tools-only How to Find Your Credentials
Which Token Type Should I Use?
| Use Case | Token Type | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Personal development setup | Personal Access Token (PAT) | Inherits your permissions, works with all APIs including execute_sql |
| Shared team setup | Service Token | Multiple users, controlled permissions, separate from individual accounts |
| Using execute_sql tool | PAT (required) | SQL tools that require x-dbt-user-id need a PAT |
| CI/CD or automation | Service Token | System-level access, not tied to a person |
Personal Access Token (PAT)
- Go to Account Settings → expand API tokens → click Personal tokens
- Click Create personal access token
- Enter a descriptive name and click Save
- Copy the token immediately — it won't be shown again
Notes:
- Requires a Developer license
- Inherits all permissions from your user account
- Account-scoped: create separate tokens for each dbt account you access
- Rotate regularly for security
Service Token
Use service tokens for system-level integrations (CI/CD, automation) rather than user-specific access.
- Go to Account Settings → Service Tokens (in left sidebar)
- Click + New Token
- Select the appropriate permission set for your use case
- Save the token immediately — it won't be shown again
Permission sets for MCP:
- Semantic Layer Only: For querying metrics only
- Metadata Only: For Discovery API access
- Job Admin: For Admin API (triggering jobs)
- Developer: For broader access
Notes:
- Requires Developer license + account admin permissions to create
- Service tokens belong to the account, not a user
- Cannot use service tokens for
execute_sql— use PAT instead
Account ID
- Sign in to dbt Cloud
- Look at the URL in your browser — the Account ID is the number after
/accounts/
Example: In https://cloud.getdbt.com/settings/accounts/12345/..., the Account ID is 12345
Alternative: Go to Settings → Account Settings and check the URL.
Environment ID (Production or Development)
- In dbt Cloud, go to Deploy → Environments
- Click on the environment (Production or Development)
- Look at the URL — the Environment ID is the last number
URL pattern: https://cloud.getdbt.com/deploy/<account_id>/projects/<project_id>/environments/<environment_id>
Example: In .../environments/98765, the Environment ID is 98765
User ID
- Go to Account Settings → Team → Users
- Click on your user profile
- Look at the URL — the number after
/users/is your User ID
Example: In https://cloud.getdbt.com/settings/accounts/12345/users/67891, the User ID is 67891