Remove get_model_parents/get_model_children; enrich get_lineage with description

get_lineage(depth=1) already covers the immediate-parent/child use case.
Adding description to lineage nodes preserves the information that was
available via the removed tools. Removes ~200 LOC of dead client code.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>

Author: theyostalservice

.changes/unreleased/Enhancement or New Feature-20260622-103011.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+kind: Enhancement or New Feature
+body: Remove get_model_parents and get_model_children tools; get_lineage(depth=1) provides the same information and now also returns a description field per node
+time: 2026-06-22T10:30:11.723713-07:00

README.md

@@ -47,13 +47,11 @@ To learn more about the dbt Discovery API, click [here](https://docs.getdbt.com/
 - `get_all_sources`: Gets all sources with freshness status; option to filter by source name.
 - `get_exposure_details`: Gets exposure details including owner, parents, and freshness status.
 - `get_exposures`: Gets all exposures (downstream dashboards, apps, or analyses).
-- `get_lineage`: Gets full lineage graph (ancestors and descendants) with type and depth filtering.
+- `get_lineage`: Gets full lineage graph (ancestors and descendants) with type and depth filtering; use depth=1 to get immediate parents or children.
 - `get_macro_details`: Gets details for a specific macro.
 - `get_mart_models`: Retrieves all mart models.
-- `get_model_children`: Gets downstream dependents of a model.
 - `get_model_details`: Gets model details including compiled SQL, columns, and schema.
 - `get_model_health`: Gets health signals: run status, test results, and upstream source freshness.
-- `get_model_parents`: Gets upstream dependencies of a model.
 - `get_model_performance`: Gets execution history for a model; option to include test results.
 - `get_related_models`: Finds similar models using semantic search.
 - `get_seed_details`: Gets details for a specific seed.

src/dbt_mcp/discovery/client.py

@@ -140,125 +140,6 @@ class GraphQLQueries:
         }
     """)
 
-    COMMON_FIELDS_PARENTS_CHILDREN = textwrap.dedent("""
-        {
-        ... on ExposureAppliedStateNestedNode {
-            resourceType
-            name
-            description
-        }
-        ... on ExternalModelNode {
-            resourceType
-            description
-            name
-        }
-        ... on MacroDefinitionNestedNode {
-            resourceType
-            name
-            description
-        }
-        ... on MetricDefinitionNestedNode {
-            resourceType
-            name
-            description
-        }
-        ... on ModelAppliedStateNestedNode {
-            resourceType
-            name
-            description
-        }
-        ... on SavedQueryDefinitionNestedNode {
-            resourceType
-            name
-            description
-        }
-        ... on SeedAppliedStateNestedNode {
-            resourceType
-            name
-            description
-        }
-        ... on SemanticModelDefinitionNestedNode {
-            resourceType
-            name
-            description
-        }
-        ... on SnapshotAppliedStateNestedNode {
-            resourceType
-            name
-            description
-        }
-        ... on SourceAppliedStateNestedNode {
-            resourceType
-            sourceName
-            uniqueId
-            name
-            description
-        }
-        ... on TestAppliedStateNestedNode {
-            resourceType
-            name
-            description
-        }
-    """)
-
-    GET_MODEL_PARENTS = (
-        textwrap.dedent("""
-        query GetModelParents(
-            $environmentId: BigInt!,
-            $modelsFilter: ModelAppliedFilter
-            $first: Int,
-        ) {
-            environment(id: $environmentId) {
-                applied {
-                    models(filter: $modelsFilter, first: $first) {
-                        pageInfo {
-                            endCursor
-                        }
-                        edges {
-                            node {
-                                parents
-    """)
-        + COMMON_FIELDS_PARENTS_CHILDREN
-        + textwrap.dedent("""
-                                }
-                            }
-                        }
-                    }
-                }
-            }
-        }
-    """)
-    )
-
-    GET_MODEL_CHILDREN = (
-        textwrap.dedent("""
-        query GetModelChildren(
-            $environmentId: BigInt!,
-            $modelsFilter: ModelAppliedFilter
-            $first: Int,
-        ) {
-            environment(id: $environmentId) {
-                applied {
-                    models(filter: $modelsFilter, first: $first) {
-                        pageInfo {
-                            endCursor
-                        }
-                        edges {
-                            node {
-                                children
-    """)
-        + COMMON_FIELDS_PARENTS_CHILDREN
-        + textwrap.dedent("""
-                                }
-                            }
-                        }
-                    }
-                }
-            }
-        }
-    """)
-    )
-
     GET_SOURCES = textwrap.dedent("""
         query GetSources(
             $environmentId: BigInt!,
@@ -511,52 +392,6 @@ async def fetch_models(
             config=config,
         )
 
