Discovery FAQs

How does Atlan handle archived or deleted assets?

If an asset is removed from a workflow or a user loses permissions to an asset, the asset is archived in Atlan. The asset is unarchived with all the metadata intact if it's included in the next workflow run or users permissions are restored.

In Atlan, an asset's typename and qualifiedName pair serves as a distinctive identifier. The qualifiedName is a string that has been concatenated and contains the asset's source, host, and hierarchy. The related asset in Atlan doesn't change unless a modification is made, such as changing the schema or table name.

Is it possible to search for fields across all data sources?

If you know exactly what you're looking for, Atlan suggests using exact match search. Wrap the search terms within double quotation marks " " when typing it in the search bar. For example, "instacart_total_users".

For contextual search, the Assets page provides a number of filters to help you narrow down your search results. Filter data assets by various properties, asset types.

The search results in Atlan also provide a quick count of all the resulting data assets, organized by asset type. These counts alter in real time as you apply filters.

What is included in "All assets" view?

The All assets view includes all assets in your Atlan data estate.

If your Atlan admin has turned off View "All assets" in Assets Discovery from Labs in the admin center, you may be unable to see this view. In that case, you'll only be able to view the assets curated for the personas or purposes you belong to in Atlan. Admin users still have full access to all assets, even when this default behavior is turned off.

Can I search by value to find assets with that value?

Atlan lets you search and discover metadata, not data.

As a constantly updated data catalog of all your data assets and metadata, Atlan lets you identify and access your data assets plus the tribal knowledge and business context associated with them. The powerful, intelligent search returns relevant search results.

Why do I not see more results when searching with search bar (or Cmd + K)?

The search bar is meant to be a quick search option. It works best when you know the name of the asset. As such, it only loads 20 search results at a time. You can also quickly access your recently visited starred assets from the search bar.

For more in-depth discovery, search from the Assets page:

• More results
• Additional filters

What is the timezone for data display?

For asset properties such as Last updated (in Atlan), Last synced with source, or Created (in Atlan), the timestamps are displayed in local timezones based on the user's browser location. To learn more, see How to interpret timestamps.

Asset profile FAQs

Can you replace or rename existing assets?

The expected behavior varies based on the supported connector and asset type. If the asset name is reflected in the qualifiedName of the asset and you rename the asset, Atlan creates a net-new asset. This is because the qualifiedName determines asset uniqueness in Atlan.

Consider the following examples:

• The name of a Snowflake table is part of its qualifiedName. Any changes to the table name in Snowflake result in a new qualifiedName, and thus the creation of a new asset in Atlan.
• Conversely, the qualifiedName of Microsoft Power BI reports are based on the UUIDs of the assets in Microsoft Power BI - no names are embedded. In this case, renaming a Microsoft Power BI report doesn't change its UUID in Microsoft Power BI. This means that the qualifiedName of that report in Atlan remains unchanged. Atlan simply updates the existing asset. However, this may not be the case where a Microsoft Power BI table is concerned, as the table name is included in the qualifiedName of the asset.

If your use case is to enable quick discovery in Atlan, consider adding a business-friendly alias to the asset.

What is activity log?

The activity log in the asset sidebar provides a changelog for your data assets. Having a record of all the changes made to an asset can help build trust in your data assets and promote transparency across your organization.

View activity log

To view the activity log of an asset:

1. From the left menu of any screen in Atlan, click Assets.
2. Click on an asset to view its asset profile.
3. From the asset sidebar to the right, click the Activity tab to view the activity log.
4. If an asset was updated from Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel, an Updated using Google Sheets or Updated using Microsoft Excel stamp appears, respectively. (Optional) Click the Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel link to view the source spreadsheet.
5. (Optional) To filter the activity log by a specific type of activity, under Activity, click the dropdown arrow and then:
   • Click Alias to view alias activity by user and timestamp of update.
   • Click Description to view any changes in the description of an asset.
   • Click Starred to view starred activity by user and timestamp.
   • Click Announcement to view any changes to the announcement on an asset.
   • Click Terms to view any updates on linked terms.
   • Click Certificate to view any changes in the certification status of an asset.
   • Click Owners to view any changes to the ownership of an asset.
   • Click Tag Added or Tag Removed to view any changes for tags directly added to an asset.
   • Click Tag Added (Propagation) or Tag Removed (Propagation) to view any changes for tags propagated to an asset.
   • Click Column Added, Column Deleted, or Column Updated to view column changes.
   • Click Readme Added or Readme Updated to view when a README was created for an asset and which user created or updated it.
6. (Optional) Click the Filter by column menu to filter your activity logs by specific columns.

