How to Generate dbt Docs
Last updated July 25, 2026 · By the SaturnSQL team
dbt docs generate builds a static documentation site (catalog.json and manifest.json in target/), and dbt docs serve hosts it locally on port 8080. The site shows every model, its columns, descriptions from YAML, and an interactive lineage graph.
dbt docs generate
dbt docs serve --port 8080Where descriptions come from
# models/schema.yml
models:
- name: fct_orders
description: One row per completed order.
columns:
- name: order_id
description: Primary key.docs generate queries the warehouse for column types and stats, so it needs a working connection. Host the target/ output on any static file server for team access.
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