Imported from GetCassis/dbt-agent-readiness (SKILL.md). Install upstream with npx skills add GetCassis/dbt-agent-readiness. Copyright stays with the author.

dbt-agent-readiness (orchestrator)

Target project path: $0 (or current directory if not specified)

This file orchestrates the audit. Phase instructions live in phases/ files. Each subagent reads only its own phase file. The orchestrator passes structured JSON between phases.

Design principles

The audit is framed around what an agent actually hits (code evidence) vs what an audit can only forecast (missing tests, unenforced relationships). Findings that require querying the warehouse to confirm (duplicates, orphans, bad data) are not reported as facts.

• Report split into Blockers vs Hygiene. Blockers require code evidence (scope divergence, copy-paste descriptions, broken refs, polymorphic columns, within-model collisions, unit mismatch, measure/agg mismatch, high-confidence phantom columns). Hygiene lists missing tests and unenforced relationships, each with a runnable verification query the user can run in ten minutes to confirm or dismiss.
• Broken refs always Blocker #1. issues.broken_refs is the most evidence-backed possible finding: the query fails at compile time. Exception: when the project declares package or extension deps (packages.yml / dependencies.yml) that are not installed (dbt_packages/ absent) and there is no compiled manifest, unresolved refs are package models or user-supplied extension points, not broken refs. They move to issues.broken_refs_suppressed_no_deps and synthesis emits one aggregate "run dbt deps (then dbt compile)" notice instead of per-ref Blockers (packages_unresolved is true).
• Phantom columns suppressed when evidence is weak. If a model uses dbt_utils.star, SELECT * that can't be resolved, or Jinja for-loops, and no compiled manifest is present, the phantom finding is not emitted. It goes to catalogs.phantom_columns_suppressed_no_manifest instead. Synthesis emits one aggregate "run dbt compile" notice rather than per-model provisional rows. All rows in phantom_columns_by_model carry confidence: 'high' and are evidence-backed.
• Phantom columns traced through multi-hop CTEs and column lineage. _extract_columns_via_sqlglot resolves CTE output columns recursively (depth 10), so a YAML column that survives through base -> mid -> top is not flagged phantom. When the simple YAML-vs-SQL diff still flags something, cross_reference retries via sqlglot.lineage.lineage; resolved findings land in catalogs.phantom_columns_resolved_by_lineage rather than phantom_columns. Unit / currency drift candidates (col * 100, col / 100.0, etc.) are collected into catalogs.potential_unit_drift for synthesis to treat as Blocker candidates when the description doesn't call out the conversion.
• catalogs.description_contradicts_sql catches three high-signal failure modes deterministically: copy-paste descriptions, scope contradictions ("toutes les lignes" + non-trivial WHERE), and measure/agg mismatches ("count of customers" + SUM(...)).
• catalogs.undefined_column_refs makes the worst query-fails bug deterministic: for every model, each SELECT scope (outer query + CTEs) is resolved against its input relations (CTEs recursively, ref'd models through their extracted columns); a column referenced in SELECT or GROUP BY that no input produces is flagged with confidence: 'high'. Scopes with any unresolvable input (macros, regex-fallback upstreams, sources) are skipped rather than guessed at. Constructs that produce columns no input relation lists are handled so they never read as undefined: SQL date-part tokens inside DATEADD/DATEDIFF/DATE_TRUNC (day, month, quarter...), UNPIVOT value/name outputs, lateral table-function system columns (SPLIT_TO_TABLE -> value), and fivetran_utils.fill_staging_columns style macro column sets. A ref() always resolves to the model, never a same-named sibling CTE. Without a compiled manifest these checks stay conservative by construction (verified against real Snowflake projects: GitLab, Stripe, Mattermost). catalogs.fan_out_joins deterministically flags models joined by 2+ downstream models on a key with no uniqueness guarantee, each with a runnable verification query. A guarantee is a column-level unique test, the tested PK, or a dbt_utils.unique_combination_of_columns tuple (read from inline tests and from YAML anchor aliases). A join on the whole tuple or a superset is not flagged; a join on a strict subset still can fan out and stays flagged.
• catalogs.effective_description_coverage reports raw vs effective coverage. Effective = raw minus weak / phantom-documented / contradicts-SQL columns. The gap is the share of docs an agent cannot trust.
• Severity, grain-declared, and zero-tests are not root issues. Severity gets one line under Hygiene; grain-declared is informational unless the description is also silent on cardinality; zero-tests is appendix-only.
• "Safe today" criteria. No Blocker flags, key columns agent-ready, no high-confidence phantoms, either has a PK test OR has 0 inbound refs, not a staging-only alternative to a core model. Grain qualifies via description text ("one row per customer per day") even without meta.grain:.

The script-generated review queue drives the flag-driven review group: the Python inventory script extracts SQL snippets (WHERE, CASE WHEN, COALESCE, JOINs), builds a concept index, and generates cross-model flags. The LLM reviews flagged concept neighborhoods rather than importance-scored individual models. Granular catalogs (weak descriptions, convention drift, concept variants, same_name_different_grain, phantom_columns_by_model, enum_value_gaps, seeds_not_tested, unit_variants, unprefixed_booleans, overlapping_concept_columns_within_model, lineage_cycles, yaml_vs_sql_column_count_diff) are consumed by synthesis as appendix tables with exact file paths and column names.

Routing table

Ground rules

• Never hallucinate findings. Every issue must reference a specific file path, model name, and column name you actually read.
• Never invent model names, column names, or file paths. Every name must come from a file you read.
• If unsure, label it "possible issue" with reasoning. Do not state uncertain findings as fact.
• Be honest about limitations. The "What this audit cannot detect" section is mandatory.
• Exact counts only. Never use approximate counts (~40%, ~200) in the report. Every metric must be an exact fraction (e.g., 47/118). If you cannot count precisely, say "not assessed" rather than guessing.

Locate the skill's phase files

The phase instruction files are located relative to this SKILL.md file. Determine the absolute path to this skill's directory, then construct paths like {skill_dir}/phases/inventory.md, etc. If the skill is installed at ~/.claude/skills/dbt-agent-readiness/SKILL.md, then phase files are at ~/.claude/skills/dbt-agent-readiness/phases/inventory.md.

