dbt-schemify 0.3.0

Generate and update dbt schema.yml files from a template, manifest, and database

dbt-schemify

Generate and update dbt schema.yml files automatically from a template, your dbt manifest, and live database columns.

How it works

Three sources are merged in priority order (highest first):

1. Existing schema.yml — values already there are never overwritten
2. manifest.json — fills fields marked with the schemify sentinel
3. .schemify.yml template — defines which fields to include and their static defaults

The sentinel value schemify in the template means "auto-populate this field from the manifest or database".

Installation

pip install dbt-schemify

With your database adapter:

pip install "dbt-schemify[snowflake]"
pip install "dbt-schemify[postgres]"
pip install "dbt-schemify[bigquery]"
pip install "dbt-schemify[duckdb]"

Quick start

1. Compile your dbt project to get a manifest:

dbt compile

2. Run schemify:

schemify

If .schemify.yml doesn't exist yet, schemify creates one with sensible defaults — edit it, then re-run.

Reads .schemify.yml, target/manifest.json, and ~/.dbt/profiles.yml automatically. Writes schema.yml next to each model's SQL file (grouped by folder).

Usage

schemify [options]

Options:
  --schema PATH          Write all models into a single schema.yml at PATH.
                         If omitted, a schema.yml is created next to each model's SQL file.
  --manifest PATH        Path to manifest.json
                         Default: <project-dir>/target/manifest.json
  --template PATH        Path to .schemify.yml template
                         Default: <project-dir>/.schemify.yml
  --project-dir DIR      dbt project root. Default: current directory
  --profile NAME         dbt profile name. Default: read from dbt_project.yml
  --target NAME          dbt target (e.g. dev, prod). Default: profile default
  --profiles-dir DIR     Directory containing profiles.yml. Default: ~/.dbt/
  -s / --select          Filter models by name or tag. Space-separated.
                         Examples: -s orders   -s tag:marketing   -s tag:finance orders
  --each                 Write one <model_name>.yml per model instead of one schema.yml per folder
  --no-db                Skip database connection; no column fetching
  --info                 Show resolved paths and configuration, then exit

dbt-schemify also works as an alias for backward compatibility.

Examples

# Auto-discover: write schema.yml next to every model's SQL file
schemify

# Check which paths schemify is using
schemify --info

# Only models with a specific tag (one schema.yml per directory)
schemify -s tag:marketing

# Only specific models by name
schemify -s orders customers

# Single model — automatically gets its own <model_name>.yml
schemify -s orders

# Mix names and tags
schemify -s tag:finance orders

# All matching models into one explicit file
schemify --schema models/marketing/schema.yml -s tag:marketing

# One file per model named after the model (e.g. orders.yml, customers.yml)
schemify --each

# Without DB connection (manifest data only)
schemify --no-db

# Custom paths
schemify \
  --manifest target/manifest.json \
  --template .schemify.yml

Default template

If .schemify.yml is missing, schemify creates this template automatically:

version: '1.0'
models:
  - name: schemify
    description: schemify      # filled from manifest
    meta:
      owner: analytics         # static default applied to all models
    config:
      enabled: true            # static default
    columns:
      - name: schemify
        data_type: schemify    # filled from DB
        description: schemify  # left empty for humans to fill in
        meta:
          gdpr_tags: schemify

Merge rules

Situation	Result
Field exists in schema.yml	Kept as-is
Field is schemify sentinel + value in manifest	Filled from manifest
Field is schemify sentinel + column data_type	Filled from DB
Field has a static value in template	Used as default
Field not in template	Not included in output
Column in DB but not in existing schema	Added using template column structure
Column in existing schema but not in DB	Preserved