN TRIM(statement_text) = '' THEN 1 ELSE 0 END) AS empty
FROM system.query.history
WHERE start_time >= current_timestamp() - INTERVAL 7 DAYS;
```

Each number is a count of queries in the window.

| Query result | What it means | What happens next |
|---|---|---|
| `redacted` and `empty` are 0 | Atlan can read query text | Nothing is needed today. Re-run this check if usage metrics stop updating. |
| `redacted` isn't 0 | Query text is masked | Reach out to your Atlan account team and they'll prioritize your environment. |
| `empty` isn't 0 | Query text is encrypted, not masked | This comes from customer-managed keys and predates this change. See [Does this affect me if I use customer-managed keys?](#does-this-affect-me-if-i-use-customer-managed-keys). The grant doesn't resolve it. |
| `queries_checked` is 0 | No queries in the window, so the check can't tell you anything | Increase the number of days in the query and run it again. |

Only queries on SQL warehouses and serverless compute appear in this table, so `queries_checked` can stay at 0 if your workloads run on classic clusters. If you can't run this yourself, your Atlan administrator or Atlan support can confirm where your connection stands.

#### How do I keep everything running?

Atlan is validating the exact steps end to end with the Databricks team. A detailed guide is to follow once this validation is complete. If you are already affected and need to move faster, reach out to your Atlan account team to prioritize your environment.

#### Does this affect me if I use customer-managed keys?

No. Where a workspace uses customer-managed keys for managed services, Databricks encrypts `statement_text` in system tables so it returns empty. That behavior predates this change and is unrelated to it, so this change makes no difference to you. Adding Atlan's service principal to `databricks_pii_access` won't restore query text either, because it was never masked in the first place.

Restoring it's a separate action: an account admin adds a key configuration to the system catalog. Reach out to Atlan support and they'll confirm what Atlan is seeing on your connection before you change anything.

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## See also

- [Extract lineage and usage from Databricks](https://docs.atlan.com/llms/connectors/databricks/extract-lineage-and-usage-from-databricks/llms.txt): Configure lineage and usage extraction for your Databricks connection.
- [Atlan vs. Databricks lineage](https://docs.atlan.com/llms/connectors/databricks/atlan-vs-databricks-lineage/llms.txt): How Atlan lineage differs from Databricks native lineage and what each system shows.
- [Usage and popularity metrics](https://docs.atlan.com/llms/catalog/usage-and-popularity/interpret-usage-metrics/llms.txt): How Atlan computes and displays usage and popularity scores.

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