Add --skip-audits flag to plan and run commands

airhorns · airhorns · commit be1fafd64ad6 · 2026-03-12T22:15:14.000-04:00
Allow users to skip audit execution during plan application and run operations. This is useful for large-scale backfills or development scenarios where audit overhead is not desired.

Signed-off-by: Harry Brundage &lt;harry.brundage@gmail.com&gt;
diff --git a/docs/concepts/audits.md b/docs/concepts/audits.md
@@ -684,7 +684,7 @@ By default, SQLMesh will halt the pipeline when an audit fails to prevent potent
 
 ## Advanced usage
 ### Skipping audits
-Audits can be skipped by setting the `skip` argument to `true` as in the following example:
+Individual audits can be skipped by setting the `skip` argument to `true` as in the following example:
 
 ```sql linenums="1" hl_lines="3"
 AUDIT (
@@ -696,6 +696,13 @@ WHERE ds BETWEEN @start_ds AND @end_ds AND
    price IS NULL;
 ```
 
+To skip **all** audits for an entire `plan` or `run` invocation, use the `--skip-audits` CLI flag:
+
+```bash
+sqlmesh plan --skip-audits
+sqlmesh run --skip-audits
+```
+
 ### Non-blocking audits
 By default, audits that fail will stop the execution of the pipeline to prevent bad data from propagating further.
 
diff --git a/docs/reference/cli.md b/docs/reference/cli.md
@@ -393,6 +393,8 @@ Options:
                                   versions of the models and standalone
                                   audits.
   --explain                       Explain the plan instead of applying it.
+  --skip-audits                   Skip audit execution during plan
+                                  application.
   -v, --verbose                   Verbose output. Use -vv for very verbose
                                   output.
   --help                          Show this message and exit.
@@ -504,6 +506,7 @@ Options:
                                 Only applicable when --select-model is used.
                                 Note: this may result in missing / invalid
                                 data for the selected models.
+  --skip-audits                 Skip audit execution during the run.
   --help                        Show this message and exit.
 ```
 
diff --git a/sqlmesh/cli/main.py b/sqlmesh/cli/main.py
@@ -538,6 +538,12 @@ def diff(ctx: click.Context, environment: t.Optional[str] = None) -> None:
     default=None,
     help="For every model, ensure at least this many intervals are covered by a missing intervals check regardless of the plan start date",
 )
+@click.option(
+    "--skip-audits",
+    is_flag=True,
+    help="Skip audit execution during plan application.",
+    default=None,
+)
 @opt.verbose
 @click.pass_context
 @error_handler
@@ -596,6 +602,11 @@ def plan(
     is_flag=True,
     help="Do not automatically include upstream models. Only applicable when --select-model is used. Note: this may result in missing / invalid data for the selected models.",
 )
+@click.option(
+    "--skip-audits",
+    is_flag=True,
+    help="Skip audit execution during the run.",
+)
 @click.pass_context
 @error_handler
 @cli_analytics
diff --git a/sqlmesh/core/context.py b/sqlmesh/core/context.py
@@ -762,6 +762,7 @@ def run(
         select_models: t.Optional[t.Collection[str]] = None,
         exit_on_env_update: t.Optional[int] = None,
         no_auto_upstream: bool = False,
+        skip_audits: bool = False,
     ) -> CompletionStatus:
         """Run the entire dag through the scheduler.
 
@@ -777,6 +778,7 @@ def run(
             exit_on_env_update: If set, exits with the provided code if the run is interrupted by an update
                 to the target environment.
             no_auto_upstream: Whether to not force upstream models to run. Only applicable when using `select_models`.
+            skip_audits: Whether to skip audit execution after a successful run. Default: False.
 
         Returns:
             True if the run was successful, False otherwise.
