Configuring sources in YAML in dbt - Try It Yourself

Configuring sources in YAML

📖 Scenario: You are working on a data project using dbt. You want to tell dbt where your raw data lives by configuring sources in a YAML file. This helps dbt understand your data tables before you transform them.

🎯 Goal: Learn how to write a YAML configuration for a source in dbt. You will create a source with a name, specify the database and schema, and list the tables inside it.

📋 What You'll Learn

Create a YAML file with a source configuration

Define a source named raw_data

Set the database to analytics_db

Set the schema to public

Add a table named customers with a description

Add a table named orders with a description

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

In real data projects, configuring sources in YAML helps document and manage raw data tables before transforming them.

💼 Career

Data engineers and analysts use source configurations in dbt to build reliable and maintainable data pipelines.

1

Create the basic source structure

Create a YAML file and write a source configuration with the name raw_data. Set the database to analytics_db and the schema to public. Do not add any tables yet.

dbt

# Write the source configuration with name raw_data, database analytics_db, and schema public

Need a hint?

Start with sources: then add a list item with name, database, and schema.

2

Add the first table to the source

Add a table named customers inside the tables list of the raw_data source. Add a description: Customer details table.

dbt

version: 2
sources:
  - name: raw_data
    database: analytics_db
    schema: public
    tables:
      # Add the customers table with description here

Need a hint?

Inside tables:, add a list item with name: customers and description.

3

Add the second table to the source

Add another table named orders inside the tables list of the raw_data source. Add a description: Orders placed by customers.

dbt

version: 2
sources:
  - name: raw_data
    database: analytics_db
    schema: public
    tables:
      - name: customers
        description: "Customer details table"
      # Add the orders table with description here

Need a hint?

Add a second list item under tables: with the orders table and its description.

4

Display the complete YAML source configuration

Print the complete YAML source configuration for raw_data with both tables customers and orders and their descriptions.

dbt

# Print the YAML source configuration below

Need a hint?

Print the YAML text exactly as configured in previous steps.