• Reference
  • Version · 5.2.2
  • Reference guide

snowflake-auth-type

Last updated: October 7, 2026

--snowflake-auth-type is a string parameter that specifies the authentication mechanism for connecting to Snowflake databases. This parameter is available in Liquibase Secure.

Uses

When connecting to Snowflake, you can use different authentication methods depending on your security requirements and infrastructure setup. The --snowflake-auth-type parameter tells Liquibase which authentication mechanism to use.

Common authentication types include:

  • Username/Password — Standard authentication using database credentials (default Snowflake behavior).

  • Key Pair (PKI) — Public Key Infrastructure authentication using private key files for enhanced security.

  • OAuth — OAuth-based authentication for federated identity management.

  • Externalbrowser— Browser-based SSO authentication.

You may want to set --snowflake-auth-type in the following scenarios:

  • Enhanced security — Your organization requires certificate-based authentication instead of password-based authentication.

  • Automated processes — CI/CD pipelines require authentication using key pairs rather than interactive credentials.

  • SSO integration — You need to integrate with your organization's identity provider using OAuth or browser-based authentication.

  • Compliance requirements — Security policies mandate specific authentication mechanisms for database access.

Note: When using key pair authentication, you must also specify --snowflake-auth-private-key-path and optionally --snowflake-auth-private-key-passphrase if your key is encrypted.

Syntax

You can set this parameter in the following ways:

Option

Syntax

Liquibase properties file (defaults file)

liquibase.snowflake.auth.type: <string>

Global flow file argument (example)

stages: Default: actions: - type: liquibase command: update globalArgs: {snowflake-auth-type: "<string>"}

Global CLI parameter

liquibase --snowflake-auth-type=<string> update --changelog-file=mychangelog.xml

JVM system property (JAVA_OPTS Environment Variable)

Unix:

JAVA_OPTS=-Dliquibase.snowflake.auth.type=<string>

Windows:

JAVA_OPTS=-D"liquibase.snowflake.auth.type"=<string>

Liquibase Environment Variables

LIQUIBASE_SNOWFLAKE_AUTH_TYPE=<string>

Valid Values

Value

Description

PKI

Public Key Infrastructure authentication using private/public key pairs. Generates JWT tokens for authentication (equivalent to Snowflake's snowflake_jwt authenticator).

oauth

OAuth token-based authentication.

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