Semantic types classify data assets and maintain their associations throughout your data ecosystem. Custom semantic types allow you to create specialized type definitions tailored to your specific business requirements, regulatory compliance needs, and data governance policies. To access the semantic types list, go to .
Each semantic type defines metadata rules for classification, validation, and management, ensuring consistent data handling and quality assurance across all systems and processes.
Organizations typically create custom semantic types to address these scenarios:
- Geographic identifiers: Define semantic types for region-specific codes and names.
- Identity documents: Create classifications for national identification numbers.
- Regulatory compliance: Establish semantic types that enforce compliance with industry-specific standards and regulations.
- Business domain classifications: Define types that reflect your organization's unique data categories and business logic.
- Data quality standards: Create semantic types that enforce specific validation rules and quality thresholds for critical data elements.
- Cross-system integration: Define semantic types that standardize data classifications across multiple source systems and platforms.
Key components of semantic types
A semantic type definition includes the following essential components:
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | A descriptive identifier for the semantic type. The name should clearly indicate the data classification and its geographic or domain context. |
| Qualifier | A unique technical identifier that distinguishes the semantic type in system configurations and data mappings. Qualifiers follow a hierarchical naming convention using dot notation. |
| Base type | The fundamental data type that defines how the semantic
type stores and processes values. Common base types include:
|
| Priority | A numeric value indicating the precedence of the semantic type when multiple classifications apply to the same data element. Higher priority values take precedence during matching and classification operations. |
| Threshold | A confidence level (expressed as a percentage) that determines the minimum match quality required for the semantic type to be applied during automated classification. For example, a 95% threshold requires high confidence before classification occurs. |
| Match type | The validation method used to identify data matching this semantic type. Match types include list of values (exact matching against predefined options) and regex pattern (pattern matching using regular expressions). |
| Source | Indicates whether the semantic type is built-in (provided by the system) or custom (created by your organization). Custom semantic types enable domain-specific classifications aligned with your business needs. |
Semantic type attributes
Beyond the core components, semantic types maintain additional metadata that supports governance and quality management:
| Attribute | Description |
|---|---|
| Asset associations | Links to data assets (tables, columns, datasets) that use this semantic type, enabling impact analysis and lineage tracking. |
| Quality scores | Metrics indicating the data quality of assets classified with this semantic type, ranging from 0% to 100%. |
| Governance scores | Assessments of governance compliance for assets using this semantic type, reflecting adherence to organizational policies. |
| Location information | References to the physical or logical locations where data classified with this semantic type resides (for example, specific databases, schemas, or tables). |
| Tags | Categorical labels that enable filtering, searching, and organizing semantic types by business domain, compliance requirement, or other organizational criteria. |
| Datasource type | Specification of the source system or platform (for example, Snowflake) where data matching this semantic type originates. |
| PII indicator | A flag marking whether the semantic type represents personally identifiable information, triggering enhanced security and compliance controls. |
Filter and search semantic types
The semantic types list page displays all available semantic types in your workspace, including both built-in and custom classifications. It also provides multiple filtering options to help you locate and manage specific classifications:
| Filter | Description |
|---|---|
| Base Type | Narrow results by the underlying data type (String, Number, Boolean, Date or Time variants). |
| Source | Distinguish between built-in and custom semantic types. |
| Name | Search by semantic type name using text matching. |
| Qualifier | Locate types by their technical identifier. |
| Priority | Filter by precedence level. |
| Threshold | Identify types by their confidence requirements. |
| Match type | Distinguish between list and pattern matching approaches. |
| Status | Filter by semantic type status (active, inactive, or archived). |
Combine multiple filters to create precise queries that return only the semantic types relevant to your current task.