Use Glob to find the phase files: **/dbt-agent-readiness/phases/*.md. Record the base path.

Step 1: Discovery and scoping (inline, ~2 min)

Run this yourself. Do not delegate.

1a. Find the dbt project

Find dbt_project.yml at the target path. Read it. Extract project name, model paths, vars, and global configs.

Check for global test severity. If data_tests: +severity: warn is set project-wide, record it under Hygiene as one line ("project severity defaults to warn"). Do NOT build a root issue around it -- the team likely knows and may monitor via Elementary, Dagster asset checks, or re_data.

Jinja-aware severity parsing. If +severity: is a Jinja expression like {{ env_var('CI_SEVERITY', 'warn') }}, extract the default argument ('warn') and treat that as the effective default. Note "inferred from env_var default" in the Hygiene line.

1b. Build quick file counts

Use Glob (exclude dbt_packages/, target/):

• **/*.sql under model paths → count SQL models
• **/*.yml and **/*.yaml under model paths → count schema files

1c. Classify models by layer

Use directory paths and naming prefixes:

• Staging: staging/ or stg_ prefix
• Intermediate: intermediate/, prep/, base/, or int_ prefix
• Core/marts/reference: marts/, reference/, reporting/, core/, presentation/
• Other: utility, date spines

Layer classification is used for reporting only. It does not drive scoping.

1d. Quick ref-count

Use the Grep tool to find all ref() calls across the project:

• Pattern: ref\(['"][^'"]+['"]\) with glob *.sql under each model path, output_mode content
• Parse the matches to count how many times each model name appears as a ref target

If the Grep tool returns too many results, use this Bash one-liner instead:

python3 -c "
import re; from pathlib import Path; from collections import Counter
c = Counter()
for f in Path('{model_path}').rglob('*.sql'):
    if 'dbt_packages' not in f.parts:
        c.update(re.findall(r\"ref\(['\\\"]([^'\\\"]+)\", f.read_text()))
for m, n in c.most_common(): print(f'{n:4d} {m}')
"

Store the result as pre_ref_counts. Models with 3+ refs are priority models that will get full inventory treatment. Count them: n_priority.

1e. Check for previous audit

Check if {project_path}/dbt-agent-readiness.md exists. If it does, read it and store its contents as previous_audit. This will be used in Step 6 to produce a "Changes since last audit" section.

1f. Present discovery and ask about glossary

I found {project_name} ({n} models, {n} schema files). {n_priority} models have 3+ inbound refs and will be analyzed in depth.

Do you have a business glossary (a .md or .csv file with term definitions)? This helps me check naming vs vocabulary.

Reply with the file path, or "no" to proceed with just the dbt project.

1f-bis. Determine docs mode (optional, default OFF)

The audit is dbt-only by default. An optional docs-scan capability maps the documentation that lives outside the dbt layer (repo docs/, runbooks, READMEs, a dropped .md, or a user-pointed source) and reports where context duplicates, drifts from the code, goes stale, or points off-repo.

Set docs_mode = true only when the user opts in — any of:

• the invocation/request mentions docs/documentation ("include docs", "with docs", "scan the docs", "docs mode", --with-docs), OR
• the user provides a doc source path in reply to the glossary ask.

If docs_mode is on and the user named doc sources, store them as doc_sources. Otherwise doc_sources stays empty (auto-discover). When docs_mode is false, skip Step 2d and the docs subagent entirely; the rest of the audit runs unchanged. Do NOT enable docs mode on your own initiative.

1g. Determine scope

1h. Early checkpoint for large projects (>100 models only)

This checkpoint fires based on the dispatch plan, not on whether inventory was cached. Even if an inventory JSON already exists on disk, you still present this estimate and wait for user confirmation before spawning any deep-pass subagent -- the cost being gated is the LLM dispatch, not the inventory rebuild.

For projects with >100 models, present an estimate before starting inventory:

I found {project_name} with {n} models. Based on ref counts, {n_priority} models are priority targets.

Estimated audit time: ~{estimate} min

• Inventory: ~{inv_est} min (scan all models + deep analysis on {n_priority} priority models)
• Deep pass: ~{dp_est} min (parallel subagents on flagged concepts + priority models)
• Synthesis: ~5 min

Proceed?

Estimation formulas:

• Inventory (script path, Step 2a): ~max(0.25, total_models / 2000) min. The deterministic script parses ~600 models in well under a minute (measured: ~19s for 635 models on BigQuery). Only the LLM-fallback path (Step 2b) is slow; if you must fall back, use 8 + 0.03 * total_models + 0.4 * n_priority.
• Deep pass: max(8, min(15, n_priority * 0.4)) min — this and synthesis are the real cost, not inventory.
• Synthesis: 5 min
• Total: sum + 2 min buffer

The dominant cost is the deep-pass LLM fan-out, not inventory. Frame the estimate that way; do not quote a large inventory time for the script path.

Wait for user confirmation before proceeding.

Step 2: Build inventory

2a. Run the deterministic inventory script (preferred)

Run via Bash:

python3 {skill_dir}/scripts/inventory.py {project_path}

Capture the JSON output. If it succeeds (exit code 0, no "error" key in output), parse it as the canonical inventory. The script produces:

• All existing inventory data (models, columns, sources, relationships, issues, test_summary)
• sql_snippets on each model (WHERE, CASE WHEN, COALESCE, JOINs, etc.)
• concept_index (models grouped by shared business concepts)
• review_queue (up to 60 flagged risk hypotheses)
• manifest_used (true if target/manifest.json contained compiled_code)
• manifest_present_without_compile (true when a manifest exists -- typically from dbt parse -- but no compiled_code is available; surface this as a Hygiene bullet telling the user that running dbt compile would upgrade phantom-column confidence and resolve Jinja-generated columns)
• packages_unresolved (true when packages.yml / dependencies.yml is present but deps are not installed and no compiled manifest exists; packages_unresolved_ref_count unresolved refs were moved to issues.broken_refs_suppressed_no_deps instead of being reported as broken)

Skip directly to Step 3b (importance scoring) -- the script handles all cross-referencing and merge logic.

