In the Snowflake data loading hierarchy, understanding the order of precedence for file format options is critical for troubleshooting and automation. Snowflake allows you to define file format options (such as CSV delimiter, header settings, or compression type) at multiple levels: as a standalone named File Format object, within a Stage definition, or directly inside a COPY INTO statement.

When data is loaded, Snowflake evaluates these definitions based on a specific override logic. The COPY INTO statement sits at the top of this hierarchy. This means that any file format options or named file formats explicitly called out in the COPY INTO command will override any conflicting settings defined at the stage or table level. For example, if a stage is defined to expect comma-separated files, but the COPY INTO command specifies a pipe delimiter, Snowflake will use the pipe delimiter for that specific load operation.

Evaluating the Options:

Options A, B, and C are incorrect because while they provide default behaviors for specific objects or namespaces, they are considered "lower-level" configurations.

Option D is the 100% correct answer. The COPY INTO statement provides the final, explicit instruction to the query engine. This design allows Data Analysts to use general-purpose stages for various file types by simply specifying the unique format requirements at the time of the execution, providing maximum flexibility in the Data Ingestion workflow.