Test configurations

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Tests can be configured in a few different ways:

  1. Properties within .yml definition (generic tests only, see test properties for full syntax)
  2. A config() block within the test's SQL definition
  3. In dbt_project.yml

Test configs are applied hierarchically, in the order of specifity outlined above. In the case of a singular test, the config() block within the SQL definition takes precedence over configs in the project file. In the case of a specific instance of a generic test, the test's .yml properties would take precedence over any values set in its generic SQL definition's config(), which in turn would take precedence over values set in dbt_project.yml.

Available configurations

Click the link on each configuration option to read more about what it can do.

Test-specific configurations

dbt_project.yml
tests:
  <resource-path>:
    +fail_calc: <string>
    +limit: <integer>
    +severity: error | warn
    +error_if: <string>
    +warn_if: <string>
    +store_failures: true | false
    +where: <string>

General configurations

dbt_project.yml
tests:
  <resource-path>:
    +enabled: true | false
    +tags: <string> | [<string>]
    +meta: {dictionary}

Examples

Add a tag to one test

If a specific instance of a generic test:

models/<filename>.yml
models:
  - name: my_model
    columns:
      - name: id
        tests:
          - unique:
              tags: ['my_tag']

If a singular test:

tests/<filename>.sql
{{ config(tags = ['my_tag']) }}


select ...

Set the default severity for all instances of a generic test

macros/<filename>.sql
{% test my_test() %}


    {{ config(severity = 'warn') }}


    select ...


{% endtest %}

Disable all tests from a package

dbt_project.yml
tests:
  package_name:
    +enabled: false
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