# Lineage

> Trace how models and fields depend on sources and on each other with the lineage view

*[View this page in the Flax docs](https://flax-analytics.com/docs/modeling/lineage)*

The lineage view shows how your semantic model is wired together — which sources feed which models, and how fields depend on one another. Use it to understand impact before a change and to answer "where does this number come from?". Open it at [/app/lineage](/app/lineage).

## What lineage shows

Lineage renders the dependency graph of your model:

- **Sources** — the warehouse tables and uploaded datasets your models are built on.
- **Models** — the semantic models, connected to the sources and joins they draw from.
- **Fields** — how dimensions and measures depend on columns and on joined models.

Because joins declare how models relate, the lineage graph is derived directly from the same semantic model that powers queries — it reflects what actually compiles, not a separate hand-maintained diagram.

## Why it matters

- **Impact analysis.** Before changing or removing a column, see which models, dimensions, and measures depend on it.
- **Trust and debugging.** Trace a surprising value in a chart back through its measure, its model, and its source.
- **Onboarding.** Give new analysts a map of how the warehouse connects to the metrics they use.

> [!TIP]
> Pair lineage with [Query detail](/docs/exploring/query-detail) to go from a specific query all the way back to the sources feeding it.

## Related

- [Relationships and joins](/docs/modeling/relationships-and-joins) — the joins that shape the graph.
- [Modeling overview](/docs/modeling/overview).
- [Connections overview](/docs/connections/overview) — where sources come from.