developer-roadmap/roadmaps/data-engineer/content/metadata-first-architecture@14CycunRC1p2qTRn-ncoy.md

Metadata-first Architecture

A metadata-first architecture treats metadata as a first-class citizen in data system design. Rather than just documenting data after the fact, metadata is captured and used actively to govern, discover, and lineage-track data across the organization. This approach supports better data quality, compliance, and self-service analytics.