What causes DbtDeprecationWarning (--warn-error)?

A dbt version upgrade introduced a new deprecation warning for syntax or behavior that the project still uses. A --warn-error flag in the dbt Cloud job configuration treats all warnings as errors. A model or macro uses deprecated Jinja filters, config options, or adapter methods that emit deprecation warnings. The project uses a packages.yml dependency that emits a deprecation warning on the newer dbt version. A deprecated adapter behavior was relied upon implicitly and the warning was not noticed during development

How do I fix DbtDeprecationWarning (--warn-error)?

Run dbt run without --warn-error first to see all warnings and identify which deprecation is triggering the failure.. Fix the deprecated syntax: update Jinja calls, config blocks, or macro signatures flagged in the warning.. Use --warn-error-options to selectively promote specific warnings to errors while ignoring others: --warn-error-options '{include: [DeprecatedMacroWarning]}'.. Review the dbt upgrade guide for the version you are on to understand all deprecation changes.. Update dependencies in packages.yml — third-party packages may emit deprecation warnings fixed in newer package versions.

Medium severityconfiguration

Power BI Refresh Error:
DbtDeprecationWarning (--warn-error)

What does this error mean?

A dbt run with --warn-error or --warn-error-options flags treated a deprecation warning as a hard error, causing the job to fail. This is intentional in strict CI/CD environments but can cause unexpected failures after upgrading dbt versions.

Common causes

1A dbt version upgrade introduced a new deprecation warning for syntax or behavior that the project still uses
2A --warn-error flag in the dbt Cloud job configuration treats all warnings as errors
3A model or macro uses deprecated Jinja filters, config options, or adapter methods that emit deprecation warnings
4The project uses a packages.yml dependency that emits a deprecation warning on the newer dbt version
5A deprecated adapter behavior was relied upon implicitly and the warning was not noticed during development

How to fix it

1Run dbt run without --warn-error first to see all warnings and identify which deprecation is triggering the failure.
2Fix the deprecated syntax: update Jinja calls, config blocks, or macro signatures flagged in the warning.
3Use --warn-error-options to selectively promote specific warnings to errors while ignoring others: --warn-error-options '{include: [DeprecatedMacroWarning]}'.
4Review the dbt upgrade guide for the version you are on to understand all deprecation changes.
5Update dependencies in packages.yml — third-party packages may emit deprecation warnings fixed in newer package versions.

Frequently asked questions

Should I use --warn-error in production dbt jobs?

It depends on your maturity level. --warn-error enforces code hygiene and prevents silent deprecation drift, but it can cause unexpected failures after dbt upgrades. A balanced approach is --warn-error-options to only error on high-severity warnings while allowing minor deprecations.

How do I find all deprecation warnings without running the full job?

Run dbt compile --warn-error-options '{warn: all}' to surface all warnings at compile time without executing any SQL. This is faster than a full run and safe to use in any environment.