@@ -845,6 +847,7 @@ def _has_environment_changed() -> bool:
                     select_models=select_models,
                     circuit_breaker=_has_environment_changed,
                     no_auto_upstream=no_auto_upstream,
+                    skip_audits=skip_audits,
                 )
                 done = True
             except CircuitBreakerError:
@@ -1340,6 +1343,7 @@ def plan(
         explain: t.Optional[bool] = None,
         ignore_cron: t.Optional[bool] = None,
         min_intervals: t.Optional[int] = None,
+        skip_audits: t.Optional[bool] = None,
     ) -> Plan:
         """Interactively creates a plan.
 
@@ -1389,6 +1393,7 @@ def plan(
             explain: Whether to explain the plan instead of applying it.
             min_intervals: Adjust the plan start date on a per-model basis in order to ensure at least this many intervals are covered
                 on every model when checking for missing intervals
+            skip_audits: Whether to skip audit execution after a successful backfill. Default: False.
 
         Returns:
             The populated Plan object.
@@ -1420,6 +1425,7 @@ def plan(
             explain=explain,
             ignore_cron=ignore_cron,
             min_intervals=min_intervals,
+            skip_audits=skip_audits,
         )
 
         plan = plan_builder.build()
@@ -1473,6 +1479,7 @@ def plan_builder(
         ignore_cron: t.Optional[bool] = None,
         min_intervals: t.Optional[int] = None,
         always_include_local_changes: t.Optional[bool] = None,
+        skip_audits: t.Optional[bool] = None,
     ) -> PlanBuilder:
         """Creates a plan builder.
 
@@ -1513,6 +1520,7 @@ def plan_builder(
                 on every model when checking for missing intervals
             always_include_local_changes: Usually when restatements are present, local changes in the filesystem are ignored.
                 However, it can be desirable to deploy changes + restatements in the same plan, so this flag overrides the default behaviour.
+            skip_audits: Whether to skip audit execution after a successful backfill. Default: False.
 
         Returns:
             The plan builder.
@@ -1544,6 +1552,7 @@ def plan_builder(
             "diff_rendered": diff_rendered,
             "skip_linter": skip_linter,
             "min_intervals": min_intervals,
+            "skip_audits": skip_audits,
         }
         user_provided_flags: t.Dict[str, UserProvidedFlags] = {
             k: v for k, v in kwargs.items() if v is not None
@@ -1553,6 +1562,7 @@ def plan_builder(
         no_gaps = no_gaps or False
         skip_backfill = skip_backfill or False
         empty_backfill = empty_backfill or False
+        skip_audits = skip_audits or False
         run = run or False
         diff_rendered = diff_rendered or False
         skip_linter = skip_linter or False
@@ -1747,6 +1757,7 @@ def plan_builder(
             },
             explain=explain or False,
             ignore_cron=ignore_cron or False,
+            skip_audits=skip_audits,
         )
 
     def apply(
@@ -2542,6 +2553,7 @@ def _run(
         select_models: t.Optional[t.Collection[str]],
         circuit_breaker: t.Optional[t.Callable[[], bool]],
         no_auto_upstream: bool,
+        skip_audits: bool = False,
     ) -> CompletionStatus:
         scheduler = self.scheduler(environment=environment)
         snapshots = scheduler.snapshots
@@ -2561,6 +2573,7 @@ def _run(
             selected_snapshots=select_models,
