Cannot find profile named 'prod'" dbt debug

TL;DR

dbt looked for a profile named prod and found nothing. Either profiles.yml has no prod target under your project profile, or dbt is reading a different profiles.yml than you edited. Add the target or fix DBT_PROFILES_DIR, then run dbt debug --target prod.

Error

"Cannot find profile named 'prod'" dbt debug

Steps

1. Run dbt debug --target prod and note the profiles path it reports. Expected: you see exactly which profiles.yml dbt read.
2. Open that file and check the top-level keys: one must match your project's profile: name from dbt_project.yml, with a prod target beneath it. Expected: you find the missing key or the missing target.
3. If the file is wrong, set DBT_PROFILES_DIR to the directory containing the correct profiles.yml. Expected: dbt reads the intended file.
4. Add the prod target with all required fields for your adapter. Expected: the YAML has a complete prod block.
5. Run dbt debug --target prod. Expected: the profile is found and the connection check passes.

When to use

• dbt reports "Cannot find profile named 'prod'" (or any target name).
• You just added a new target or moved profiles.yml.

When not to use

• The profile is found but the connection fails (a credentials or network problem).
• dbt Cloud runs (profiles are managed in the UI, not in profiles.yml).

Tool compatibility

• dbt Core 1.0 and later, all adapters. DBT_PROFILES_DIR behavior is adapter-independent.

Variant phrasings

Could not find profile named 'dev'

Same fix for the default target; the profile key must match dbt_project.yml.

Profile not found in CI

CI usually needs DBT_PROFILES_DIR set or the file mounted into the job.

Why it happens

dbt resolves the profile name from dbt_project.yml, then looks up the target inside profiles.yml. A mismatch at either level, or dbt reading a different profiles.yml, yields "cannot find profile".

Edge cases

• The profile key is case-sensitive and must match profile: in dbt_project.yml exactly.
• A YAML syntax error can silently drop the target block; validate the file parses.
• Target names like prod are conventional only; dbt accepts any name you define.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_qpUxQKe9KFBznsMLQiTYhA