Asset extra metadata not persisted: extra field always empty via API/DB for emitted asset alias events #58146
Description
Apache Airflow version
3.1.2
If "Other Airflow 2/3 version" selected, which one?
No response
What happened?
When emitting an Asset with a non-empty extra dictionary (using the standard Asset/AssetAlias machinery in Airflow 3.1.2), the resulting asset has an empty extra field in the database and API, despite being created with extra metadata.
from datetime import UTC, datetime
from airflow.providers.standard.operators.python import PythonOperator
from airflow.sdk import Asset, AssetAlias, Metadata, dag, task
first_alias = AssetAlias(
name='a.first.data.alias',
)
first_asset = Asset(
name='a.first.data.asset',
uri='s3://bucket/mydata.csv',
extra={'path': '/some/local/path.txt'},
)
@dag(
schedule=None,
tags=['test'],
)
def test_alias_producer_dag():
def produce_asset():
yield Metadata(
first_asset,
{'timestamp': datetime.now(tz=UTC).isoformat()},
first_alias,
)
PythonOperator(
task_id='produce_asset',
python_callable=produce_asset,
outlets=[first_alias],
)
@dag(
schedule=[first_alias],
tags=['test'],
)
def test_alias_consumer_dag():
@task(inlets=[first_alias])
def process_asset(triggering_asset_events: dict):
for event in triggering_asset_events:
print(f'Event: {event}')
process_asset()
test_alias_producer_dag()
test_alias_consumer_dag()Task log:
[2025-11-10 14:54:24] INFO - Event: Asset(name='a.first.data.asset', uri='s3://bucket/mydata.csv', group='asset', extra={}, watchers=[]) source=task.stdout
[2025-11-10 14:54:24] INFO - Event: AssetAlias(name='a.first.data.alias', group='asset') source=task.stdout
Example API response (assets endpoint):
{
"id": 116,
"name": "a.first.data.asset",
"uri": "s3://bucket/mydata.csv",
"group": "",
"extra": {},
...
}
What you think should happen instead?
The extra dictionary provided at Asset creation should be saved and returned by the API and database. Assets should always include their extra metadata if set.
How to reproduce
See example
Operating System
docker
Versions of Apache Airflow Providers
No response
Deployment
Other Docker-based deployment
Deployment details
No response
Anything else?
Can not verify Asset extra via the UI because of #57566
Are you willing to submit PR?
- Yes I am willing to submit a PR!
Code of Conduct
- I agree to follow this project's Code of Conduct