Propagating Tags Through Lineage

Tags applied to upstream datasets are not automatically propagating to downstream datasets through lineage relationships, or propagation is happening when it shouldn't be. Understanding and controlling tag propagation behavior requires proper configuration.

You Might Be Asking:

• Do tags automatically propagate through lineage?
• How do I enable tag propagation?
• Can I control which tags propagate?

1. Understand default tag behavior:

By default, tags do NOT automatically propagate through lineage.
Propagation must be explicitly enabled per tag or via policies.

2. Enable tag propagation via UI:

1. Navigate to Settings → Tags
2. Select the tag to configure
3. Enable "Propagate through lineage"
4. Choose propagation direction:
   - Downstream only
   - Upstream only  
   - Both directions
5. Save configuration

3. Configure tag propagation via API:

mutation updateTag {
  updateTag(
    input: {
      urn: "urn:li:tag:PII"
      name: "PII"
      description: "Personally Identifiable Information"
      # Enable propagation
      propagate: true
      propagateDownstream: true
      propagateUpstream: false
    }
  )
}

4. Use policies to control propagation:

{
  "type": "METADATA",
  "name": "PII Tag Propagation Policy",
  "description": "Automatically propagate PII tags downstream",
  "state": "ACTIVE",
  "resources": {
    "filter": {
      "criteria": [
        {
          "field": "TAG",
          "values": ["urn:li:tag:PII"]
        }
      ]
    }
  },
  "privileges": ["EDIT_TAG_PROPAGATION"],
  "actors": {
    "allUsers": true
  }
}

5. Query to see propagated tags:

query {
  dataset(urn: "YOUR_URN") {
    tags {
      tags {
        tag {
          urn
          name
        }
        # Check if tag is inherited vs directly applied
        associatedUrn
      }
    }
  }
}

6. Bulk apply tags via transformers:

# Alternative to propagation: apply during ingestion
transformers:
  - type: "pattern_add_dataset_tags"
    config:
      tag_urns: ["urn:li:tag:Sensitive"]
      semantics: OVERWRITE
      # Apply to datasets matching pattern
      pattern:
        rules:
          ".*customer.*": ["urn:li:tag:PII"]
          ".*financial.*": ["urn:li:tag:Financial"]

Tag propagation can create complex governance scenarios. Test propagation rules carefully in non-production environments. Consider using glossary terms for semantic relationships and tags for classification that needs propagation.

• Tags Guide
• Lineage Impact Analysis