What causes Test Failure: accepted_values?

A new category was added to the source system but the accepted_values list was not updated in dbt. A source system change renamed an existing category. NULL values in the column when NULL is not included in the accepted_values list. Trailing spaces or case differences in the column values (e.g., 'Active ' vs 'Active'). Test data from development/staging containing values not in the production accepted list

How do I fix Test Failure: accepted_values?

Run the failing test with dbt test --select to see the actual failing values. Identify the unexpected values: SELECT DISTINCT , COUNT(*) FROM GROUP BY 1. If the new values are legitimate, update the accepted_values list in schema.yml. If the values are data quality issues, fix the source data or add a transformation to map them. Add quote: true to the test if the comparison should be case-insensitive

Medium severitydata quality

Power BI Refresh Error:
Test Failure: accepted_values

What does this error mean?

A dbt accepted_values test found rows where a column contains a value not in the defined accepted list. The test is designed to catch categorical columns receiving unexpected values.

Common causes

1A new category was added to the source system but the accepted_values list was not updated in dbt
2A source system change renamed an existing category
3NULL values in the column when NULL is not included in the accepted_values list
4Trailing spaces or case differences in the column values (e.g., 'Active ' vs 'Active')
5Test data from development/staging containing values not in the production accepted list

How to fix it

1Run the failing test with dbt test --select <model> to see the actual failing values
2Identify the unexpected values: SELECT DISTINCT <column>, COUNT(*) FROM <model> GROUP BY 1
3If the new values are legitimate, update the accepted_values list in schema.yml
4If the values are data quality issues, fix the source data or add a transformation to map them
5Add quote: true to the test if the comparison should be case-insensitive

Frequently asked questions

Does accepted_values check for NULLs?

By default, NULLs are not checked (they pass). Add quote: false and include None in the values list, or set config: {where: 'column IS NOT NULL'} to exclude NULLs.

Can I make accepted_values case-insensitive?

Not directly in the standard test. Create a custom test or add a transformation to uppercase/lowercase the column before testing.