Sync Back
Since you can read about all your data in Catalog, you can write about it too. Sync back lets you write documentation in Catalog and have it appear natively on your tables or dashboards.
Use this table to choose a sync back destination and see what Catalog pushes and prerequisites at a glance.
| Target | What syncs | Prerequisites |
|---|---|---|
| Coalesce | Table and column descriptions to your Transform Git repository | Catalog admin; Git access so Catalog can push a branch; Coalesce Transform integration; request from Settings > Integrations |
| dbt | Table and column descriptions to dbt YAML in your Git repository | Git access to your dbt repo; dbt integration; request from Settings > Integrations |
| Snowflake | Table and column descriptions as comments in Snowflake | Catalog-managed Snowflake integration; request from Settings > Integrations. Coalesce Support sends a comparison file and SQL script within about 1 business day. |
| Looker (beta) | Dashboard descriptions in Looker. Descriptions are limited to 255 characters. | Catalog-managed Looker integration, warehouse integration, LookML Git read access, completed first ingestion; contact Coalesce Support to request |
| Tableau (beta) | Certified and Deprecated statuses as Tableau tags | Catalog-managed Tableau integration; contact Coalesce Support to request |
| BigQuery (beta) | Table and column descriptions as comments in BigQuery | Catalog-managed BigQuery integration; contact Coalesce Support to request |
Coalesce, dbt, and Snowflake show a sync back action in Settings > Integrations when the integration is configured. For Looker (beta), Tableau (beta), and BigQuery (beta), contact Coalesce Support to coordinate sync back.
Catalog does not overwrite existing descriptions or tags on Snowflake, Looker, BigQuery, or Tableau where those guides document that behavior. Coalesce and dbt push descriptions that are not already on the target branch.
Troubleshooting
For delayed jobs, stale Git branches, idle Coalesce Transform requests, stale BI metadata after a successful run, and content freeze pauses, use Sync Back troubleshooting.