When multiple file format options are specified in different locations (COPY INTO statement, stage, and table definition), which takes precedence?

• A. COPY INTO statement options take precedence
• B. Stage options take precedence
• C. Table definition options take precedence
• D. Default file format options take precedence

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is how Snowflake decides which file format to use when there are defaults at multiple levels. The file format you specify directly in the COPY INTO statement has the highest priority for that operation. If you include a format there, Snowflake uses exactly that format regardless of what is defined at the stage or at the table.

If you omit a file format in the COPY INTO, Snowflake then looks to the stage’s FILE_FORMAT as the default for the load. If the stage has no default, it falls back to the table’s FILE_FORMAT setting. If none are defined anywhere, a system default is used.

So the safest way to guarantee a specific format is to specify it in the COPY INTO statement itself. The idea that the stage setting always wins would ignore the explicit intent you express in the COPY INTO command, which isn’t how it’s designed to work.