# metadata\_warehouse

Snowflake only

This configuration is available in Snowflake only.

profiles.yml

```yaml
my_project:
  outputs:
    prod:
      type: snowflake
      # ... other connection settings
      warehouse: TRANSFORMING
      metadata_warehouse: METADATA_XS
  target: prod
```

## Definition

dbt State performs metadata introspection queries to determine whether models need to be rebuilt. On Snowflake, these queries run against your configured `warehouse` by default, which can cause queuing when your primary warehouse is under heavy load.

`metadata_warehouse` lets you route dbt State metadata lookups to a separate, smaller warehouse — keeping introspection overhead off your main compute resource.

If omitted, dbt State falls back to the `warehouse` setting in `profiles.yml`.

You can also use `metadata_warehouse` on the dbt platform by adding it as an [extended attribute](../../docs/dbt-platform-environments.md#extended-attributes) in your environment settings.

note

This configuration currently applies only to dbt State metadata queries. It might be used more broadly in the future. See [dbt-core#12122](https://github.com/dbt-labs/dbt-core/issues/12122) for the feature request.

## Default

Falls back to the `warehouse` setting in `profiles.yml`.

## Example

### Separate metadata and execution warehouses

profiles.yml

```yaml
my_project:
  outputs:
    prod:
      type: snowflake
      account: abc12345
      database: ANALYTICS
      schema: DBT_PROD
      warehouse: TRANSFORMING          # used for model execution
      metadata_warehouse: METADATA_XS  # used for dbt State introspection
  target: prod
```

## Related docs

* [About dbt State](../../docs/deploy/dbt-state-about.md)
* [Snowflake configuration](./snowflake-configs.md)

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