---
type: concept
x-llmwiki:
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  contentHash: f2a5a39052052e29426c17da5379ebac22c640ff6dd25b00232ae5d973292319
  pageDirectory: concepts
  sources:
    - generate-databricks-on-aws.md
  confidence: 0.85
  provenanceState: inferred
  freshnessStatus: unverified
  aliases:
    - delta-lake-manifest-files
    - DLMF
    - Generate a manifest file — Delta Lake docs
    - Manifest file
    - Manifest files
    - manifest files
  citations:
    - file: generate-databricks-on-aws.md
title: Delta Lake manifest files
description: External metadata files generated from a Delta table that list its data files for use by query engines that do not natively support Delta Lake.
tags:
  - delta-lake
  - metadata
  - interoperability
timestamp: "2026-06-19T10:42:47.990Z"
---

```markdown
---
title: Delta Lake manifest files
summary: Generated files that allow external query engines like Presto and Athena to read data from Delta Lake tables.
sources:
  - generate-databricks-on-aws.md
kind: concept
createdAt: "2026-06-18T12:28:31.812Z"
updatedAt: "2026-06-18T12:28:31.812Z"
tags:
  - delta-lake
  - manifest
  - interoperability
aliases:
  - delta-lake-manifest-files
  - DLMF
confidence: 1.0
provenanceState: extracted
inferredParagraphs: 0
---

# Delta Lake Manifest Files

**Delta Lake manifest files** are metadata files generated by the `GENERATE` command that list the data files belonging to a Delta table, enabling external query engines like Presto and Athena to read Delta tables without native Delta Lake support. ^[generate-databricks-on-aws.md]

## Overview

Manifest files provide a way for query engines that do not natively understand the Delta Lake protocol to access the underlying data. By generating a manifest file, you create a point-in-time snapshot of the table's current data files, which external engines can then consume to read the Parquet data directly. ^[generate-databricks-on-aws.md]

## Syntax

Use the `GENERATE` command with the `symlink_format_manifest` mode:

```sql
GENERATE symlink_format_manifest FOR TABLE table_name
```

^[generate-databricks-on-aws.md]

## Parameters

| Parameter | Description |
|-----------|-------------|
| `mode` | The manifest format to generate. The only supported mode is `symlink_format_manifest`, which produces manifest files suitable for reading Delta tables from Presto and Athena. |
| `table_name` | Identifies an existing Delta table. The name must not include a temporal specification or options specification. |

^[generate-databricks-on-aws.md]

## Usage

Generated manifest files can be used by Presto and Athena to read Delta tables. For detailed instructions, see the [Delta Lake documentation](https://docs.delta.io/latest/delta-utility.html#generate-a-manifest-file). ^[generate-databricks-on-aws.md]

## Related Concepts

- [[Delta Lake]]
- [[Delta Lake Table|Delta Table]]
- Presto
- Athena
- Parquet Files

## Sources

- generate-databricks-on-aws.md
```

# Citations

1. [generate-databricks-on-aws.md](/references/generate-databricks-on-aws-7753d696.md)
