---
title: "Can I use seeds to load raw data?"
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
---

Seeds should **not** be used to load raw data (for example, large CSV exports from a production database).

Since seeds are version controlled, they are best suited to files that contain business-specific logic, for example a list of country codes or user IDs of employees.

Loading CSVs using dbt's seed functionality is not performant for large files. Consider using a different tool to load these CSVs into your <Term id="data-warehouse" />.
