Backfill with insufficient permissions shows misleading message: “No runs matching selected criteria”

[manipatnam]

Apache Airflow version

3.1.6

If "Other Airflow 3 version" selected, which one?

3.2.0

What happened?

When a user who does not have sufficient permissions to backfill a DAG attempts to run a backfill and selects a date range, the UI displays the message:

No runs matching selected criteria.

This message is misleading. The issue is not that there are no matching runs, but that the user lacks the required permissions to perform a backfill.

Instead, the UI should clearly indicate that the action failed due to insufficient permissions, which would help users understand and resolve the issue more quickly.

What you think should happen instead?

If a user without backfill permissions attempts to backfill a DAG, the UI should display an explicit error such as:

Insufficient permissions to backfill this DAG

or a similar authorization-related message

How to reproduce

1. Create or use an existing DAG.
2. Create a user with insufficient permissions (e.g., no backfill or DAG run creation permissions).
3. Log in as this restricted user.
4. Navigate to the DAG in the Airflow UI.
5. Attempt to Backfill the DAG.
6. Select a valid date range.
7. Observe the message shown after submitting the backfill request.

Operating System

debian

Versions of Apache Airflow Providers

No response

Deployment

Astronomer

Deployment details

No response

Anything else?

No response

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