             auto_restatement_enabled=environment.lower() == c.PROD,
             run_environment_statements=True,
+            skip_audits=skip_audits,
         )
 
         if completion_status.is_nothing_to_do:
diff --git a/sqlmesh/core/plan/builder.py b/sqlmesh/core/plan/builder.py
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ def __init__(
         no_gaps: bool = False,
         skip_backfill: bool = False,
         empty_backfill: bool = False,
+        skip_audits: bool = False,
         is_dev: bool = False,
         forward_only: bool = False,
         allow_destructive_models: t.Optional[t.Iterable[str]] = None,
@@ -139,6 +140,7 @@ def __init__(
         self._no_gaps = no_gaps
         self._skip_backfill = skip_backfill
         self._empty_backfill = empty_backfill
+        self._skip_audits = skip_audits
         self._is_dev = is_dev
         self._forward_only = forward_only
         self._allow_destructive_models = set(
@@ -331,6 +333,7 @@ def build(self) -> Plan:
             is_dev=self._is_dev,
             skip_backfill=self._skip_backfill,
             empty_backfill=self._empty_backfill,
+            skip_audits=self._skip_audits,
             no_gaps=self._no_gaps,
             forward_only=self._forward_only,
             explain=self._explain,
diff --git a/sqlmesh/core/plan/definition.py b/sqlmesh/core/plan/definition.py
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ class Plan(PydanticModel, frozen=True):
     is_dev: bool
     skip_backfill: bool
     empty_backfill: bool
+    skip_audits: bool = False
     no_gaps: bool
     forward_only: bool
     allow_destructive_models: t.Set[str]
@@ -271,6 +272,7 @@ def to_evaluatable(self) -> EvaluatablePlan:
             no_gaps=self.no_gaps,
             skip_backfill=self.skip_backfill,
             empty_backfill=self.empty_backfill,
+            skip_audits=self.skip_audits,
             restatements={s.name: i for s, i in self.restatements.items()},
             restate_all_snapshots=self.restate_all_snapshots,
             is_dev=self.is_dev,
@@ -316,6 +318,7 @@ class EvaluatablePlan(PydanticModel):
     no_gaps: bool
     skip_backfill: bool
     empty_backfill: bool
+    skip_audits: bool = False
     restatements: t.Dict[str, Interval]
     restate_all_snapshots: bool
     is_dev: bool
diff --git a/sqlmesh/core/plan/evaluator.py b/sqlmesh/core/plan/evaluator.py
@@ -259,13 +259,17 @@ def visit_backfill_stage(self, stage: stages.BackfillStage, plan: EvaluatablePla
             selected_snapshot_ids=stage.selected_snapshot_ids,
             selected_models=plan.selected_models,
             is_restatement=bool(plan.restatements),
+            skip_audits=plan.skip_audits,
         )
         if errors:
             raise PlanError("Plan application failed.")
 
     def visit_audit_only_run_stage(
         self, stage: stages.AuditOnlyRunStage, plan: EvaluatablePlan
     ) -> None:
+        if plan.skip_audits:
+            return
+
         audit_snapshots = stage.snapshots
         if not audit_snapshots:
             return
diff --git a/sqlmesh/core/scheduler.py b/sqlmesh/core/scheduler.py
@@ -200,6 +200,7 @@ def evaluate(
         allow_destructive_snapshots: t.Optional[t.Set[str]] = None,
         allow_additive_snapshots: t.Optional[t.Set[str]] = None,
         target_table_exists: t.Optional[bool] = None,
+        skip_audits: bool = False,
         **kwargs: t.Any,
     ) -> t.List[AuditResult]:
         """Evaluate a snapshot and add the processed interval to the state sync.
