Model properties

Models properties can be declared in .yml files in your models/ directory (as defined by the model-paths config).

You can name these files whatever_you_want.yml, and nest them arbitrarily deeply in subfolders within the models/ directory. The MetricFlow time spine is a model property that tells dbt and MetricFlow how to use specific columns by defining their properties.

models/<filename>.yml

version: 2

models:
  - name: <model name>
    description: <markdown_string>
    docs:
      show: true | false
      node_color: <color_id> # Use name (such as node_color: purple) or hex code with quotes (such as node_color: "#cd7f32")
    latest_version: <version_identifier>
    deprecation_date: <YAML_DateTime>
    access: private | protected | public
    config:
      <model_config>: <config_value>
    constraints:
      - <constraint>
    tests:
      - <test>
      - ... # declare additional data tests
    columns:
      - name: <column_name> # required
        description: <markdown_string>
        meta: {<dictionary>}
        quote: true | false
        constraints:
          - <constraint>
        tests:
          - <test>
          - ... # declare additional data tests
        tags: [<string>]

      - name: ... # declare properties of additional columns

    versions:
      - v: <version_identifier> # required
        defined_in: <definition_file_name>
        description: <markdown_string>
        docs:
          show: true | false
        access: private | protected | public
        constraints:
          - <constraint>
        config:
          <model_config>: <config_value>
        tests:
          - <test>
          - ... # declare additional data tests
        columns:
          # include/exclude columns from the top-level model properties
          - include: <include_value>
            exclude: <exclude_list>
          # specify additional columns
          - name: <column_name> # required
            quote: true | false
            constraints:
              - <constraint>
            tests:
              - <test>
              - ... # declare additional data tests
            tags: [<string>]
        - v: ... # declare additional versions