---
title: "About dbt seed command"
source: dbt Core Documentation
source_url: https://github.com/dbt-labs/docs.getdbt.com
licence: Apache-2.0
domain: data-and-analysis
subdomain: dbt-docs
date_added: 2026-04-25
---

The `dbt seed` command loads static CSV files from your project’s `seed-paths` into your <Term id="data-warehouse" /> as tables. Use seeds for small, version-controlled reference datasets you want to keep alongside your project, such as country codes, region mappings, or a list of business-defined categories.

After you load seeds, you can reference the resulting tables in downstream models, and rerun `dbt seed` when the CSVs change.

Seeds are configured in the `dbt_project.yml` file, where you can define options like seed file directories and column interpretation. The `dbt seed` command then loads those CSVs into your warehouse so you can reference them in downstream models.

## Overview

This section covers common `dbt seed` results (artifacts and CLI output) and options you might use when running seeds.

Use artifacts when you want to inspect or troubleshoot what happened during execution:
- Artifacts: Running `dbt seed` produces dbt execution artifacts, including `run_results.json` for executed seeds. For details on what’s included and how to interpret it, refer to [Run results JSON file](/reference/artifacts/run-results-json).

Use resource selection when you want to run only a subset of seeds:
- Selecting resources: For advanced selection patterns (tags, paths, graph operators, and more), read [Syntax overview](/reference/node-selection/syntax).

Use global flags when you want to control command behavior, logging, and runtime settings:
- Flags: `dbt seed` supports dbt global flags. For the full list, refer to [Command line options](/reference/global-configs/command-line-options) and [Available flags](/reference/global-configs/about-global-configs#available-flags).

## Selecting seeds

You can run specific seeds using the `--select` flag when executing the `dbt seed` command. For example: 


```shell
dbt seed --select "country_codes"
Found 2 models, 3 tests, 0 archives, 0 analyses, 53 macros, 0 operations, 2 seed files

14:46:15 | Concurrency: 1 threads (target='dev')
14:46:15 |
14:46:15 | 1 of 1 START seed file analytics.country_codes........................... [RUN]
14:46:15 | 1 of 1 OK loaded seed file analytics.country_codes....................... [INSERT 3 in 0.01s]
14:46:16 |
14:46:16 | Finished running 1 seed in 0.14s.
```

Examples of common `dbt seed` invocations:

```shell
# Run all seeds
dbt seed

# Run one seed
dbt seed --select "country_codes"

# Rebuild selected seeds from scratch
dbt seed --select "country_codes state_codes" --full-refresh
```

## The --full-refresh flag

Use `--full-refresh` to force a full reload of seed data (rather than an incremental update) when you need to rebuild seed tables from scratch. This is useful when:

- You want to force a clean reload of seed data:

  ```shell
  dbt seed --full-refresh
  ```

- You have changed the seed structure (for example, column names or types):

  ```shell
  dbt seed --select "country_codes" --full-refresh
  ```

- You need consistent behavior across environments after a seed change:

  ```shell
  dbt seed --select "country_codes state_codes" --full-refresh
  ```

For information about configuring seeds (for example, column types and quoting behavior), refer to [Seed configurations](/reference/seed-configs).

## Related docs

- [Seed configurations](/reference/seed-configs)
- [Add Seeds to your DAG](/docs/build/seeds)
- [Syntax overview](/reference/node-selection/syntax)
- [`dbt build` command](/reference/commands/build)
