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dbt Transformation Patterns

Guides an agent to structure dbt projects, models, tests, docs and incremental loads

Repository
wshobson/agents
Stars
42,095
Licence
MIT
Files
2 files

What it does

This skill gives an AI agent a set of best-practice conventions for dbt, a tool that turns raw database tables into clean, tested analytics tables using SQL. Once installed, the agent organizes models into staging, intermediate and marts layers, applies naming prefixes like stg_, int_, dim_ and fct_, suggests data quality tests and documentation, and recommends incremental models for large tables. It works from written guidance and example project layouts rather than running anything itself.

Great for

  • Analytics engineers setting up or cleaning up a dbt project
  • Data engineers who want consistent model naming and layering
  • Teams new to dbt who want a sensible starting structure

Skip it if

  • Non-technical users who do not already use dbt or a data warehouse, since the output needs a working database and dbt project to be useful
  • Projects that use a different transformation tool, where the dbt-specific conventions would not apply

Try asking

  • “Set up a dbt project structure for our Stripe and Shopify data with staging, intermediate and marts folders”
  • “Make my fct_orders model incremental because it has over 5 million rows”
  • “Suggest tests and column documentation for my customer dimension model”
  • “Review my dbt naming conventions and layering against best practices”
Step-by-step guide: how to use dbt Transformation PatternsInstall, first run, examples, tips and FAQs

Install in 3 steps

  1. 1

    Download the skill

    The ZIP contains the 2 original files, the MIT licence and an attribution note.

    dbt-transformation-patterns.zip
  2. 2

    Add it to your agent

    Claude Code (all projects)

    mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && unzip dbt-transformation-patterns.zip -d ~/.claude/skills/

    Claude Code / Agent SDK (this project only)

    mkdir -p .claude/skills && unzip dbt-transformation-patterns.zip -d .claude/skills/

    Claude apps (web/desktop): Settings → Capabilities → Skills → Upload skill, and choose the ZIP.

  3. 3

    Ask for the task

    No special command needed — the agent reads the skill's description and loads it when your request matches. Try one of the prompts above.

Get better results

  • Give the agent your existing folder tree and dbt_project.yml so it fits your current conventions rather than the example ones
  • Ask for the reasoning behind a layering or materialization choice, and check it against your warehouse's cost and performance
  • Review generated SQL and test definitions before merging, and run them in a dev target first, as the skill advises

What's inside

  • references/details.md
  • SKILL.md

Redistributed unmodified from wshobson/agents under the MIT licence. The assessment was drafted with AI from the skill's files on 2026-10-29. Skills can instruct your agent to run code — read SKILL.md and any scripts before installing.