What causes dbt Exposure TargetNotFound?

An exposure's `depends_on` list references a model by the wrong name (typo, old name after a rename). The model referenced in the exposure is in a package that is not installed. A source referenced in the exposure was removed from sources.yml. A metric referenced in the exposure was removed from the semantic model YAML

How do I fix dbt Exposure TargetNotFound?

Run `dbt ls --select exposure:*` to list all exposures and check for compilation warnings.. Open the exposure YAML and verify each entry in `depends_on` matches an existing model name (use `dbt ls --select ` to confirm).. If the model was renamed, update the exposure `depends_on` to use the new model name.. Run `dbt deps` if the referenced model is in a package to ensure packages are installed.

Low severitydbt

Power BI Refresh Error:
dbt Exposure TargetNotFound

What does this error mean?

A dbt exposure definition references a model, source, or metric that does not exist in the project. dbt cannot build the DAG for the exposure and raises a TargetNotFound error during compilation.

Common causes

1An exposure's `depends_on` list references a model by the wrong name (typo, old name after a rename)
2The model referenced in the exposure is in a package that is not installed
3A source referenced in the exposure was removed from sources.yml
4A metric referenced in the exposure was removed from the semantic model YAML

How to fix it

1Run `dbt ls --select exposure:*` to list all exposures and check for compilation warnings.
2Open the exposure YAML and verify each entry in `depends_on` matches an existing model name (use `dbt ls --select <model_name>` to confirm).
3If the model was renamed, update the exposure `depends_on` to use the new model name.
4Run `dbt deps` if the referenced model is in a package to ensure packages are installed.

Frequently asked questions

Do exposure errors block dbt models from running?

In most dbt versions, exposure compilation errors raise a warning, not a blocking error — models still run. However, in strict mode or with certain CI configurations, exposure errors can fail the dbt parse step.