dbt VS Code extension features Preview

The dbt VS Code extension uses a dynamic Language Server Protocol (LSP) to provide a fast, intelligent, and cost-efficient dbt development experience with enhanced workflows and easy navigation.

Feature availability

The extension's editor features are available to all users. Some features depend on your project's static analysis mode, and a few read data from your dbt platform account.

See the feature availability tables for the full list of features and what each needs.

Feature availability

The dbt VS Code extension is free to install, and its editor features are available to all users. What's available depends on your project's static analysis mode rather than your account:

Feature	Availability
Error diagnostics for Jinja, YAML, and SQL syntax	All users
Jinja LSP go-to ref, source, and macro	All users
Linter warning diagnostics	All users
Table-level lineage	All users
Basic dbt command UI (run, build, test, and query results)	All users
Ref autocomplete	All users
Refactor ref names	All users
Dialect-aware function autocomplete	All users
Query cache for faster incremental compiles	All users
Preview CTE	baseline (the default) or strict
SQL type and schema error diagnostics	static_analysis: strict
Refactor column names	static_analysis: strict
Column-level lineage	static_analysis: strict
SQL LSP go-to column and CTE	static_analysis: strict
SQL LSP hover to see the schema for select *	static_analysis: strict

These features need you to sign in so the extension can read data from your dbt platform account:

Feature	Why it needs a dbt platform account
Model docs tab with platform metadata	Reads build status, descriptions, and test results from your dbt platform account.
Compare changes with dbt platform deferral	Fetches the deferred manifest from your dbt platform environment. You can also point it at a local manifest.json instead, with no account.

Lightning-fast parse times

Parse even the largest projects up to 30x faster than with dbt v1. The LSP query cache makes incremental compiles faster still.

View compiled code

Get a live view of the SQL code your models will build — right alongside your dbt code.

Usage:

• Click the code icon to view compiled code side-by-side with source code.
• Compiled code will update as you save your source code.
• Clicking on a dbt macro will focus the corresponding compiled code.
• Clicking on a compiled code block will focus the corresponding source code.

Build flexibly

Use the command palette to quickly build models using complex selectors.

Usage:

• Click the dbt icon or use keyboard shortcut cmd+shift+enter (macOS) / ctrl+shift+enter (Windows/Linux) to launch a quickpick menu.
• Select a command to run.

Live error detection

Automatically validate your SQL code to detect errors and surface warnings without hitting the warehouse.

Syntax-tree diagnostics for Jinja, YAML, and SQL syntax errors (L1):

• Syntax errors (missing commas, misspelled keywords, and more)
• Hover over red squiggles to display errors
• Full diagnostic information is available in the Problems panel

L2 dbt v2 SQL comprehension diagnostics (requires static_analysis: strict):

• Missing group by clauses, or columns that are neither grouped nor aggregated
• Invalid function names or arguments
• SQL type and schema errors
• Linter warning diagnostics

Powerful IntelliSense

Autocomplete SQL functions, model names, macros, and more.

• Autocomplete refs and source calls. For example, type {{ ref( or {{ source( and you will see a list of available resources and their type complete the function call. Autocomplete doesn't trigger when replacing existing model names inside parentheses.
• Dialect-aware SQL function autocomplete

Example of the VS Code extension IntelliSense

Instant refactoring

Rename models or columns and see references update project-wide.

Renaming models:

• Right-click on a file in the file tree and select Rename.
• After renaming the file, you'll get a prompt asking if you want to make refactoring changes.
  • Select OK to apply the changes, or Show Preview to display a preview of refactorings.
• After applying your changes, refs should be updated to use the updated model name.

Renaming columns (requires static_analysis: strict):

Column renaming depends on strict static analysis, which validates column references across your project before the extension updates downstream models.

• Right-click on a column alias and select Rename Symbol.
• After renaming the column, you'll get a prompt asking if you want to make refactoring changes.
  • Select OK to apply the changes, or Show Preview to show a preview of refactorings.
• After applying your changes, downstream references to the column should be updated to use the new column name.

