Overview
Tagging is the action of attaching a governance tag to a specific data asset or field. This document describes how to add governance tags, modify tag values, and remove tags on the detail pages of Catalog, Schema, Table, View, Volume, and Model, as well as on table fields. It also explains the differences in tagging interactions between sensitive tags and business tags.
By tagging, you can enable the asset to be filtered by data discovery based on tags, and enable sensitive fields to automatically inherit the masking policy associated with the tag, achieving "governance upon tagging and masking upon tagging."
Prerequisites
You have activated the DataBuddy service and completed workspace initialization.
The current account has been added to the target Workspace and has the Modify permission on the target assets. For specific permission points, see Members and Permission Management. Use Limits
Limit | Description |
Taggable Assets | Catalog, Schema, Table, View, Volume, Model, and table fields (Column) |
Maximum Tags per Entity | Each data entity can have up to 50 tags. |
Maximum Column Tags per Table | A single table can have up to 1,000 column tags (cumulative across all fields). |
Computing Resource | Governance tags are not used for compute resources (compute resources / tasks use a separate tag mechanism). |
Tag Value of Sensitive Tags | Sensitive tags do not have tag values. When tagging, select only the tag name. |
Tag Value of Business Tags | If candidate values are preset for a business tag, users can select only one of them when tagging. If no candidate values are preset, users can enter a value freely in "Other Tags". |
Operation Steps
Step 1: Entering the Asset Details Page
Tagging entries are distributed across different asset detail pages, but the interactions are consistent. Common entries are as follows:
Asset type | Entries |
Catalog | Data Catalog > Select the target Catalog > Business Information on the right > Add Tag |
Schema | Data Catalog > Select the Catalog > Select the Schema > Business Information on the right > Add Tag |
Table / View | Schema details page > Choose the table/view name > Business Information on the right > Add Tag |
Volume | Schema details page > Choose the Volume name > Business Information on the right > Add Tag |
Model | Schema details page > Choose the model name > Business Information on the right > Add Tag |
Table field | Table details page > Overview Tab > Field list > Tag column in the field row. |
After you go to the details page, the Tag area displays bound tags by default. Tags exceeding the display limit are collapsed into +N.
Step 2: Adding a Tag
1. Click the small pencil icon on the right side of the Tag area to open the tagging dialog box.
2. Enter a tag name keyword in the search box. Matching results are displayed by type:
Governance Tag: comes from the dictionary maintained in tag governance.
Other: a non-governance tag customized by the current user during tagging, existing only as temporary remarks.
3. After selecting the target tag, fill in the tag value according to the following rules:
Sensitive Tag: No value is required.
Business Tag, Preset Candidate Values: Select one candidate value from the Value drop-down list.
Business Tag, No Preset Value or Other Tag: Enter a custom value in the Value input box.
4. Click Confirm to save. The selected tags will appear in the tag list of the asset.
Note:
If the tag name in the search box does not exist in either governance tags or other tags, a + Create New Tag "{Name}" entry appears below the search results. After you click it, an Other type tag (a non-governance tag) is directly generated, and you can freely enter a tag value. This tag will not be added to the tag governance dictionary.
Step 3: Tagging Table Fields
Field tags are a core scenario in governance, especially for sensitive identification.
1. Go to the Table details page and stay on the Overview Tab.
2. Find the target field in the field list, and click the small pencil icon in the Tag column of that row.
3. In the pop-up window, add governance tags by following the method described in Step 2.
4. After saving, the row where the field is located will display the applied tags.
After a sensitive tag is applied, if the tag is associated with a masking policy:
The Masking Policy column of the field automatically displays the policy name with a 🏷️ Tag Inherited marker, indicating that the policy is inherited from a tag rather than manually configured.
When the governance team later replaces the masking policy associated with this sensitive tag, all fields with "Tag Inherited" automatically follow the new policy. Fields that were previously manually assigned a masking policy are not affected.
Step 4: Modifying or Removing Tags
1. Click the small pencil icon in the tag area of an asset or field to open the tag dialog box.
2. Modify the tag value:
Business Tag: Select a new value from the Value drop-down list or enter a new value in the input box.
Sensitive Tag: No tag value, skip.
3. Remove Tag: In the pop-up window, click the Delete button for the tag.
4. Click Confirm to save.
Note:
Removing a tag only unbinds the asset from the tag. The tag dictionary itself is retained. To permanently delete a tag from the tag dictionary, perform the deletion in Create and Manage Tag System. Step 5: Filtering by Tag in Data Discovery
After tagging is complete, you can verify the availability of the tags on the Data Discovery page:
1. Go to Data Discovery and switch to the Catalog asset Tabs such as Table / View / Function / Volume. 2. In the top filter bar, locate the Governance Tag dimension and select the tag and tag value you just applied.
3. The list will be narrowed down to all assets that match the tag condition.
Parameter Description
Tagging Dialog Fields
Parameter | Description | Required | Default Value |
Tag Name | Select an existing governance tag by searching, or create an "Other" type tag on site. | Yes | - |
Tag Value | Value of the business tag; sensitive tags do not require a value. | Depends on the type | Null |
Tag Display on the Asset Details Page
In the Business Information > Tag area on the right side of the asset details page:
Element | Description |
Tag badge | Displayed in the key:value format. For sensitive tags, only key is displayed. |
Simplified display of system tags | For system sensitive tags such as class.location, only the part after . (for example, location) is displayed in the Catalog / field for readability. |
+N
| Number of collapsed tags beyond the default display quantity |
Pencil icon | Edit entry. Click to open the tagging dialog box. |
Field Tag Column Fields (Table Details - Overview Tab)
Column | Description |
Field name | Table field name |
Field Type | Engine-side metadata |
Field description | Business description, editable |
Tags | List of applied governance tags, editable |
Masking policy | Desensitization policy currently in effect for the field; policies inherited from tags are marked with 🏷️ Tag inheritance |
Verification Result
After the operation is completed, you can confirm in the following ways:
1. In the Tag area of the asset or field, the newly added tag badge has appeared. Hover over it to display the full key:value.
2. Filtering by this tag on the Data Discovery page can return the assets and fields that were just tagged.
3. If the tag is a sensitive tag with a masking policy, the policy name + the 🏷️ Tag Inherited marker are automatically displayed in the Masking Policy column of the field.
FAQs
Q: Can I apply multiple sensitive tags to a field at the same time?
A: Yes. For example, the same field can be tagged with both class.cn_id_card and class.pii_name. However, if multiple sensitive tags are associated with masking policies, the policy that ultimately takes effect on the field is determined by the stacking and overriding rules of the masking policies associated with those sensitive tags. For details, see Tag-Based Policy Control. Q: Will "Other" tags created in the tagging dialog be added to the governance tag dictionary?
A: No. Tags created through the + Create New Tag entry are temporary remark tags that are attached only to the current asset. They do not appear in the Tag Governance list and are not used for sensitive identification or masking. To reuse them as governance tags, formally create them in Create and Manage Tag System. Q: Where can I batch apply the same sensitive tag to multiple fields?
A: In Buddy, you can identify sensitive fields in batches and automatically tag them through natural language or one-click scanning. For details, see the Buddy section. Manual field-by-field tagging still follows the steps in this document. Q: Are tags on table fields counted separately?
A: The cumulative limit for field tags on a single table is 1,000. The tag limit for the table itself is the same as that for other entities, with a maximum of 50 tags per entity.
References
Column-Level Permission Control