dbt-testing

Database-level constraints enforce data quality 24/7 using the dbt_constraints package to define primary keys, foreign keys, and unique constraints in your dbt project. This approach maintains data integrity across bronze, silver, and gold layers independent of dbt run frequency.

Implement layered testing by applying different test strategies for each stage: staging tests for bronze data quality, intermediate validation for silver transformations, and business logic verification for gold marts. Use generic reusable tests and singular one-off tests appropriate to each layer's purpose.

Yes, dbt_constraints integrates with Snowflake to enforce foreign key relationships alongside primary keys and unique constraints. This provides real-time validation that order IDs reference valid customers and other referential integrity requirements across your data warehouse.

Configure test severity levels to determine failure impact and specify where failures are stored for monitoring. This allows critical data quality issues to block downstream processes while non-critical failures log for review, maintaining workflow flexibility.

dbt_utils complements dbt_constraints by providing utility functions for test creation and management. While not required for basic testing, package management for both tools enables more maintainable, reusable test definitions across your dbt project.