Checks

Checks are Python nodes that validate other Python nodes. They are the Python analog of SQL audits: audits validate SQL relations, checks validate the output of tasks, assets, and loaders. See Python Nodes for the shared model. Checks are separate graph nodes, not callbacks embedded in a task or asset. A check declares what it validates through depends_on.

Defining a check

Place Python files under checks/ and decorate functions with @check. depends_on is required:

# checks/orders.py
from sqlbuild.checks import check, CheckContext
from tasks.orders import export_orders


@check(depends_on=export_orders)
def check_orders_exported(ctx: CheckContext):
    result = ctx.result_of(export_orders)
    if result.metadata.get("rows", 0) == 0:
        return ctx.fail("no orders exported")
    return ctx.pass_("orders exported")

The check receives a CheckContext and reads its dependencies’ persisted results with ctx.result_of(...).

Results

Return a result through the context helpers, or a bool shorthand:

@check(depends_on=orders_asset)
def rows_present(ctx):
    return ctx.result_of(orders_asset).payload["rows"] > 0   # True -> pass, False -> fail

Return	Meaning
`ctx.pass_(message=None, metadata=None)`	Passing
`ctx.fail(message, metadata=None)`	Failing, using the check’s severity
`ctx.warn(message, metadata=None)`	Warning, regardless of severity
`True`	Pass
`False`	Fail

Returning None is not allowed - checks must be explicit.

Severity

@check takes a severity of error (default) or warn:

@check(depends_on=export_orders, severity="warn")
def orders_freshness(ctx):
    if stale():
        return ctx.fail("export is stale")   # recorded as a warning, does not fail the build
    return ctx.pass_()

error (default) - a failing check fails sqb build.
warn - a failing check is reported but does not fail the build.

ctx.warn(...) always produces a warning regardless of the declared severity.

What checks can depend on

Checks may depend on tasks, assets, and loaders.
Checks may not depend on SQL models, sources, seeds, or functions. Use SQL audits to validate SQL relations.
Checks may not depend on other checks.
Checks may not depend on a terminal source loader directly. Validate loaded source data with a source audit instead.

A check that depends on a single node is displayed grouped under that node. Multi-dependency checks are shown as standalone validation nodes, grouped by group, tags, or path.

Decorator parameters

Parameter	Description
`depends_on`	Required. Tasks/assets/loaders to validate (function, tuple, or list)
`name`	Override the node name (defaults to the function name)
`severity`	`error` (default) or `warn`
`tags`	Labels for selection and grouping
`group`	Display/catalog grouping
`description`	Docs (defaults to docstring)
`meta`	Freeform JSON metadata

Checks do not support columns, column_lineage, or retry.

Running checks

Checks run automatically during sqb build when their Python dependencies run. They are skipped when --no-audits is passed. To run checks on their own, use sqb check:

# Run all checks
sqb check

# Run a specific check (and its required dependencies)
sqb check --select +check_orders_exported

# Run checks by tag
sqb check --select tag:exports

sqb check rejects selecting non-check nodes; use sqb build to run tasks and assets. Check results are written to target/run/checks/python_checks.json, and sqb check --json prints them to stdout.

Checks vs audits

	Checks	Audits
Validates	Python tasks, assets, loaders	SQL relations
Authored in	`checks/` (Python)	`MODEL()` headers / `audits/` (SQL)
Run by	`sqb build`, `sqb check`	`sqb build`, `sqb audit`
Severity	`error`, `warn`	`error`, `warn`

sqb build runs both. sqb audit runs SQL audits only; sqb check runs Python checks only.

Getting Started

dbt Compatibility

Concepts

Python Nodes

Virtual Environments (Alpha)

Integrations

CLI Reference

Defining a check

Results

Severity

What checks can depend on

Decorator parameters

Running checks

Checks vs audits

​Defining a check

​Results

​Severity

​What checks can depend on

​Decorator parameters

​Running checks

​Checks vs audits

Defining a check

Results

Severity

What checks can depend on

Decorator parameters

Running checks

Checks vs audits