pre-hooks and post-hooks

Hooks are SQL statements dbt runs before (pre-hook) or after (post-hook) building a model (or at project/operation scope).

Example

{{ config(
    pre_hook="alter session set query_tag = 'dbt_fct_orders'",
    post_hook=[
      "grant select on {{ this }} to role reporter",
      "analyze table {{ this }}"
    ]
) }}

select * from {{ ref('stg_orders') }}

Or in dbt_project.yml for a folder of models.

Common uses

• Grants / row-access policies after create
• ALTER SESSION / query tags for warehouse monitoring
• Vacuum/analyze/optimize statements (adapter-specific)
• Temporary setup needed for a model build

Cautions

• Hooks are easy to overuse; prefer warehouse roles/IaC for permanent permissions when possible
• Hook failures fail the model run
• Keep them idempotent and environment-aware

pre-hook → build model SQL → post-hook

Interview tip: "Hooks are for operational SQL around a model. Core business transforms stay in the main SELECT."