OpenMetadata User Guide

Guide for data producers and consumers using OpenMetadata UI for discovery, documentation, governance, and collaboration.

When to Use This Skill

• •Searching and discovering data assets
• •Adding descriptions and documentation
• •Managing ownership and tagging
• •Creating and using glossary terms
• •Setting up data contracts
• •Tracking data insights and KPIs
• •Navigating lineage visualizations
• •Understanding version history

This Skill Does NOT Cover

• •Using SDKs/APIs programmatically (see openmetadata-dev)
• •Administering users, roles, and policies (see openmetadata-ops)
• •Data quality test creation and profiling (see openmetadata-dq)
• •Contributing to OpenMetadata core (see openmetadata-sdk-dev)

Data Discovery

Search Features

Access search from any page via Ctrl+K (Windows) or Cmd+K (macOS).

Searchable Asset Types:

• •Tables, Topics, Dashboards
• •Pipelines, ML Models, Containers
• •Glossaries, Tags

Search Behavior:

• •Matches asset names and descriptions
• •Searches nested elements (column names, chart names)
• •Powers both quick search and advanced search

Quick Filters

Sort Options

Advanced Search

Use boolean operators and faceted queries:

name:orders AND owner:data-team AND tier:Tier1

Supported Operators:

• •AND, OR, NOT
• •Field-specific queries: name:, owner:, tag:
• •Wildcards: *orders*

Previewing Assets

Click any asset from search results to open the preview panel.

Basic Information

All assets display:

• •Source system
• •Name and description
• •Owner (user or team)
• •Tier and usage metrics

Type-Specific Preview

Additional Sections

• •Data Quality: Tests passed/aborted/failed
• •Tags: All associated classifications
• •Schema: Column names, types, descriptions

Asset Detail Page

Top Information Bar

• •Source, Owner, Tier, Type, Usage
• •Description (editable)

Action Icons (Top Right)

Tabs by Asset Type

Adding Descriptions

Edit Description

1. •Navigate to asset from Explore page
2. •Click pencil icon to enter edit mode
3. •Use toolbar for formatting
4. •Preview changes before saving

Markdown Formatting

Use the toolbar for:

• •Headers (H1-H6)
• •Bold, italics, strikethrough
• •Bulleted and numbered lists
• •Hyperlinks
• •Code blocks and inline code
• •Block quotes

Note: Legacy markdown syntax is not supported. Use the toolbar.

Request Description

When you don't have edit permissions:

1. •Click "Request Description"
2. •Provide suggested text
3. •Owner receives notification
4. •Track request in Activity Feeds

Column Descriptions

Tables support column-level documentation:

1. •Navigate to Schema tab
2. •Click column description field
3. •Add context about the column's purpose

Ownership and Following

Assign Owner

1. •Click owner field on asset page
2. •Search for user or team
3. •Select to assign ownership

Owner Types:

• •User: Individual person
• •Team: Group (only Group-type teams can own assets)

Change Owner

1. •Click existing owner
2. •Search for new owner
3. •Confirm change

Follow Assets

Click the star icon to follow an asset:

• •Receive notifications on changes
• •Track in your activity feed
• •Quick access from your profile

Tags and Classification

Tag Types

Adding Tags

1. •Navigate to asset
2. •Click "+ Add Tag" in tags section
3. •Search and select tags
4. •Tags apply immediately

Tiers

Standard tier levels:

Auto-Classification (PII)

OpenMetadata can automatically detect PII:

• •Scans column names and sample data
• •Suggests or auto-applies PII tags
• •Configurable confidence thresholds

Business Glossary

Glossary Structure

Glossary
├── Parent Term
│   ├── Child Term
│   └── Child Term
└── Parent Term
    └── Child Term

Fully Qualified Name Format: glossary.parentTerm.childTerm

Creating Glossary Terms

1. •Navigate to Govern → Glossary
2. •Click + Add Term
3. •Fill in:
   • •Name and display name
   • •Description
   • •Synonyms
   • •Related terms
   • •Tags
4. •Optionally assign reviewers

Term Enrichment

Applying Glossary Terms

1. •Navigate to data asset
2. •Click "+ Add Glossary Term"
3. •Search and select term
4. •Term links asset to business concept

Approval Workflows

For governed glossaries:

1. •Create or modify term
2. •Term enters "Draft" state
3. •Reviewers receive notification
4. •Approve or request changes
5. •Term becomes "Approved"

Data Contracts

Data contracts establish formal agreements between data producers and consumers.

