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Test & validation suite

Every change an agent proposes is validated before you merge it. The validation suite gives you evidence that a change is correct and safe, not just plausible.

What it validates​

  • Compilation - the changed models dbt compile successfully.
  • Tests - dbt test runs the project's schema tests against the changed models.
  • Data diff - compares model output before and after the change so you can see how results shift.
  • Schema diff - shows added/removed/changed columns.
  • Cost impact - estimates the warehouse cost of the change so expensive models are caught before they merge.
  • Downstream impact - surfaces the lineage affected by a change (its blast radius).

Sandboxed comparison​

To compare results safely, validation may run in a disposable warehouse scratch space - short-lived validation databases and temporary tables that are created for the comparison and swept automatically (24-hour expiry). It does not modify your production tables. See the Production safety model.

Human approval​

Validation produces a report; it does not decide for you. You review the results and choose whether to merge. Nothing reaches your default branch or production without your approval.

Where you see it​

  • In Studio as each model's validation and cost reports.
  • In Refactor and Optimize as per-task / per-batch impact.