What feature allows dbt to share configurations across multiple models?

The feature that allows dbt to share configurations across multiple models is the dbt_project.yml file. This file serves as the central configuration hub for a dbt project, allowing users to define and manage settings that apply to multiple models in a consistent manner.

Within dbt_project.yml, you can specify configurations for different models, such as materializations, default settings for schemas, and other settings that are applicable across the entire project. This enables a streamlined approach to manage how models behave without needing to duplicate configurations in each individual model file, which can increase maintainability and reduce errors.

While model variables and model configurations can be useful for setting specific parameters or options on individual models, they do not provide the broad project-wide configuration capabilities that the dbt_project.yml file offers. Documentation links assist with providing context for the data models but do not influence configurations. Thus, the dbt_project.yml file is essential for maintaining consistency and efficiency within a dbt project.