How to add extended properties (description) to Tables and Columns in Azure Dedicated SQL Pool?

Question

How to add extended properties (description) to Tables and Columns in Azure Dedicated SQL Pool?

Priya S 0

Is there any possible way to add description to Tables or columns in Azure Dedicated SQL Pool.

I tried with sp_addextendedproperty, but I got the error:

"PROCEDURE 'sp_addextendedproperty' is not supported."

Himanshu Shekhar 1,780 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-12-03T15:57:52+00:00
@Priya S - Thank you for reaching Microsft QnA platform

Which generation of Dedicated SQL Pool are you using—Gen1 or Gen2?

Is your primary goal to have descriptions stored inside the database metadata, or is external documentation/cataloging acceptable?

Are you mainly accessing and managing tables through Synapse Studio, SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), or other tools?

Do you require descriptions to be query able via T-SQL or visible in metadata views/reports?

Are you currently using or planning to use any data catalog solution to manage metadata across your environment?
Priya S 0 Reputation points

2025-12-04T08:03:48.6666667+00:00
Hi,

Thank you for the response.

**Which generation of Dedicated SQL Pool are you using—Gen1 or Gen2?
**We are using Azure Dedicated SQL Pool Gen2.

**Is your primary goal to have descriptions stored inside the database metadata, or is external documentation/cataloging acceptable?
**My primary goal is to have descriptions stored directly inside the database metadata, tied to tables and columns. External documentation/cataloging is acceptable only if native metadata storage is not possible.

**Are you mainly accessing and managing tables through Synapse Studio, SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), or other tools?
**I mainly use Azure data Studio for development.

**Do you require descriptions to be queryable via T-SQL or visible in metadata views/reports?
**Yes. I need descriptions to be queryable via T-SQL and also visible in metadata views or reports so that other teams and BI tools can consume the information.

**Are you currently using or planning to use any data catalog solution to manage metadata across your environment?
**Currently not using any catalog solution. I am open to using Purview/Data Catalog in the future, but right now I want a way to maintain descriptions within the dedicated SQL pool itself if possible.
Priya S 0 Reputation points

2025-12-05T04:52:25.33+00:00

If Azure Dedicated SQL Pool does not support adding comments or descriptions to tables, columns, or views, could you please provide the official documentation or evidence confirming that this feature is not supported?

2 answers

Your answer

Himanshu Shekhar 1,780 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-12-03T15:57:52+00:00

@Priya S - Thank you for reaching Microsft QnA platform

Which generation of Dedicated SQL Pool are you using—Gen1 or Gen2?

Is your primary goal to have descriptions stored inside the database metadata, or is external documentation/cataloging acceptable?

Are you mainly accessing and managing tables through Synapse Studio, SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), or other tools?

Do you require descriptions to be query able via T-SQL or visible in metadata views/reports?

Are you currently using or planning to use any data catalog solution to manage metadata across your environment?
Priya S 0 Reputation points

2025-12-04T08:03:48.6666667+00:00

Hi,

Thank you for the response.

**Which generation of Dedicated SQL Pool are you using—Gen1 or Gen2?
**We are using Azure Dedicated SQL Pool Gen2.

**Is your primary goal to have descriptions stored inside the database metadata, or is external documentation/cataloging acceptable?
**My primary goal is to have descriptions stored directly inside the database metadata, tied to tables and columns. External documentation/cataloging is acceptable only if native metadata storage is not possible.

**Are you mainly accessing and managing tables through Synapse Studio, SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), or other tools?
**I mainly use Azure data Studio for development.

**Do you require descriptions to be queryable via T-SQL or visible in metadata views/reports?
**Yes. I need descriptions to be queryable via T-SQL and also visible in metadata views or reports so that other teams and BI tools can consume the information.

**Are you currently using or planning to use any data catalog solution to manage metadata across your environment?
**Currently not using any catalog solution. I am open to using Purview/Data Catalog in the future, but right now I want a way to maintain descriptions within the dedicated SQL pool itself if possible.
Priya S 0 Reputation points

2025-12-05T04:52:25.33+00:00

If Azure Dedicated SQL Pool does not support adding comments or descriptions to tables, columns, or views, could you please provide the official documentation or evidence confirming that this feature is not supported?

Answer 1

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In Azure Dedicated SQL Pool, the sp_addextendedproperty procedure is not supported, which is why you encountered the error. Unfortunately, there is currently no direct method to add extended properties, such as descriptions, to tables or columns in Azure Dedicated SQL Pool.

As a workaround, you may consider documenting your schema and any additional metadata outside of the database, such as in a data dictionary or documentation tool, to keep track of descriptions for your tables and columns.

References:

Priya S 0 Reputation points

2025-12-04T08:05:55.0033333+00:00

Can you please provide me the documents for Azure dedicated sql pool not supported extended properties?

Answer 2

Hey Priya! It looks like you’re trying to add descriptions to tables and columns in your Azure Dedicated SQL Pool (Gen2) but ran into issues with sp_addextendedproperty. Unfortunately, the dedicated SQL pool currently does not support sp_addextendedproperty for adding extended properties to tables or columns.

For now, you can use tags in Azure Synapse Analytics to help manage metadata. Tags can be added to Azure resources, including SQL pools, and are key-value pairs that can provide some descriptive context. Here’s a brief look at how to use tags:

Using Tags in Azure Synapse:

Go to your SQL pool resource in the Azure portal.
Select the Tags option.
Add your tags as needed (make sure your pool is in a resumed state to perform this operation).

Important Limitations:

The primary database doesn’t support tags, but other databases, including Azure Synapse Analytics databases, do.
If you want descriptions to be queryable via T-SQL and visible in metadata views, you might need to consider maintaining an external documentation or look into data catalog solutions like Azure Purview in the future.

Documentation Reference:

For more detailed guidance, check out the following documentation:

If you need native metadata storage directly within the dedicated SQL pool, it looks like that's currently not an option. However, you can explore workarounds like using tags or data cataloging solutions.

Hope this helps! If you have any other questions or need more clarification, just let me know!

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How to add extended properties (description) to Tables and Columns in Azure Dedicated SQL Pool?

2 answers

Using Tags in Azure Synapse:

Important Limitations:

Documentation Reference:

Your answer