You can now view all the changes that were made to an asset in the activity log! 🎉

Did you know?

Activity logs for metadata changes are persisted throughout the lifecycle of the Atlan instance for your organization.

Why do dbt descriptions keep getting deleted?

If you notice that descriptions from a Snowflake table, for example, get deleted when dbt is your source of truth, it's likely that you have the data source scheduled to run after the dbt run. Atlan recommends following the order of operations as documented in How to order workflows.

You can also use dbt's persist_docs feature to confirm that your metadata persists through workflow runs.

What is timeframe for recently verified assets?

Atlan displays up to 20 most recently verified assets at a time in the Recently verified assets section on your Atlan homepage. You can scroll down further and click Load more to view more recently verified assets. This isn't based on any particular timeline. In fact, this list may include assets that were updated as long as a week ago, if no new assets were verified more recently.

What signals Atlan to add deprecated certifications in Looker?

These certifications are sourced from Looker. Once the Looker crawler has run successfully and detected that an asset was deleted, Atlan attaches a Deprecated certificate to the asset because it no longer exists at source. For example:

• If tiles are deleted, the API response generated is titled Look Deleted. In this case, Atlan adds the deprecated certificate.
• If Atlan crawls any models that don't have a project associated with them (indicated by a missing project_name key in the model API response), Atlan adds a deprecated certificate to the asset.

Is it possible to add PDFs to asset README?

Atlan currently doesn't support embedding a PDF file in an asset README. Alternatively, PDF files can be linked as a resource.

How does version control work for description changes in source tools vs. Atlan?

Considering that users may update metadata in Atlan and the source tool, Atlan manages descriptions in two fields - populating either or both depending on where it was created or updated. This is the format Atlan follows:

• Source descriptions are stored in the description field
• Any description added or updated in Atlan is stored in the userDescription field

Separating them into two fields confirms that the connection package doesn't override the descriptions entered by users in Atlan every time the workflow runs and updates the asset. This way, the description field in Atlan becomes the source of truth.

There's one exception though. If the description field hasn't been edited at all in Atlan and the connection package only ever brings the descriptions from the source, the workflow keeps updating the description field with what's available at source - only source edits come through.

Once the description field is edited in Atlan, the userDescription field takes over. If you'd like to restore the original source description, simply clear the description added in Atlan and it automatically reverts to the source description.

As a best practice, we recommend all subsequent edits to the description be done in Atlan.

This is valid across all connector workflows.

Can Atlan track schema changes?

Atlan tracks schema changes for SQL sources, which can be viewed in the activity log of an asset. However, Atlan isn't a schema registry or a data modeling tool such as dbt.

Are different fonts supported for READMEs and descriptions?

Atlan currently doesn't support customizing the following for asset descriptions, READMEs, and README templates:

• Fonts
• Font sizes
• Font colors

Can Atlan handle assets with large numbers of rows and columns?

You can safely catalog your assets in Atlan, regardless of the number of rows or columns. Since Atlan only extracts metadata, data volume isn't a consideration. Note that if an asset has a large number of columns, the column preview in the asset profile may take some time to load.

Why do I not see any tables or columns under database, only schema?

If you're viewing related assets for databases from the Relations tab in the asset sidebar, Atlan displays only schemas. You can click the schema asset and then open the Relations tab of the schema to view tables and views.

To find tables and views contained within a database, Atlan also recommends using the database asset type filter for quick discovery.

Is sample data preview cached?

When previewing sample data on any asset, Atlan retrieves the sample data from source each time. No data is cached in Atlan.

Delete asset

Have one or more assets in Atlan that you don't want to be there? You have several options for removing them.

Specific assets

To remove targeted, specific assets use one of our SDKs or our open API.

Set of related assets

To remove a set of related assets, such as an entire schema:

1. Modify the connector's configuration with a filter to exclude the asset(s).
2. Re-run the connector's workflow with the new configuration.

