dbt VS Code extension features Preview

The dbt VS Code extension is backed by the speed and power of the dbt Fusion engine and a dynamic Language Server Protocol (LSP) that enables enhanced workflows, faster development, and easy navigation.

Registration for advanced features

Most dbt VS Code extension features are available to all users for 14 days. After the 14-day trial period, register for a dbt platform account to keep using advanced features. The vast majority of features remain available without registration. Existing registered users keep access automatically.

Refer to VS Code extension features for the full list of features and their availability.

Lightning-fast parse times

Parse even the largest projects up to 30x faster than with dbt Core.

Requires registration — LSP query cache (for faster incremental compiles).

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.

Available to all users:

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

Requires registration:

L2 Fusion SQL comprehension diagnostics (depends on strict static analysis):

• 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.

Available to all users:

• 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.

Available to all users:

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.

Requires registration:

Renaming columns (depends on strict static analysis):

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.

Available to all users:

• 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.

Requires registration:

Column and CTE go-to-definition (depends on strict static analysis):

• 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.

Available to all users:

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.

Requires registration:

Column-level lineage (depends on strict static analysis):

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.

Requires registration:

Hover insights depend on strict static analysis, 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.

Available to all users:

• 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.

Requires registration:

CTE preview:

• Click the Preview CTE codelens to preview CTE results.

Explore your catalog Beta

Requires registration:

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.

The Catalog tab is an advanced feature. Before your 14-day trial expires, register for a dbt platform account to continue using it.

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 +

Requires registration

Advanced capabilities are available to all users for 14 days. After the 14-day trial, sign in or register for a dbt platform account to keep using advanced features. Existing registered dbt VS Code extension users keep access automatically.

You can use compare changes, powered by the dbt Fusion engine, 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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