> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://lightdash-mintlify-87860eff.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Creating tailored tables from a single dbt model
> You can use the `explores` configuration in your Lightdash Semantic Layer to curate multiple ways to query from the same table for different audiences.
## What this guide covers
You'll learn how to use the `explores` config in Lightdash to define **multiple curated table experiences** from a single dbt model.
Each explore appears as its own table in the **Query from tables** list in Lightdash.
***
## When to use explores
Use the explores config when you want to create tailored versions of the same table for different teams or use cases. For example:
* Show different columns or joins depending on the audience (e.g. Users + CRM for Sales, Users + product usage for PMs)
* Customize each version of the table to match a specific workflow or department
* Restrict access to certain versions or fields using user attributes (e.g. exec-only views, region-based filters, or hiding PII)
***
## Quickstart
This is your regular dbt model, for example, `deals`.
```yaml theme={null}
models:
- name: deals
meta:
primary_key: deal_id
```
```yaml theme={null}
models:
- name: deals
config:
meta:
primary_key: deal_id
```
```yaml theme={null}
type: model
name: deals
primary_key: deal_id
```
Use the `explores` config to define multiple versions of the table. Each explore has its own `label`, `joins`, joined fields, and access rules.
```yaml theme={null}
models:
- name: deals
meta:
primary_key: deal_id
label: Deals (Basic)
description: Basic deals table with no joins
explores:
deals_accounts:
label: Deals w/Accounts
description: Deals table with accounts joined in, limited acount fields included
joins:
- join: accounts
relationship: many-to-one
sql_on: ${deals.account_id} = ${accounts.account_id}
fields: [industry, segment, count_accounts]
deals_exec_view:
label: Deals (Exec View)
description: Deals table with account info, for execs only, all acount fields included
required_attributes:
is_exec: "true"
joins:
- join: accounts
relationship: many-to-one
sql_on: ${deals.account_id} = ${accounts.account_id}
```
```yaml theme={null}
models:
- name: deals
config:
meta:
primary_key: deal_id
label: Deals (Basic)
description: Basic deals table with no joins
explores:
deals_accounts:
label: Deals w/Accounts
description: Deals table with accounts joined in, limited acount fields included
joins:
- join: accounts
relationship: many-to-one
sql_on: ${deals.account_id} = ${accounts.account_id}
fields: [industry, segment, count_accounts]
deals_exec_view:
label: Deals (Exec View)
description: Deals table with account info, for execs only, all acount fields included
required_attributes:
is_exec: "true"
joins:
- join: accounts
relationship: many-to-one
sql_on: ${deals.account_id} = ${accounts.account_id}
```
```yaml theme={null}
type: model
name: deals
primary_key: deal_id
label: Deals (Basic)
description: Basic deals table with no joins
explores:
deals_accounts:
label: Deals w/Accounts
description: Deals table with accounts joined in, limited acount fields included
joins:
- join: accounts
relationship: many-to-one
sql_on: ${deals.account_id} = ${accounts.account_id}
fields: [industry, segment, count_accounts]
deals_exec_view:
label: Deals (Exec View)
description: Deals table with account info, for execs only, all acount fields included
required_attributes:
is_exec: "true"
joins:
- join: accounts
relationship: many-to-one
sql_on: ${deals.account_id} = ${accounts.account_id}
```
Once you commit and deploy your dbt changes:
* Go to Query from tables in Lightdash
* You'll now see:
* **Deals (Basic)**
* **Deals w/Accounts**
* **Deals (Exec View)** (only visible to users with the required attribute)
Each shows up as its own table in the UI, but all use the same `deals` model.
## Table config options you can use
Inside each explore definition, you can use any of the existing table config options, including:
* `label`
* `joins`
* `sql_filter`
* `description`
* `default_filters`
* `required_attributes`
* `additional_dimensions`
[📚 Read the Tables reference docs for all configuration options](/references/tables#table-properties)
***
## Adding custom dimensions to an explore
Use `additional_dimensions` to define dimensions that are scoped only to a specific explore. This is useful when you need custom dimensions that reference joined tables, which wouldn't make sense at the model level.
### When to use explore-scoped dimensions
* You have multiple explores from the same model with different joins
* You need dimensions that combine fields from the base model and joined tables
* You want to keep explore-specific logic out of the base model
### Example
```yaml theme={null}
models:
- name: orders
meta:
primary_key: order_id
explores:
orders_with_custom_dims:
label: Orders with Custom Dimensions
joins:
- join: customers
sql_on: ${orders.customer_id} = ${customers.customer_id}
additional_dimensions:
full_name:
type: string
sql: "CONCAT(${customers.first_name}, ' ', ${customers.last_name})"
label: Customer Full Name
```
```yaml theme={null}
models:
- name: orders
config:
meta:
primary_key: order_id
explores:
orders_with_custom_dims:
label: Orders with Custom Dimensions
joins:
- join: customers
sql_on: ${orders.customer_id} = ${customers.customer_id}
additional_dimensions:
full_name:
type: string
sql: "CONCAT(${customers.first_name}, ' ', ${customers.last_name})"
label: Customer Full Name
```
```yaml theme={null}
type: model
name: orders
primary_key: order_id
explores:
orders_with_custom_dims:
label: Orders with Custom Dimensions
joins:
- join: customers
sql_on: ${orders.customer_id} = ${customers.customer_id}
additional_dimensions:
full_name:
type: string
sql: "CONCAT(${customers.first_name}, ' ', ${customers.last_name})"
label: Customer Full Name
```
### Available properties
Explore-scoped `additional_dimensions` support the same properties as [column-level additional dimensions](/references/dimensions#additional-dimensions):
| Property | Required | Description |
| :------------------- | :------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| type | Yes | Dimension type: `string`, `number`, `date`, `timestamp`, or `boolean` |
| sql | Yes | SQL expression for the dimension. Can reference fields from the base model and joined tables using `${table.field}` syntax |
| label | No | Display name in Lightdash |
| description | No | Description shown on hover |
| hidden | No | Set to `true` to hide from the UI |
| format | No | Spreadsheet-style format expression |
| time\_intervals | No | For date/timestamp types, specify which intervals to generate |
| groups | No | Group the dimension in the sidebar |
| required\_attributes | No | Limit access based on user attributes |