Note: Renaming models and columns is not yet supported for snapshots, or any resources defined in a .yml file.

Go-to-definition and reference

Jump to the definition of any ref, macro, model, or column with a single click. Particularly useful in large projects with many models and macros. Excludes definitions from installed packages.

• Command or Ctrl-click to go to the definition for an identifier.
• Right-click an identifier and select Go to Definition or Go to References.
• Jinja LSP go-to-definition for ref(), source(), and macros.

Column and CTE go-to-definition (requires static_analysis: strict):

• Go-to-definition for column names
• Go-to-definition for CTE names

Rich lineage in context

See lineage at the column or table level as you develop — no context switching or breaking flow.

Table-level lineage:

Using the lineage tab in Cursor

If you're using the dbt VS Code extension in Cursor, the lineage tab works best in Editor mode and doesn't render in Agent mode. If you're in Agent mode and the lineage tab isn't rendering, just switch to Editor mode to view your project's table and column lineage.

View table lineage:

• Open the Lineage tab in your editor. It will reflect table lineage focused on the currently-open file.
• Double-click nodes to open the files in your editor.
• The lineage pane updates as you navigate the files in your dbt project.
• Right-click on a node to update the DAG, or view column lineage for a node.

Column-level lineage (depends on static_analysis: strict):

View column lineage:

• Right-click on a filename, or in the SQL contents of a model file.
• Select dbt: View Lineage --> Show column lineage.
• Select the column to view lineage for.
• Double-click on a node to update the DAG selector.
• You can also use column selectors in the lineage window by adding the column: prefix and appending the column name.

Hover insights

See context on tables, columns, and functions without leaving your code. Simply hover over any SQL element to see details like column names and data types.

Hover insights depend on static_analysis: strict, which lets the extension understand column types and function signatures across your project.

Usage:

• Hover over * to see expanded list of columns and their types.
• Hover over column name or alias to see its type.

Live preview for models and CTEs

Preview query output directly from inside your editor for faster validation and debugging.

• Click the table icon or use keyboard shortcut cmd+enter (macOS) / ctrl+enter (Windows/Linux) to preview query results for a model or selected SQL snippet.
• Results are displayed in the Query Results tab in the bottom panel.
• The preview table is sortable and results are stored until the tab is closed.

CTE preview:

• Click the Preview CTE codelens to preview CTE results.

Explore your catalog Beta

This tab reads metadata from your dbt platform account, so you need to sign in to use it.

Open the Catalog tab to see information for the model you're working on — enriched by your dbt platform account — without leaving your editor.

For the current model, the catalog tab surfaces:

• The build status, last build time, and run duration from the dbt platform.
• The model's Description.
• The model's Columns, including each column's type, description, and test results. Sort columns alphabetically or by test name.
• A View in dbt platform link to open the resource in the dbt platform.

Example of the Catalog tab in the dbt VS Code extension

Generate a system report

Generate a system report to collect your VS Code extension logs and system information into a zip file. This is useful when troubleshooting issues with the dbt VS Code extension. You can share the zip file with dbt Labs support to help diagnose problems.

To generate and download a system report:

1. Open the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P on macOS, Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows/Linux).
2. Search for and select dbt: Generate System Report.
3. Choose a location to save the .zip file when prompted.
4. A notification will confirm where the file was saved.

Compare changes in development BetaEnterpriseEnterprise +

Uses your dbt platform account

This capability can read from your dbt platform account. Sign in so the dbt VS Code extension can reach it.

(Applies to dbt v2.0 and later)

Authentication is handled by dbt login, so your login state is shared across the CLI, dbt VS Code extension, and .

You can use compare changes, powered by dbt v2, in your local development environment to compare your current working copy against your manifest.json (for example, your last production state) directly in your editor.

For more details on how to use this feature, refer to Compare changes in local development.

Example of the Compare tab

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