05/07/2026
In data governance, metadata is typically classified into three main types:
1. Technical Metadata
Describes the structure and technical characteristics of data — things like:
Database schemas, table/column names, data types
File formats, sizes, storage locations
ETL/pipeline logic, source-to-target mappings
System-level details (indexes, keys, dependencies)
2. Business Metadata
Describes the meaning and context of data for business users — things like:
Business definitions and glossaries
Data ownership (data stewards/owners)
Business rules and policies
Classification/sensitivity labels (e.g., PII, confidential)
Data quality rules tied to business context
3. Operational (Process) Metadata
Describes how data moves and behaves over time — things like:
Data lineage (where data came from, how it's transformed)
Job run times, load statistics, error logs
Audit trails and access history
Data freshness/timeliness metrics
