What is Data Catalog?
A searchable inventory of all data assets in an organization with metadata, lineage, and access information.
A data catalog is a centralized, searchable inventory of an organization's data assets. It stores metadata (descriptions, schemas, owners), data lineage (where data comes from and how it flows), quality metrics, access policies, and usage statistics. A well-maintained catalog enables data discovery (finding the right data for analysis), governance enforcement (knowing who owns what), impact analysis (understanding what breaks when a source changes), and compliance documentation (proving data handling meets regulatory requirements). Data catalogs are a critical component of data governance maturity and are typically a prerequisite for scaling analytics and AI initiatives.
Related terms
The framework of policies, processes, and standards for managing data assets across an organization.
A decentralized data architecture that treats data as a product owned by domain teams.
The degree to which data is accurate, complete, consistent, timely, and fit for its intended use.
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