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Manage Classification

You can add and manage classifications in Collate to organize how data assets are tagged across your organization. This includes creating a new classification, editing its details, deleting one you no longer need, and exporting or importing its tags in bulk using a CSV file.

Add a Classification

To create a new classification:
  1. In the left navigation bar, click Govern, then select Classification. Navigate to Classification
  2. Click Add Classification. Add Classification
  3. Fill in the following details:
    • Name (required): A unique name for the classification.
    • Display Name: A human-friendly label shown in the UI.
    • Description (required): Describe what this classification is used for.
    • Mutually Exclusive: When enabled, only one tag from this classification can be assigned to a data asset at a time. For example, an asset can be tagged as either PII-Sensitive or PII-NonSensitive, but not both.
    • Owners: Search for and assign one or more teams or users as owners of the classification.
    • Domains: Search for and assign one or more domains to the classification.
    • Auto Classification Tag: Enable to have Collate automatically detect and tag matching data with this classification’s tags, based on patterns and rules. Turning this on expands a Configure Auto Classification section:
      • Conflict Resolution: Choose how to resolve a conflict when auto-classification and an existing tag disagree.
      • Minimum Confidence: A threshold between 0 and 1 for how confident a recognizer match must be before it’s applied. See Recognizers for how confidence scoring works.
      • Require Explicit Match: When enabled, the recognizer only tags data that is an exact match, instead of a fuzzy or partial match.
    Adding New Classification form
  4. Click Save.

Add Tags to a Classification

After a classification is created, add tags under it:
  1. Select the Classification from the Classification page.
  2. Click Add Tag. Add Tag
  3. Fill in the following details:
    • Name (required): A unique name for the tag.
    • Display Name: A human-friendly label shown in the UI.
    • Icon: Pick an icon to represent the tag.
    • Color: Pick a color swatch for the tag’s icon.
    • Description (required): Describe what the tag means, using the rich text editor.
    • Owners: Search for and assign one or more teams or users as owners of the tag.
    • Domains: Search for and assign one or more domains to the tag.
    Adding New Tag form
  4. Click Save.
The pencil icon next to Description on a classification’s or tag’s page also allows a quick inline edit, and the tag table has an Enabled toggle for each tag. Select the Classification, then click the icon in the top right to open the menu with Edit, Import, Export, and Delete options.

Edit a Classification

Update a classification’s details after it’s created:
  1. Select the Classification you want to update.
  2. Click the icon and select Edit. Edit Classification
  3. Update Classification: the same form as Add a Classification, pre-filled with the current values. Update any field and click Save.
Name cannot be changed after a Classification is created.

Import Tags into a Classification

Collate supports classification import to save time and effort by uploading a CSV with several tags in one go, creating or updating multiple tags simultaneously. Each row in the CSV creates or updates one Tag under the selected Classification. To import tags into a classification:
  1. Navigate to Govern > Classification.
  2. Select the classification you want to import tags into.
  3. Click the icon and select Import. Import option in the classification menu
  4. Drag and drop a file, or click Browse to upload your tags. Click Download CSV Template for a starter file, or View Column References for the full list of supported columns. Import Classification upload step The template includes the following columns:
    • parent: Leave blank to add the tag at the top level of the classification.
    • name (required): The name of the tag. Reuse an existing tag’s name to update that tag; a different name produces a different fully qualified name, so it creates a new tag instead of renaming the original one.
    • displayName: The display name of the tag.
    • description (required): The description or details of the tag.
    • reviewers: Users who review and approve changes to the tag.
    • owner: The team or user who owns the tag.
    • tagStatus: The tag’s approval status.
    • color: The color of the tag’s icon.
    • iconURL: The icon shown for the tag.
    • domains: The domain(s) the tag belongs to.
    • mutuallyExclusive: Whether the tag is mutually exclusive with other tags in the same classification.
    Leaving an optional column blank on an update preserves the tag’s existing value for that field rather than clearing it.
  5. Click Next: Preview.
  6. Preview and validate your uploaded data. Make any additions or corrections directly in the table if needed. A Passed and Failed count is displayed above the table to help you quickly identify any rows with validation errors before proceeding.
  7. Click Next to import the tags.
System classifications (such as PII and Tiers) cannot be imported into or exported.

Export a Classification

Download a classification’s tags as a CSV file to share with your team:
  1. Select the classification you want to export.
  2. Click the icon and select Export. Export option in the classification menu

Delete a Classification

Removing a classification permanently deletes its metadata:
  1. Select the classification you want to remove.
  2. Click the icon and select Delete. Delete option in the classification menu
  3. Click Confirm to delete the classification.
System classifications (such as PII and Tiers) cannot be deleted. Disable their tags or edit descriptions instead.

How to Classify Data Assets

Add tags to data assets, or request them and discuss about the same, all within Collate.