You run this command:dbt build --select "source_status:fresher+" --state path/to/prod/artifactsWhich two need to happen before it...

The selector source_status:fresher+ depends entirely on freshness metadata created by a previous dbt source freshness run. Source freshness results are stored in artifacts, and the --state flag points dbt to the location where these artifacts were previously generated. Without first running dbt source freshness, dbt has no stored freshness status and therefore cannot filter sources by “fresher” status. This makes option A required.

Additionally, source freshness checks only work when sources include a freshness block in their YAML configuration. This block specifies the loaded_at_field and the warn_after / error_after thresholds. If no freshness block exists, dbt does not compute freshness at all, meaning such sources cannot appear in the source_status:fresher+ selector. Therefore D is also required.

Options B and E are unrelated to source freshness artifacts and do not contribute to the preconditions for this selector. Option C does not impact freshness logic, as generic tests have no role in generating freshness metadata.

Thus, the two prerequisites are:

Running dbt source freshness (to create freshness metadata).

Defining a freshness configuration on the relevant sources.