If the script fails (pyyaml missing, path error, parse error), print the error and fall back to Step 2b.

2b. Fallback: LLM inventory subagent

For ≤50 models: single subagent

Spawn ONE subagent:

Read {skill_dir}/phases/inventory.md and execute the instructions. Target project: {project_path} Model paths: {model_paths} Models by layer: {layer_classification_from_step_1} Global configs: {severity, vars, etc.} Start your response with { and end with }. No text before the opening brace. No text after the closing brace. No markdown code fences. Just the JSON.

This subagent does ALL deterministic checks and returns a single JSON blob: the canonical inventory.

Wait for completion before proceeding to Step 3.

For >50 models: parallel scan + deep subagents

Spawn TWO subagents simultaneously (in a single message):

Inventory-scan subagent (all models, YAML-only)

Read {skill_dir}/phases/inventory-scan.md and execute the instructions. Target project: {project_path} Model paths: {model_paths} Models by layer: {layer_classification_from_step_1} Global configs: {severity, vars, etc.} Start your response with { and end with }. No text before the opening brace. No text after the closing brace. No markdown code fences. Just the JSON.

Inventory-deep subagent (priority models only, full depth)

Read {skill_dir}/phases/inventory-deep.md and execute the instructions. Target project: {project_path} Model paths: {model_paths} Priority models (3+ inbound refs): {list_of_priority_model_names_from_step_1d} Global configs: {severity, vars, etc.} Start your response with { and end with }. No text before the opening brace. No text after the closing brace. No markdown code fences. Just the JSON.

Wait for BOTH to complete before proceeding to Step 3.

Note: The LLM fallback does NOT produce concept_index or review_queue. If using the fallback, Step 2c is skipped and the deep pass uses importance-only gating.

2c. Run dispatch_prep.py for packets + importance + validation + spot-check

Skip this step if using LLM fallback inventory (no review_queue in output).

Save the inventory JSON to a temp file, then call dispatch_prep.py:

# Assuming the inventory JSON was captured to /tmp/inventory-{project}.json
python3 {skill_dir}/scripts/dispatch_prep.py /tmp/inventory-{project}.json

The script returns a single JSON object with four keys:

• review_packets: up to 25 packets grouped by concept, each with evidence (descriptions, where_clauses, case_when_blocks, coalesce_exprs), risk hypothesis, and the set of models. Use these directly in Step 5 Group 1.
• importance.scores: per-model importance scores + reasons for every model.
• importance.deep_pass_scope: the subset with importance ≥ 3 (or ≥ 2 if fewer than 5 qualify), capped at 50. Use for Step 5 Group 2.
• validation: structural invariant checks (matches Step 3c). Each entry is {check, ok, detail}.
• spot_check: deterministic version of Step 3d -- catalogs.yaml_vs_sql_column_count_diff flagged models. Use this instead of manually reading 2 high-importance YAMLs.

Store the result as dispatch_prep for downstream steps.

Hard cap: The script already targets 25 packets max, merging the remainder into a single "miscellaneous" packet if needed.

2d. Docs scan (deterministic, docs mode only)

Skip this step entirely if docs_mode is false.

Reuse the inventory JSON you already saved (do not re-parse the project). Run:

python3 {skill_dir}/scripts/docs_scan.py \
  --project-path {project_path} \
  --inventory /tmp/inventory-{project}.json \
  --today {YYYY-MM-DD} \
  {if doc_sources: --doc-sources {space-separated paths/globs}}

Nested dbt projects: auto-discover (no --doc-sources) scans the project path downward. When the dbt project sits in a subdirectory (dbt_project.yml is below the repo root, e.g. transform/<project>/ or warehouse/), the most authoritative docs (repo docs/, runbooks/, top-level READMEs) live above it and would be missed. In that case pass --doc-sources {repo_root} (the git root you found in Step 1) so repo-level documentation is included; the dbt layer is still excluded by config, so the project's own schema docs are not double counted. Bump --max-docs (e.g. 300) on large repos so nothing is silently dropped.

--today must be stamped by you (the run date), so staleness is reproducible. The script reuses inventory.py for the dbt identifier set and the project config, derives the dbt-layer boundary from every dbt-configured path plus {% docs %} block detection (so dbt's own docs and in-layer READMEs are never treated as external prose), then emits a single JSON object. No documentation prose enters any LLM context here. Capture it to /tmp/docs-scan-{project}.json and store as docs_scan.

Key fields:

• identifier_coverage: models/source-tables documented in docs vs not (a plain ratio, never a score).
• column_drift: docs claiming columns a model does not emit. Rows with confidence: high (model YAML mirrors SQL output) are code-evidenced.
• multi_home_candidates: identifiers with more than one home, where a home is a definitional context (a heading subject, a column-dictionary row, a "x is/means …" definition, or a glossary entry) — not a bare mention in prose, SQL, a checklist table, or an infra/setup doc. Each carries is_dbt_identifier, authoritative_dbt_definition, and severity_if_differ (the conditional Blocker/Hygiene/context a confirmed differ would carry under each agent grounding model: repo_grounded and metadata_grounded) — the facts the reliability rule in Step 5b reads.
• external_pointers, staleness_flags, doc_corpus, and llm_queue (the hard-capped flagged subset for the docs subagent, with dropped_beyond_cap).

If the script errors (non-zero, "error" key), note "docs scan unavailable" as one line and continue the dbt-only audit. Docs mode never blocks the audit.

Step 3: Score and verify inventory (inline)

3a. Merge (only needed when using fallback LLM inventory with >50 models)

Skip this step if the inventory script (Step 2a) succeeded. The script produces a single merged inventory with cross-referencing already done.

