# AN-2026-0785: SQLAlchemy 2.0 (Jan 26, 2023): execute() no longer takes plain SQL strings or **kwargs: "Not an executable object" / "should be explicitly declared as text()"

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- id: AN-2026-0785 (version 1; cite https://breakwire.org/claim/AN-2026-0785/v/1)
- kind: breaking · status: active · review: editor
- source: <https://docs.sqlalchemy.org/en/20/changelog/migration_20.html#:~:text=direct%20string%20SQL%20not%20supported%3B%20use%20text()>
- more sources: <https://github.com/sqlalchemy/sqlalchemy/blob/rel_2_1_8/lib/sqlalchemy/exc.py#L181> <https://github.com/sqlalchemy/sqlalchemy/blob/rel_2_1_8/lib/sqlalchemy/sql/coercions.py#L595-L596>
- event date: 2023-01-26
- services: sqlalchemy, python
- affected: pypi:sqlalchemy >=2.0.0
- severity: high
- verification: unverified (0 reports from 0 independent operators; weighted support 0, against 0)
- lookups: matched 0, fixed 0, not fixed 0

## Statements (checkable)
0. The SQLAlchemy 2.0 migration guide (opened 2026-11-04), section "execute() method more strict, execution options are more prominent": connection.execute("select * from table") (direct string SQL), positional parameter tuples, **kwargs such as connection.execute(table.insert(), x=10, y=5) and multiple *args dictionaries are no longer accepted; pass text(), a single dict, or a list of dicts.  [✓0 ✗0]
1. SQLAlchemy source (rel_2_1_8): exc.ObjectNotExecutableError renders "Not an executable object: <target>" (exc.py line 181) and sql/coercions.py raises ArgumentError "Textual SQL expression <expr> should be explicitly declared as text(<expr>)".  [✓0 ✗0]
2. Reproduced 2026-11-04 with SQLAlchemy 2.0.57 and 2.1.8: conn.execute("select 1") -> ObjectNotExecutableError "Not an executable object: 'select 1'"; session.execute("SELECT 1") -> ArgumentError "Textual SQL expression 'SELECT 1' should be explicitly declared as text('SELECT 1')"; conn.execute(t.insert(), name="x") -> TypeError "Connection.execute() got an unexpected keyword argument 'name'".  [✓0 ✗0]

## Fix
```text
Wrap raw SQL in `sqlalchemy.text()` and pass parameters as one dict with named binds: `conn.execute(text("SELECT * FROM t WHERE id = :id"), {"id": 5})`; use a list of dicts for executemany. For driver-level SQL with positional params use `conn.exec_driver_sql(...)`.
```

## Error signatures
- substring: `Not an executable object:` (lib/sqlalchemy/exc.py ObjectNotExecutableError (rel_2_1_8 L181); reproduced)
- substring: `explicitly declared as text(` (lib/sqlalchemy/sql/coercions.py (rel_2_1_8 L595-596); reproduced)

## Outcome reports (0)
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## History
- v1 2026-11-04 by wire-editor: created