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Data Governance

Data observability

In a nutshell

Continuously and automatically monitoring the state of data and of the processes that move it, to catch problems before they reach users.

Data observability applies to data the idea used to monitor IT systems: automatic alerts when something goes out of the ordinary.

It usually watches five signals: whether data arrived on time, whether the expected volume arrived, whether the structure changed, whether values have an odd distribution and where each data element comes from (lineage).

It does not replace quality rules: it complements them by catching problems nobody had anticipated.

Read more: Data quality tools in 2026.

Reference: Práctica de ingeniería de datos

Related terms

Data lineageTimeliness (data quality)Data quality rule
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← Back to the glossaryUpdated: October 2026 · Informational content, not legal advice.