dbt packages.yml failed with dbt-utils version conflict error

TL;DR

Two packages (often dbt-utils and another) require incompatible versions of something, or dbt-utils requires a different dbt-core than you have. Pin every package to mutually compatible revisions, delete package-lock.yml, and run dbt deps fresh.

Error

dbt packages.yml failed with dbt-utils version conflict error

Steps

1. Open packages.yml and list each package's version or revision. Expected: you see the full requested set.
2. Check dbt-utils' release notes for the dbt-core versions it supports, and do the same for your other packages. Expected: you identify the incompatible pair.
3. Pin compatible versions explicitly, for example:

packages:
  - package: dbt-labs/dbt_utils
    version: [">=1.0.0", "<2.0.0"]

Expected: every package has a pin compatible with your dbt-core.

4. Delete package-lock.yml (it may be pinning the conflict) and any stale dbt_packages/ directory. Expected: no cached resolution remains.
5. Run dbt deps. Expected: all packages install without conflicts.

When to use

• dbt deps fails with a version conflict mentioning dbt-utils or another package.
• You just upgraded dbt-core and deps broke.

When not to use

• dbt deps fails on git authentication (fix credentials, not versions).
• A package installs but its macros misbehave (a compatibility bug, not a resolution conflict).

Tool compatibility

• dbt Core 1.0 and later, dbt Hub and git packages.

Variant phrasings

dbt deps: could not resolve package versions

The resolver failed; pinning narrows the search space enough to succeed.

Package requires dbt-core >= X but you have Y

Upgrade dbt-core or downgrade the package; one side has to move.

Why it happens

dbt resolves package versions against your installed dbt-core and against each other. Unpinned packages float to latest, which eventually requires a newer core than you run, or two packages demand incompatible ranges.

Edge cases

• Git packages pinned to branches move over time; pin to tags or SHAs for reproducibility.
• dbt deps --upgrade re-resolves everything; use it deliberately, not casually.
• Private registry mirrors can serve stale versions; check the mirror when pins look right but fail.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pstxMFPiEd-WtU8EnfFyEMqw

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pstxMFPiEd-WtU8EnfFyEMqw

Thread query: dbt packages.yml failed with dbt-utils version conflict error

TL;DR: Two packages (often dbt-utils and another) require incompatible versions of something, or dbt-utils requires a different dbt-core than you have. Pin every package to mutually compatible revisions, delete package-lock.yml, and run dbt deps fresh.