How it Works

The expect_column_distinct_count_to_be_less_than test from the dbt-expectations package validates that the number of distinct values in a column does not exceed a specified threshold. This is useful for low-cardinality columns like status codes, categories, or flags, where an unexpectedly high number of distinct values would indicate data corruption or unintended variation.

Steps and Conditions

1. Column Selection: Identify the column to evaluate.
2. Set Threshold: Define the maximum acceptable distinct count using value.
3. Execution: The distinct count is computed and compared to the threshold.
4. Outcome: Pass if the distinct count is less than the threshold; fail if it equals or exceeds it.

Example Usage: Categorical Data

A logistics platform's shipment_carrier column should contain fewer than 20 distinct carrier codes. A much higher count would suggest malformed or free-text carrier entries.

models:
  - name: shipments
    columns:
      - name: shipment_carrier
        tests:
          - dbt_expectations.expect_column_distinct_count_to_be_less_than:
              value: 20

More than 20 distinct carriers would trigger the test, alerting the team to investigate carrier code standardisation in the upstream system.