Returns a comprehensive set of metadata properties for a Delta table, including format, location, partitioning, file counts, size, protocol versions, table features, and checkpoint status.
DESCRIBE DETAIL <table>## Overview DESCRIBE DETAIL returns a key-value result set containing the full set of metadata properties for a Delta table. This command is the primary way to inspect table-level attributes that are not visible through the schema (column-level) view. ## Behavior The engine opens the Delta table, reads its latest snapshot, and extracts metadata from the transaction log. The result is a two-column table with columns **property** and **value** containing the following rows: | Property | Description | |----------|-------------| | format | Always "delta" for Delta tables. | | id | The unique table identifier from the Delta metadata. | | name | The table name, if set in metadata. | | description | The table description (comment), if set. | | location | The storage path of the table. | | created_at | The timestamp when the table was created (epoch milliseconds). | | last_modified | The RFC 3339 timestamp of the most recent commit. | | partition_columns | Comma-separated list of partition column names. Empty if the table is not partitioned. | | num_files | The number of active data files in the current snapshot. | | size_in_bytes | The total size of all active data files in bytes. | | estimated_rows | The estimated number of rows based on transaction log statistics. | | version | The current table version number. | | min_reader_version | The minimum reader protocol version required to read this table. | | min_writer_version | The minimum writer protocol version required to write to this table. | | table_features | JSON array of enabled table features (e.g., deletionVectors, changeDataFeed). | | last_checkpoint | The version number of the most recent checkpoint file. | | commits_since_checkpoint | The number of commits since the last checkpoint. | ## Compatibility DESCRIBE DETAIL follows the same syntax and output structure as the Delta Lake DESCRIBE DETAIL command. The property set is extended with checkpoint status and table features information.
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
table | Specifies the name or path of the Delta table to inspect. The table must be registered in the session via CREATE DELTA TABLE or OPEN DELTA TABLE. Fully qualified names (zone.schema.table) are supported. |
-- Show detailed metadata for a table
DESCRIBE DETAIL warehouse.sales.orders;-- Inspect a table in the staging zone
DESCRIBE DETAIL staging.import.raw_events;-- Check protocol versions and table features
DESCRIBE DETAIL gold.analytics.revenue;