Categories:: File functions (AI Functions)

TO_FILE¶

Constructs a value of type FILE from a file location or from metadata.

Syntax¶

Use one of the following:

TO_FILE( <stage_name>, <relative_path> )

TO_FILE( <file_url> )

TO_FILE( <metadata> )

Arguments¶

Specify the file by providing:

Both stage_name and relative_path
file_url
metadata

Only one of these methods can be used at a time.

stage_name

The name of the stage where the file is located, as a string, in the form '@stage_name'.

relative_path

The path to the file on the stage specified by stage_name as a string.

file_url

A valid stage or scoped file URL as a string.

metadata

An OBJECT containing the required FILE attributes. A FILE must have CONTENT_TYPE, SIZE, ETAG, and LAST_MODIFIED fields. It must also specify the file’s location in one of the following ways:

Both STAGE and RELATIVE_PATH
STAGE_FILE_URL
SCOPED_FILE_URL

Returns¶

A FILE that represents the staged file.

Usage notes¶

Raises an error when:

The supplied URL is not valid.
The file is on a stage that the user lacks privileges to access.
The supplied metadata doesn’t contain the required FILE fields.

Examples¶

Creating FILE objects using TO_FILE¶

A simple use of the TO_FILE function with a stage name and relative path:

SELECT TO_FILE('@mystage', 'image.png');

Result:

+-----------------------------------------------------+
| TO_FILE('@MYSTAGE', 'IMAGE.PNG')                    |
|-----------------------------------------------------|
| {                                                   |
|   "CONTENT_TYPE": "image/png",                      |
|   "ETAG": "2859efde6e26491810f619668280a2ce",       |
|   "LAST_MODIFIED": "Thu, 18 Sep 2025 09:02:00 GMT", |
|   "RELATIVE_PATH": "image.png",                     |
|   "SIZE": 23698,                                    |
|   "STAGE": "@MYDB.MYSCHEMA.MYSTAGE"                 |
| }                                                   |
+-----------------------------------------------------+

A simple use of the TO_FILE function with a staged file URL:

SELECT TO_FILE(BUILD_STAGE_FILE_URL('@mystage', 'image.png'));

Result:

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| TO_FILE(BUILD_STAGE_FILE_URL('@MYSTAGE', 'IMAGE.PNG'))                                                             |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| {                                                                                                                  |
|   "CONTENT_TYPE": "image/png",                                                                                     |
|   "ETAG": "..."                                                                                                    |
|   "LAST_MODIFIED": "Wed, 11 Dec 2024 20:24:00 GMT",                                                                |
|   "RELATIVE_PATH": "image.png",                                                                                    |
|   "SIZE": 105859,                                                                                                  |
|   "STAGE": "@MYDB.MYSCHEMA.MYSTAGE",                                                                               |
|   "STAGE_FILE_URL": "https://snowflake.account.snowflakecomputing.com/api/files/MYDB/MYSCHEMA/MYSTAGE/image.png"   |
| }                                                                                                                  |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Or use the FILE_URL from a file in the directory of your stage:

SELECT TO_FILE(FILE_URL) FROM DIRECTORY(@mystage) LIMIT 1;

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| TO_FILE(FILE_URL)                                                                                                  |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| {                                                                                                                  |
|   "CONTENT_TYPE": "image/png",                                                                                     |
|   "ETAG": "..."                                                                                                    |
|   "LAST_MODIFIED": "Wed, 11 Dec 2024 20:24:00 GMT",                                                                |
|   "RELATIVE_PATH": "image.png",                                                                                    |
|   "SIZE": 105859,                                                                                                  |
|   "STAGE": "@MYDB.MYSCHEMA.MYSTAGE",                                                                               |
|   "STAGE_FILE_URL": "https://snowflake.account.snowflakecomputing.com/api/files/MYDB/MYSCHEMA/MYSTAGE/image.png"   |
| }                                                                                                                  |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

This example uses TO_FILE function directly with a scoped file URL:

SELECT TO_FILE(`https://snowflake.account.snowflakecomputing.com/api/files/01ba4df2-0100-0001-0000-00040002e2b6/299017/Y6JShH6KjV`);

