Microsoft Purview · Unified Catalog Governance
Data Profile Steward
Run data profiling jobs and access profiling insights. Sub-role requiring Governance Domain Reader and Data Product Owner.
Scope: Data profiling within assigned domain and data products
Permissions
- Run data profiling jobs on data products
- Access profiling insight details including column statistics
- Browse all data quality insights
- Monitor profiling job execution
- Cannot create data quality rules
- Cannot run data quality scanning (separate from profiling)
Common use cases
- Data analysts profiling datasets before creating data products
- Understanding data distribution and patterns
- Identifying data quality issues through profiling
- Documenting data characteristics for consumers
- Discovering sensitive data through profiling
- Supporting data classification and cataloging efforts
Best practices
- Profile datasets before publishing data products
- Use profiling to discover sensitive data needing classification
- Schedule profiling during off-peak hours
- Document profiling findings in data product metadata
- Use profiling to identify quality issues proactively
- Coordinate with data engineering on unexpected patterns
- Include profiling insights in data product documentation
Security considerations
- Profiling jobs may impact source system performance
- Can view column-level statistics including data samples
- May discover sensitive or PII data during profiling
- Coordinate with data owners before profiling
- Schedule during approved maintenance windows
Common questions
When should I assign the Data Profile Steward role?
Assign Data Profile Steward when you need to: Data analysts profiling datasets before creating data products; Understanding data distribution and patterns; Identifying data quality issues through profiling; Documenting data characteristics for consumers; and Discovering sensitive data through profiling. It is part of Microsoft Purview and should be granted as a least-privilege alternative to broader roles like Global Administrator.
What can someone with the Data Profile Steward role do?
The Data Profile Steward role grants permissions including: Run data profiling jobs on data products; Access profiling insight details including column statistics; Browse all data quality insights; Monitor profiling job execution; Cannot create data quality rules; and Cannot run data quality scanning (separate from profiling). See the Permissions section above for the full list.
What are the security risks of the Data Profile Steward role?
Key considerations when assigning Data Profile Steward: Profiling jobs may impact source system performance; Can view column-level statistics including data samples; May discover sensitive or PII data during profiling; and Coordinate with data owners before profiling. Review the Security considerations section before assignment, and pair with Privileged Identity Management (PIM) for just-in-time access where possible.