test-paths

dbt_project.yml

test-paths: [directorypath]

Definition

Optionally specify a custom list of directories where singular tests and custom generic tests are located.

Default

Without specifying this config, dbt will search for tests in the tests directory, i.e. test-paths: ["tests"]. Specifically, it will look for .sql files containing:

• Generic test definitions in the tests/generic subdirectory
• Singular tests (all other files)

Paths specified in test-paths must be relative to the location of your dbt_project.yml file. Avoid using absolute paths like /Users/username/project/test, as they may lead to unexpected behavior.

• ✅ Do:

  # Recommended relative path example
  test-paths: ["test"]

• ❌ Don't:

  # Avoid using absolute paths
  test-paths: ["/Users/username/project/test"]

Examples

Use a subdirectory named custom_tests instead of tests for data tests

dbt_project.yml

test-paths: ["custom_tests"]