Using get_lineage_dev for Lineage Retrieval

This is the preferred method when available. The get_lineage_dev (or mcp__dbt__get_lineage_dev) MCP tool reads from the local development manifest and provides the most accurate and up-to-date lineage information.

How to use

1. Call the get_lineage_dev MCP tool with the model's unique_id

   • The unique_id follows the format: model.{project_name}.{model_name}
   • If you only have the model name, you can try with just the name or construct the unique_id

2. The tool returns a lineage graph with:

   • parents: upstream dependencies (models, sources, seeds that this model depends on)
   • children: downstream dependencies (models, exposures that depend on this model)

3. Parse the lineage response to extract:

   • Node unique_ids
   • Node types (model, source, seed, exposure, test, etc.)
   • File paths for each node
   • Relationships between nodes

Example usage

get_lineage_dev(
    unique_id="model.jaffle_shop.customers",
    depth=5  # Controls how many levels to traverse
)

Benefits

• ✅ Most accurate - reads from local development manifest
• ✅ Fast - no need to parse large JSON files
• ✅ Includes all metadata (file paths, node types, etc.)
• ✅ Respects depth parameter for controlling graph size

When to use

Use this method when:

• The get_lineage_dev MCP tool is available
• You're working in a local development environment
• You want the most current lineage (including uncommitted changes)