Groups bind DAG nodes to a named owner and private-access boundary

Groups are defined in YAML with a unique name and an owner that must include name or email. Optional description and config.meta can capture purpose, cost center, or classification. Central definition can live in a root _groups.yml under models or under a groups path listed in model-paths.

For multi-team data projects, groups make ownership and collaboration rules explicit inside one DAG: private models stay within the group, which reduces accidental cross-team coupling while still allowing intentional shared work. Nodes cannot sit in more than one group.

Ownership metadata and access boundaries are part of governed shared meaning—who is responsible for a collection of transforms, and which models are private versus available for wider reuse.