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Glossary

Metadata

What is metadata?

Metadata is data that describes other data. In cloud environments, metadata provides important information about stored objects, files, or resources, such as when they were created, who owns them, how large they are, where they are located, and what permissions apply.

In object storage platforms like Wasabi, metadata is attached to each object and helps systems organize, search, manage, secure, and automate data workflows without modifying the underlying data itself.

Types of cloud metadata

Cloud metadata typically falls into two main categories:

  • System metadata: Automatically generated by the storage platform. This may include object size, creation date, last modified timestamp, storage class, checksum values, and version ID.

  • User-defined metadata: Custom key-value pairs added by users or applications. For example, tags for project names, retention policies, content type, or compliance classifications.

Together, these metadata layers make large-scale cloud storage environments searchable, manageable, and policy-driven.

Why metadata matters

  • Improved search and organization: Metadata enables faster discovery and indexing of large datasets.

  • Automation and lifecycle management: Policies can act on metadata to trigger replication, retention, archiving, or deletion.

  • Security and compliance: Access controls, audit tracking, and governance policies rely on metadata attributes.

  • Analytics enablement: Structured metadata makes it easier to categorize and process data for business insights.

Without metadata, cloud storage would function as an unstructured repository, making data difficult to find, govern, and optimize.

Breathe new life into your metadata

Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage supports rich S3-compatible object metadata, enabling seamless integration with existing applications, backup solutions, and data management tools. Organizations can leverage metadata to automate data lifecycle policies, strengthen governance, and streamline workflows.

Wasabi AiR Intelligent Media Storage combines our high-performance hot cloud storage with AI-powered metadata tagging. Now you can easily find and access your content, opening up whole new possibilities for your archived media assets.