Features
dbt deps is the dbt CLI command that downloads and updates the external packages declared in a project's packages.yml file.
dbt deps Command?The dbt deps command installs or updates all external dbt packages listed in packages.yml into the project’s dbt_packages/ directory.
dbt deps Matter in Analytics Engineering?Reliable package management guarantees reproducible builds, keeps macros in sync, and accelerates onboarding by automating dependency setup.
dbt deps Work Internally?dbt reads packages.yml, resolves Git, Hub, or local path sources, then downloads the version-pinned code to dbt_packages/ before compiling.
dbt deps Create or Modify?The command creates dbt_packages/ and a lock file packages.lock that stores exact commit SHAs for deterministic builds.
dbt deps?Run it after cloning a repo, editing packages.yml, bumping package versions, or during CI pipelines before dbt build.
Use semantic version ranges like version: ">=1.4.0,<2.0.0" or commit SHAs to avoid breaking changes.
Add an entry under packages: in packages.yml, then execute dbt deps to fetch it immediately.
dbt deps Flags?--target-path changes the download directory; --profiles-dir points to a custom profiles location; --fail-fast stops on first error.
dbt deps Integrate With CI/CD?Include dbt deps in pipeline steps to guarantee dependencies exist before compilation and tests.
dbt deps in Galaxy’s SQL Editor?Yes.Run dbt deps in Galaxy’s built-in terminal or pre-commit hooks so collaborators always have synced macros when querying models.
dbt depsCommit packages.lock, pin major versions, audit packages for security, and rerun after changing branches.
Declare - package: dbt-labs/dbt_utils\n version: ">=1.1.0,<2.0.0" then run dbt deps; macros become available instantly for your team.
dbt deps Errors?Enable verbose logs with -d, clear dbt_packages/, verify Git URLs, and check network proxies.
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Dependency drift can break production models. Automating installs with dbt deps ensures every environment—local, CI, or Galaxy—uses identical vetted macros and packages, reducing runtime errors and onboarding time.
Not always. Run it after changing packages.yml, cloning a repo, or switching branches to ensure dependencies are current.
Yes. dbt resolves nested package requirements and records them in packages.lock for reproducibility.
Galaxy’s desktop IDE lets you execute dbt deps in an integrated terminal, share generated macros via Collections, and ensure endorsed SQL uses the same package versions.
Use --target-path ./custom_dir to place packages elsewhere, helpful for monorepos or disk-space constraints.
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