Database Error in test not_null_orders_customer_id"

TL;DR

The not_null test found null values in orders.customer_id. Re-run the test with --store-failures so dbt saves the offending rows to a table, query that table to see which rows are null, then fix the model logic or the upstream data that produced them.

Error

Database Error in test not_null_orders_customer_id

Steps

1. Re-run just this test and store the failures: dbt test --select not_null_orders_customer_id --store-failures. Expected: the run completes and reports a failures table location.
2. Query the failures table in your warehouse (it lands in the test schema, named after the test). Expected: you see the actual rows where customer_id is null.
3. Check whether the nulls come from the source or from model logic: compare against the raw table and look for joins that drop the key. Expected: you identify the step that introduces the nulls.
4. Fix the cause: add a coalesce, filter bad rows, or repair the upstream source. Expected: the model logic no longer produces null keys.
5. Re-run dbt test --select not_null_orders_customer_id. Expected: the test passes with zero failing rows.

When to use

• dbt test fails on a not_null generic test with a Database Error.
• You need to see the failing rows, not just the failure count.

When not to use

• The test fails at parse time with an "Invalid test config" error (a YAML problem, not a data problem).
• The test name is misspelled in your --select (dbt reports no matching tests).

Tool compatibility

• dbt Core 1.0 and later, all adapters. --store-failures needs a test schema your role can write to.

Variant phrasings

Database Error in test notnull[model]_[column]

Same pattern for any column: the test found nulls, and the fix is in the data or the model.

Failure in test not_null ... got 5 results, configured to fail if > 0

The long form of the same failure, with the failing row count included.

Why it happens

not_null compiles to a query that selects rows where the column is null. Any nulls in the built model, whether from the source or introduced by a join or a case expression, fail the test.

Edge cases

• Empty strings are not null; if your nulls are actually '', the not_null test passes and you need a separate check.
• Tests run against the model's target schema; make sure you rebuilt the model before re-testing.
• On BigQuery, the failures table lands in the test dataset configured in your profile.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst2k2lwR7i345QYUziTKSjQ

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst2k2lwR7i345QYUziTKSjQ

Thread query: "Database Error in test notnullorderscustomerid"

TL;DR: The not_null test found null values in orders.customer_id. Re-run the test with --store-failures so dbt saves the offending rows to a table, query that table to see which rows are null, then fix the model logic or the upstream data that produced them.