With the recent release of dbt 1.1, users may start to see warnings like this:
Warning: while parsing model config: Ignore unexpected key "meta"
sources
,
models
, and other resources.What's Changed?
freshness
,
meta
,
tags
,
docs
,
group
, and
access
directly under resources such as
sources
. For example:
sources:
- name: ecom
freshness:
warn_after:
count: 24
period: hour
config
key:
sources:
- name: ecom
config:
freshness:
warn_after:
count: 24
period: hour
This structural change is part of dbt’s effort to standardize configuration across resource types and reduce ambiguity between config and non-config properties. The full dbt 1.1 version guide can be found here.
Why the Change Matters
- Grouping all configuration properties under
config
helps make your YAML files more readable and maintainable. - It avoids accidental overwrites or misplacements, which can lead to unexpected behavior.
- Aligning with dbt’s evolving conventions ensures compatibility with newer versions and tooling in the ecosystem.
What You Should Do
- Audit your YAML files: Check your
sources
,models
, and other resource definitions for any top-levelmeta
,tags
,freshness
, etc. - Move them under
config
: Update these properties to sit inside aconfig:
block for each resource. - Test locally: Run
dbt debug
anddbt run
to make sure you’ve squashed any warnings or errors.
MetaMove, A Handy CLI Tool for Migration
Recognizing that restructuring your YAML files can be tedious, especially for larger dbt projects, the folks at Lightdash recently released the open source project Metamove. Metamove can fix the dbt 1.10 deprecation warnings for specific tags while maintaining readability and comments. Their documentation on the project can be found on their website, here.
MetaMove’s Capabilities:
- Automatically processes
meta
andtags
at any nesting level, including inside columns. Merges new values into existingconfig
sections without overwriting them. - Handles dictionaries, lists, and scalar values.
- Maintains comments and whitespace so your files stay human-readable.
Limitations to Watch Out For:
- Properties other than
meta
andtags
are not currently supported: If you need to move other properties such asfreshness
oraccess
, metamove - If you’re using community plugins or extensions, some
config
keys might not be fully recognized - While the tool is smart, a manual review is still advised for critical production environments
How Driftwave Can Help
If you’re managing multiple dbt environments or working with a team that’s still adapting to the latest version, Driftwave can help streamline your migration. We specialize in managed hosting and expert support for open-source analytics tools like dbt, Lightdash, and Metabase.
Reach out to see how we can help modernize your analytics stack without the vendor lock-in.