I'd like to use

dbt-utils.recency

as the test for freshness. I have these 2 questions: • can freshness be measured for models? I know it can be calculated for sources • Looks like Elementary is configured to gather freshness data from event_freshness_anomalies, freshness_anomalies, tabl_anomalies or source_freshness, but no recency. However, in dbt tests hub, recency is classified as a freshness test Could you clarify both points?

Great questions! Here's a clarification on both points: 1. Can

dbt_utils.recency

be used on models (not just sources)? Yes.

dbt_utils.recency

can be applied to both sources and models. It is a standard dbt test and is not restricted to sources only. [community Q&A; best practices] For comparison, dbt's native

source freshness

is only for sources, while Elementary's own

freshness_anomalies

works on both sources and models. [works on models and sources] 2. How does Elementary handle

dbt_utils.recency

results?

dbt_utils.recency

is not natively recognized as a "freshness" category in Elementary's dashboard — it won't appear as a dedicated freshness card. However, since it is a standard dbt test, it will appear in the Elementary report like any other dbt test. [community Q&A] So while Elementary collects and displays its results, it won't be grouped or labeled as a freshness test specifically within the Elementary UI. Summary | Test | Works on models? | Works on sources? | Shown in Elementary as freshness? | | - | - | - | - | |

dbt source freshness

| ❌ | ✅ | ❌ (alerts only, not in report) | |

elementary.freshness_anomalies

| ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |

dbt_utils.recency

| ✅ | ✅ | ❌ (shown as a generic test) | If you want freshness results to be properly surfaced as freshness in Elementary,

elementary.freshness_anomalies

is the recommended approach. If you prefer a fixed threshold (e.g., "fail if data is older than X hours"),

dbt_utils.recency

is a valid alternative — just know it will appear as a generic test in Elementary's report. [best practices] 👍 0 button 👎 0 button ℹ️ Tip: Mention @elementary.ai in the thread for follow-ups or DM the app for 1-to-1 help.