-    async def fetch_model_parents(
-        self,
-        model_name: str | None = None,
-        unique_id: str | None = None,
-        *,
-        config: DiscoveryConfig,
-    ) -> list[dict]:
-        model_filters = self._get_model_filters(model_name, unique_id)
-        variables = {
-            "environmentId": config.environment_id,
-            "modelsFilter": model_filters,
-            "first": 1,
-        }
-        result = await execute_query(
-            GraphQLQueries.GET_MODEL_PARENTS, variables, config=config
-        )
-        raise_gql_error(result)
-        edges = result["data"]["environment"]["applied"]["models"]["edges"]
-        if not edges:
-            return []
-        return edges[0]["node"]["parents"]
-
-    async def fetch_model_children(
-        self,
-        model_name: str | None = None,
-        unique_id: str | None = None,
-        *,
-        config: DiscoveryConfig,
-    ) -> list[dict]:
-        model_filters = self._get_model_filters(model_name, unique_id)
-        variables = {
-            "environmentId": config.environment_id,
-            "modelsFilter": model_filters,
-            "first": 1,
-        }
-        result = await execute_query(
-            GraphQLQueries.GET_MODEL_CHILDREN,
-            variables,
-            config=config,
-        )
-        raise_gql_error(result)
-        edges = result["data"]["environment"]["applied"]["models"]["edges"]
-        if not edges:
-            return []
-        return edges[0]["node"]["children"]
-
     async def fetch_model_health(
         self,
         model_name: str | None = None,

src/dbt_mcp/discovery/graphql/get_full_lineage.gql

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ query GetFullLineage($environmentId: BigInt!, $types: [ResourceNodeType!]!) {
         name
         uniqueId
         resourceType
+        description
         ... on LineageNodeWithParents {
           parentIds
         }

src/dbt_mcp/discovery/tools.py

@@ -159,42 +159,6 @@ async def get_model_details(
     )
 
 
-@dbt_mcp_tool(
-    description=get_prompt("discovery/get_model_parents"),
-    title="Get Model Parents",
-    read_only_hint=True,
-    destructive_hint=False,
-    idempotent_hint=True,
-)
-async def get_model_parents(
-    context: DiscoveryToolContext,
-    name: str | None = NAME_FIELD,
-    unique_id: str | None = UNIQUE_ID_FIELD,
-) -> list[dict]:
-    config = await context.config_provider.get_config()
-    return await context.models_fetcher.fetch_model_parents(
-        model_name=name, unique_id=unique_id, config=config
-    )
-
-
-@dbt_mcp_tool(
-    description=get_prompt("discovery/get_model_children"),
-    title="Get Model Children",
-    read_only_hint=True,
-    destructive_hint=False,
-    idempotent_hint=True,
-)
-async def get_model_children(
-    context: DiscoveryToolContext,
-    name: str | None = NAME_FIELD,
-    unique_id: str | None = UNIQUE_ID_FIELD,
-) -> list[dict]:
-    config = await context.config_provider.get_config()
-    return await context.models_fetcher.fetch_model_children(
-        name, unique_id, config=config
-    )
-
-
 @dbt_mcp_tool(
     description=get_prompt("discovery/get_model_health"),
     title="Get Model Health",
@@ -480,8 +444,6 @@ async def get_test_details(
     get_mart_models,
     get_all_models,
     get_model_details,
-    get_model_parents,
-    get_model_children,
     get_model_health,
     get_model_performance,
     get_lineage,

src/dbt_mcp/discovery/tools_multiproject.py

@@ -171,44 +171,6 @@ async def get_model_details(
     )
 
