When using dbt docs serve, what must be run prior to starting the server?

When using dbt docs serve, it is essential to run dbt docs generate before starting the server because this command creates the documentation for your project by compiling the metadata and documentation information from your dbt models, tests, and other resources. This generated documentation is what will be displayed when you run the server, allowing users to view and interact with the data models, their structures, and lineage.

Running dbt compile, dbt run, or dbt deps does not directly produce the necessary documentation files. While dbt compile prepares your models for execution, dbt run executes those models, and dbt deps installs any dependencies listed in your project, none of these commands generate the actual documentation which is crucial for dbt docs serve to work properly. Only dbt docs generate generates the relevant HTML files, ensuring that the server can display the most up-to-date documentation based on your project's current state.