Everything for dbt Across Develop, Test, and Collaborate
Core features are free, no account required. Add a free Altimate AI key to unlock AI-powered features.
Develop
- Autocomplete model, macro, source names + go to definition
- Compiled SQL preview as you write
- Click to run parent / child models and tests
- Generate and edit dbt models with natural language
- Visualize compiled SQL as an interactive node graphbeta
Test
- Column-level and model-level lineage
- Defer to prod - run only changed models
- SQL validation without execution
- Query preview, CTE profiling, and CSV export
Collaborate
- AI documentation generation for models and columns
- Documentation editor - write and save to YAML
- Project governance in IDE, Git, and CI/CD
- Code collaboration and query bookmarks
Model and column lineage with full visibility
View lineage across sources, seeds, models, tests, metrics, and exposures. Click into any model to see its columns, tests, and linkage types. Column lineage traces individual columns through your entire dbt project.
- Model-level lineage (no API key required)
- Column-level lineage (with free Altimate AI key)
- Shows linkage types: unchanged, aliased, transformed
- Expandable depth: adjust scope without reopening
- Export lineage for audits and downstream tooling
Auto-complete dbt code and one-click definitions access
Auto-fill model names, macros, sources, and docs as you type. Click on any model name, macro, or source reference to jump directly to its definition.
- Autocomplete for models, macros, sources, columns, and docs
- Go-to-definition - click any ref() or source() to navigate
- Jinja-SQL aware - understands dbt template syntax
- Works across dbt Core and dbt Cloud projects
- Supports dbt Mesh and multi-project workspaces
Preview query results, profile CTEs, and export
See your query results instantly without leaving VS Code. Debug complex models CTE by CTE, export to CSV, and analyze data inline with graphs and filters - no context switching, no copy-pasting to a SQL client.
- Preview results for your full model or just a selection
- Debug step by step - preview individual CTEs separately
- Export as CSV or analyze inline with graphs and filters
Generate model and column descriptions, saved directly to YAML
Generate documentation for models and columns automatically, or write descriptions manually in the built-in UI editor. Descriptions are formatted and saved to YAML files. Hover over a column name in schema.yml to get instant AI suggestions for descriptions and tests.
- AI-generated model and column descriptions
- Hover shortcut - hover a column name: in YAML for instant AI actions
- Manual editor - write and save descriptions in the UI
- Auto-saved and formatted into YAML files
- Code and documentation collaboration without creating a PR
Catch Issues Before They Reach Production
SOC 2 Type 2 Certified
Altimate AI is SOC 2 Type 2 certified. Data is encrypted in transit via TLS. Runs in a private VPC with RBAC access controls.
What Analytics Engineers Say
"Does everything you need it to do - and it supports Athena!"
"Once properly configured it's a huge help in fast dbt development and also is an awesome leg-up in onboarding new team members."
"This extension is even better than the dbt Cloud IDE. It allows me to see the lineage of the models within VS Code, which is all I need."
"Definitely the best extension out there for dbt with VS Code! The query preview and lineage screens are extremely useful, as is the feature to just run, build or test a single model. Doing this through the CLI would cost a lot of time."
Frequently Asked
Yes - the core extension is fully open source under the MIT license. Features like autocomplete, model lineage, compiled SQL preview, click-to-run, defer to prod, SQL validation, and query preview are all free with no account required. AI features (column lineage, explanation, translation, docs generation, test generation) require a free Altimate AI API key, available at altimate.ai.
Yes - dbt Core, dbt Cloud, and dbt Fusion are all supported. The extension auto-detects your dbt project type and reads your profiles.yml. Defer to prod works with dbt Core via the extension without requiring dbt Cloud - you can use a local manifest file or a SaaS-hosted manifest for team sharing.
The extension supports dbt versions 1.0 and above. The BigQuery cost estimator specifically requires dbt 1.6 or above. The extension is fully compatible with dev containers, GitHub Codespaces, and VS Code Remote (WSL and SSH).
For AI features, the extension sends query context to the Altimate AI backend to generate responses. The only data stored is feedback you choose to provide, retained for 30 days for quality improvement. Telemetry follows VS Code's standard telemetry framework and can be disabled entirely via VS Code settings. All transmission is encrypted via TLS. Altimate AI is SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
Yes. The extension supports dbt Mesh and federated multi-project workspaces. Cross-project refs resolve correctly in the editor - autocomplete, go-to-definition, and lineage all work across project boundaries inside a single VS Code window.
Join the AI in DE Community on Slack - the most active place for questions. Documentation is at help.altimate.ai/dbt-power-user. You can also reach the team at altimate.ai/support.
Join the Community
Power User for dbt is built in the open. Get involved.