Why this matters
A search for customer returns 28 tables plus dashboards and data models. This module shows how to narrow that to the dozen you can use, with tags, field filters and sort order.
Before you start
Search spans every asset type
A single query returns tables, dashboards, data models and database schemas together, across every connected source. That matters because the thing that answers your question is often not a table. If you only ever look at tables you will miss the dashboard that already does the work.
Filtering is how you get from a result set to an answer
A broad term like customer matches far too much. Tags narrow it by meaning rather than by name, so you can ask for customer tables that carry a sensitivity classification and cut the set down. Filtering on metadata beats guessing at better keywords.
Sort order encodes a judgment about what is useful
Sorting by popularity surfaces what other people use, which is a useful default when you do not know the estate. It is not the same as correctness, so treat it as a starting point rather than an endorsement.
The interactive demo
Work through the demo below. It runs in your browser with nothing to install. Watch for:
- Finding any data asset with the search bar, starting from a broad term
- Using tags to refine a search, for example only customer tables carrying a sensitivity tag
- A result set narrowing from 28 tables to 12, with unrelated asset types cleared
- Sorting results by relevance and by popularity
- Advanced filtering by selecting a field, an operator and a value
- Finding a table by matching on the names of its columns
This demo plays on its own and moves between steps on a timer, so there is no button to start it and nothing to click through. Reload the page to watch it again.
After this module you should be able to
- Search across every asset type rather than assuming the answer is a table
- Narrow a broad result set using tags and advanced field filters
- Explain what sorting by popularity does and does not tell you