Domains

A Domain groups related data assets under a single entity with defined ownership, so teams can manage and discover the data relevant to their part of the business. This guide walks through the Domains overview, creating a domain, adding sub domains and assets, and managing an existing domain.

Add a Domain

To create a new domain, follow these steps:

Step 1: Access Domains

1. In the left navigation bar, click Data Marketplace, then select Domains.
2. Click Add Domain.

Step 2: Enter Domain Details

• Icon and Color: Select an icon and color to visually identify the domain in the catalog.
• Name (required): Enter a unique identifier for the domain.
• Display Name: Enter a human-readable label shown throughout the UI.
• Description (required): Explain the domain’s purpose, the data it contains, and any context other users need.

Step 3: Add Tags and Glossary Terms

• Tags: Select classification tags to categorize the domain.
• Glossary Terms: Link the domain to relevant glossary terms.

Step 4: Select the Domain Type

OpenMetadata provides three types of domains: Domain Type (required): Choose the type that best fits the purpose and structure of your domain.

Step 5: Save the Domain

Click Save. The domain appears in the Domains list.

Add Sub Domains

Sub domains let you break a domain down into smaller, more specific domains that still roll up to the parent.

1. From the Domains list, open the parent domain’s detail page.
2. Click Add, then select Sub Domains.
3. Fill in the same details described in Add a Domain steps 2 to 4.
4. Click Save. The sub domain appears in the parent domain’s Sub Domains tab.

Add Assets to the Domain

1. From the Domains list, open the domain’s detail page.
2. Click Add, then select Assets.
3. Search for assets, or use the filters (entity type, owner, tag, tier, service, service type) to narrow the results.
4. Select the assets to include, then click Save.

By default, most asset types can only belong to a single domain, except Users and Teams. Admins can change this in Data Asset Rules using the Multiple Domains are not allowed rule.

Review the Impact Before Moving Assets

When you add assets from a domain’s Assets tab, you need EditAll on the domain. OpenMetadata saves each asset as its own change, with its own version, updated-by user, and change event. OpenMetadata also checks your permission on each asset. An asset you cannot edit is reported with the reason, and the other assets are still added. An asset held by an approval workflow is reported as Pending approval. If a move has side effects, OpenMetadata shows the Confirm Asset Move dialog with the warning “Some changes will have side effects. Review the impact below before continuing.”, one row per affected asset, and the count of assets affected. Select Move Anyway to continue or Cancel to stop. The dialog appears when an asset would leave another domain or data products would be removed. A data product is removed only if the asset’s new domains no longer cover it. An asset that is added without side effects shows “will be added to the domain” with no dialog.

View Domains

A domain’s detail page organizes its information into tabs:

• Documentation: The default tab. View and edit the domain’s description, and manage its Owners, Experts, Domain Type, Tags, and Tier from the side panel.
• Sub Domains: Lists the domains nested under this one. Add a sub domain directly from this tab.
• Data Products: Lists the data products that belong to this domain. Add a data product directly from this tab.
• Activity Feeds & Tasks: Shows conversations, tasks, and activity history related to the domain.
• Assets: Lists the data assets assigned to this domain.
• Custom Properties: Shows any administrator-configured custom property fields for the domain.

Manage a Domain

To rename, restyle, delete, or set up announcements for a domain, click the ⋮ menu next to Add:

• Announcements: Set up banners to inform your team of upcoming maintenance, updates, or deletions.
• Rename: Rename the domain’s Name and Display Name.
• Style: Change the domain’s icon and badge color.
• Delete: Permanently delete the domain and its metadata.

Filter Data Assets by Domain on the Explore Page

Use the Explore page to filter and view data assets assigned to different domains. This helps you locate and access data assets within specific domains.

Filter the Platform by Domain

Use the domain selector to narrow what you see across OpenMetadata to one domain.

1. In the lower-left corner of the left sidebar, click the domain name shown under your user name. It shows All Domains by default. Select a domain, or select All Domains to clear the filter.
2. OpenMetadata saves your selection on your user and restores it when you log in.

When a domain is selected:

• Lists narrow to the domain and its sub-domains. Sub-domains inherit the parent domain.
• A Filtered by domain chip appears on narrowed lists, such as the glossary sidebar, Explore, and Connections. Click the x on the chip to clear the filter.
• An explicit domain filter that you apply on a list takes priority over the domain selector.

The domain selector narrows user-facing data only. The following are not narrowed:

• Users and teams, including owner and team pickers
• Tags and classifications
• Test cases and test suites
• Queries
• Settings and configuration lists

Open an Asset Outside the Selected Domain

If you open an asset, glossary term, or data product from another domain, for example from a URL, lineage, or search, OpenMetadata shows the full page with the notice This asset belongs to the {domain} domain. Switch to {domain} to view it with related assets. Click Switch Domain to change your selection to that domain. Dismiss the notice with the x. OpenMetadata remembers the dismissal for that asset in your browser.