Data Catalog
A centralised, searchable inventory of an organisation's data assets with metadata about location, schema, owner, classification and lineage.
Full Definition
A data catalog is the authoritative index of what data an organisation has: tables, columns, files, APIs, dashboards and the metadata that describes them. For personal data specifically, the catalog records classification (PII, sensitive PII, financial, health), lawful basis for processing, purpose, retention schedule, sharing recipients and the Data Fiduciary / processor role. Modern catalogs ingest metadata automatically from cloud sources, build lineage from query logs, and surface it through search and governance APIs.
Under GDPR Articles 30 and 32, DPDP Rule 11 (SDF data audit), PDPA (Protection Obligation), and the EU AI Act's data-governance requirements for high-risk systems, the catalog is a prerequisite — you cannot demonstrate compliance for data you cannot find. In mature programmes the catalog is the source of truth that feeds the RoPA, the DSR response pipeline, the retention automation and the DSPM policy layer.
Related terms
Data Inventory
The authoritative list of personal data an organisation holds, together with where it lives, who owns it, and under what lawful basis it is processed.
Data Classification
The process of labelling each data asset with its sensitivity, regulatory category and handling requirements.
RoPA
Record of Processing Activities — a mandatory inventory of all personal data processing activities under GDPR Article 30.
Relevant regulations
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