@@ -239,17 +240,19 @@ def evaluate(
             target_table_exists=target_table_exists,
             **kwargs,
         )
-        audit_results = self._audit_snapshot(
-            snapshot=snapshot,
-            environment_naming_info=environment_naming_info,
-            start=start,
-            end=end,
-            execution_time=execution_time,
-            snapshots=snapshots,
-            deployability_index=deployability_index,
-            wap_id=wap_id,
-            **kwargs,
-        )
+        audit_results: t.List[AuditResult] = []
+        if not skip_audits:
+            audit_results = self._audit_snapshot(
+                snapshot=snapshot,
+                environment_naming_info=environment_naming_info,
+                start=start,
+                end=end,
+                execution_time=execution_time,
+                snapshots=snapshots,
+                deployability_index=deployability_index,
+                wap_id=wap_id,
+                **kwargs,
+            )
 
         self.state_sync.add_interval(
             snapshot, start, end, is_dev=not is_deployable, last_altered_ts=now_timestamp()
@@ -272,6 +275,7 @@ def run(
         deployability_index: t.Optional[DeployabilityIndex] = None,
         auto_restatement_enabled: bool = False,
         run_environment_statements: bool = False,
+        skip_audits: bool = False,
     ) -> CompletionStatus:
         return self._run_or_audit(
             environment=environment,
@@ -288,6 +292,7 @@ def run(
             deployability_index=deployability_index,
             auto_restatement_enabled=auto_restatement_enabled,
             run_environment_statements=run_environment_statements,
+            skip_audits=skip_audits,
         )
 
     def audit(
@@ -304,7 +309,11 @@ def audit(
         circuit_breaker: t.Optional[t.Callable[[], bool]] = None,
         deployability_index: t.Optional[DeployabilityIndex] = None,
         run_environment_statements: bool = False,
+        skip_audits: bool = False,
     ) -> CompletionStatus:
+        if skip_audits:
+            return CompletionStatus.SUCCESS
+
         # Remove the intervals from the snapshots that will be audited so that they can be recomputed
         # by _run_or_audit as "missing intervals" to reuse the rest of it's logic
         remove_intervals = {}
@@ -434,6 +443,7 @@ def run_merged_intervals(
         selected_snapshot_ids: t.Optional[t.Set[SnapshotId]] = None,
         run_environment_statements: bool = False,
         audit_only: bool = False,
+        skip_audits: bool = False,
         auto_restatement_triggers: t.Dict[SnapshotId, t.List[SnapshotId]] = {},
         is_restatement: bool = False,
     ) -> t.Tuple[t.List[NodeExecutionFailedError[SchedulingUnit]], t.List[SchedulingUnit]]:
@@ -537,15 +547,16 @@ def run_node(node: SchedulingUnit) -> None:
                     assert deployability_index  # mypy
 
                     if audit_only:
-                        audit_results = self._audit_snapshot(
-                            snapshot=snapshot,
-                            environment_naming_info=environment_naming_info,
-                            deployability_index=deployability_index,
-                            snapshots=self.snapshots_by_name,
-                            start=start,
-                            end=end,
-                            execution_time=execution_time,
-                        )
+                        if not skip_audits:
+                            audit_results = self._audit_snapshot(
+                                snapshot=snapshot,
+                                environment_naming_info=environment_naming_info,
+                                deployability_index=deployability_index,
+                                snapshots=self.snapshots_by_name,
+                                start=start,
+                                end=end,
+                                execution_time=execution_time,
+                            )
                     else:
                         # If batch_index > 0, then the target table must exist since the first batch would have created it
                         target_table_exists = (
@@ -563,6 +574,7 @@ def run_node(node: SchedulingUnit) -> None:
                             allow_additive_snapshots=allow_additive_snapshots,
                             target_table_exists=target_table_exists,
                             selected_models=selected_models,
+                            skip_audits=skip_audits,
                         )
 
                     evaluation_duration_ms = now_timestamp() - execution_start_ts
@@ -785,6 +797,7 @@ def _run_or_audit(
         auto_restatement_enabled: bool = False,
         run_environment_statements: bool = False,
         audit_only: bool = False,
+        skip_audits: bool = False,
     ) -> CompletionStatus:
         """Concurrently runs or audits all snapshots in topological order.
 
@@ -876,6 +889,7 @@ def _run_or_audit(
             end=end,
             run_environment_statements=run_environment_statements,
             audit_only=audit_only,
+            skip_audits=skip_audits,
             auto_restatement_triggers=auto_restatement_triggers,
             selected_models={
                 s.node.dbt_unique_id for s in merged_intervals if s.node.dbt_unique_id
diff --git a/tests/cli/test_cli.py b/tests/cli/test_cli.py
diff --git a/tests/core/integration/test_audits.py b/tests/core/integration/test_audits.py
diff --git a/tests/core/test_scheduler.py b/tests/core/test_scheduler.py