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| TO_FILE(https://snowflake.account.snowflakecomputing.com/api/files/01ba4df2-0100-0001-0000-00040002e2b6/299017/Y6JShH6KjV                      |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| {                                                                                                                                              |
|   "CONTENT_TYPE": "image/png",                                                                                                                 |
|   "ETAG": "..."                                                                                                                                |
|   "LAST_MODIFIED": "Wed, 11 Dec 2024 20:24:00 GMT",                                                                                            |
|   "SCOPED_FILE_URL": "https://snowflake.account.snowflakecomputing.com/api/files/01ba4df2-0100-0001-0000-00040002e2b6/299017/Y6JShH6KjV",      |
|   "SIZE": 105859                                                                                                                               |
| }                                                                                                                                              |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+|

This shows an example of constructing a FILE from an object containing the required metadata:

SELECT TO_FILE(OBJECT_CONSTRUCT('STAGE', 'MYSTAGE', 'RELATIVE_PATH', 'image.png', 'ETAG', '<ETAG value>',
  'LAST_MODIFIED', 'Wed, 11 Dec 2024 20:24:00 GMT', 'SIZE', 105859, 'CONTENT_TYPE', 'image/png'));

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| TO_FILE(OBJECT_CONSTRUCT('STAGE', 'MYSTAGE', 'RELATIVE_PATH', 'IMAGE.PNG', 'ETAG', '<ETAG value>', 'LAST_MODIFIED', 'WED, 11 DEC 2024 20:24:00 GMT', 'SIZE', 105859, 'CONTENT_TYPE', 'IMAGE/PNG')) |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| {                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
|   "CONTENT_TYPE": "image/png",                                                                                                                                                                     |
|   "ETAG": "<ETAG value>>"                                                                                                                                                                          |
|   "LAST_MODIFIED": "Wed, 11 Dec 2024 20:24:00 GMT",                                                                                                                                                |
|   "RELATIVE_PATH": "image.png",                                                                                                                                                                    |
|   "SIZE": 105859,                                                                                                                                                                                  |
|   "STAGE": "@MYDB.MYSCHEMA.MYSTAGE"                                                                                                                                                                |
| }                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Adding FILE to a table¶

The following example demonstrates how to create FILE and store it in a table, then perform various operations using that column, including saving and loading from Parquet, SnowPipe, datasets, materialized views, dynamic tables, and cloning with time travel.

Creating a table with a FILE column:

CREATE OR REPLACE TABLE sample_table (a INT, f FILE NOT NULL);
DESCRIBE TABLE sample_table;
INSERT INTO sample_table SELECT 1, TO_FILE('@mystage', 'image.png');
INSERT INTO sample_table SELECT 1, TO_FILE('@mystage', relative_path) FROM DIRECTORY('@mystage');
SELECT * FROM sample_table WHERE fl_get_file_type(f) = 'image';

To write a table containing a FILE column to a stage as a Parquet file and load it back:

-- Write to stage as Parquet
CREATE OR REPLACE STAGE test_stage_parquet;

CREATE OR REPLACE FILE FORMAT parquet_format
  TYPE = 'PARQUET'
  USE_LOGICAL_TYPE = TRUE;

COPY INTO @test_stage_parquet/file_copy.parquet FROM sample_table
  FILE_FORMAT = (FORMAT_NAME = parquet_format) HEADER = TRUE ->> SELECT "rows_unloaded" FROM $1;
ALTER STAGE test_stage_parquet SET DIRECTORY = (ENABLE=TRUE);
ALTER STAGE test_stage_parquet REFRESH;

-- Read Parquet files back from stage
SELECT * FROM @TEST_STAGE_PARQUET/file_copy.parquet_0_0_0.snappy.parquet(FILE_FORMAT => parquet_format);
SELECT * FROM @TEST_STAGE_PARQUET (PATTERN => '.*.parquet', FILE_FORMAT => parquet_format);

Create a dataset from a Parquet file:

CREATE OR REPLACE DATASET mydataset;
ALTER DATASET mydataset ADD VERSION 'v1' FROM
  (SELECT * FROM @TEST_STAGE_PARQUET/file_copy.parquet_0_0_0.snappy.parquet(
    FILE_FORMAT => my_parquet_format))
  COMMENT = 'test dataset';

