---
title: "JSON artifacts"
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
---

### Write JSON artifacts

The `WRITE_JSON` config determines whether dbt writes [JSON artifacts](/reference/artifacts/dbt-artifacts) (for example, `manifest.json`, `run_results.json`) to the `target/` directory. JSON serialization can be slow, and turning this flag off _might_ make invocations of dbt faster. Alternatively, you can disable this config to perform a dbt operation and avoid overwriting artifacts from a previous run step.

<File name='Usage'>

```text
dbt run --no-write-json 
```

</File>


### Target path

By default, dbt will write JSON artifacts and compiled SQL files to a directory named `target/`. This directory is located relative to `dbt_project.yml` of the active project.

Just like other global configs, it is possible to override these values for your environment or invocation by using the CLI option (`--target-path`) or environment variables (<VersionBlock lastVersion="1.10">`DBT_TARGET_PATH`</VersionBlock><VersionBlock firstVersion="1.11">`DBT_ENGINE_TARGET_PATH`</VersionBlock>).
