How to test and individual Dara Copy activity?

[ChrisClegg]

How can I test a single Data Copy activity within a Data Pipeline without running every activity in the Pipeline?

I have a data pipeline with a number of copy activities.  Nothing complicated, just copies of tables into the LakeHouse, sometimes with simple SQL queries.  Occasionally, I need to amend a SQL query, in our test environment.  I can try that query elsewhere first to ensure that it creates the desired output but I want to test it in the environment, for example, making sure that the final schema mapping is correct and I didn't forget to remove the row limit! (LIMIT 100, TOP 100 etc.).

Initially, I thought that I would need to run all activities in the Pipeline to do this.  But I discovered that I can select all activities, deactivate them all, re-activate the one that I want to test, then save and run the Pipeline, which then executes just that one Data Copy activity.  After the test, I need to remember to select all activities and re-activate them again.

Is there a better way?  Am I missing something?  This feels like something that I should be able to do.

[v-hashadapu · Accepted solution]

Hi @ChrisClegg , Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Community Forum.

The best way to test a single Data Copy activity in a Microsoft Fabric pipeline is to create a temporary test pipeline. Just clone your existing pipeline using the “Save As” option, remove all other activities and keep only the one you want to test. This avoids the hassle of disabling and re-enabling activities manually and it ensures you're working in a clean, controlled setup. It’s especially useful when you need to confirm things like query output, row limits, or schema mapping to the Lakehouse.

Before running the test, it’s a good idea to validate your SQL query in a Notebook or Lakehouse SQL Endpoint. That way, you can make sure the results look right and there aren’t any leftover LIMIT or TOP clauses from earlier testing. After running the pipeline, check the Lakehouse table to confirm that the schema matches what you expect and that the data landed correctly.

If you do this kind of testing often, you might consider a more flexible setup by wrapping each copy activity in an If Condition and using a pipeline parameter like ActivityToRun to control which one gets executed. That way, you can run just one activity by setting the parameter, without needing to duplicate or modify the pipeline every time. Microsoft Fabric doesn’t currently support running individual activities with a Debug button like Azure Data Factory does, so either of these approaches will give you the control you need without extra risk.

If this helped solve the issue, please consider marking it 'Accept as Solution' so others with similar queries may find it more easily. If not, please share the details, always happy to help.
Thank you.