Custom Properties¶

Extending entities with custom metadata properties.

Overview¶

Custom properties allow organizations to extend OpenMetadata schemas with additional fields specific to their needs.

Custom Property Definition¶

Schema: type/customProperty.json

Define a custom property:

{
  "name": "dataClassification",
  "description": "Internal data classification level",
  "propertyType": {
    "name": "enum",
    "values": ["Public", "Internal", "Confidential", "Restricted"]
  }
}

Property Types¶

String¶

{
  "name": "projectCode",
  "propertyType": {
    "name": "string"
  }
}

Integer¶

{
  "name": "retentionDays",
  "propertyType": {
    "name": "integer"
  }
}

Enum¶

{
  "name": "criticality",
  "propertyType": {
    "name": "enum",
    "values": ["Low", "Medium", "High", "Critical"]
  }
}

Markdown¶

{
  "name": "processingNotes",
  "propertyType": {
    "name": "markdown"
  }
}

Entity Reference¶

{
  "name": "dataOwnerTeam",
  "propertyType": {
    "name": "entityReference",
    "entityType": "team"
  }
}

Using Custom Properties¶

On Tables¶

{
  "name": "customers",
  "customProperties": {
    "dataClassification": "Confidential",
    "projectCode": "CRM-2024",
    "retentionDays": 2555
  }
}

On Dashboards¶

{
  "name": "sales_dashboard",
  "customProperties": {
    "refreshFrequency": "hourly",
    "businessUnit": "Sales"
  }
}

Entity Extension¶

Add custom properties to entity types:

{
  "entityType": "table",
  "customProperties": [
    {
      "name": "costCenter",
      "propertyType": {"name": "string"}
    },
    {
      "name": "dataRetentionPolicy",
      "propertyType": {"name": "enum", "values": ["30days", "90days", "1year", "indefinite"]}
    }
  ]
}

Best Practices¶

Naming: Use camelCase
Types: Choose appropriate types
Validation: Use enums for controlled values
Documentation: Always add descriptions
Consistency: Use same properties across similar entities
Migration: Plan for property evolution