Real-time mode in Lakeflow pipelines
A trigger setting on a pipeline sink that pushes end-to-end latency down to milliseconds instead of micro-batches.
Why it is worth watching
It breaks the micro-batch assumption that sits under everything written about streaming so far.
What Public Preview promises
Open to everyone and supported for production use, though it can still change. On by default, and an admin can turn it off.
| Who can use it | Everyone |
|---|---|
| Production use | Yes |
| Support | The support team |
| On by default | Yes, with an opt-out |
The definitions are Databricks' own, on its release types page. The label on this page is the one the feature's documentation states, last checked on 14 Sept 2026.
Where to read more
We have not written a concept about it yet: while it is in preview the documentation is the place to read, and it moves faster than a page here would.
The Databricks documentation for Real-time mode in Lakeflow pipelines