 
-@dbt_mcp_tool(
-    description=get_prompt("discovery/get_model_parents"),
-    title="Get Model Parents",
-    read_only_hint=True,
-    destructive_hint=False,
-    idempotent_hint=True,
-)
-async def get_model_parents(
-    context: MultiProjectDiscoveryToolContext,
-    project_id: Annotated[int, Field(description=DISCOVERY_PROJECT_ID_DESCRIPTION)],
-    name: str | None = NAME_FIELD,
-    unique_id: str | None = UNIQUE_ID_FIELD,
-) -> list[dict]:
-    config = await context.config_provider.get_config(project_id=project_id)
-    return await context.models_fetcher.fetch_model_parents(
-        name, unique_id, config=config
-    )
-
-
-@dbt_mcp_tool(
-    description=get_prompt("discovery/get_model_children"),
-    title="Get Model Children",
-    read_only_hint=True,
-    destructive_hint=False,
-    idempotent_hint=True,
-)
-async def get_model_children(
-    context: MultiProjectDiscoveryToolContext,
-    project_id: Annotated[int, Field(description=DISCOVERY_PROJECT_ID_DESCRIPTION)],
-    name: str | None = NAME_FIELD,
-    unique_id: str | None = UNIQUE_ID_FIELD,
-) -> list[dict]:
-    config = await context.config_provider.get_config(project_id=project_id)
-    return await context.models_fetcher.fetch_model_children(
-        model_name=name, unique_id=unique_id, config=config
-    )
-
-
 @dbt_mcp_tool(
     description=get_prompt("discovery/get_model_health"),
     title="Get Model Health",
@@ -508,8 +470,6 @@ async def get_test_details(
     get_mart_models,
     get_all_models,
     get_model_details,
-    get_model_parents,
-    get_model_children,
     get_model_health,
     get_model_performance,
     get_lineage,

src/dbt_mcp/prompts/discovery/get_lineage.md

@@ -7,27 +7,33 @@ A list of all nodes in the connected subgraph, where each node contains:
 - `uniqueId`: The resource's unique identifier
 - `name`: The resource name
 - `resourceType`: The type of resource (Model, Source, etc.)
+- `description`: A description of the resource
 - `parentIds`: List of unique IDs that this resource directly depends on
 
+**Getting immediate parents or children:** use `depth=1`. This returns the target node plus its direct upstream dependencies and direct downstream dependents.
+
 **Example Response:**
 ```json
 [
   {
     "uniqueId": "source.raw.users",
     "name": "users",
     "resourceType": "Source",
+    "description": "Raw user events from the application",
     "parentIds": []
   },
   {
     "uniqueId": "model.stg_customers",
     "name": "stg_customers",
     "resourceType": "Model",
+    "description": "Staged customer records",
     "parentIds": ["source.raw.users"]
   },
   {
     "uniqueId": "model.customers",
     "name": "customers",
     "resourceType": "Model",
+    "description": "Customer dimension model",
     "parentIds": ["model.stg_customers"]
   }
 ]
@@ -38,12 +44,12 @@ A list of all nodes in the connected subgraph, where each node contains:
 # Get complete lineage (all connected nodes, all types, default depth of 5)
 get_lineage(unique_id="model.analytics.customers")
 
+# Get only immediate parents and children (replaces get_model_parents / get_model_children)
+get_lineage(unique_id="model.analytics.customers", depth=1)
+
 # Get lineage filtered to only models and sources
 get_lineage(unique_id="model.analytics.customers", types=["Model", "Source"])
 
-# Get only immediate neighbors (depth=1)
-get_lineage(unique_id="model.analytics.customers", depth=1)
-
 # Get deeper lineage for comprehensive analysis
 get_lineage(unique_id="model.analytics.customers", depth=10)
 ```