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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.trydatawise.com/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

Connect Datawise to GitHub to enable Schema Guardian. Once connected, Datawise analyzes pull requests in your connected repos, detects breaking schema changes, and posts a detailed bot comment with downstream impact and mitigation guidance.

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Prerequisites

  • A GitHub account with admin access to the repositories you want to connect.
  • At least one repository that contains dbt model code or SQL files that reference warehouse schemas.

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Connection Setup

Go to Connectors, click Add Connector, and select GitHub.

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OAuth Authorization

Clicking Connect redirects you to GitHub where you authorize the Datawise GitHub App. During authorization you can choose:
  • All repositories — Datawise can access any repo in your organization.
  • Selected repositories — Datawise only accesses repos you explicitly choose. Add more later from GitHub under Settings > Applications > Authorized GitHub Apps.

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Selecting Repos

After authorization, select which repositories Schema Guardian should monitor.
PlanRepo limit
Starter3
Pro10
EnterpriseUnlimited

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How Schema Guardian Works

When a pull request is opened or updated:
  1. Datawise fetches the PR diff from GitHub.
  2. SQL and dbt model files are analyzed using AI to identify schema changes.
  3. Breaking changes are classified: column removals, renames, type changes, breaking model restructures.
  4. Downstream impact is resolved using your connected warehouse and dbt lineage.
  5. A bot comment is posted in the PR with breaking changes, impacted assets, and mitigation recommendations.
The bot comment updates automatically on each new commit to the PR.

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Merge Protection

When enabled, Datawise posts a GitHub status check alongside the bot comment. If a breaking change is detected, the check returns failure and blocks the merge button. Available on: Pro and Enterprise. To enable:
  1. Go to Settings > Merge Protection in Datawise.
  2. Toggle on the repos where you want enforcement.
  3. In GitHub, add datawise/schema-guardian as a required status check in your branch protection rules.
Admin users can override a blocked merge from the Schema Guardian view in Datawise.

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Permissions

PermissionReason
Pull requests: ReadFetch PR diffs for analysis.
Pull requests: WritePost bot comments on PRs.
Checks: WriteCreate status checks for Merge Protection.
Contents: ReadRead dbt model and SQL files from the repo.

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After Connecting

  • Schema Guardian begins analyzing new pull requests in connected repos automatically.
  • The Schema Guardian view shows all analyzed PRs, detected changes, and bot comment status.
  • Historical PRs are not retroactively analyzed.