npx skills add ...
npx skills add dbt-labs/dbt-agent-skills --skill configuring-dbt-mcp-server
npx skills add dbt-labs/dbt-agent-skills --skill configuring-dbt-mcp-server
Generates MCP server configuration JSON, resolves authentication setup, and validates server connectivity for dbt. Use when setting up, configuring, or troubleshooting the dbt MCP server for AI tools like Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, or VS Code.
The dbt MCP server connects AI tools to dbt's CLI, Semantic Layer, Discovery API, and Admin API. This skill guides users through setup with the correct configuration for their use case.
Ask: "Do you want to use the local or remote dbt MCP server?"
| Local Server | Remote Server |
|---|---|
Runs on your machine via uvx | Connects via HTTP to dbt platform |
| Required for development (authoring models, tests, docs) but can also connect to the dbt platform for consumption (querying metrics, exploring metadata) | Best for consumption (querying metrics, exploring metadata) |
| Supports dbt CLI commands (run, build, test, show) | No CLI commands (run, build, test) |
| Works without a dbt platform account but can also connect to the dbt platform for development (authoring models, tests, docs) | Requires dbt platform account |
| No credit consumption | Consumes dbt Copilot credits |
Ask: "Which MCP client are you using?"
Ask: "What's your use case?"
| CLI Only | Platform Only | Platform + CLI |
|---|---|---|
| dbt Core/Fusion users | dbt Cloud without local project | Full access to both |
| No platform account needed | OAuth or token auth | Requires paths + credentials |
Ask: "Which tools do you want enabled?" (show defaults)
| Tool Category | Default | Environment Variable |
|---|---|---|
| dbt CLI (run, build, test, compile) | Enabled | DISABLE_DBT_CLI=true to disable |
| Semantic Layer (metrics, dimensions) | Enabled | DISABLE_SEMANTIC_LAYER=true to disable |
| Discovery API (models, lineage) | Enabled | DISABLE_DISCOVERY=true to disable |
| Admin API (jobs, runs) | Enabled | DISABLE_ADMIN_API=true to disable |
| SQL (text_to_sql, execute_sql) | Disabled | DISABLE_SQL=false to enable |
| Codegen (generate models/sources) | Disabled | DISABLE_DBT_CODEGEN=false to enable |
uv: https://docs.astral.sh/uv/getting-started/installation/DBT_PROJECT_DIR: Folder containing dbt_project.yml
pwd from project folderC:/Users/name/project)DBT_PATH: Path to dbt executable
which dbtwhere dbtSee How to Find Your Credentials for detailed guidance on obtaining tokens and IDs.
${DBT_TOKEN}) instead of literal token values in configuration files that may be committed to version control.env files, ensure they are added to .gitignore to prevent accidental commits.env file contents:
Additional headers for SQL/Fusion tools:
Config location:
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.jsonRun:
This adds the server to your user scope/config (on this system: ~/.claude.json).
For a project-specific setup, run:
This adds the server to .mcp.json in your project root.
Alternatively, you can use the manual configuration below.
Manual configuration:
Edit ~/.claude.json (user scope) or create .mcp.json (project scope) in your project root:
~/.claude.json: Global across all projects.mcp.json: Project-specific, can be committed to version control for team sharing. If using token auth, use environment variable references — never commit literal tokens.For project-specific dbt setups, use .mcp.json so your team shares the same configuration.
Once the config is created, make sure to add the JSON configuration under the mcpServers key.
servers not mcpServers):WSL Users: Configure in Remote settings, not local user settings:
/home/user/project, not Windows paths)Recommended: Use .env file
Alternative: Environment variables
No errors = successful configuration.
After setup, ask the AI:
See Troubleshooting for common issues and fixes.
See Environment Variable Reference for the full list of supported variables.
{
"mcpServers": {
"dbt": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["dbt-mcp"],
"env": {
"DBT_PROJECT_DIR": "/path/to/your/dbt/project",
"DBT_PATH": "/path/to/dbt"
}
}
}
}{
"mcpServers": {
"dbt": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["dbt-mcp"],
"env": {
"DBT_HOST": "https://your-subdomain.us1.dbt.com",
"DBT_PROJECT_DIR": "/path/to/project",
"DBT_PATH": "/path/to/dbt"
}
}
}
}{
"mcpServers": {
"dbt": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["dbt-mcp"],
"env": {
"DBT_HOST": "cloud.getdbt.com",
"DBT_TOKEN": "${DBT_TOKEN}",
"DBT_ACCOUNT_ID": "${DBT_ACCOUNT_ID}",
"DBT_PROD_ENV_ID": "${DBT_PROD_ENV_ID}",
"DBT_PROJECT_DIR": "/path/to/project",
"DBT_PATH": "/path/to/dbt"
}
}
}
}{
"mcpServers": {
"dbt": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["--env-file", "/path/to/.env", "dbt-mcp"]
}
}
}DBT_HOST=cloud.getdbt.com
DBT_TOKEN=<set-via-env-or-secret-manager>
DBT_ACCOUNT_ID=<your-account-id>
DBT_PROD_ENV_ID=<your-prod-env-id>
DBT_DEV_ENV_ID=<your-dev-env-id>
DBT_USER_ID=<your-user-id>
DBT_PROJECT_DIR=/path/to/project
DBT_PATH=/path/to/dbt{
"mcpServers": {
"dbt": {
"url": "https://cloud.getdbt.com/api/ai/v1/mcp/",
"headers": {
"Authorization": "Token ${DBT_TOKEN}",
"x-dbt-prod-environment-id": "${DBT_PROD_ENV_ID}"
}
}
}
}{
"headers": {
"Authorization": "Token ${DBT_TOKEN}",
"x-dbt-prod-environment-id": "${DBT_PROD_ENV_ID}",
"x-dbt-dev-environment-id": "${DBT_DEV_ENV_ID}",
"x-dbt-user-id": "${DBT_USER_ID}"
}
}claude mcp add dbt -s user -- uvx dbt-mcpclaude mcp add dbt -s project -- uvx dbt-mcp{
"servers": {
"dbt": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["dbt-mcp"],
"env": {
"DBT_PROJECT_DIR": "/path/to/project",
"DBT_PATH": "/path/to/dbt"
}
}
}
}DBT_PROJECT_DIR=/path/to/project
DBT_PATH=/path/to/dbtuvx --env-file .env dbt-mcp# Temporary test (variables only last for this session)
export DBT_PROJECT_DIR=/path/to/project
export DBT_PATH=/path/to/dbt
uvx dbt-mcp