dbt model access is group-scoped visibility, not user permissions

The extract opens by warning that model groups and access are not the same as user groups and access. It then explains groups as a shared designation and owner for related models, turning implicit relationships into an explicit boundary and enabling private models that other models must not reference.

For data teams structuring projects, the claim is organizational as much as technical: cleaner DAGs at group interfaces, and a path toward separate projects where only public models are visible to dependents. Subdirectory labeling is mentioned as a practical way to apply group defaults if projects already follow recommended structure.

Shared meaning across systems needs a published surface. Public versus private model access is how the extract encodes which definitions are stable products versus internal implementation, so cross-team and cross-project consumers depend only on intended interfaces.