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Extract Azure Data Factory Lineage and Pipeline Metadata

Muhammad Talha Sep 30, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs a way to extract pipeline metadata and data lineage from Azure Data Factory to identify source and destination files, as well as data transformations like joins and filters.

How to Extract Azure Data Factory Lineage and Pipeline Metadata

Product: Azure Data Factory
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Analyzing and documenting data pipelines to track intermediate transformations, added or deleted columns, and overall data flow architecture.
Observed behavior: The user seeks visibility into mapping data flows, identifying schema changes, and tracking complete end-to-end data lineage across pipeline runs.

Before you start

Ensure you have the necessary role-based access control (RBAC) permissions in your Azure subscription for both Azure Data Factory and Microsoft Purview, and that your Purview account is actively running.

Solution 1Recommended

Connect Azure Data Factory to Microsoft Purview

Integrating Microsoft Purview is the recommended approach for automatically capturing and visualizing detailed data lineage across supported Azure Data Factory activities.

Microsoft Purview acts as a unified data governance service. When linked to Azure Data Factory, it automatically captures data movement and transformation lineage as your pipelines execute.

Link Microsoft Purview

In Azure Data Factory Studio, navigate to the 'Manage' tab, select 'Microsoft Purview' under the Integrations section, and click 'Connect to a Purview account'.

Execute Pipelines

Trigger your data pipelines to run. Data lineage is only captured during the execution of supported activities such as Copy Data and Mapping Data Flows.

View Lineage in Purview

Open the Microsoft Purview Governance Portal, search for your target dataset or asset, and navigate to the 'Lineage' tab to visually trace source files, destination files, and transformation processes.

Connect Azure Data Factory to Microsoft Purview

Automated Tracking: Once connected, lineage mapping is completely automated and requires no manual updates to the pipeline logic.

Solution 2

Use the Get Metadata Activity

Utilize the built-in Get Metadata activity within your pipelines to programmatically retrieve file, table, and object information during runtime.

Solution 3

Review Mapping Data Flows Manually

When transformation-level lineage is not entirely captured by automated tools, directly inspecting data flow definitions is necessary to document specific logic like joins and filters.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Document Data Lineage and Metadata with WPS Office

While Azure Data Factory processes your data, documenting complex data architectures, mapping source-to-target fields, and presenting pipeline metadata require robust office software. WPS Office provides a free, lightweight, and highly compatible alternative to Microsoft Office for creating detailed spreadsheet maps and architecture reports.

1. Install WPS Office: Download and install the free WPS Office suite on your local machine.
2. Import Pipeline Metadata: Open WPS Spreadsheet and import the CSV files containing your exported Azure Data Factory metadata.
3. Create Lineage Maps: Use built-in formatting, borders, and charting tools in WPS Spreadsheet to design comprehensive source-to-target mapping documentation.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) formats to seamlessly document source-to-target data mappings.Lightweight software that handles massive metadata CSV exports without consuming excessive system resources.Familiar tabbed interface allows data engineers to easily switch between data dictionaries and architectural Word reports.Built-in PDF tools to easily export and share data flow compliance documents with enterprise stakeholders.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Azure Data Factory natively track column-level lineage without Microsoft Purview?

No, while Azure Data Factory provides operational monitoring, it relies on integration with Microsoft Purview to generate comprehensive, visual column-level lineage and data transformation mapping.

What kind of metadata can the Get Metadata activity retrieve in ADF?

The Get Metadata activity can retrieve various properties including file size, item name, item type, last modified date, and child items. This data can be evaluated and dynamically passed to subsequent pipeline activities.

Why am I not seeing lineage data in Purview after running my ADF pipeline?

Ensure that your pipeline utilizes activities supported for lineage capture (like Copy Data or Mapping Data Flows). Also, verify that the Microsoft Purview connection in the ADF Manage tab is active and that you have sufficient permissions.

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