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Power BI Refresh Error:
Runtime Error: Could not find profile

What does this error mean?

Dbt cannot locate the connection profile needed to connect to the data warehouse. The profiles.yml file is missing or does not define the referenced profile.

Common causes

  • 1Profiles.yml does not exist at ~/.dbt/profiles.yml
  • 2The profile name in profiles.yml does not match the profile value in dbt_project.yml
  • 3The --profiles-dir flag points to a directory without profiles.yml

How to fix it

  1. 1Verify that profiles.yml exists at ~/.dbt/profiles.yml or at the location specified by the --profiles-dir flag.
  2. 2Confirm the profile name in profiles.yml matches the profile value in dbt_project.yml.
  3. 3In dbt Cloud, check that the environment credentials are configured — dbt Cloud manages profiles automatically.
  4. 4Run `dbt debug` to see the resolved profile path and any configuration issues.

Frequently asked questions

Does this error occur in dbt Cloud or only dbt Core?

In dbt Cloud, profiles are managed via the UI and this error is rare — it indicates a project configuration issue. In dbt Core, it means profiles.yml is missing or not at the expected path (~/.dbt/ or --profiles-dir).

What should profiles.yml contain?

Profiles.yml defines database connection details: target name (e.g., dev, prod), type (e.g., snowflake, postgres), and connection parameters. The profile name must match the 'profile' value in dbt_project.yml.

Can I use environment variables in profiles.yml?

Yes — use the env_var() macro to reference environment variables: host: '{{ env_var("DBT_HOST") }}'. This avoids storing credentials in the file itself and is recommended for production environments.

Official documentation: https://docs.getdbt.com/guides/debug-errors

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