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About model object

model is the dbt graph object (or node) for the current model. It can be used to:

  • Access config settings, say, in a post-hook
  • Access the path to the model

For example:

{% if model.config.materialization == 'view' %}
{{ log(model.name ~ " is a view.", info=True) }}
{% endif %}

To view the contents of model for a given model:

If you're using the CLI, use log() to print the full contents:

{{ log(model, info=True) }}

Model structure and JSON schema

To view the structure of models and their definitions:

  • Refer to dbt JSON Schema for describing and consuming dbt generated artifacts
  • Select the corresponding manifest version under Manifest. For example if you're on dbt v1.8, then you would select Manifest v12
    • The manifest.json version number is related to (but not equal to) your dbt version, so you must use the correct manifest.json version for your dbt version. To find the correct manifest.json version, refer to Manifest and select the dbt version on the top navigation (such as v1.5). This will help you find out which tags are associated with your model.
  • Then go to nodes --> Select Additional properties --> CompiledModelNode or view other definitions/objects.

Use the following table to understand how the versioning pattern works and match the Manifest version with the dbt version:

dbt Core versionManifest version
v1.8v12
v1.7v11
v1.6v10
v1.5v9
v1.4v8
v1.3v7
v1.2v6
v1.1v5
v1.0v4
0