Microsoft Fabric Blog introduces the preview of dbt Job integration, enabling data engineers to create, orchestrate, and secure SQL-based transformations directly within Fabric’s Data Factory.

Integrating dbt Jobs with Microsoft Fabric for Scalable SQL Transformations (Preview)

Microsoft Fabric now supports dbt Jobs natively inside Fabric’s Data Factory. This preview feature allows data engineers and analysts to bring their existing dbt workflows into the Microsoft ecosystem, leveraging SQL-based data transformation with robust security and operational tools.

Key Features

  • Native dbt Authoring: Create, manage, and maintain dbt projects directly within Fabric Data Factory, eliminating the need for local CLI tools or custom dependencies.
  • Governed & Secure: Integrates with Entra ID authentication and supports workspace roles and row-level, column-level, and object-level security (RLS/CLS/OLS) for enterprise-grade compliance and governance.
  • Unified Experience: Manage all data pipeline activities—including dbt transformations—in a single, secure interface alongside Fabric’s low-code and code-first tools.
  • Integrated Testing & Documentation: Built-in testing and model documentation makes it easier to validate and audit your pipelines.
  • Scalable Collaboration: Leverage modular, version-controlled, and reusable SQL models for effective teamwork across analytics and engineering.
  • Operational Excellence: Schedule, monitor, and automate dbt job execution using Fabric’s distributed, serverless runtime.

Collaborative Roadmap

Microsoft is closely collaborating with dbt Labs to bring dbt Fusion capabilities to Microsoft Fabric, aiming for greater developer performance and features targeted to launch in 2026.

Getting Started

  1. Enable dbt Jobs Preview:
    • Access the Fabric Admin Portal via Settings.
    • Under Tenant Settings, expand Users can create dbt job items.
    • Toggle to ‘Enabled’ and apply across your organization.
    • Preview will gradually roll out to all regions by December 2025.
  2. Create and Manage dbt Jobs:
    • Once enabled, dbt jobs can be authored and scheduled directly from Fabric workspaces.

For more visual guidance, reference the provided screenshots and GIF demos on setup and job creation.

Why dbt in Fabric?

  • SQL-native: Use familiar SQL syntax for transformations.
  • Built-in Version Control & Testing: Improve trust and manage risk in analytics projects.
  • No Extra Tooling: All dependencies are managed in the Fabric cloud environment.
  • Secure by Default: Every operation inherits enterprise governance settings by design.

Resources

By embedding dbt natively in Microsoft Fabric, data teams can streamline workflow, ensure compliance, and rapidly ship trustworthy data models at enterprise scale.

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