analytics-dictionary / term / transformation & metrics

Semantic layer

A semantic layer defines your business metrics and dimensions once, so every tool and person gets the same answers.

Written by Reflective Data experts · updated Oct 5, 2026

Instead of each dashboard calculating revenue its own way, the semantic layer holds one governed definition. BI tools, notebooks and AI agents query the layer rather than raw tables.

For AI analytics it is especially important: it stops the model guessing how to calculate a metric.

dbt Dimension LookML Metric

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MetricFlow

MetricFlow is the semantic layer technology used by dbt to define metrics and generate queries.

data-mart.md

Data mart

A data mart is a focused subset of a warehouse built for one team or subject,…

metric-tree.md

Metric tree

A metric tree breaks a top-level metric down into the input metrics that drive it.

sqlmesh.md

SQLMesh

SQLMesh is a data transformation framework with virtual environments and strong change management.

dbt-snapshot.md

dbt snapshot

A dbt snapshot records changes to a mutable table over time, producing a history of each…

dbt-test.md

dbt test

A dbt test is an automated check that a model meets expectations, such as unique, not…

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