> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.getcollate.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Before You Begin

> Prerequisites and SaaS setup guide for Collate 2.0.

# Before You Begin

Confirm which plan you're on before setting up Collate. Your setup path depends on it.

## Account Types

Your plan determines how ingestion runs, what infrastructure you need, and which features are available.

### Free Tier

For small data teams. Includes up to 5 users and 500 data assets on a **multi-tenant SaaS** deployment.

The recommended ingestion path is **Collate SaaS ingestion**: connectors run inside Collate's infrastructure and pull metadata from your sources over the public network. No infrastructure required on your end. Supports basic authentication only.

If your data sources are not reachable from the public internet, you can optionally run a **Local Ingestion Agent** via Docker on your own laptop. This lets you push metadata from inside your network without any cloud infrastructure.

<Note>
  **Note**: The Local Ingestion Agent is a lightweight self-hosted option for Free Tier users. For production-grade, infrastructure-managed ingestion, upgrade to Premium to use the full Hybrid Runner. Contact free tier [Collate support](mailto:free-tier-support@getcollate.io).
</Note>

### Premium

For teams and small businesses. Includes up to 25 users and 5,000 data assets on a **single-tenant** or **Hybrid SaaS** deployment with an 8-hour data refresh frequency.

Ingestion can run fully within your own infrastructure using the **Hybrid Ingestion Runner**: a Kubernetes-based agent that never exposes your internal network to Collate. Includes SSO, Automated PII Classification, and APIs & SDK support. Your admin receives credentials from the Collate support team by email.

### Enterprise

For complex use cases and enterprise-wide initiatives. Includes up to 50 users and 10,000 data assets (unlimited options available) with **hourly** data refresh frequency.

Supports **Single-tenant SaaS**, **Hybrid SaaS**, or **Private BYOC** (bring your own cloud) deployment on AWS, GCP, or Azure. Includes all Premium features plus custom integrations, audit logs, AWS VPN add-on, and dedicated support. Contact the Collate team for credentials and deployment setup.

## What to Prepare

* Your Collate workspace URL and login credentials
* Connection details for at least one data source (host, port, and credentials)
* **Premium and Enterprise:** Network access to deploy the Hybrid Runner on Kubernetes 1.28 or later
* **Premium and Enterprise:** Your identity provider details for SSO configuration
* **Enterprise (BYOC):** An AWS, GCP, or Azure environment for private cloud deployment
* **Free Tier only:** Docker installed on your laptop if you plan to use the Local Ingestion Agent

<Note>
  **Note**:
  **Need credentials?** Contact [support@getcollate.io](mailto:support@getcollate.io) before starting setup.
</Note>

## Browser Requirements

Collate works in any modern browser. The following browsers are recommended for the best experience:

* Google Chrome (latest)
* Microsoft Edge (latest)
* Mozilla Firefox (latest)
* Safari (latest)

## Supported SSO Providers

Collate supports single sign-on (SSO) via the following identity providers:

* **SAML 2.0**: Okta, Azure AD, Google Workspace, and other SAML-compliant providers
* **OIDC (OpenID Connect)**: Auth0, Keycloak, and other OIDC-compliant providers
* **Google OAuth**
* **Azure AD**
* **Okta**
* **AWS Cognito**
* **Custom OIDC providers**

SSO configuration is performed by an Admin in **Settings** > **Authentication**. Premium and Enterprise accounts may need to configure their SSO redirect URI to include the Collate callback URL provided by the Collate support team.

## Required Roles and Permissions

Collate uses a hybrid Role-Based and Attribute-Based Access Control (RBAC + ABAC) model. Assign the base role that matches each user's primary job, then layer on additional permissions as needed.

| Role                       | Best for                          | Key capabilities                                                                                                           |
| -------------------------- | --------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Platform Administrator** | Platform setup and administration | Full access to all data assets, services, users, teams, and settings. Can perform all create, edit, and delete operations. |
| **Data Steward**           | Metadata governance               | Edit descriptions, tags, glossary terms, and certifications for owned or assigned assets.                                  |
| **Data Engineer**          | Pipelines and ingestion           | Build ingestion pipelines, deploy workflows, and manage service connections.                                               |
| **Data Analyst**           | Analysis and reporting            | Run analyses, build reports, and write SQL against cataloged assets.                                                       |
| **AI / ML Engineer**       | AI agent development              | Build AI agents, author AI governance policies, and develop prompt-driven applications.                                    |
| **Compliance Officer**     | Compliance and PII                | Monitor compliance, tag PII, and review audit trails.                                                                      |
| **Read-Only Viewer**       | Catalog browsing                  | Browse and search data assets, follow assets, and add comments. Cannot edit metadata.                                      |

An organization can have multiple Platform Administrators, each managing specific teams and departments independently.