If you ran parallel inventory subagents, merge the scan and deep inventories into a single canonical inventory JSON:

1. Start with the scan inventory (has all models, but lightweight data).
2. Overlay deep inventory data: For each model in the deep inventory, replace the scan entry with the deep entry (which has column_count_sql, grain_declared, resolved descriptions, phantom columns, copy-paste issues).
3. Merge columns arrays: Use deep inventory columns for priority models. Use scan inventory columns for all other models.
4. Merge sources: combine from both, deduplicate by source_name + table_name.
5. Compute inbound_refs for every model: count how many other models (across BOTH inventories) include it in their outbound_refs. Update each model's inbound_refs from -1 to the actual count.
6. Detect broken refs: for each model's outbound_refs, check if the target exists in the merged models array (by name). If not, add to issues.broken_refs.
7. Build relationships:
   • declared: from relationship tests and semantic entity FKs (from deep inventory).
   • implicit: FK columns (_id suffix) appearing in models across both inventories without a declared relationship.
8. Build test_summary from merged columns data: count unique, not_null, relationship, accepted_values, other tests. Count models_with_zero_tests. List categorical_columns_without_accepted_values.
9. Copy semantic_layer, seeds, exposures from the deep inventory.
10. Merge issues: combine from both inventories.
11. Set total_models, total_schema_files, total_sources from the merged data.
12. Set global_severity_warn and has_semantic_layer from Step 1 discovery and deep inventory.

3b. Consume dispatch_prep results

Step 2c's dispatch_prep already contains:

• importance.scores: per-model importance scores and reasons, using the same formula previously inlined here (+3 inbound≥3, +2 exposure, +2 semantic model, +1 materialised, +1 leaf, +1 PK test).
• importance.deep_pass_scope: models with importance ≥ 3 (fallback ≥ 2, capped at 50).

The review queue flags, not importance scores, are the primary gate for which models get cross-model review. A model with importance=1 that shares a concept with 4 other models will be reviewed in the flag-driven pass.

Use dispatch_prep.importance.deep_pass_scope wherever subsequent steps reference "deep pass scope".

3c. Consume validation results

Step 2c's dispatch_prep.validation contains the structural invariant checks:

1. total_models_matches_array
2. inbound_refs_resolved
3. no_orphan_columns

If any entry has ok: false, surface the detail string, note the issue, and adjust downstream expectations.

Additional checks the script does not perform (check manually only if a subagent later misbehaves): for priority models, column_count_sql is not 0; at least one priority model has column_count_yaml > 0.

3d. Spot-check (deterministic, from dispatch_prep)

dispatch_prep.spot_check returns the catalogs.yaml_vs_sql_column_count_diff list: models where YAML declares ≥ the number of columns that SQL emits (the bug-shaped case). The top 5 are pre-filtered.

• If n_flagged == 0: noted as a clean pass.
• If n_flagged > 0: include the flagged models in the report's "Phantom columns" appendix (cross-reference with catalogs.phantom_columns_by_model).

Do NOT manually read YAML files for spot-check. The deterministic catalog is authoritative.

Step 4: Checkpoint (inline)

For ≤50 models: Skip. Auto-proceed with full scope. Print a one-line note.

For 51+ models: Present the importance-ranked list:

Inventory complete. {total_models} models scanned, {n_deep} analyzed in depth.

Review queue: {n_packets} review packets from {n_flags} flags across {n_concepts} concepts Per-model scope: {n} models with importance ≥ 3

Estimated deep pass time: ~{est} min for {n_packets} review packets + {n} per-model reviews

Proceed?

Record the user's choice. If the user doesn't respond within the flow, proceed with the computed scope.

Step 5: Deep pass (PARALLEL)

Subagent threshold: If total_models ≤ 30, run all deep-pass analysis inline (no subagents). Dispatch to parallel subagents only for projects with >30 models.

Skip any subagent whose phase doesn't apply (e.g., skip semantic if inventory shows zero semantic models).

Model routing (cost). Spawn ALL Group 1 and Group 2 subagents on Sonnet (the mechanical ones — naming, descriptions-rest — can use Haiku). They read a phase file plus a data slice and emit JSON; they do not need Opus. Keep Opus for the orchestrator's Step 5b/6 synthesis only. On a large project this is the single biggest cost lever — a cold Opus run pays Opus rates on every subagent.

Pass slices as files, not inline, on large projects. The inventory can be multiple MB; inlining slices into prompts breaks. Write each subagent's slice to a temp JSON file and tell the subagent to Read it. Cap the naming slice: do NOT pass all columns — pass only the deterministic naming-drift candidates (catalogs.convention_drift, same_name_different_grain, concept_variants, unprefixed_booleans) plus the deep-pass-scope columns. Passing every column is the usual wall-clock bottleneck and largely re-derives those catalogs.

Output format rule for ALL subagents: Append this to every subagent prompt:

Start your response with { and end with }. No text before the opening brace. No text after the closing brace. No markdown code fences. No commentary. Just the JSON.

Group 1: Flag-driven review

Skip if no review_queue in inventory (LLM fallback). Fall back to Group 2 only.

Distribute review packets across 3-4 parallel subagents. Sort packets by severity (highest first), then round-robin distribute so each subagent gets a mix.

Subagent count: ceil(total_packets / 6), minimum 2, maximum 4.

Each subagent receives:

Read {skill_dir}/phases/review-packet.md and execute. Project path: {project_path} Review packets assigned to you:

{packets_json}

For each model referenced, here are the file paths: {model_name: {sql_path, yaml_path} for each model in packets} [append output format rule]

Group 2: Per-model review

Spawn these subagents simultaneously with Group 1:

Context efficiency: Each subagent only needs a subset of the inventory. Filter before passing to cut context by 3-5x on large projects. Below, {inventory.X} means extract only that section.

Subagent A1: Descriptions + Grain (priority top 5)

Read {skill_dir}/phases/descriptions-priority.md and execute. Deep pass scope priority: {top_5_models_by_importance_from_deep_pass_scope} Inventory (models): {inventory.models -- only the top-5 priority models} Inventory (columns): {inventory.columns -- only columns for the top-5 priority models} Inventory (semantic_layer): {inventory.semantic_layer -- if exists} [append output format rule]

Subagent A2: Descriptions (remaining scope, capped)

Read {skill_dir}/phases/descriptions-rest.md and execute. Deep pass scope rest: {deep_pass_scope_minus_top_5} Inventory (models): {inventory.models -- only models in deep_pass_scope_rest, name/layer/description_text/grain fields} Inventory (columns): {inventory.columns -- only columns for deep_pass_scope_rest} [append output format rule]

Dispatch A1 and A2 in parallel with the other Group 2 subagents. Merge their description_findings and model_summaries in synthesis; only A1 produces grain_findings and fan_out_risks.

