Connect dbt to Claude Code
Give Claude Code governed access to dbt’s 42 tools through Runlayer, with identity, policy, scanning, and audit on every call.
Set up
Add dbt to Claude Code in four steps
Admins approve the server once. Everyone in Claude Code then gets it through the same governed connection.
- 1
Approve dbt in Runlayer
Add dbt from the catalog and choose who can use it and which of its tools are allowed.
- 2
Connect Claude Code to Runlayer
Runlayer’s CLI installs the Runlayer Plugin natively in Claude Code, and an Anthropic org install also reaches Claude Code. With direct tool listing turned on for your deployment, dbt’s 42 tools show up in Claude Code’s own tool list (supported Claude Code versions).
Claude Code setup guide - 3
Sign in to dbt
Sign in the way dbt requires. Runlayer holds the credentials so they stay out of the client’s configuration.
- 4
Use dbt from Claude Code
dbt’s approved tools appear in Claude Code. Every call is checked against policy and recorded.
Tools
42 dbt tools in Claude Code
Runlayer policy decides which of these Claude Code users can call.
Cancel job run
Cancel a currently running or queued dbt run.
Get all macros
Get the name, description, and package name of all dbt macros in the environment.
Get all models
Get the name and description of all dbt models in the environment.
Get all sources
Get the name, description, and metadata of all dbt sources in the environment.
Get dimension values
Get the distinct values for a given dimension, optionally scoped to specific metrics.
Get dimensions
Get the dimensions for specified metrics
Get entities
Get the entities for specified metrics
Get exposure details
DEPRECATED — use get_node_details instead.
Control
What Runlayer can see and stop in Claude Code
Some controls apply to every client at the gateway. Others depend on what Claude Code exposes to Runlayer.
Gateway policy (available)
Every dbt call from Claude Code passes through Runlayer, where your policies can allow, alert, mask, or block it.
Audit trail (available)
Each call is recorded with the user, Claude Code as the client, the tool, and the policy and scanner decisions.
Client hooks (available)
Capture supported prompts, reasoning, local and MCP tool calls, responses, and scanner decisions in real time.
Anthropic inference hooks (available)
With Claude Enterprise, Anthropic sends each governed Claude Code prompt to Runlayer before inference, with nothing installed on devices (Anthropic beta).
OTLP telemetry (available)
Claude Code can export OpenTelemetry logs to Runlayer for observe-only session reconstruction.
Stop a call before it runs (available)
Runlayer can deny a tool call before Claude Code runs it.
Block output after it runs (available)
Runlayer can block a tool’s output before Claude Code’s model sees it.
Redact output in place (available)
Runlayer can mask sensitive parts of a tool’s output in Claude Code and pass the rest through.
In Claude Code
- When a tool fails, Runlayer records the error but cannot hide it.
Frequently asked questions
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