---
title: "Metadata"
description: "Structured fields that add context and governance to artifacts"
---

# Metadata

Metadata adds typed, queryable context to artifacts—owners, components, risk levels, compliance tags, SLAs, and more.

## Overview

- **Typed fields**: strings, numbers, enums, booleans, dates.
- **Validation**: required/optional, allowed values, defaults.
- **Searchable**: filter, sort, and report on metadata.
- **Governed**: keep schemas consistent across projects.

## Designing metadata

- Start with fields that drive decisions (risk, component, priority).
- Prefer enums for controlled vocabularies; avoid free-text drift.
- Keep required fields minimal to reduce friction; validate at workflow transitions.

## Examples

- `component` (enum): api, worker, frontend, infra
- `risk` (enum): low, medium, high
- `slo_target_ms` (number): latency budget
- `owner` (string/user): accountable person or team

## Best practices

- Keep metadata schemas in version control.
- Use metadata in filters and dashboards to spot gaps.
- Don’t over-model; add fields when they drive behavior or reporting.

## Related

- [Custom Fields](./05a-custom-fields/)
- [Traceability](./01-traceability/)