Subagent B: Naming

Read {skill_dir}/phases/naming.md and execute. Deep pass scope: {models_in_scope_with_importance_scores} Inventory (columns): {inventory.columns -- ALL columns, not just deep pass scope; naming needs cross-layer view} Inventory (models): {inventory.models -- name, layer, grain_declared, grain_statement only} [append output format rule]

Subagent C: Joins

Read {skill_dir}/phases/joins.md and execute. Deep pass scope: {models_in_scope_with_importance_scores} Inventory (models): {inventory.models -- name, layer, sql_path, inbound_refs, outbound_refs, has_pk_test, pk_column, materialization} Inventory (relationships): {inventory.relationships} Inventory (exposures): {inventory.exposures} [append output format rule]

Subagent D: Semantic layer (skip if no semantic models)

Read {skill_dir}/phases/semantic.md and execute. Deep pass scope: {models_in_scope_with_importance_scores} Inventory (semantic_layer): {inventory.semantic_layer -- full} Inventory (models): {inventory.models -- only models referenced by semantic models, with sql_path and outbound_refs} Inventory (relationships): {inventory.relationships} [append output format rule]

Subagent E: Business terms

Canonical-term analysis: recurring business terms (revenue, savings, installations, active, etc.) that are defined inconsistently across models, plus enum gaps and seed-connection gaps that the deterministic catalogs in inventory.catalogs.enum_value_gaps and inventory.catalogs.seeds_not_tested can hint at but not fully explain (e.g., whether two definitions are actually business-equivalent requires domain reasoning).

Pass a focused slice, not the whole inventory -- keeps the subagent cheap:

Read {skill_dir}/phases/business-terms.md and execute. Deep pass scope: {models_in_scope_with_importance_scores} Inventory (columns): {inventory.columns -- columns in deep_pass_scope + any column whose name stem matches a concept in concept_index with ≥3 models} Inventory (concept_index): {inventory.concept_index -- top 20 concepts by model count} Inventory (seeds): {inventory.seeds -- full} Inventory (catalogs.enum_value_gaps): {pass full -- it's small} Inventory (catalogs.seeds_not_tested): {pass full} Inventory (semantic_layer): {inventory.semantic_layer -- if exists} Inventory (models): {inventory.models -- name, layer, description_text, sql_snippets.where_clauses[:1], sql_snippets.case_when_blocks[:2] for models in scope} {if glossary was provided: Glossary path: {absolute_path_to_glossary_file} -- read it yourself with the Read tool} [append output format rule]

Subagent F: Docs (docs mode only -- skip if docs_mode is false or if docs_scan.llm_pass.recommended is false)

Gate. The deterministic scan decides whether this pass is worth running. docs_scan.llm_pass.recommended is now gated on actionable signals only: high-confidence column drift, a no-fallback multi-home contradiction, or doc column-claims to verify. A dictionary that simply agrees with the dbt layer is reported under llm_pass.context_signals (so it still appears in the docs map) but does NOT trigger the pass, because there is nothing for the LLM to adjudicate. Skip Subagent F entirely when recommended == false. When you skip, still emit the docs map (coverage, staleness, external pointers, generated-doc count, doc classification, and context_signals) and note llm_pass.reasons in the report. The scan's llm_queue.multi_home carries the no-fallback candidates only; do not send the dbt-pinned ones (dropped_beyond_cap.multi_home_hygiene_only_not_sent) to the subagent. They are not dropped, and they are not auto-Hygiene: Step 5b adjudicates them inline from the snippets on each multi_home_candidate, because a dbt-pinned differ is a Blocker for a repo-grounded agent (Hygiene only for a metadata-grounded one). Holding them off the subagent keeps its cost proportional; the inline pass runs in synthesis, which already holds the scan JSON. This inline pass runs whether or not Subagent F ran, so a repo whose only docs signal is dbt-pinned multi-home (gate recommended == false) still surfaces its repo-grounded Blockers.

Light adjudication of the flagged rows the deterministic scan produced. This subagent sees only short snippets, never whole docs, and never follows links.

Read {skill_dir}/phases/docs.md and execute. LLM queue from the docs scan:

{docs_scan.llm_queue}

[append output format rule]

Cost is bounded by the number of flagged rows (tens), independent of doc volume. Merge its multi_home_verdicts, doc_column_verdicts, and doc_classifications in synthesis.

Wait for all Group 1 + Group 2 subagents to complete.

Subagent result handling

JSON extraction fallback: If a subagent's response doesn't start with {, extract the first {...} JSON block from the response (find the first { and the last }). Subagents occasionally prepend commentary despite instructions.

Runtime envelope wrapping. When collecting each subagent result, wrap it as:

{
  "subagent": "descriptions_priority" | "descriptions_rest" | "naming" | "joins" | "semantic" | "business_terms" | "docs" | "review_packet_{i}",
  "start_ts": "<ISO 8601>",
  "end_ts": "<ISO 8601>",
  "result": { ...the subagent's parsed JSON... }
}

Write the capture timestamps yourself when you send and receive the subagent message. The wrapper makes post-hoc eval cheaper and leaves the raw result untouched.

Dedup pass in synthesis. Before emitting description_findings, reduce on (model, column): keep the first entry, drop later duplicates. Subagent A can occasionally emit a column twice under enumeration pressure. This guard is a safety net even with the phase-file duplicate guards.

Partial failure: If a subagent returns invalid JSON or fails entirely, do NOT re-run it. Mark that analysis dimension as "Not assessed" in the report and proceed with available data. A partial report is better than a retry loop.

Minimum viable audit

The report is publishable if the inventory completed AND at least 2 Group 1 subagents + 1 Group 2 subagent returned valid results (or at least 3 Group 2 subagents if Group 1 was skipped).

If fewer succeeded, warn the user: "This audit is incomplete -- only {n} analysis dimensions produced results. Consider re-running." Still produce a partial report with available data, but flag it clearly.

