> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.sqlbuild.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Cloning dbt relations

> Copy or zero-copy clone production-shaped dbt relations into a target with sqb dbt clone.

`sqb dbt clone` populates a target with the already-built relations from your production baseline, without running dbt. It resolves the production-shaped relations by compiling your dbt project at the configured [`[dbt.production_ref]`](/concepts/dbt-compatibility/overview#the-production-ref-block) git ref, then clones or copies each one into the target schema.

```bash theme={null}
sqb dbt clone
```

```
sqb clone  origin=main destination=dev

  agg_daily_revenue    OK     copied
  dim_customers        OK     copied
  fct_orders           OK     copied
  ...

CLONED=0  COPIED=10  RECREATED_VIEWS=0  PASS=10  WARN=0  FAIL=0  TOTAL=10
```

The origin is the `production_ref.git_ref` from your configuration; the destination is the active target. Where the warehouse supports zero-copy cloning, relations are cloned (`CLONED`); otherwise they are copied (`COPIED`). Views are recreated to point at the cloned relations (`RECREATED_VIEWS`).

`sqb dbt clone` is a standalone operation that populates the whole target (or a selected subset) from production up front, without running dbt.

## Options

| Flag                  | Effect                                                                                     |
| --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `--select` / `-s`     | Limit to matching models (dbt selection syntax).                                           |
| `--exclude`           | Exclude matching models.                                                                   |
| `--hard-copy`         | Force a full copy instead of a zero-copy clone, even where the warehouse supports cloning. |
| `--no-sql-validation` | Skip SQL validation during the clone.                                                      |

```bash theme={null}
sqb dbt clone --select path:models/marts
sqb dbt clone --hard-copy
```

## On this topic

* [Configuration](/concepts/dbt-compatibility/overview#the-production-ref-block) - the `[dbt.production_ref]` git ref and schema-name override that clone resolves against.
* [Diff](/concepts/dbt-compatibility/diff) - compare a build against the production baseline.