For more information about how to create custom roles, define fine-grained policies, and manage access control across your organization, see [Advanced Guide for Roles and Policies](/ai-2-0/admin-guide/roles-policies)

## Connecting to Your Collate Instance

To access your Collate workspace:

1. Open your browser and navigate to your Collate workspace URL. This is typically in the format `https://<your-org>.getcollate.io`.
2. Sign in with your credentials. If SSO is configured, you will be redirected to your identity provider.
3. After signing in, you will land on the **My Data** home page (or the Collate AI Chat experience in Collate 2.0).

## Select Your Setup Path

All plans end at the same place: a connected data source, ingested metadata, and an invited team.
Select the column that matches your setup.

| Step | Collate SaaS (Free Tier)                  | Hybrid Runner (Premium)                 | Enterprise (BYOC / Hybrid)       |
| ---- | ----------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------- | -------------------------------- |
| 1    | —                                         | Set up SSO                              | Set up SSO                       |
| 2    | Connect a data source via SaaS            | Deploy the Hybrid Runner                | Set up BYOC or Hybrid deployment |
| 3    | Set up Local Ingestion Agent *(optional)* | Connect a data source via Hybrid Runner | Deploy the Hybrid Runner         |
| 4    | Ingest metadata                           | Ingest metadata                         | Connect a data source            |
| 5    | Invite users and assign roles             | Invite users and assign roles           | Ingest metadata                  |
| 6    | —                                         | —                                       | Invite users and assign roles    |

## What Admins Can Do

Administrators can configure and manage every area of the platform:

* [**Users, Teams, and Roles**](/ai-2-0/admin-guide/teams-and-users) — Invite users, create hierarchical teams, assign roles, and define fine-grained access policies.
* [**SSO & Authentication**](/ai-2-0/how-to-guides/sso) — Set up single sign-on via Okta, Azure AD, Google, Auth0, SAML, OIDC, or custom providers.
* [**Services and Ingestion**](/ai-2-0/admin-guide/how-to-ingest-metadata) — Connect data sources, configure ingestion pipelines, and manage service connections.
* [**Applications**](/ai-2-0/admin-guide/applications) — Run platform-wide jobs — Autopilot, Reverse Metadata, Query Runner, and others.
* [**Search and Personas**](/ai-2-0/admin-guide/search-configuration-settings) — Configure search indexing, tune relevance settings, and customize persona landing pages.
* [**Custom Properties and Data Insights**](/ai-2-0/admin-guide/data-insights) — Extend data models with custom fields and monitor data health across sources.
* [**Notifications**](/ai-2-0/how-to-guides/data-quality-observability/alerts-notifications) — Set up notification rules and alert channels for data events and pipeline activity.
* [**Audit Logs**](/ai-2-0/admin-guide/audit-logs) — Review a full audit trail of user actions and platform changes (Enterprise).
* [**Billing and AI Credits**](/ai-2-0/admin-guide/billing-and-ai-credits) — Monitor AI credit consumption, track plan usage, and troubleshoot blocked agent runs.

## What's Next

1. [**Ingest Your Data**](/ai-2-0/getting-started/lets-get-started/ingest-your-data): Connect your first data source using SaaS ingestion, the Hybrid Runner, or a Local Ingestion Agent.
2. [**Configure Metadata Ingestion**](/ai-2-0/getting-started/lets-get-started/ingest-metadata): Set up ingestion workflows to pull schemas, lineage, and usage from your connected sources.
3. [**Invite Users**](/ai-2-0/getting-started/lets-get-started/invite-users): Add your team, assign roles, and configure access so everyone can start collaborating on data.
4. [**Explore Features**](/ai-2-0/getting-started/lets-get-started/explore-features): Discover data discovery, lineage, quality, governance, and AI features across the platform.