Step 5b: Root-cause synthesis (inline)

Collapse all findings into Blockers (code-evidenced, max 6) and Hygiene items (forecasts, each paired with a verification query).

Process

1. Collect all findings from:

   • inventory.issues.broken_refs -- always Blocker #1 when non-empty.
   • inventory.catalogs.undefined_column_refs -- always a Blocker candidate, ranked with broken_refs: the model references a column in SELECT or GROUP BY that no input CTE/ref produces, so the query fails at compile/run time. Every row is deterministic and carries confidence: 'high'; cite the row's sql_path and scope.
   • inventory.catalogs.description_contradicts_sql -- each entry is a Blocker candidate (copy-paste, model_scope_contradiction, measure_agg_mismatch).
   • inventory.catalogs.overlapping_concept_columns_within_model -- Blocker candidates.
   • inventory.catalogs.enum_value_gaps.casing_mismatches -- Blocker candidates only when the drift is in observed data (not when one side is yaml-only).
   • inventory.catalogs.unit_variants -- Blocker candidates when stems overlap across query-path models.
   • inventory.catalogs.phantom_columns_by_model -- Blocker candidates only for rows where confidence == 'high'. Provisional rows go to Hygiene.
   • Group 1 packet verdicts (confirmed / partially_confirmed) -- Blocker candidates for scope divergence, polymorphism, same-word-different-definition.
   • Group 2 subagent outputs: description findings, naming findings (casing drift in data), join findings, semantic findings, business-terms findings.
   • inventory.test_summary + inventory.relationships.implicit -- Hygiene candidates.
   • inventory.catalogs.fan_out_joins -- Hygiene candidates: 2+ downstream models join this model on a key with no uniqueness guarantee (no column unique test, no tested PK, and no unique_combination_of_columns tuple covering the join key). Each row ships its own verification_query; emit it verbatim.
   • (docs mode only) docs_scan.column_drift -- rows with confidence == 'high' are Blocker candidates: a doc claims a column the model does not emit, and the model's YAML mirrors its SQL so the absence is real. provisional rows go to Hygiene. Cross-reference with Subagent F's doc_column_verdicts.
   • (docs mode only) docs_scan.multi_home_candidates. Two adjudication paths feed this. (a) No-fallback candidates carry Subagent F's multi_home_verdicts. (b) dbt-pinned candidates (authoritative_dbt_definition.exists == true, which Subagent F never receives) are adjudicated here, inline: read the sources snippets on the candidate (the dbt description vs each doc home) and judge agree / differ / can_t_tell yourself, using the same calibration as phases/docs.md (only differ when you can name the inconsistency in scope, filter, grain, or measure; silence in one home is not disagreement; a bare identifier-name match is can_t_tell, not differ — a short or common name like email, stage, status, or mode appearing in an unrelated context, a different table, an infra or admin runbook, or a generic code-terminology note, is a homonym, so only differ when the doc defines the SAME object the dbt layer defines). Bound the inline pass to the top ~15 candidates by doc_count; if more remain, report the count under the boundary note instead of adjudicating all. For any candidate whose verdict (from either path) is differ, apply the reliability rule (step 2) to classify it. agree / can_t_tell verdicts are dropped.
   • (docs mode only) docs_scan.identifier_coverage, docs_scan.external_pointers, docs_scan.staleness_flags, docs_scan.doc_corpus -- context/Hygiene candidates (coverage gaps, off-repo authority, stale docs, where context lives).

2. Classify each finding as Blocker or Hygiene.

   A finding is a Blocker only if one of these is true:

   • A broken ref() exists (issues.broken_refs).
   • An undefined column reference exists (catalogs.undefined_column_refs) -- same rank as broken refs; the SQL cannot build.
   • The description demonstrably contradicts the SQL (copy-paste, scope, agg mismatch).
   • Two+ models give different SQL answers to the same conceptual question (packet verdict with confirmed severity).
   • A column is polymorphic across models (entity_id, state, etc.).
   • Within-model concept collision (catalogs.overlapping_concept_columns_within_model).
   • Unit drift (EUR/EUR cents, Wh/kWh) on overlapping query paths.
   • Casing drift observed in actual data (both variants appear in the column).
   • High-confidence phantom column (confidence==high).
   • Deprecated column still exposed in a mart.
   • (docs mode) Doc-vs-code drift: docs_scan.column_drift row with confidence == 'high' (doc claims a column the model does not emit). Code-evidenced.
   • (docs mode) A confirmed multi-home differ contradiction, classified by agent grounding model (state the assumption in the report's grounding-model note). Severity is conditional, not single-archetype. Read severity_if_differ on the candidate, which pre-computes both; label the finding with both severities rather than forcing one:
     • repo-grounded (the realistic default): a coding or RAG agent handed the whole repo (Claude Code, Cursor, repo-RAG) reads the dbt project AND docs/ AND READMEs, sees both sides of the contradiction, and has no rule for which wins. A differ is a Blocker here whenever the term is a dbt identifier (is_dbt_identifier == true), whether or not dbt pins it.
     • metadata-grounded (the conservative subset): an agent that queries the dbt layer only. A differ is a Blocker here only when nothing pins the term (is_dbt_identifier == true AND authoritative_dbt_definition.exists == false); when dbt pins it, that agent answers from the dbt layer, so it is Hygiene for this archetype. So a no-fallback differ is a Blocker for both; a dbt-pinned differ is a Blocker for repo-grounded, Hygiene for metadata-grounded. Cite the two conflicting snippets either way.