Did you know?

This archives the schema and its assets.

Entire connection assets

To remove an entire connection and all its assets, see How to delete a connection.

If an asset is deleted via API, does workflows recreate the asset on the next run?

If you delete an asset at source, Atlan archives that asset in the next crawler run. Atlan recommends that you manage additions or deletions through source workflows. Considering that Atlan workflows run differential crawls, any changes to your assets are reflected in subsequent crawler runs. This helps deliver faster runtimes and improves workflow performance.

If you delete an asset using APIs, there can be two scenarios:

• Archived:
  • Assets are soft-deleted, moving to an Archived state.
  • The next workflow run restores the asset only if any changes are made to any of its source metadata properties - for example, a new column was added.
  • You can also restore archived assets.
• Hard-deleted:
  • The asset is completely removed from the metastore.
  • The next workflow run creates a new asset if the previously deleted asset is still present or reintroduced in the source system. For example, this can happen if the asset was never actually removed from the source or if it was deleted and later recreated. However, the newly created asset doesn't retain any of its original Atlan metadata.
  • You can't restore hard-deleted assets.

Atlan recommends the deletion of assets to be managed by source workflows. The delete and restore endpoints are generally meant for assets created via APIs.

Add README

A README is an essential part of every code repository. The better the README, the more collaborators want to work on your code. The same holds true for your data assets.

Each data asset should have its own README, which provides a description of its characteristics and other critical information. Atlan lets users add a README for every data asset, using an intuitive, rich text editor.

You can document the tribal knowledge associated with each data asset in a README and reduce dependencies on your team members. The README appears right below each data table in the asset profile, displaying the data and the metadata on the same page and bridging the gap between the two.

Atlan currently supports the following file types for asset READMEs:

• Google Docs
• Google Sheets
• Google Slides
• Miro boards
• FigJam boards
• Lucidchart
• dbdiagram
• ERD Lab
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Google Data Studio
• Google Looker Studio
• Canva

Add README

A README can be added to different types of data assets in Atlan, including BI dashboards, widgets, columns, databases, and schemas.

The character limit for READMEs is 100,000 characters. A portion of this limit is used to ensure compatibility with rich text formatting, slightly reducing the available character limit.

To add a README to an asset, follow these steps:

1. On the Atlan homepage, click Assets in the left menu.
2. Click on an asset to view its asset profile.
3. In the Readme section of the asset profile, click +Add.
4. You can either:
   • Click Blank Page to create a new README from scratch.
   • Click Use to select an existing template as a starting point.
5. Enter your knowledge into the README. Type / to use the text editor options to format your text, embed links, and more:

   • Click Heading 1 to add a title or main heading.

   • Click Heading 2 to add subheadings and create sections.

   • Click Heading 3 to create subcategories within sections.

   • Click Bulleted List to create a bulleted list.

   • Click Numbered List to create an ordered list.

   • Click Checklist to create a checklist of items.

   • Click Formula to add formulae from a list of supported functions.

   • Click Code to add a code snippet.

   • Click Image to embed or upload an image.

   • Click Quote to add block quotations.

   • Click Mention to tag another user in your Atlan workspace.

   • Click Table to create a table.

   • Click Google Docs to paste a Google Doc link and embed your online documents.

   • Click Google Sheets to paste a Google Sheets link and embed your online spreadsheets.

   • Click Google Slides to paste a Google Slides link and embed your online presentations.

   • Click Miro Board to paste a Miro board link and embed your boards.

   • Click FigJam to paste a FigJam link and embed your boards.

   • Click Lucidchart to paste a Lucidchart link and embed your documents or models.

     warning

     To embed a Lucidchart document or model, you need to activate the embed code. Activating an embed code disables password protection on published documents and makes them accessible publicly.

   • Click DBDiagram to paste a dbdiagram link and embed your database diagrams.

   • Click ERD Lab to paste an ERD Lab link and embed your entity relationship diagrams.

   • Click Microsoft Word to paste a Microsoft Word link and embed your online documents.

   • Click Microsoft Excel to paste a Microsoft Excel link and embed your online spreadsheets.

