How to add descriptions

You can add descriptions to your assets in Atlan, including tables, views, and individual columns. You can even add a description in the form of a README. Doing so will enrich your data asset with the relevant contextual information.

Add descriptions to your assets

To add or update a description for your data asset, follow these steps:

1. From the left menu on any screen, click Assets.
2. On the Assets page, click on an asset to view its Overview in the right menu.
3. Under Description, click on the text box to add a description.
4. Once you've added new text or updated the existing one, click anywhere to automatically save your changes.

Your asset description is now live! 🎉

You can also add or edit asset descriptions directly from the asset profile.

Add column descriptions

You can also add a description for a single column rather than an entire data asset. To add column descriptions, follow these steps:

1. On the Assets page, click on an asset to view its asset profile.
2. Under Column Preview in the asset profile, navigate to a column and click +Add under Description.
3. Once you've entered the text, click anywhere to save it.

Search using asset descriptions

You can also filter your assets by the keywords in your asset descriptions. Here are the steps:

1. In the Filters menu on the Assets page, click Properties.
2. Next, click Description from the dropdown menu.
3. In the Description popup display, enter a keyword in the text box.
4. Click on the downward arrow and then select the preferred matching condition.
5. To add multiple description filters, click + in the Description popup.

The Assets page will now display a list of assets filtered by your description text. You can click Clear All in the Filters menu at any time to remove all your filters.