   A finding is Hygiene if it's a forecast whose realization the audit can't confirm without querying the warehouse:

   • Missing unique / not_null / relationships / accepted_values tests.
   • Undeclared grain when the description is silent on cardinality.
   • Suppressed phantom findings (catalogs.phantom_columns_suppressed_no_manifest non-empty). Model uses macros and no compiled manifest is present; re-run with dbt compile to resolve.
   • Project-wide +severity: warn default.
   • Models with zero tests (use test_summary.models_with_zero_tests_list for the names).
   • Fan-out joins (catalogs.fan_out_joins): the join exists and the unique test is missing, but whether duplicates actually occur needs the row's verification_query run against the warehouse.
   • (docs mode) A dbt-pinned multi-home differ contradiction (authoritative_dbt_definition.exists == true) is Hygiene only for a metadata-grounded agent: that agent answers from the dbt layer, so the conflicting prose is stale duplication, not an answer-breaker. For a repo-grounded agent the same finding is a Blocker (see the Blocker rule above). Carry both labels.
   • (docs mode) provisional column_drift rows (model's column set only partially known).
   • (docs mode) Off-repo authority (external_pointers: Google Docs, Confluence, Notion, Slack the agent cannot read), stale docs (staleness_flags), and coverage gaps (identifier_coverage undocumented list). These are context/Hygiene: they map where context lives and what an agent cannot see, not a code failure.
   • (docs mode) A differ contradiction on a term that is NOT a dbt identifier (is_dbt_identifier == false): context only, for both archetypes -- neither agent queries it as a dbt object.

3. Cluster Blockers by root cause (max 6):

   • "Same-word-different-definition across models"
   • "Descriptions contradict SQL"
   • "Polymorphic keys / overloaded columns"
   • "Unit / currency drift"
   • "Within-model concept collision"
   • "Broken refs / undefined column references" (always #1 when present)
   • "Bilingual description corpus" (when >20% non-English)

4. For each Blocker (max 6), produce:

   {
       "title": "Revenue is defined 3 ways across finance and growth",
       "failure_scenario": "Agent asked 'what was Q1 revenue?' returns different numbers depending on which model it routes to",
       "evidence": "Cite a specific file path + line/fragment OR catalog row reference (e.g., catalogs.description_contradicts_sql[3]). Must be observable in the code.",
       "affected_models": ["model_a", "model_b", "model_c"],
       "blast_radius": "which teams/questions this affects",
       "remediation": "Create canonical dim_revenue_definitions or add explicit scope to each model's description",
       "fix_type": "doc_only|naming_only|test_only|model_refactor|semantic_layer_decision|governance",
       "effort": "afternoon|few_days|sprint|structural"
   }

5. For each Hygiene item, produce a verification query (runnable against the warehouse) so the reader can turn the forecast into a ten-minute check:

   • Missing PK test → SELECT {pk_col}, COUNT(*) FROM {model} GROUP BY 1 HAVING COUNT(*) > 1
   • Missing relationship → SELECT COUNT(*) FROM {from_model} a LEFT JOIN {to_model} b ON a.{fk}=b.{pk} WHERE b.{pk} IS NULL AND a.{fk} IS NOT NULL
   • Missing not_null → SELECT COUNT(*) FROM {model} WHERE {col} IS NULL
   • Missing accepted_values → SELECT DISTINCT {col} FROM {model} (compare to description/glossary)
   • Suppressed phantoms (phantom_columns_suppressed_no_manifest) → one aggregate Hygiene bullet: "Run dbt compile and re-audit. N models with macro-generated column lists (dbt_utils.star, unresolved SELECT *, Jinja for-loops) had phantom findings suppressed because the static YAML-vs-SQL diff can't be trusted there. A compiled manifest resolves them." List up to 5 affected models; do not emit per-model phantom rows for these.
   • manifest_present_without_compile=True → same aggregate bullet, with wording noting the manifest exists but lacks compiled_code (typically from dbt parse). Example wording: "Run dbt compile (not just dbt parse) to produce a manifest with compiled_code."
   • packages_unresolved=True (issues.broken_refs_suppressed_no_deps non-empty) → one aggregate Hygiene bullet: "Run dbt deps and re-audit. N refs resolve to package models or user-supplied extension points that are not installed, so broken-ref detection was suppressed rather than reported as Blockers. Install deps (and dbt compile) for reliable broken-ref and column detection." Do not emit per-ref Blockers for these.

6. Generate readiness verdict (one of):

   • Ready for limited pilot -- no Blockers, safe perimeter exists
   • Not ready for self-serve -- Blockers exist but a safe starting perimeter is viable
   • Unsafe for business-critical Q&A -- fundamental Blockers prevent safe use

7. Define safe starting perimeter:

   • Safe today: models that meet ALL of:
     • No Blocker flags touching this model (no confirmed review-packet verdicts, no description_contradicts_sql entry for this model, no high-confidence phantom columns, no overlapping_concept_columns hit, no unit drift, no broken ref target)
     • Description clarifies grain (either meta.grain: set OR description contains "one row per X" / "unique on X" / "grain:")
     • Key columns (PK + FKs + measures) are agent-ready per Group 2 descriptions verdict
     • Either has a unique PK test, OR inbound_refs == 0 (no downstream fan-out risk)
     • Not a staging-only model when a core alternative exists (concept_index overlap)
   • Safe after one small fix: models that would qualify after a single change -- adding a Scope: line, adding a unique test, disambiguating two date columns, wiring a column description. Lead the per-model row with the specific fix.
   • Never mix "safe today" with "safe after one small fix" in the same table.

8. Generate remediation backlog:

   • This week: doc/naming fixes (quick wins)
   • This sprint: model + test changes
   • Later: structural changes

Root issue rules

• Maximum 6 Blockers. Cluster aggressively -- don't list three variants of "descriptions contradict SQL" as separate Blockers.
• Each Blocker must cite evidence: a file path, a catalog row, or a packet verdict. "Docs could be better" is not a Blocker. "target measure description says 'Distinct count of customers placing orders' but semantic model uses agg: sum on a dollar column (see catalogs.description_contradicts_sql)" is.
• If a finding doesn't have code evidence and doesn't map to a runnable verification query, demote it to the appendix.
• Severity / grain_declared / zero-tests never drive a Blocker. They may appear in Hygiene or the appendix; never in Top Risks narrative.

Step 6: Synthesize and write report (inline)

Read {skill_dir}/report-template.md for the output structure.

Emit granular catalogs as appendix sections. The inventory's catalogs object provides pre-computed, citable reference data. Do NOT paraphrase or summarize these into root issues -- include them as dedicated appendix subsections so an engineer remediating the audit has exact names and paths.

