How can documentation for dbt models be created?

Documentation for dbt models can effectively be created using the description: property in the model's YAML file. This approach allows you to provide detailed, structured documentation that is directly associated with the model, making it easy for users to access and understand the purpose and structure of the model within the dbt framework.

By directly linking documentation to the model through YAML, you ensure that any changes to the model can be accompanied by relevant updates to the documentation, maintaining consistency and clarity. This method also helps in auto-generating documentation that can be viewed in the dbt documentation site, making it more user-friendly for stakeholders who may not have in-depth technical expertise.

While other methods for documentation exist, such as using markdown files or comments in SQL code, the description: property in YAML is specifically designed for this purpose within dbt, ensuring comprehensive integration and maintainability of your documentation efforts. Using the dashboard interface is more geared towards visualizing models rather than documenting them. Therefore, the YAML approach stands out as the most effective and integrated method.