Configuring Dbt MCP Server

What it does

When your agent uses it

• Troubleshooting the dbt MCP server for compatible MCP clients
• Tasks that involve Data pipelines and ETL
• Tasks that involve MCP servers

Example prompts

• “Use the configuring-dbt-mcp-server skill to generate MCP server configuration JSON, resolves authentication setup, and validates server connectivity…”
• “/configuring-dbt-mcp-server”

Requirements

• A credential in DBT_TOKEN

Workflow steps

4 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.

1. 1Server Type
2. 2MCP Client
3. 3Use Case (Local Server Only)
4. 4Tools to Enable

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit ff51758. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

• Tool permissions

  Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

  From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

• Runs code

  Shell commands in SKILL.md call:

  • dbt
  • uvx

  From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

• Network

  Hosts in commands or code, which the agent is likely to contact:

  • cloud.getdbt.com

  Also links to:

  • docs.astral.sh

  From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

• Credentials

  Names these keys or tokens, usually read from environment variables:

  • DBT_TOKEN

  From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Configuring Dbt MCP Server loads about 2.5k tokens when it runs, and up to ~3.8k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 60 tokens; SKILL.md has 745 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it

~60

When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches

~2.5k

With references · SKILL.md plus every file in references/, read only if the agent opens them

~3.8k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

• NoteMentions a .env fileSKILL.md:98

  - When using `.env` files, ensure they are added to `.gitignore` to prevent accidental commits

• NoteMentions a .env fileSKILL.md:159

  ### Local Server - Using .env File

• NoteMentions a .env fileSKILL.md:166

  "args": ["--env-file", "/path/to/.env", "dbt-mcp"]

• NoteMentions a .env fileSKILL.md:286

  **Recommended: Use .env file**

• NoteMentions a .env fileSKILL.md:287

  1. Create a .env file in your project root directory and add minimum environment variables for the CLI tools:

• NoteMentions a .env fileSKILL.md:294

  uvx --env-file .env dbt-mcp

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from Kilo-Org/kilo-marketplace at commit ff51758, republished under its Apache-2.0 licence (© Kilo-Org). 745 words, ~2,507 tokens.

name

configuring-dbt-mcp-server

description

Generates MCP server configuration JSON, resolves authentication setup, and validates server connectivity for dbt. Use when setting up, configuring, or troubleshooting the dbt MCP server for compatible MCP clients.

user-invocable

false

metadata.author

dbt-labs

flowchart TB
    start([User wants dbt MCP]) --> q1{Local or Remote?}
    q1 -->|dev workflows,<br>CLI access needed| local[Local Server<br>uvx dbt-mcp]
    q1 -->|consumption only,<br>no local install| remote[Remote Server<br>HTTP endpoint]
    local --> q2{Which client?}
    remote --> q2
    q2 --> global[Global client config]
    q2 --> project[Project config]
    q2 --> desktop[Desktop MCP client]
    q2 --> editor[Editor MCP client]
    global --> config[Generate config<br>+ test setup]
    project --> config
    desktop --> config
    editor --> config

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dbt": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["dbt-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "DBT_PROJECT_DIR": "/path/to/your/dbt/project",
        "DBT_PATH": "/path/to/dbt"
      }
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dbt": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["dbt-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "DBT_HOST": "https://your-subdomain.us1.dbt.com",
        "DBT_PROJECT_DIR": "/path/to/project",
        "DBT_PATH": "/path/to/dbt"
      }
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dbt": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["dbt-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "DBT_HOST": "cloud.getdbt.com",
        "DBT_TOKEN": "your-token",
        "DBT_ACCOUNT_ID": "your-account-id",
        "DBT_PROD_ENV_ID": "your-prod-env-id",
        "DBT_PROJECT_DIR": "/path/to/project",
        "DBT_PATH": "/path/to/dbt"
      }
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dbt": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["--env-file", "/path/to/.env", "dbt-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

DBT_HOST=cloud.getdbt.com
DBT_TOKEN=your-token
DBT_ACCOUNT_ID=your-account-id
DBT_PROD_ENV_ID=your-prod-env-id
DBT_DEV_ENV_ID=your-dev-env-id
DBT_USER_ID=your-user-id
DBT_PROJECT_DIR=/path/to/project
DBT_PATH=/path/to/dbt

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dbt": {
      "url": "https://cloud.getdbt.com/api/ai/v1/mcp/",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Token your-token",
        "x-dbt-prod-environment-id": "your-prod-env-id"
      }
    }
  }
}

{
  "headers": {
    "Authorization": "Token your-token",
    "x-dbt-prod-environment-id": "your-prod-env-id",
    "x-dbt-dev-environment-id": "your-dev-env-id",
    "x-dbt-user-id": "your-user-id"
  }
}

{
  "mcp": {
    "dbt": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["dbt-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "DBT_PROJECT_DIR": "/path/to/project",
        "DBT_PATH": "/path/to/dbt"
      }
    }
  }
}

{
  "servers": {
    "dbt": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["dbt-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "DBT_PROJECT_DIR": "/path/to/project",
        "DBT_PATH": "/path/to/dbt"
      }
    }
  }
}

DBT_PROJECT_DIR=/path/to/project
DBT_PATH=/path/to/dbt

uvx --env-file .env dbt-mcp

# Temporary test (variables only last for this session)
export DBT_PROJECT_DIR=/path/to/project
export DBT_PATH=/path/to/dbt
uvx dbt-mcp

© Kilo-Org, Apache-2.0. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

SKILL.md and 3 other files (references) in skills/dbt/skills/configuring-dbt-mcp-server of Kilo-Org/kilo-marketplace.

• SKILL.md
• references/environment-variables.md
• references/finding-credentials.md
• references/troubleshooting.md

Open the folder on GitHubat commit ff51758