Building the dbt Semantic Layer

This skill guides the creation and modification of dbt Semantic Layer components: semantic models, entities, dimensions, and metrics.

• Semantic models - Metadata configurations that define how dbt models map to business concepts
• Entities - Keys that identify the grain of your data and enable joins between semantic models
• Dimensions - Attributes used to filter or group metrics (categorical or time-based)
• Metrics - Business calculations defined on top of semantic models (e.g., revenue, order count)

Additional Resources

• Time Spine Setup - Required for time-based metrics and aggregations
• Best Practices - Design patterns and recommendations for semantic models and metrics
• Latest Spec Authoring Guide - Full YAML reference for dbt Core 1.12+ and Fusion
• Legacy Spec Authoring Guide - Full YAML reference for dbt Core 1.6-1.11

Determine Which Spec to Use

There are two versions of the Semantic Layer YAML spec: