Understanding the 'Dag is Cyclical' Error in Mapping Outputs

Michael E.

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Hi I was wondering what the ‘Dag is cyclical’ error means when trying to map and output to an existing column

7 comments

· Sorted by Oldest

Clay Support
APP
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The "DAG is cyclical" error occurs when you create a circular dependency between columns—meaning a column depends on itself, either directly or through other columns.
This commonly happens when:
Mapping output to an existing column that the enrichment itself references
Creating infinite update loops where changes trigger continuous updates
To fix this:
1.
Map the output to a new column instead of an existing one
2.
Check your column dependencies in Run Settings to identify the loop
3.
Reconfigure your Write to Other Table integrations if using cross-table references [1]
Avoid mapping enrichments back to columns they depend on to prevent circular references.
Clay Support
APP
·
·
Is that what you were looking for?
Clay Support
APP
·
·
If you still need help resolving the "DAG is cyclical" error or have more questions about mapping and output, I’m here to assist. Would you like to provide more details about what you’re trying to achieve so we can continue troubleshooting?
Michael E.
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Where do I check the ‘run settings’ of the column
Clay Support
APP
·
·
To access Run Settings for a column:
1.
Click the column name → select Edit column [1]
2.
Navigate to the Run Settings tab
This section shows dependencies, conditions, and auto-update settings for that column.
Clay Support
APP
·
·
Was that helpful?
Clay Support
APP
·
·
If you need any more help with checking the Run Settings or resolving the "DAG is cyclical" error, please let me know. Would you like to share more about what you’re trying to set up so I can assist further?

Clay Support
APP
·
·
The "DAG is cyclical" error occurs when you create a circular dependency between columns—meaning a column depends on itself, either directly or through other columns.
This commonly happens when:
Mapping output to an existing column that the enrichment itself references
Creating infinite update loops where changes trigger continuous updates
To fix this:
1.
Map the output to a new column instead of an existing one
2.
Check your column dependencies in Run Settings to identify the loop
3.
Reconfigure your Write to Other Table integrations if using cross-table references [1]
Avoid mapping enrichments back to columns they depend on to prevent circular references.
Clay Support
APP
·
·
Is that what you were looking for?
Clay Support
APP
·
·
If you still need help resolving the "DAG is cyclical" error or have more questions about mapping and output, I’m here to assist. Would you like to provide more details about what you’re trying to achieve so we can continue troubleshooting?
Michael E.
·
·
Where do I check the ‘run settings’ of the column
Clay Support
APP
·
·
To access Run Settings for a column:
1.
Click the column name → select Edit column [1]
2.
Navigate to the Run Settings tab
This section shows dependencies, conditions, and auto-update settings for that column.
Clay Support
APP
·
·
Was that helpful?
Clay Support
APP
·
·
If you need any more help with checking the Run Settings or resolving the "DAG is cyclical" error, please let me know. Would you like to share more about what you’re trying to set up so I can assist further?