Transformations
Orchestrate custom data transformations in your destination with Fivetran.
Overview
Transformations are SQL scripts that are executed on your data based on specific events or conditions. They map your data into a shape that is easier or faster to use in the next part of your data pipeline.
Fivetran Transformations allow data teams to organize, analyze, and visualize data without sacrificing data quality or analytical flexibility. Our transformations run in your destination after we load your data in, so your raw data is always available alongside your transformed data. If a transformation fails, you do not lose data. If your analytical needs change, you can edit your transformations and run them again on your raw data.
Transformation options
Fivetran offers two types of transformations:
There are several key differences between basic SQL transformations and dbt transformations:
| Feature | Basic SQL | dbt |
|---|---|---|
| SQL transformations | check | check |
| Transformation dependency | check | |
| Version control | check | |
| Data lineage graphs | check | |
| Automated documentation | check | |
| Custom scheduling | check | check |
| Pre-built transformation packages | check |
We recommend that all users who have advanced data modeling needs, such as dependencies between transformations, use dbt transformations. Basic SQL transformations are ideal for users who are new to writing SQL scripts or only need to execute simple transformations.