Catalogs to surface when non-empty:

• catalogs.missing_column_descriptions → "Columns without descriptions" table
• catalogs.weak_column_descriptions → "Low-quality column descriptions" table
• catalogs.missing_model_descriptions → in the coverage snapshot
• catalogs.convention_drift.temporal_suffix_mix → "Temporal suffix convention" section
• catalogs.convention_drift.boolean_prefix_mix → "Boolean prefix convention" section
• catalogs.convention_drift.mart_prefix_mix → "Mart prefix convention" section
• catalogs.concept_variants → "Same-concept-different-name clusters" section (each cluster is backed by evidence -- the actual X as Y alias pairs and the models they were observed in; cite those, never paraphrase)
• catalogs.same_name_different_grain → "Same name, different grain" section
• catalogs.phantom_columns_by_model → "Phantom columns (YAML not in SQL)" appendix table with one row per model, listing the exact columns. Do NOT just cite the total count -- the per-model list is the single most actionable artifact for remediation.
• catalogs.enum_value_gaps.undocumented_values → "Undocumented enum values" table (column × documented_values × values seen in SQL but not in test)
• catalogs.enum_value_gaps.casing_mismatches → "Enum value casing drift" table (column × normalized-form × concrete variants across models). Each variant carries a source of yaml, sql, or description -- include this in the table so drifts that live only in a description can be audited at a glance.
• catalogs.enum_value_gaps.no_source_categorical → "Categorical columns with values only in SQL" table (column × models × observed values)
• catalogs.seeds_not_tested → "Seeds defining canonical values not referenced in any test" table (seed × rows × columns)
• catalogs.unit_variants → "Unit/currency suffix drift" table (stem × suffixes × examples)
• catalogs.unprefixed_booleans → addendum under boolean_prefix_mix (columns that should probably be prefixed is_/has_)
• catalogs.overlapping_concept_columns_within_model → "Same-concept columns inside one model" table (model × core-stem × variant column names). Flags e.g. deployment_start_date vs zone_deployment_start_date.
• catalogs.lineage_cycles → "Lineage cycles" section (empty when the project has none; cite cycles as a → b → c → a). Zero hits is a valid pass, not a skip.
• catalogs.yaml_vs_sql_column_count_diff → cross-reference with the phantom_columns_by_model table. If a model appears here and in phantom_columns_by_model, lead with the specific phantom list.
• catalogs.description_contradicts_sql → "Per-model description contradictions" section in the report. Split by kind: copy_paste, model_scope_contradiction, measure_agg_mismatch. Each entry is a Blocker candidate and must be evaluated during synthesis.
• catalogs.undefined_column_refs → "Undefined column references" appendix table (model × column × clauses × scope × input relations). Every row is also a Blocker candidate ranked with broken_refs -- surface it in both places.
• catalogs.fan_out_joins → "Fan-out joins without a unique key test" table under the Hygiene appendix (model × join column × downstream models × verification query).
• catalogs.effective_description_coverage → Coverage snapshot metric. Emit BOTH raw and effective percentages side-by-side. Effective = raw minus columns in weak / contradicts_sql / phantom_documented. The gap is the share of docs an agent cannot trust.
• catalogs.phantom_columns_by_model → each row carries a confidence field. Only high-confidence rows are eligible for Blocker status. provisional rows (model uses macros) go to Hygiene with "re-run with dbt compile" as the verification step. Surface the macro_signals field in the report table so the reader can see why a row is provisional (select_star, dbt_utils.star, jinja_for_loop).

Root issues should reference catalogs when relevant ("see Appendix: phantom columns"), not duplicate them inline.

Docs mode only. When docs_mode is on, add the "Context beyond the dbt layer (docs scan)" section from report-template.md, fed by docs_scan, Subagent F's verdicts (no-fallback candidates), and your inline verdicts (dbt-pinned candidates): where context lives (doc count, classified), coverage gaps (exact documented/undocumented lists), duplicated homes (multi-home differ verdicts with both snippets, classified by the conditional reliability rule), off-repo authority (counts + hosts), and staleness. State the agent grounding model note from report-template.md so the report declares its assumption: repo-grounded is the realistic default, metadata-grounded the conservative subset. Promote high-confidence column_drift into the Blockers section; promote every dbt-identifier differ contradiction (no-fallback and dbt-pinned) into Blockers for a repo-grounded agent, and label the dbt-pinned ones Hygiene for a metadata-grounded agent. Include the boundary note verbatim: the scan maps where context lives and where it duplicates or points away; it does not fully read prose to adjudicate every definition. Surface the caps and dropped_beyond_cap so nothing reads as complete coverage when it was sampled.

6a. Calibrate tone

If the project is well-maintained (high coverage, consistent naming, strong tests), lead with what's done well. Don't make a clean project sound broken.

6b. Collect all results

Merge root issues from Step 5b with per-model findings from Group 2. Deduplicate any overlapping findings.

6c. Apply risk adjustment

If semantic layer exists (Subagent D results):

• Entity FKs reduce "can't join" risk
• Described measures reduce "wrong numbers" risk
• Undescribed measures INCREASE "wrong numbers" risk (false confidence)
• Note adjustments explicitly

6d. Compare against previous audit (if exists)

If previous_audit was stored in Step 1e, compare the current findings against it:

• Which findings are new (not in previous audit)?
• Which findings are resolved (in previous audit but no longer present)?
• Which findings persist (still present)?

Add a "Changes since last audit" section to the report with a brief summary. Keep it short: 3-5 bullet points.

6e. Write the report

Write to {project_path}/dbt-agent-readiness.md using the structure from report-template.md. Include Inventory method: script (or LLM subagent (fallback)) in audit metadata. When phantom-column rows with confidence: provisional exist, note "YAML + raw SQL (manifest not compiled)" in the header. If Write fails, output the full report in the conversation. Never error out.

6f. Present summary

Show the user:

• The readiness verdict
• Top 3 root issues
• Safe starting perimeter (if any)
• Path to the full report

Do not dump the full report into the conversation.

6g. Cleanup

Delete any temporary files created during the audit:

• {project_path}/inventory.json or similar inventory dump files
• /tmp/inventory-*.json files
• /tmp/docs-scan-*.json files (docs mode)
• Any other intermediate files written during subagent execution