GitHub - datnguye/dbterd: Generate the ERD as a code from dbt artifacts

Generate ERD-as-a-code from your dbt projects

Transform your dbt artifact files or metadata into stunning Entity Relationship Diagrams using multiple formats: DBML, Mermaid, PlantUML, GraphViz, D2, and DrawDB

🎯 Entity Relationship Detection

dbterd intelligently detects entity relationships through three algorithms — pick the one that matches how your dbt project expresses its data contracts:

🧪 Test Relationships (default) — infers relationships from dbt relationships data tests
🏛️ Semantic Entities (-a entity_relationship) — detects relationships via dbt Semantic Layer entity definitions
📜 Model Contract Constraints (-a model_contract) — detects relationships via dbt model contract's foreign_key constraints (dbt 1.9+ / manifest v12+)

For detailed configuration options, see our CLI References.

🎨 Supported Output Formats

No need to pick just one — dbterd has a format for every occasion, from quick GitHub previews to full-blown interactive database designers.

Format	Description	Use Case
DBML	Database Markup Language	Interactive web diagrams
Mermaid	Markdown-friendly diagrams	Documentation, GitHub
PlantUML	Text-based UML	Technical documentation
GraphViz	DOT graph description	Complex relationship visualization
D2	Modern diagram scripting	Beautiful, customizable diagrams
DrawDB	Web-based database designer	Interactive database design

🎯 Try the Quick Demo with DBML format!

🚀 Installation

pip install dbterd --upgrade

Verify Installation:

Tip

For dbt-core users: It's highly recommended to keep dbt-artifacts-parser updated to the latest version to support newer dbt-core versions and their manifest/catalog json schemas:

pip install dbt-artifacts-parser --upgrade

Note: dbterd now automatically bypasses Pydantic validation errors by default, which helps with compatibility when using newer dbt artifact schemas.

⚙️ Configuration Files

Tired of typing the same CLI arguments repeatedly? Your fingers deserve better. dbterd supports configuration files to streamline your workflow!

# Initialize a configuration file
dbterd init

# Now just run with your saved settings
dbterd run

Supported formats:

.dbterd.yml - YAML configuration (recommended)
pyproject.toml - Add [tool.dbterd] section to your existing Python project config

Learn more in the Configuration Files Guide.

💡 Examples

CLI Examples

🖱️ Click to explore CLI examples

# 📊 Select all models in dbt_resto
dbterd run -ad samples/dbtresto

# 🎯 Select multiple dbt resources (models + sources)
dbterd run -ad samples/dbtresto -rt model -rt source

# 🔍 Select models excluding staging
dbterd run -ad samples/dbtresto -s model.dbt_resto -ns model.dbt_resto.staging

# 📋 Select by schema name
dbterd run -ad samples/dbtresto -s schema:mart -ns model.dbt_resto.staging

# 🏷️ Select by full schema name
dbterd run -ad samples/dbtresto -s schema:dbt.mart -ns model.dbt_resto.staging

# 🌟 Other sample projects
dbterd run -ad samples/fivetranlog -rt model -rt source
dbterd run -ad samples/facebookad -rt model -rt source
dbterd run -ad samples/shopify -s wildcard:*shopify.shopify__*

# 🔗 Custom relationship detection
dbterd run -ad samples/dbt-constraints -a "test_relationship:(name:foreign_key|c_from:fk_column_name|c_to:pk_column_name)"

# 💻 Your local project
dbterd run -ad samples/local -rt model -rt source

Python API Examples

Generate Complete ERD

from dbterd.api import DbtErd

# Generate DBML format
erd = DbtErd().get_erd()
print("ERD (DBML):", erd)

# Generate Mermaid format
erd = DbtErd(target="mermaid").get_erd()
print("ERD (Mermaid):", erd)

Generate Single Model ERD

from dbterd.api import DbtErd

# Get ERD for specific model
dim_prize_erd = DbtErd(target="mermaid").get_model_erd(
    node_unique_id="model.dbt_resto.dim_prize"
)
print("ERD of dim_prize (Mermaid):", dim_prize_erd)

Sample Output:

erDiagram
  "MODEL.DBT_RESTO.DIM_PRIZE" {
    varchar prize_key
    nvarchar prize_name
    int prize_order
  }
  "MODEL.DBT_RESTO.FACT_RESULT" {
    varchar fact_result_key
    varchar box_key
    varchar prize_key
    date date_key
    int no_of_won
    float prize_value
    float prize_paid
    int is_prize_taken
  }
  "MODEL.DBT_RESTO.FACT_RESULT" }|--|| "MODEL.DBT_RESTO.DIM_PRIZE": prize_key