Skippr Docs

Appearance

How to Query Recent CDC Tables in Synapse ​

May 2026

In Synapse, recent CDC queries stay clear when current rows, delete history, and recency filters each come from the right place.

Short Answer ​

To query recent CDC tables in Synapse, read the MERGE-applied target table for current rows and filter by a real source-derived or business-derived time column. The destination table is the place where replay ordering has already been resolved, so it should be the normal query entry point.

If recent deletes matter, query the companion tombstone table rather than trying to detect missing rows indirectly. The _skippr_order_token column is valuable for apply-time ordering but is not the clearest field for human recency questions.

Why Teams Struggle with This ​

This matters because warehouse users usually want one of three things: the latest row, the rows updated in a recent period, or the keys deleted in a recent period. Synapse can answer all three cleanly if those questions are routed to the right tables and columns.

  • Use the target table for current surviving rows.
  • Use a time column with business meaning for recent windows.
  • Use the tombstone table for delete recency.
  • Do not overload the order token with reporting semantics it was not meant to carry.

How Skippr Handles It ​

Skippr helps because the Synapse destination already encodes newer-wins logic in MERGE and creates companion tombstone tables automatically. That gives readers a clear split between current-state queries and delete-history queries.

A concrete example: to report recently upgraded plans, query the subscriptions target table where plan_changed_at or updated_at falls in the time window you care about. If you also need canceled subscriptions that were deleted, read the tombstone companion keyed by the same business columns.

  • The target table is the primary surface for current-state querying.
  • The tombstone table is the primary surface for recent delete analysis.
  • Recency should be defined with actual time columns, not order tokens.
  • MERGE-based final-state reconciliation keeps the query story simpler.

What the First Useful Version Looks Like ​

Synapse recent CDC querying does not need special tricks if the destination tables are asked the right questions.

That is usually the best sign that the CDC contract is specific enough.