YAML reference

A DRE project is YAML and SQL files. Each kind of YAML file has a reference page that lists every key with its type, default and meaning. The pages are generated from the same JSON Schemas that give editors autocomplete, so they can’t miss a key.

File	What it holds	Reference
`dre_project.yml`	The project: default connection and output, variables, week settings, folder config	dre_project.yml
`reports/*/.yml`	A report: queries, output, destinations, Sets, templates	Report YAML
`sets.yml`	Named variants a report can run as	sets.yml
`schedules.yml`	Named schedules your orchestrator fires	schedules.yml
`timings.yml`	Named timings that schedules share	timings.yml
`profiles.yml`	Connections and destinations, with their targets (kept outside the project)	profiles.yml
`sources/*.yml` (any YAML with `sources:`)	dbt-style source declarations: tables, columns, the connection they live on	Sources
`dependencies.yml`	Plugin packages and macro packages	dependencies.yml
`lookups/<name>.yml`	The config of a lookup file	Lookup config

The options of each format and destination (for example delimiter, or an email’s to) are documented with their plugins in Plugins; that reference comes from the plugins themselves.

For editor autocomplete and validation, see Editor setup.

For copyable projects, see examples. Project configuration explains how defaults, folders and Sets combine; the glossary defines the terms.

Reusing YAML: `x-*` keys and anchors

Every YAML file DRE reads accepts top-level keys starting with x-, as docker-compose does, and ignores them. They’re where YAML anchors live: name a block once with &name, then reuse it with an alias (*name) or merge it with <<: *name, overriding keys after the merge. Anchors work within one file.

x-finance-mail: &finance_mail
  profile: finance_email
  subject: "Monthly report {{ run.date.iso }}"
queries: [monthly]
output:
  format: xlsx
  destination:
    - <<: *finance_mail
      to: finance@example.com
    - <<: *finance_mail
      to: audit@example.com
      subject: "For audit: monthly report {{ run.date.iso }}"

To share settings across files, use default_output, format_options and the folders’ +output, +vars and +profile in dre_project.yml.

YAML reference

Reusing YAML: x-* keys and anchors

Reusing YAML: `x-*` keys and anchors