# BUG system.db.runPrepQuery fails to return error when wrong column name is selected

**URL:** <https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/bug-system-db-runprepquery-fails-to-return-error-when-wrong-column-name-is-selected/115649>\
**Category:** Ignition\
**Created:** [May 21, 2026, 7:32pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/bug-system-db-runprepquery-fails-to-return-error-when-wrong-column-name-is-selected/115649 "2026-05-21T19:32:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Julian\_Islic](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/julian_islic/32/57055_2.png) [@Julian\_Islic](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Julian_Islic)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2026, 7:32pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/bug-system-db-runprepquery-fails-to-return-error-when-wrong-column-name-is-selected/115649/1 "2026-05-21T19:32:58Z")

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I ran a Prep Query in ignition 8.3 and it seems like when the query contains a column that doesn't exist, a column is returned...

[![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/0/9/09baa8d36510d4468be37837565dcf647dd63353.png)](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/0/9/09baa8d36510d4468be37837565dcf647dd63353.png "image")

[image922×137 7.93 KB](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/0/9/09baa8d36510d4468be37837565dcf647dd63353.png "image")

Clearly table has no rows and column "abc" doesn't exist.

[![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/5/4/54091b70da406f591d320ac9cf7d9ae776ee1996.png)](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/5/4/54091b70da406f591d320ac9cf7d9ae776ee1996.png "image")

[image392×166 1.81 KB](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/5/4/54091b70da406f591d320ac9cf7d9ae776ee1996.png "image")

When I run in SSMS, this is the error I get and is the one I expect to come back in the traceback.

[![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/3/f/3fa7960214825ccd0dde7dcef44eb4d395cda2b3.png)](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/3/f/3fa7960214825ccd0dde7dcef44eb4d395cda2b3.png "image")

[image403×190 7.64 KB](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/3/f/3fa7960214825ccd0dde7dcef44eb4d395cda2b3.png "image")

Any ideas? Or is it just a bug?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2026, 8:15pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/bug-system-db-runprepquery-fails-to-return-error-when-wrong-column-name-is-selected/115649/2 "2026-05-21T20:15:37Z")

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The bug is you attempting to use a `?` placeholder for column name. They aren't allowed to provide query **structure** , only query **values**.