dbt Cloud IDE
The dbt Cloud IDE is a browser-based development environment for writing, running, and testing dbt models. It replaces the need for a local code editor and terminal during development. Every developer on the team gets their own isolated development environment where changes do not affect each other or production data.
Opening the Cloud IDE
Log into dbt Cloud, select your project, then click Develop in the top navigation. The IDE opens in your browser. On first load, dbt Cloud clones your Git repository and sets up your personal development environment automatically.
IDE Layout
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Top Bar: Branch name │ Save │ Format │ Run button │
├──────────────┬──────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ File Tree │ SQL Editor │
│ (left) │ (center) │
│ │ │
│ models/ │ SELECT order_id, │
│ staging/ │ customer_id, │
│ marts/ │ amount_dollars │
│ seeds/ │ FROM {{ ref('stg_orders') }} │
│ macros/ │ │
│ ├──────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ Results / Lineage / Compiled SQL │
│ │ (bottom panel) │
└──────────────┴──────────────────────────────────────┘
The Command Bar
At the bottom of the IDE sits a command bar where you type dbt commands exactly as you would in a terminal:
dbt run dbt test dbt build dbt run --select stg_orders dbt test --select fct_orders dbt run --select +fct_orders --target dev
Output appears in the panel below the command bar with color-coded pass/fail indicators for each model.
Preview Results
Click the Preview button while editing a model to run a SELECT * LIMIT 500 against your development schema instantly. You see the output data in a table below the editor without running the full model. This speeds up iteration while writing SQL.
Compiled SQL View
Click the Compiled tab in the bottom panel to see the Jinja-compiled SQL for the currently open file. This shows you exactly what dbt will send to the warehouse — with all ref() and source() calls resolved to real table names.
Lineage View
Click the Lineage tab to see a mini DAG graph for the open model. The graph shows the model's direct parents (upstream) and direct children (downstream). Click any node to navigate to that model's file.
Git Integration
The IDE has Git built in. Every change you make happens on your personal development branch automatically. When you're ready to share your work:
Step 1: Click "Commit and sync" in the IDE Step 2: Write a commit message Step 3: Click "Open pull request" to create a PR in GitHub/GitLab Step 4: CI tests run automatically on the PR Step 5: Merge the PR to push changes to production
Personal Development Schema
Every developer in dbt Cloud runs models in their own schema. Alice's models write to dbt_alice. Bob's models write to dbt_bob. Neither can break the other's work or the production schema.
Alice runs dbt run → creates dbt_alice.stg_orders, dbt_alice.fct_orders Bob runs dbt run → creates dbt_bob.stg_orders, dbt_bob.fct_orders Production job runs → creates analytics.stg_orders, analytics.fct_orders
Format SQL Button
The IDE includes a SQL formatter. Click Format (or use the keyboard shortcut) to automatically reformat your SQL with consistent indentation and casing. This keeps code style consistent across the team without manual effort.
dbt Cloud IDE vs Local Development
Feature Cloud IDE Local (VS Code + Terminal) ----------- ---------- ------------------------- Setup time Minutes (browser) Hours (installs, configs) SQL preview One click Run manually in warehouse Git workflow Built-in External Git client Collaboration Shared environments Via Git only Cost dbt Cloud plan Free (dbt Core is free) Offline work No Yes Custom extensions No Yes (VS Code extensions)
Keyboard Shortcuts
Ctrl/Cmd + Enter Run the current model Ctrl/Cmd + S Save current file Ctrl/Cmd + Shift+F Format SQL Ctrl/Cmd + P Quick file open (search by filename)
File Operations
Right-click any file or folder in the file tree to rename, duplicate, move, or delete it. Create new files and folders using the icons at the top of the file tree. All file operations commit to your Git branch automatically.