Configure dbt Wizard Beta
dbt Wizard stores local configuration in TOML files under your home directory. Use these files to set defaults for models, approval behavior, sandboxing, trusted projects, and dbt project settings.
Most users only need to edit configuration when they want to:
- Set a default AI model
- Use BYOK credentials
- Change approval or sandbox behavior
- Mark a project as trusted
- Point dbt Wizard to a specific dbt executable
- Reset part of the setup flow
For the complete list of settings, refer to the Wizard CLI command reference.
Config files
dbt Wizard uses separate files for agent runtime settings and dbt project settings.
dbt_project.yml is separate from these files. It configures how dbt builds your project. dbt Wizard configuration controls how the agent runs and how it works with that project.
TOML basics
dbt Wizard configuration files use TOML. TOML uses key = "value" pairs and [section] headers.
model = "claude-sonnet-4-6"
[projects."/Users/you/jaffle-shop"]
trust_level = "trusted"
This example sets a default AI model and marks one project as trusted.
Common settings
Set a default model
Set the default model for new sessions in ~/.dbt/wizard/config.toml:
model = "claude-sonnet-4-6"
Model IDs use the public dbt Wizard catalog ID without an internal prefix.
To list available model slugs, run:
wizard debug models
You can also change the model during a session with /model.
Configure provider keys
For BYOK, set provider credentials with environment variables or wizard providers. For OpenAI and Anthropic API keys, use:
export OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...
For OpenAI subscription, AWS Bedrock, Azure, and Snowflake Cortex, use wizard providers or the /providers slash command instead of config file keys. Refer to Configure BYOK.
Change approval behavior
Control when dbt Wizard asks before running commands:
approval_policy = "untrusted"
Change sandbox mode
Control how much filesystem access dbt Wizard has:
sandbox_mode = "read-only"
Refer to Approval and sandboxing for more detail.
Enable web search
Enable web search:
web_search = "live"
This can help dbt Wizard look up docs and error messages.
Mark a project as trusted
Mark a project as trusted to allow dbt Wizard to use project-local configuration:
[projects."/absolute/path/to/your-repo"]
trust_level = "trusted"
Use the absolute path to the project root.
Set the dbt executable path
Project settings live in ~/.dbt/wizard/wizard_config.toml. To point dbt Wizard to a specific dbt executable, set path under the project entry:
version = 1
[projects."/Users/you/jaffle-shop"]
path = "/Users/you/jaffle-shop/.venv/bin/dbt"
dbt Wizard usually writes this file during onboarding, so you do not need to edit it unless the path changes.
Configuration precedence
For a live dbt Wizard session, settings are resolved in this order, from highest to lowest precedence:
- CLI flags and per-invocation overrides
- In-session model picker (
/model) ~/.dbt/wizard/config.toml- Project settings in
~/.dbt/wizard/wizard_config.toml - Built-in defaults
Changes to configuration files usually require restarting wizard.
Example configuration
model = "claude-sonnet-4-6"
approval_policy = "untrusted"
sandbox_mode = "workspace-write"
web_search = "live"
[projects."/Users/you/jaffle-shop"]
trust_level = "trusted"
[mcp_servers.dbt]
command = "DBT_MCP_ENDPOINT"
Troubleshooting
Reset setup
If you need to re-run setup, delete the relevant file or remove the project entry from the relevant config file. dbt Wizard will prompt you again the next time it runs.
config.toml and wizard_config.toml control different things. Use config.toml for agent runtime settings. Use wizard_config.toml for dbt project settings.
Related docs
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