## How Atlan builds lineage for Databricks dashboards

URL: https://docs.atlan.com/apps/connectors/data-warehouses/databricks/faq/how-databricks-dashboard-lineage-works

> Frequently asked questions about how Atlan constructs lineage for Databricks AI/BI dashboards, including lineage sources, relationships created, and known limits.

This FAQ covers how Atlan constructs lineage for Databricks AI/BI dashboards, what relationships are created, and what the known limits are.

#### Is Databricks AI/BI dashboard support generally available?

No. Dashboard support is in private preview and is enabled per tenant. The **Import AI/BI Dashboards** and **Enable Dashboard Lineage** options stay hidden in the workflow setup until the feature is enabled for your tenant. To request access, [raise a support request](https://docs.atlan.com/support/submit-request).

#### How does Atlan build lineage for Databricks dashboards?

Atlan reads dashboard lineage from the Unity Catalog lineage system tables, `system.access.table_lineage` and `system.access.column_lineage`. Databricks records which tables and columns each dashboard reads, and Atlan turns those records into lineage edges pointing at the cataloged dashboard asset.

#### What lineage relationships does Atlan create for dashboards?

| Upstream asset | Downstream asset | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Table | Dashboard | `system.access.table_lineage` |
| Metric view | Dashboard | `system.access.table_lineage` |
| Column | Dashboard | `system.access.column_lineage` |

#### Why doesn't column lineage point at specific dashboard elements?

Databricks reports which source columns a dashboard reads, but not which dashboard element—chart, table, or filter—consumes each one. Atlan doesn't invent a target it can't verify, so column lineage terminates at the dashboard asset itself.

#### Why don't I see lineage for dashboards Atlan has cataloged?

Lineage and dashboard metadata come from different places, so they can be out of step:

- **Lineage extraction hasn't run since the dashboard was crawled.** Dashboard metadata comes from the crawler; lineage comes from the lineage and usage workflow. Run the lineage workflow after crawling.
- **The dashboard hasn't been queried within the lookback window.** Unity Catalog records lineage when a dashboard runs its queries. A dashboard nobody has opened recently has no lineage rows to read.
- **Databricks hasn't recorded the lineage yet.** Unity Catalog populates the lineage system tables asynchronously, so recent dashboard activity may not appear in the next Atlan run.

#### What happens to my dashboards if I turn off Import AI/BI Dashboards?

The next run removes them from Atlan. The crawler stops extracting dashboards, so they're absent from the snapshot Atlan compares against the previous run, and Atlan archives them.

Turning the option back on re-crawls your dashboards, and they reappear with their metadata on the next run. Their lineage isn't restored by the crawl—run the lineage and usage workflow with **Enable Dashboard Lineage** turned on to rebuild it.

#### Why are some dashboards missing from Atlan entirely?

The Lakeview API filters results by access control, so Atlan crawls only the dashboards the service account can view. A dashboard the account can't see isn't reported as an error—it's simply absent. See [Why are some dashboards missing after crawling?](https://docs.atlan.com/llms/connectors/databricks/troubleshooting-databricks-connectivity/llms.txt).

#### Does dashboard lineage work with cross-workspace extraction?

No. Atlan skips the dashboard crawl when cross-workspace extraction is turned on, so there are no dashboards to build lineage for. Run a single-workspace crawl to catalog dashboards and extract their lineage.

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## See also

* [Extract Databricks dashboard lineage](https://docs.atlan.com/llms/connectors/databricks/extract-databricks-dashboard-lineage/llms.txt): Configure and run lineage extraction for Databricks dashboards.
* [Permissions for Databricks AI/BI dashboards](https://docs.atlan.com/llms/connectors/databricks/permissions-for-databricks-ai-bi-dashboards/llms.txt): Full reference of the privileges required for dashboard crawling and lineage extraction.

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