Data basics

Metadata

Data that describes other data.

  • Data basics

Definition

Data that describes other data. Examples are a column's name, its type, its owner and when it was last updated.

Example

The "last refreshed" time printed on a report is metadata. It tells you how current the figures are.

For your role

Choose your role to see what this term means in your work.

Why it matters

It tells you who owns a table and when it was last updated before you rely on it.

Where it is used

Data catalogues, file properties and documentation.