Tutorial: Getting started with Metadata in Sift

Overview

In this tutorial, you will learn how to create and apply Metadata in Sift to organize and filter your resources more effectively. Metadata provides a structured way to classify Runs, Assets, Reports, and other resource types using key-value pairs that are consistent across your organization. By walking through the process of creating a numeric Metadata key (in this tutorial), attaching it to a Run, and then locating that Run using Metadata filters, you’ll see how Metadata makes it easier to manage large collections of resources and streamline your workflows.

Prerequisites

• At least one Run available in your workspace.

Step 1: Understand Metadata in Sift

Metadata in Sift allows organizations to define structured key value pairs that can be applied to any resource in the workspace, creating a consistent taxonomy for organizing, categorizing, and filtering data. Each Metadata key is defined once at the organization level and bound to a specific data type, ensuring values are used consistently across projects while enabling advanced search and filtering to make large collections of resources easier to manage and explore.

• The following Sift resources support user-defined Metadata: Runs, Assets, Annotations, Rules, Reports, Report Templates, Campaigns, Calculated Channels, and User-defined Functions.
• Metadata values support the following data types: string, number, and boolean.

Step 2: Create a Metadata key

Let's create a numeric Metadata key.

1. Click your profile icon, which shows the first initial of your account name.
2. Select Manage.
3. In the Manage navigation menu, click Metadata.
4. Click + Create Metadata Key.
5. In the Name box, enter the following:

   priority_level

6. In the Type list, select number.
7. Click Create.

Step 3: Add a Metadata key to a Run

Now, let's add the created Metadata key to a Run.

1. In Sift, click .
2. In the Runs table, click the name of a Run to add the Metadata key you just created.

   Later in Step 5, you will have the option to remove the Metadata key. For now, we will use this Run as an example to demonstrate how Runs, like all Sift resources, can support Metadata.

3. Click Edit.
4. Click + Add Metadata.
5. In the Select or create key list, select priority_level.
6. In the Enter number list, enter the following (where 1 on the 1-5 scale refers to high priority):

   1

7. Click Save changes.

Step 4: Locate a Run by its Metadata key

Let's locate the Run using the priority_level Metadata key.

1. In Sift, click .
2. In the Runs tab, click Metadata.
3. In the Select key list, select priority_level.
4. In the Enter number box, enter 1.

Step 5 (optional): Remove Metadata key

To remove the Metadata key added to the Run, consider the following steps:

1. In the Run's overview page, click Edit.
2. In the Metadata section, locate the priority_level key.
3. Click Remove.
4. Click Save changes.

Conclusion

You’ve now seen how Metadata in Sift can be used to bring order and consistency to your workspace. By creating reusable keys, applying them across Runs and other resources, and using them as filters, you can quickly surface the exact data you need. This structured approach not only improves search and categorization but also helps maintain clarity and trust in your telemetry data.

As your organization scales, thoughtful use of Metadata will become an essential practice for keeping your workspace organized and your data easy to explore. Continue exploring by applying Metadata to different resource types and combining filters to unlock more powerful ways of navigating and analyzing your workspace.

Resources

• Reference: Metadata (Beta)
• How-to guide: Manage Metadata (Beta)