   • Click Microsoft PowerPoint to paste a Microsoft PowerPoint link and embed your online presentations.

   • Click Google Data Studio or Google Looker Studio to paste a Google Data Studio or Google Looker Studio link and embed your reports and dashboards.

   • Click Canva to paste a Canva link and embed your Canva graphics and presentations.

6. Click Save.

Your README is ready to be shared! 🎉

Although it may take some time to create, a README is a critical step for documenting any data asset and making it trustworthy.

Use README shortcuts

Atlan supports keyboard and markdown shortcuts to supercharge your README documentation.

Keyboard shortcuts

In the table below, Mod stands for modifier key - Command for Mac and Ctrl for Windows.

Shortcut	Action
Mod + Shift + B	block quote
Mod + B	bold
Mod + I	italics
Mod + Shift + 8	bulleted list
Mod + E	code
Mod + Alt + C	code block
Enter thrice, ⌄	exit code block
Mod + Alt + 1	heading 1
Mod + Alt + 2	heading 2
Mod + Alt + 3	heading 3
Mod + Alt + 4	heading 4
Mod + Alt + 5	heading 5
Mod + Alt + 1	heading 6
Enter	add new list item
Shift + Tab	uplift list item
Tab	sink list item
Mod + Shift + 7	ordered list
Mod + Alt + 0	set paragraph
Mod + Shift + X	strikethrough
Mod + U	underline
Mod + Shift + 9	toggle task list
Mod + Shift + L	left align text
Mod + Shift + E	center align text
Mod + Shift + R	right align text
Mod + Shift + J	justify text
Mod + Shift + H	highlight text
Within a table:
Tab	go to next cell
Shift + Tab	go to previous cell
Backspace	delete table when all cells are selected
Mod - Backspace	delete table when all cells are selected
Delete	delete table when all cells are selected
Mod - Delete	delete table when all cells are selected

Markdown shortcuts

Markdown shortcuts are triggered by pressing space after the shortcut - except for bold and italics. For example, to add a block quote, type > and then tap the spacebar.

Shortcut	Action
>	block quote
** (text) **, __	bold
* (text) *, _	italics
-	bulleted list
`	code
```, ~~~	code block
#	heading 1
##	heading 2
###	heading 3
####	heading 4
#####	heading 5
######	heading 6
---,--, ___	horizontal divider
any numeric digit	ordered list
~~	strikethrough
[]	unchecked task
[x]	checked task
==	highlight

Does Atlan support asset previews?

Yes, Atlan provides asset previews for supported tools to help with quick discovery and give you the context you need. Typically, the What's crawled from (connector name)? documentation indicates whether asset previews are supported for a specific connector.

For example, Atlan supports asset previews for:

• Tableau worksheets and dashboards
• Microsoft Power BI reports
• Google BigQuery tables, views, and materialized views
• Sigma workbooks

Can I search for assets by README, description, or other metadata?

If the keywords you're searching by are present in the asset name or description, only then the asset appears in your search results. You can also use a variety of filters to narrow down your search.

Note that asset READMEs are currently not searchable in Atlan. This is because Atlan stores them as a relation to a data asset rather than as a direct metadata attribute.

Can I add the Google Sheets extension for everyone in my organization?

Yes! To install the Google Sheets Atlan extension at the workspace level, follow the instructions in this guide. You need to be an administrator or have access to the admin console of your organization's Google account for this setup.

Once installed, users in your organization can connect Atlan with Google Sheets to start using the extension.

Can I embed presentations or docs from SharePoint in a README?

Yes, you can embed links to your Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files stored in SharePoint or OneDrive in READMEs. Refer to How to add a README to learn more.

Why can hard deleted assets be immediately restored after deletion?

The API is eventually consistent. This means that there's a short window of time, up to a few minutes, during which you can use the restore API endpoint to restore the asset that was hard deleted - even if it no longer appears on the UI.

How can I make external documents and spreadsheets appear as assets in Atlan?

Atlan supports cataloging files through APIs. The supported file types include DOC, Excel, PPT, CSV, TXT, JSON, XML, and ZIP files.

Does Atlan send a notification if there's a new table added to my schema?

You can configure any of the following options to receive notifications on asset additions:

• Create a webhook
• Use the asset change notification custom package