Update data description (and other metadate elements) automatically

[KarineL]

Hi,

We want to update the data descriptions to all our data elements to ensure self-serve users in the organisation can know what are the details about the data elements they are planning to use in their reports.  

What is the best way to automate/manage the updates of these data elements for a big database? Currently updating manually for the most important elements, but that is not the solution long term since it can get very time consuming. 

Any suggestions would help. 

Thank you. 

Karine 

[v-shamiliv]

Hi @KarineL 

May I ask if you have resolved this issue? If so, please mark the helpful reply and accept it as the solution. This will be helpful for other community members who have similar problems to solve it faster.

Thank you.

[KarineL]

Yes, it is resolved.

[v-shamiliv · Accepted solution]

Hi @KarineL 
Thank you for reaching out microsoft fabric community forum.
Thank you for your valuable insights @lbendlin 
Manually updating data descriptions isn’t sustainable for a large database, so automating the process is key. One of the best long-term solutions is Microsoft Purview, which centralizes metadata, allows users to search for data descriptions, and supports automated updates via APIs or Power Automate. If your data is in SQL or Synapse, you can use sp_addextendedproperty to store descriptions and update them dynamically using PowerShell or Azure Data Factory. For Power BI datasets, the Power BI REST API lets you update descriptions programmatically, which can be automated with Power Automate.
Another approach is maintaining a centralized metadata repository in a Fabric Lakehouse, SQL table, or SharePoint List, then automating updates across systems. If you’re looking for a quick fix, SQL and PowerShell work well for small-scale updates, while Microsoft Purview is ideal for an enterprise-wide solution.

If this solution helps, please consider giving us Kudos and accepting it as the solution so that it may assist other members in the community
Thank you.

[KarineL]

Thanks! I will defenitly look into this. 

[lbendlin]

Familiarize yourself with apps like Purview or Collibra.