---
title: "dbt Community Rules of the Road"
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
---

As of June 2023, the dbt Community includes over 50,000 data professionals and is still growing. People genuinely love this community. It's filled with smart, kind, and helpful people who share our commitment to elevating the analytics profession.

We are committed to maintaining the spirit of this community, and have written these rules alongside its members to help everyone understand how to best participate. We appreciate your support in continuing to build a community we're all proud of.

## Expectations for all members
### Rule 1: Be respectful
We want everyone in this community to have a fulfilling and positive experience. Therefore, this first rule is serious and straightforward; we simply will not tolerate disrespectful behavior of any kind.

Everyone interacting on a dbt platform – including Slack, the forum, codebase, issue trackers, and mailing lists – is expected to follow the [Community Code of Conduct](/community/resources/code-of-conduct). If you are unable to abide by the code of conduct set forth here, we encourage you not to participate in the community.

### Rule 2: Keep it in public spaces
Unless you have someone's express permission to contact them directly, do not directly message other community members, whether on a dbt Community platform or other spaces like LinkedIn.

We highly value the time community members put into helping each other, and we have precisely zero tolerance for people who abuse their access to experienced professionals. If you are being directly messaged with requests for assistance without your consent, let us know in the [#moderation-and-administration](https://getdbt.slack.com/archives/C02JJ8N822H) Slack channel. We will remove that person from the community. Your time and attention is valuable.

### Rule 3: Follow messaging etiquette
In short: put effort into your question, use threads, post in the right channel, and do not seek extra attention by tagging individuals or double-posting. For more information, see our [guide on getting help](/community/resources/getting-help).

### Rule 4: Do not solicit community members
This community is built for data practitioners to discuss the work that they do, the ideas that they have, and the things that they are learning. It is decidedly not intended to be lead generation for vendors or recruiters.

Vendors and recruiters are subject to additional rules to ensure this space remains welcoming to everyone. These requirements are detailed below and are enforced vigorously.

## Vendor expectations

As a vendor/dbt partner, you are also a member of this community, and we encourage you to participate fully in the space. We have seen folks grow fantastic user relationships for their products when they come in with the mindset to share rather than pushing a pitch. At the same time, active community members have a finely honed sense of when they are being reduced to an audience or a resource to be monetized, and their response is reliably negative.

:::info Who is a vendor?
Vendors are generally individuals belonging to companies that are creating products or services primarily targeted at data professionals, but this title also includes recruiters, investors, open source maintainers (with or without a paid offering), consultants and freelancers. If in doubt, err on the side of caution. 
:::

### Rule 1: Identify yourself 
Include your company in your display name, e.g. "Alice (DataCo)". When joining a discussion about your product (after the waiting period below), be sure to note your business interests. 

### Rule 2: Let others speak first
If a community member asks a question about your product directly, or mentions that they have a problem that your product could help with, wait 1 business day before responding to allow other members to share their experiences and recommendations. (This doesn't apply to unambiguously support-style questions from existing users, or in your `#tools-` channel if you have one).

### Rule 3: Keep promotional content to specified spaces
As a space for professional practice, the dbt Community is primarily a non-commercial space. However, as a service to community members who want to be able to keep up to date with the data industry, there are several areas available on the Community Slack for vendors to share promotional material: 
- [#vendor-content](https://getdbt.slack.com/archives/C03B0Q4EBL3)
- [#events](https://getdbt.slack.com/archives/C80RCAZ5E)
- #tools-* (post in [#moderation-and-administration](https://getdbt.slack.com/archives/C02JJ8N822H) to request a channel for your tool/product)

Recruiters may also post in [#jobs](https://getdbt.slack.com/archives/C7A7BARGT)/[#jobs-eu](https://getdbt.slack.com/archives/C04JMHHK6CD) but may not solicit applications in DMs. 

The definition of "vendor content" can be blurry at the edges, and we defer to members' instincts in these scenarios. As a rule, if something is hosted on a site controlled by that company or its employees (including platforms like Substack and Medium), or contains a CTA such as signing up for a mailing list or trial account, it will likely be considered promotional. 

### One more tip: Be yourself
Speak in your own voice, and join in any or all of the conversations that interest you. Share your expertise as a data professional. Make a meme if you're so inclined. Get in a (friendly) debate. You are not limited to only your company's products and services, and making yourself known as a familiar face outside of commercial contexts is one of the most effective ways of building trust with the community. Put another way, [create more value than you capture](/community/resources/code-of-conduct#create-more-value-than-you-capture). 

Because unaffiliated community members are able to share links in any channel, the most effective way to have your work reach a wider audience is to create things that are genuinely useful to the community. 


## Handling violations

The point of these rules is not to find opportunities to punish people, but to ensure the longevity of the community. Participation in this community is a privilege, and we reserve the right to remove people from it. 

To report an issue or appeal a judgement, email [community@dbtlabs.com](mailto:community@dbtlabs.com) or use the workflows in [#moderation-and-administration](https://getdbt.slack.com/archives/C02JJ8N822H) on Slack.

Violations related to our anti-harassment policy will result in immediate removal. Other issues are handled in proportion to their impact, and may include:

- a friendly, but public, reminder that the behavior is inappropriate according to our guidelines.
- a private message with a warning that any additional violations will result in removal from the community.
- temporary or permanent suspension of your account.
