Connection profiles

[nataliefiann]

This PR:

• Makes connection profiles harder to miss on the Deployment environments page, following feedback from Taylor Erwin
• Adds the connection profile to the environment settings list, with a link to About dbt platform profiles
• Explains at the top of Deployment connection that jobs need both a deployment connection (where dbt builds) and a connection profile (credentials)
• Promotes Connection profiles to its own heading so it appears in the table of contents

Checklist

• The changes in this PR meet the docs style guide/fundamentals required for all content.
• Applied the proper versioning rules if the content is for specific dbt version(s): (version a whole page or version a block of content
• The content in this PR requires a dbt release note, so I added one to the release notes page.).

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🚀 Deployment available! Here are the direct links to the updated files:

• https://docs-getdbt-com-git-nfiann-connectionprofiles-dbt-labs.vercel.app/docs/deploy/deploy-environments

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Project	Deployment	Actions	Updated (UTC)
docs-getdbt-com	Ready	Preview	Aug 20, 2026 10:19am

[mirnawong1]

if we dont like the table idea, i sugg we maybe keep the wording consistent bc i thought warehouse connection was something diff

Suggested change

	:::info Warehouse Connections
	:::info Deployment connections

[mirnawong1]

Suggested change

	Warehouse connections are created and managed at the account-level for <Constant name="dbt" /> accounts and assigned to an environment. To change warehouse type, we recommend creating a new environment.
	Deployment connections are created and managed at the account-level for <Constant name="dbt" /> accounts and assigned to an environment. To change warehouse type, we recommend creating a new environment.

[mirnawong1]

great addition @nataliefiann ! i wonder if using a table can communicate all of the paragraphs into one as well and the callout? so taking your intro and doing something like this;

A deployment environment needs two settings to run jobs:

| Setting | Scope | Controls |
|---|---|---|
| **Deployment connection** | Environment-level | Where dbt builds objects in your warehouse (database, schema, warehouse) |
| **Connection profile** | Project-level (assigned to environment) | How dbt authenticates and the credentials dbt uses to connect |

You need to both settings; a deployment connection on its own is not enough for jobs to run. You also need a [connection profile](#connection-profiles) assigned to the environment.

> Note that connection profiles are configured separately, at the project level, then assigned to environments. If you only configure the deployment connection in this section, your jobs still won't run.

[mirnawong1]

love this sentence!

[mirnawong1]

one small editorial sugg (feel free to ignore as it's just my personal preference