Models
Configure SQL before model execution

Configure SQL before model execution with sql headers

SQL headers allow you to manipulate the current session settings, such as roles and timezones, directly within your asset's run session.

You can define SQL headers directly in the SQL file's config block, within YAML configs, or in the dbt_project.yml

Example in a Snowflake SQL asset:

models/model_name.sql

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{{ config(
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sql_header="alter session set timezone = 'Europe/London';"
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) }}
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select * from {{ ref('model_name') }}

Example in dbt_project.yml:

dbt_project.yml

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config-version: 2
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models:
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+sql_header: "alter session set timezone = 'Europe/London';"

Using set_sql_header

The set_sql_header macro offers a convenient way to inject multi-line SQL statements without using the sql_header configuration key. It simplifies the inclusion of complex session manipulations directly within your asset definitions.

models/model_name.sql

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{% call set_sql_header(config) %}
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CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION ssn_mask(ssn STRING)
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RETURNS STRING
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LANGUAGE SQL
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AS '
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REGEXP_REPLACE(ssn, ''[0-9]'', ''X'') /* 123-45-6789 -> XXX-XX-XXXX */
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';
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{%- endcall %}
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select ssn_mask(ssn) from {{ ref('model_name') }}

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