> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.open-metadata.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How-to Guides | Official Documentation to User Guides

> Step-by-step guidance for how to guides using OpenMetadata. Learn key actions, features, and best practices.

<div className="how-to-guides-container">
  # How-to Guides

  The How-to Guides will give you a walk through on accomplishing the basic to the most advanced things in OpenMetadata. These step-by-step guides will help get an overview of the features and also help explore the various functionalities.

  ## Agentic Metadata Management

  Use LLMs and GenAI agents for automation and intelligent data management within OpenMetadata

  <Columns cols={2}>
    <Card icon="https://mintcdn.com/openmetadata/Cq2_LHkTEOsT1ajt/public/images/icons/mcp-server.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=Cq2_LHkTEOsT1ajt&q=85&s=e8997c823067316daf5eacaf005380e8" title="MCP Server" href="/v2.1.x-SNAPSHOT/how-to-guides/mcp" horizontal width="96" height="96" data-path="public/images/icons/mcp-server.png">
      Enable AI agent communication with metadata to add context and take intelligent and automated action
    </Card>
  </Columns>

  ## Features in OpenMetadata

  OpenMetadata is a complete package for data teams to break down team silos, share data assets from multiple sources securely, collaborate around reliable data, and build a documentation-first data culture in the organization.

  <Columns cols={2}>
    <Card icon="https://mintcdn.com/openmetadata/Cq2_LHkTEOsT1ajt/public/images/icons/data-contracts.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=Cq2_LHkTEOsT1ajt&q=85&s=eaf84ec5d23f747ee96875126225d0d6" title="Data Contracts" href="/v2.1.x-SNAPSHOT/how-to-guides/data-contracts" horizontal width="48" height="48" data-path="public/images/icons/data-contracts.png">
      Formalize agreements that keep data consumers and producers aligned.
    </Card>

    <Card icon="https://mintcdn.com/openmetadata/Cq2_LHkTEOsT1ajt/public/images/icons/discovery.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=Cq2_LHkTEOsT1ajt&q=85&s=b392ac6f0a9604e7a49b7f87117a9af4" title="Data Discovery" href="/v2.1.x-SNAPSHOT/how-to-guides/data-discovery" horizontal width="48" height="48" data-path="public/images/icons/discovery.png">
      Discover the right data assets to make timely business decisions.
    </Card>

    <Card icon="https://mintcdn.com/openmetadata/Cq2_LHkTEOsT1ajt/public/images/icons/data-collaboration.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=Cq2_LHkTEOsT1ajt&q=85&s=262382843e4891e2ffe4849a966b1a40" title="Data Collaboration" href="/v2.1.x-SNAPSHOT/how-to-guides/data-collaboration" horizontal width="53" height="53" data-path="public/images/icons/data-collaboration.png">
      Foster data team collaboration to enhance data understanding.
    </Card>

    <Card icon="https://mintcdn.com/openmetadata/K8o0ojz2lX_st1Wj/public/images/icons/context-center.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=K8o0ojz2lX_st1Wj&q=85&s=889337acec7e169a3fe3172eeab82762" title="Context Center" href="/v2.1.x-SNAPSHOT/how-to-guides/context-center" horizontal width="48" height="48" data-path="public/images/icons/context-center.png">
      Give your team a shared home for company knowledge. MCP assistants can search shared knowledge pills extracted from Documents alongside metadata.
    </Card>

    <Card icon="https://mintcdn.com/openmetadata/Cq2_LHkTEOsT1ajt/public/images/icons/data-quality-observability.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=Cq2_LHkTEOsT1ajt&q=85&s=2426e82427452ce635c36d486558f8fe" title="Data Quality & Observability" href="/v2.1.x-SNAPSHOT/how-to-guides/data-quality-observability" horizontal width="48" height="48" data-path="public/images/icons/data-quality-observability.png">
      Trust your data with quality tests & monitor the health of your data systems.
    </Card>

    <Card icon="https://mintcdn.com/openmetadata/Cq2_LHkTEOsT1ajt/public/images/icons/data-lineage.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=Cq2_LHkTEOsT1ajt&q=85&s=7dc30d685154cbef13b5aa80cac2bf90" title="Data Lineage" href="/v2.1.x-SNAPSHOT/how-to-guides/data-lineage" horizontal width="48" height="48" data-path="public/images/icons/data-lineage.png">
      Trace the path of data across tables, pipelines, and dashboards.
    </Card>