Contract Components

Creating a Contract

1. •Navigate to table's detail page
2. •Click Contract → + Add Contract
3. •Configure each section:

Terms of Service:

• •Click "+ New Node" to add terms
• •Define acceptable usage
• •Specify data handling policies

Schema Selection:

• •Select specific columns or all columns
• •Define expected types and constraints

Security Configuration:

• •Assign classification labels (PII, Confidential)
• •Define data consumers via policies
• •Set row-level filters

Semantics (Business Rules):

• •Service requirements
• •Ownership requirements
• •Tag and domain requirements

Quality Tests:

• •Add data quality tests
• •Define pass/fail thresholds

SLA Configuration

Running Contracts

1. •Complete contract configuration
2. •Click Run Now
3. •View results in contract details
4. •Track execution history over time

Data Insights

Data Insights Dashboard

Navigate to Insights to access:

• •Platform-wide metrics
• •Data quality trends
• •Ownership coverage
• •Documentation progress

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Supported KPIs

Creating KPIs

1. •Navigate to Insights → Add KPI
2. •Choose chart type
3. •Set display name
4. •Select metric type (percentage or absolute)
5. •Define target and deadline
6. •Add description

Tracking Progress

KPIs display:

• •Current coverage percentage
• •Days remaining to goal
• •Daily progress line graph
• •Trajectory toward completion

Tiering Analysis

View distribution of assets across tiers:

• •Identify critical data (Tier1)
• •Find untiered assets
• •Track tiering coverage over time

Reports

Available Reports:

• •Description coverage by service
• •Ownership coverage by team
• •Tier distribution
• •Data quality trends

Email Distribution:

• •Schedule weekly/monthly reports
• •Configure recipients
• •Include specific metrics

Lineage Visualization

Lineage View Elements

Navigation

1. •Navigate to asset's Lineage tab
2. •View upstream (sources) and downstream (targets)
3. •Click nodes to see asset details
4. •Click edges to see transformation SQL

Configuration Options

Access Lineage Config to set:

• •Upstream depth (1-3 levels)
• •Downstream depth (1-3 levels)
• •Nodes per layer

Lineage Layers

Node Details

Clicking a node shows:

• •Owner and tier
• •Data quality metrics
• •Associated tags
• •Schema preview
• •Query count (for tables)

Version History

Version Numbering

OpenMetadata uses major.minor versioning:

Minor Changes (Backward Compatible)

• •Description updates
• •Tag additions/removals
• •Ownership changes
• •Custom property updates

Major Changes (Breaking)

• •Column deletions
• •Column type changes
• •Schema restructuring

Viewing History

1. •Click clock icon on asset page
2. •View list of versions
3. •See who made changes
4. •Compare versions
5. •Review change details

Governance Benefits

• •Debug issues by reviewing recent changes
• •Track who modified what and when
• •Identify metadata changes causing problems
• •Support compliance and audit requirements

Announcements

Creating Announcements

1. •Click ⋮ menu on asset page
2. •Select Announcements
3. •Click + Add Announcement
4. •Fill in:
   • •Title
   • •Start and end date
   • •Description

Announcement Visibility

• •Appears on asset detail page
• •Shows in activity feeds
• •Visible to all asset followers
• •Time-bounded display

Use Cases

• •Planned maintenance windows
• •Schema migration notices
• •Deprecation warnings
• •Feature announcements

Collaboration Features

Activity Feeds

View all activity on assets:

• •Description changes
• •Tag updates
• •Ownership changes
• •Task creation
• •Conversations

Tasks

Create tasks for:

• •Description requests
• •Tag requests
• •Ownership changes
• •Data quality issues

Conversations

Start threaded discussions:

1. •Click activity feeds tab
2. •Add comment or reply
3. •@mention users for notifications
4. •Resolve completed discussions

Following

Track assets you care about:

• •Click star to follow
• •Receive change notifications
• •View in your profile

Best Practices

Documentation

1. •Be specific - Describe what the data represents
2. •Include examples - Show sample values when helpful
3. •Note caveats - Document known issues or limitations
4. •Keep updated - Review descriptions quarterly

Tagging

1. •Use standard tags - Follow organizational taxonomy
2. •Apply tiers - Indicate business importance
3. •Tag consistently - Same data, same tags
4. •Don't over-tag - Keep tags meaningful

Ownership

1. •Assign owners early - During ingestion if possible
2. •Use teams - Better than individual users
3. •Review regularly - Update when people change roles
4. •Document expectations - What ownership means

Glossary

1. •Start small - Core terms first
2. •Get buy-in - Involve business stakeholders
3. •Use approval workflows - For governed terms
4. •Link to assets - Make terms discoverable

Keyboard Shortcuts

References

• •Data Discovery Guide
• •Data Governance
• •Data Contracts
• •Data Insights
• •Guide for Data Users
• •openmetadata-dev - Using SDKs/APIs programmatically
• •openmetadata-ops - Administering OpenMetadata
• •openmetadata-dq - Data quality and observability