Create a dbt Cloud metadata collector

Release version: Australia

Updated March 12, 2026

4 minutes to read

Create a collector to import metadata from dbt Cloud.

Before you begin

Before you begin, verify the following:

A MID Server is setup for the collectors. For more information, see MID Server for metadata collectors.
All per-requisite tasks are completed. For more information, see Prepare to run the dbt Cloud collector.
Role required: connection-admin

Procedure

Navigate to All > Workflow Data Fabric > Workflow Data Fabric Home.
Select the Connect Hub icon in the left sidebar.
Select Create > Metadata collector.
From the System list, select dbt Cloud.
From the Connection type list, select one of the following:
1. Select New connection to configure a new connection.
2. Select Existing connection to reuse an existing connection and select an existing connection from the Connections list.
  The configuration form is filled with details from the existing connection. The name is appended with the word Copy and sensitive details like password aren't copied.

On the form, fill in the fields.

Table 1. dbt Cloud metadata collector form
Field	Description
Connection name	Unique identifier for the connection. This field can't be modified once the connection is established.
Short description	Purpose and details of the connection.

Enter the dbt Cloud configuration details.

Table 2. Configuration details
Field	Description
dbt Cloud API key	A dbt cloud-issued API key with permissions to access the specified account.
dbt Cloud host	The host for your organization's account on dbt cloud. If left unspecified, the default host is assumed as cloud.getdbt.com.
dbt cloud account ID	The dbt cloud account that owns the project from which to harvest dbt metadata artifacts.
dbt Cloud project	The name or numeric identifier of the project from which to harvest dbt metadata artifacts.
dbt cloud run ID	The numeric identifier of the run that produced the artifacts to be harvested. If not specified, the most recent successful run that produced artifacts within the project is harvested.
dbt Cloud environment	The dbt Cloud environment (ID or name) used to filter the job runs from which to harvest dbt metadata artifacts.
dbt Cloud job	The dbt Cloud job (ID or name) used to filter the job runs from which to harvest dbt metadata artifacts.

Enter the target database details.

Note:

You must set the Target database to Snowflake overrides to harvest Snowflake lineage relationships between columns specified through views.

Table 3. Target database details
Field	Description
Target database	Option to override the database connection information configured on the Project in dbt cloud No Target database overrides: Enables the collector to skip connecting to a data warehouse and only harvest dbt assets. No lineage is available for views Snowflake overrides: Select to harvest Snowflake lineage relationships between columns specified through views
Authentication (Snowflake overrides)
Authentication	Authentication method to use if Snowflake overrides is selected No Snowflake authentication overrides Snowflake username and password overrides Snowflake private key file overrides Note: If you select Snowflake overrides and don't provide any authentication details, the collector obtains connection information (Snowflake account, role, and warehouse) from the identified dbt Cloud run.
Snowflake username and password overrides
Database username	User credential to use in connecting to the target database
Database password	Password credential to use in connecting to the target database
Snowflake private key file overrides
Database username	Username to use in connecting to the target database
Snowflake key file path	Private key file to use for authentication with Snowflake (for example rsa_key.p8). Use this option to override the dbt profile
Snowflake key file password	Password for the private key file if the key is encrypted and a password was set. Use this option to override the dbt profile or cloud configuration
Other optional settings
Snowflake application	Application connection parameter to use in connecting to the target Snowflake database. Use this option to override the dbt profile or cloud configuration Default: datadotworld
Snowflake account	Snowflake account or tenant
Snowflake role	Role to use in connecting to the target Snowflake database. Use this option to override the dbt profile or cloud configuration. This field is case-insensitive
Snowflake warehouse	Warehouse to use in connecting to the target Snowflake database. Use this option to override the dbt profile or cloud configuration. This field is case-insensitive

Enter the advanced options.

Table 4. Advanced options
Field	Description
Max retries	The number of times the system retries a failed API call. Default: 5
Retry delay	The number of seconds to wait between retry attempts for a failed API call. Default: 2 seconds
API HTTP header	Name-value pairs included as HTTP headers in API calls made by the collector. Add one value per line to specify multiple headers.
JDBC driver properties	JDBC driver properties to pass through to driver connection. Specify multiple JDBC driver properties by adding one value per line. If you are using the NTLM authentication, you must set two JDBC properties as: integratedSecurity=true authenticationScheme=NTLM

Select Save.

Result

The metadata collector is created and appears on the Connectors page with a Configured status. It is now ready to connect to the source system and harvest metadata.

What to do next

After creating the collector, you can perform any of the following tasks:

Run the collector manually to harvest metadata immediately. See Run metadata collectors manually.
Automate metadata collection by scheduling regular collector runs. See Schedule metadata collector runs.
Monitor execution status and troubleshoot issues by viewing the runtime logs. See View runtime logs for collector runs.
Discover and evaluate the harvested data assets in the Data Catalog. See Governing the Data Catalog.