How to Use the ref Function in dbt
Last updated July 25, 2026 · By the SaturnSQL team
{{ ref('model_name') }} references another dbt model and compiles to its fully qualified table name. Always use ref instead of hardcoding names: it makes dbt build models in the right order, powers the DAG and lineage, and follows the target schema across dev and prod.
SELECT
o.order_id,
c.customer_name
FROM {{ ref('stg_orders') }} o
JOIN {{ ref('stg_customers') }} c
ON c.customer_id = o.customer_idWhy never hardcode
A hardcoded analytics.stg_orders breaks when you run in a dev schema and is invisible to dbt's dependency graph, so the model may run before its parent exists. ref resolves to the right database and schema for the current target and registers the edge in the DAG.
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