Copy Parquet files into a table:

CREATE OR REPLACE TABLE t1_copy_parquet (a INT, f OBJECT NOT NULL);

COPY INTO t1_copy_parquet
  FROM @test_stage_parquet
  FILE_FORMAT = (FORMAT_NAME = parquet_format)
  MATCH_BY_COLUMN_NAME = CASE_INSENSITIVE;

SELECT FL_GET_STAGE(f), FL_GET_RELATIVE_PATH(f) FROM t1_copy_parquet;

Create a Snowpipe:

CREATE OR REPLACE TABLE t1_copy_parquet_snowpipe (f OBJECT NOT NULL);
CREATE OR REPLACE PIPE test_pipe AS
  COPY INTO t1_copy_parquet_snowpipe
  FROM @test_stage_parquet
FILE_FORMAT = (FORMAT_NAME = my_parquet_format)
MATCH_BY_COLUMN_NAME = CASE_INSENSITIVE;

ALTER PIPE TEST_PIPE REFRESH;

Create a materialized view or a dynamic table from the table:

CREATE OR REPLACE MATERIALIZED VIEW MV AS SELECT * FROM SAMPLE_TABLE;

CREATE OR REPLACE DYNAMIC TABLE sample_dynamic_table
  WAREHOUSE = my_warehouse
  TARGET_LAG = '60 minutes'
AS SELECT f FROM sample_table;

Store files in an array in a table column:

CREATE OR REPLACE TABLE files_array_table(files ARRAY);
INSERT INTO files_array_table SELECT ARRAY_CONSTRUCT(TO_FILE('@mystage', 'image.png'));
CREATE OR REPLACE TABLE files_array_table_copy(files ARRAY);
INSERT INTO files_array_table_copy SELECT files[0] FROM files_array_table;

Examples of errors¶

These examples illustrate common mistakes in using TO_FILE that result in the function raising an error.

The following example constructs a FILE from a metadata object but omits a required field:

SELECT TO_FILE(OBJECT_CONSTRUCT('RELATIVE_PATH', 'image.png', 'ETAG', '<ETAG value>',
  'LAST_MODIFIED', 'Wed, 11 Dec 2024 20:24:00 GMT', 'SIZE', 105859, 'CONTENT_TYPE', 'image/png'));

Invalid file metadata. Must provide (STAGE and RELATIVE_PATH), SCOPED_FILE_URL, or STAGE_FILE_URL.

The following example is similar, but omits the ETAG field, which is requred.

SELECT TO_FILE(OBJECT_CONSTRUCT('STAGE', 'MYSTAGE', 'RELATIVE_PATH', 'image.png',
  'LAST_MODIFIED', 'Wed, 11 Dec 2024 20:24:00 GMT', 'SIZE', 105859, 'CONTENT_TYPE', 'image/png'));

Invalid file metadata. Missing required fields: ETAG.

The following example shows attempts to GROUP BY, ORDER BY, and CLUSTER BY a FILE column, which is not supported because FILE values cannot be compared.

SELECT f, count(*) FROM sample_table GROUP BY f;
-- Expressions of type FILE cannot be used as GROUP BY keys

SELECT * FROM sample_table ORDER by f;
-- Expressions of type FILE cannot be used as ORDER BY keys

CREATE OR REPLACE TABLE cluster_to_file (a int, url string) CLUSTER BY (to_file(url));
-- Unsupported type 'FILE' for clustering keys

This final example uses an incorrect stage name, specifically a slash at the end of the stage name. Snowflake already adds a slash between the stage name and relative path, so this results in two slashes, and the combined stage path does not specify any file.

SELECT TO_FILE('@mystage/', 'image.png');

Remote file '@mystage//image.png' was not found. There are several potential causes.
The file might not exist. The required credentials may be missing or invalid. If you
are running a copy command, please make sure files are not deleted when they are
being loaded or files are not being loaded into two different tables concurrently
with auto purge option.

Known limitations¶

TO_FILE cannot be used in INSERT INTO TABLE <t> VALUES clause. Use INSERT INTO TABLE <t> SELECT instead.