    <Card icon="https://mintcdn.com/openmetadata/4oHMcq4H3LdkBOt_/public/images/icons/data-insights.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=4oHMcq4H3LdkBOt_&q=85&s=c8518bc5bdaf438db7644375ff5a5f09" title="Data Insights" href="/v2.1.x-SNAPSHOT/how-to-guides/data-insights" horizontal width="40" height="40" data-path="public/images/icons/data-insights.svg">
      Define KPIs and set goals to proactively hone the data culture of your company.
    </Card>

    <Card icon="https://mintcdn.com/openmetadata/Cq2_LHkTEOsT1ajt/public/images/icons/data-marketplace.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=Cq2_LHkTEOsT1ajt&q=85&s=bb231392350fa9888367420ccc25572f" title="Data Marketplace" href="/v2.1.x-SNAPSHOT/how-to-guides/data-marketplace" horizontal width="48" height="48" data-path="public/images/icons/data-marketplace.png">
      Organize domains and data products so teams can discover and own the data relevant to them.
    </Card>

    <Card icon="https://mintcdn.com/openmetadata/Cq2_LHkTEOsT1ajt/public/images/icons/data-goverance.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=Cq2_LHkTEOsT1ajt&q=85&s=ed9a75d3ee247d9f29c81c270d9aad07" title="Data Governance" href="/v2.1.x-SNAPSHOT/how-to-guides/data-governance" horizontal width="48" height="48" data-path="public/images/icons/data-goverance.png">
      Enhance your data platform governance using OpenMetadata.
    </Card>
  </Columns>

  ## Quick Start Guides

  <Columns cols={2}>
    <Card icon="https://mintcdn.com/openmetadata/4oHMcq4H3LdkBOt_/public/images/icons/admin-guide.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=4oHMcq4H3LdkBOt_&q=85&s=a7a8a52500a8934bddad0e7abacf5fbc" title="Admin Guide" href="/v2.1.x-SNAPSHOT/how-to-guides/admin-guide" horizontal width="40" height="40" data-path="public/images/icons/admin-guide.svg">
      Admin users can get started with OpenMetadata with just three quick and easy steps & know-it-all with the advanced guides.
    </Card>

    <Card icon="https://mintcdn.com/openmetadata/Cq2_LHkTEOsT1ajt/public/images/icons/guide-for-data-user.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=Cq2_LHkTEOsT1ajt&q=85&s=01d6e8b1f0802f2ab4d03c6d5f0774f4" title="Guide for Data Users" href="/v2.1.x-SNAPSHOT/how-to-guides/guide-for-data-users" horizontal width="48" height="48" data-path="public/images/icons/guide-for-data-user.png">
      Get to know the basics of OpenMetadata and about the data assets that you can explore in the all-in-one platform.
    </Card>
  </Columns>

  <div className="getting-started-container">
    ## How OpenMetadata helps Data Teams?

    OpenMetadata is a complete package for data teams to break down team silos, share data assets from multiple sources securely, collaborate around data, and build a documentation-first data culture in the organization.

    * Centralized, **Single Source of Truth** for all your metadata.

    * **[Discover](/v2.1.x-SNAPSHOT/how-to-guides/data-discovery)** the right assets in time and reduce dependencies.

    * Foster **[Team Collaboration](/v2.1.x-SNAPSHOT/how-to-guides/data-collaboration)** with conversations, tasks, announcements, and alerts in real time.

    * Build trust in your data with **[Data Quality Tests](/v2.1.x-SNAPSHOT/how-to-guides/data-quality-observability)** to ensure completeness and accuracy.

    * Track your data evolution with end-to-end **[Data Lineage](/v2.1.x-SNAPSHOT/how-to-guides/data-lineage)**.

    * Secure access to sensitive data by defining **[Roles and Policies](/v2.1.x-SNAPSHOT/how-to-guides/admin-guide/roles-policies)**.

    * Enhance organizational **[Data Culture](/v2.1.x-SNAPSHOT/how-to-guides/data-insights)** to gain crucial insights to drive innovation.

    * Define your **[Glossary](/v2.1.x-SNAPSHOT/how-to-guides/data-governance/glossary)** to build a common understanding of terms within your organization.

    * Implement **[Data Governance](/v2.1.x-SNAPSHOT/how-to-guides/data-governance)** to maintain data integrity, security, and compliance.
  </div>
</div>
