The FILE_FORMAT parameter is the correct and official Snowflake option used with the COPY INTO
command to define the structure and characteristics of the source data files. When loading data, Snowflake needs to understand how to interpret the incoming file—its delimiter, compression, data type (CSV, JSON, PARQUET, etc.), and any additional parsing rules. The FILE_FORMAT parameter can reference either a named file format created earlier (CREATE FILE FORMAT) or an inline definition directly within the COPY INTO statement. Parameters like TYPE, FIELD_DELIMITER, SKIP_HEADER, and ESCAPE can be specified within FILE_FORMAT. None of the other options—DATA_TYPE, FILE_TYPE, LOAD_FORMAT—are valid COPY INTO parameters in Snowflake. DATA_TYPE relates to column definitions, FILE_TYPE is not a supported keyword, and LOAD_FORMAT is not recognized by Snowflake. Using FILE_FORMAT ensures proper data ingestion, prevents parsing errors, and enables Snowflake to correctly interpret semi-structured and structured files during bulk load operations.
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