# SQL Processor - "SQL Invalid" error when using FORMAT\_DATE(\_meta.timestamp)

**URL:** <https://ask.lenses.io/t/sql-processor-sql-invalid-error-when-using-format-date-meta-timestamp/362>\
**Category:** Lenses SQL\
**Created:** [May 1, 2025, 5:47pm UTC](https://ask.lenses.io/t/sql-processor-sql-invalid-error-when-using-format-date-meta-timestamp/362 "2025-05-01T17:47:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![wkolbenschlag](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/ask.lenses.io/wkolbenschlag/32/174_2.png) [@wkolbenschlag](https://ask.lenses.io/u/wkolbenschlag)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 5:47pm UTC](https://ask.lenses.io/t/sql-processor-sql-invalid-error-when-using-format-date-meta-timestamp/362/1 "2025-05-01T17:47:11Z")

</div>

Getting errors while attempting to create an SQL Processor in Lenses:

SQL Processor statement:

```auto
INSERT INTO my_topic
   STORE VALUE AS AVRO
   SELECT STREAM
   field_a as _key,
   field_b,
  FORMAT_DATE(_meta.timestamp, 'yyyyMMddhhmmss') as event_time
FROM xyz_topic;

```

Error message:

`SQL Invalid: Identifier _meta in FORMAT_DATE(_meta.timestamp, yyyyMMddhhmmss') can not be resolved. Hint: verify that there are no typos in _meta.`

Same select in SQL Studio work fine.

Currently using Lenses Version 5.5.7

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![stheppi](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/ask.lenses.io/stheppi/32/30_2.png) [@stheppi](https://ask.lenses.io/u/stheppi)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 9:09pm UTC](https://ask.lenses.io/t/sql-processor-sql-invalid-error-when-using-format-date-meta-timestamp/362/2 "2025-05-01T21:09:13Z")

</div>

Hi [wkolbenschlag](https://ask.lenses.io/u/wkolbenschlag)

At the moment the SQL processors do not support accessing the Kafka message metadata. It is something we are looking to add in the future.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![wkolbenschlag](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/ask.lenses.io/wkolbenschlag/32/174_2.png) [@wkolbenschlag](https://ask.lenses.io/u/wkolbenschlag)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2025, 3:02pm UTC](https://ask.lenses.io/t/sql-processor-sql-invalid-error-when-using-format-date-meta-timestamp/362/3 "2025-05-02T15:02:16Z")

</div>

Understood. However, the Lenses 6.0 documentation indicates that particular metadata functionality is available for both SQL Studio and Processors and should be updated accordingly.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![wkolbenschlag](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/ask.lenses.io/wkolbenschlag/32/174_2.png) [@wkolbenschlag](https://ask.lenses.io/u/wkolbenschlag)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2025, 7:12pm UTC](https://ask.lenses.io/t/sql-processor-sql-invalid-error-when-using-format-date-meta-timestamp/362/4 "2025-10-13T19:12:40Z")

</div>

Has the ability to accessing the Kafka message metadata within SQL Processors been dded to Lenses? Is there an estimated availability? T

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![wkolbenschlag](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/ask.lenses.io/wkolbenschlag/32/174_2.png) [@wkolbenschlag](https://ask.lenses.io/u/wkolbenschlag)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2026, 7:45pm UTC](https://ask.lenses.io/t/sql-processor-sql-invalid-error-when-using-format-date-meta-timestamp/362/5 "2026-05-20T19:45:02Z")

</div>

Has this feature been incorporated into the newest versions of Lenses?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![guillaume.ayme](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/ask.lenses.io/guillaume.ayme/32/64_2.png) [@guillaume.ayme](https://ask.lenses.io/u/guillaume.ayme)\
**Post date:** [June 11, 2026, 9:51am UTC](https://ask.lenses.io/t/sql-processor-sql-invalid-error-when-using-format-date-meta-timestamp/362/6 "2026-06-11T09:51:19Z")

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Hi @wkolbenschlag - The product team are looking into this. Can you email [info@lenses.io](mailto:info@lenses.io) and they can schedule a call with you.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![stheppi](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/ask.lenses.io/stheppi/32/30_2.png) [@stheppi](https://ask.lenses.io/u/stheppi)\
**Post date:** [June 11, 2026, 3:33pm UTC](https://ask.lenses.io/t/sql-processor-sql-invalid-error-when-using-format-date-meta-timestamp/362/7 "2026-06-11T15:33:18Z")

</div>

Hi @wkolbenschlag ,  
We plan to include this feature in an upcoming release. If it is not ready for the next two-week cycle, it will be included in the following one at the latest.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Andrew\_Stevenson](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/ask.lenses.io/andrew_stevenson/32/80_2.png) [@Andrew\_Stevenson](https://ask.lenses.io/u/Andrew_Stevenson)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2026, 10:15am UTC](https://ask.lenses.io/t/sql-processor-sql-invalid-error-when-using-format-date-meta-timestamp/362/8 "2026-06-29T10:15:49Z")

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@wkolbenschlag We now support accessing \_metadata in 6.2.4 [HQ | Changelog | Lenses Docs](https://docs.lenses.io/latest/changelog/lenses-6.2/hq#id-6.2.4)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![wkolbenschlag](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/ask.lenses.io/wkolbenschlag/32/174_2.png) [@wkolbenschlag](https://ask.lenses.io/u/wkolbenschlag)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2026, 7:48pm UTC](https://ask.lenses.io/t/sql-processor-sql-invalid-error-when-using-format-date-meta-timestamp/362/9 "2026-07-06T19:48:21Z")

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Andrew,

I got aa chance to try out the new IDE (via Community Edition), vast improvement over the previous, much more intuitive and informational. Good work! And the \_meta.timestamp issues in SQL Processors has been corrected.

Thank you!