Manage the Marketplace

Alation Cloud Service Applies to Alation Cloud Service instances of Alation

Users with the Marketplace Admin role in the Data Products App configure and maintain Marketplace settings to ensure data products are compliant with standards and easy to discover.

This topic explains how to maintain the Marketplace, manage product listings, and assign Marketplace permissions to other users.

Note

On how to initially set up the Marketplace, including a description of the properties in its YAML definition, see Set Up Data Products Marketplace.

In this topic:

• Access the Marketplace Settings

• View Listed Data Products

• Edit the Marketplace

• Audit Marketplace Activity

• Customize Marketplace Appearance

• Manage Marketplace Standards

• Manage Marketplace Badges

• Manage Marketplace Permissions

• Unlist a Data Product

• Delete the Marketplace

Access the Marketplace Settings

To work with the Marketplace settings:

1. In the left-side navigation, click the Data Products App icon. Expand the navigation panel if it’s collapsed.

2. Select Manage Marketplace to open the Marketplace settings page. The page opens on the Overview tab.

Use the Overview tab on the Manage Marketplace page as the starting point to update configurations, manage data product visibility, and monitor usage statistics.

View Listed Data Products

To view the current inventory of data products available on the Marketplace:

1. Access the Marketplace Settings.

2. On the Overview tab, in the Data Products block, click View all. The Data Products tab opens.

   • Alternatively, click the Data Products tab under the Marketplace name to open the same interface.

3. Review the list of active products and their associated usage statistics:

   • Consumers: The number of unique users who have performed at least one Marketplace search within the last seven days.

   • Products Actively Used: The count of products accessed by at least one user within the last seven days.

Edit the Marketplace

To update the Marketplace’s visibility, title, description and other properties:

1. Access the Marketplace Settings.

2. To edit Marketplace properties in the user interface, see Customize Marketplace Appearance.

3. To edit the Marketplace settings directly in the YAML specification, click Edit Marketplace on the top right of the page. The editor opens on the Preview tab.

   1. Click Edit YAML to switch to the editor and make your changes.

   2. Make your changes. For more information on the Marketplace YAML, see Set Up Marketplace.

   3. Click Save.

Customize Marketplace Appearance

To update the visual branding of the Marketplace:

1. Under the Overview tab > Details > Marketplace info, click Update.

2. On the Customize marketplace appearance page, click Upload new image to select an image for the banner or drag and drop an image directly onto the banner area. The upload supports PNG, JPEG/JPG, and GIF formats, with a maximum file size of 5 MB.

3. Click Save to apply the changes or Cancel to discard them.

Audit Marketplace Activity

To monitor how data product consumers interact with the Marketplace:

1. Access the Marketplace Settings.

2. On the Overview tab, in the Consumers block, click View Insights. You are redirected to the Activity & Insights tab.

   • Alternatively, click the Activity & Insights tab under the Marketplace name on the top left to open the same interface.

3. To download an activity report, click Download CSV to export a record of Marketplace activity events to your local machine.

   1. The file includes the following data fields:

   Event Data Schema

   Field	Description
   Event Id	A unique numerical identifier for the specific activity.
   Marketplace	The name or ID of the Marketplace instance where the event occurred.
   Product	The specific data product associated with the event (if applicable).
   Event Type	The action performed by the user (for example, click, page_visit).
   Page Type	The specific area of the Marketplace interface where the event was triggered.
   User	The email address of the individual who performed the action.
   URL	The specific path or web address where the event took place.
   Payload	A JSON-formatted string containing additional metadata, such as the target_url.
   Timestamp	The exact date and time of the event, recorded in UTC.

   Example:

   Event Id,Marketplace,Product,Event Type,Page Type,User,URL,Payload,Timestamp
   14836,marketplace-1,,click,,jane.doe@company.com,/marketplace/marketplace-1,{'target_url': '/app/manage/marketplace/marketplace-1'},2026-01-13 22:05:10.557081+00:00
   

   2. Open the file in a spreadsheet application of your choice to analyze usage.

4. To analyze Marketplace search queries, review the Search Insights report. It shows Marketplace search queries that users enter and the data products returned for each one, based on search event data. The report provides visibility into search activity and how often specific data products appear in search results.

   1. In the Results Returned column, hover over the number for a query result. A list appears displaying all data products that were returned as results for that search.

   2. Click the name of a data product in the list to navigate to its details page.

Manage Marketplace Standards

Marketplace Standards are mandatory criteria that a data product must satisfy to be listed. Standards ensure the quality of the product listing by prescribing specific content requirements, such as contact information, descriptions, or the inclusion of record sets.

We recommend establishing standards before creating data products, as new standards trigger revalidation or suspension of existing listings.

• Create a New Marketplace Standard

• Configure Standard Conditions

• Impact of New or Updated Standards on Existing Listings

• Update a Marketplace Standard

• Delete a Marketplace Standard

Create a New Marketplace Standard

To create a new Marketplace standard:

1. Under the Overview tab > Details > Standards, click Manage.

2. When configuring Marketplace standards for the first time, the Standards page displays three recommended templates. Each template is pre-configured with basic quality rules for the three primary data product fields: Description, Record Sets, and Contact Information. To add a recommended standard:

   1. Click +Add for a standard.

   2. Review the pre-filled properties and adjust the validation logic or failure behavior as needed.

   3. Save the changes.

   Note

   If you delete a standard added from a recommendation, it is removed from the Marketplace but reappears as the same recommendation with the +Add button.

3. If the recommended templates do not meet your specific requirements, you can create a standard from scratch. Click Create new standard on the top right.

   1. Complete the following fields:

      • Standard Name (Required): Enter a descriptive name (for example, “Contact Information Mandatory”).

      • Description (Optional): Provide context for other administrators.

      • Standard Conditions: Define the validation rule (see Configure Standard Conditions below).

   2. Click Create Standard.

Configure Standard Conditions

Validation rules are processed by AI to determine compliance after you save the standard.

Product Validation Standards

Field	Description
Applicable section	Product Name: Validates name formats (for example, requiring a department prefix). Product Description: Validates content within the description (for example, “Must include a ‘WORKAROUND’ section”). Contact Name/Email: Ensures mandatory contact metadata is present. Record Sets: Validates the number and type of tables or datasets included. Delivery Systems: Regulates configurations for data access requests. Custom Property: Validates custom properties defined in the YAML specification.
Define standard	The Define Standard field is used to specify the exact criteria a data product must satisfy to remain compliant. This information is processed by an AI engine to evaluate data product specifications. To ensure reliable validation, structure your requirements using clear, objective, and declarative language. Example: “The Product Name must begin with a department code in brackets, for example: ‘[FIN]’ or ‘[HR]’.”
Failure Behavior	Select the enforcement action: Ignore: No action is required. Only Warn: The product remains listed, but the owner receives a warning. Suspend and Notify (default choice): The product is unlisted with the status Suspended and becomes unsearchable until compliant. Owners receive an automated email notification.

Impact of New or Updated Standards on Existing Listings

It’s recommended to establish Marketplace standards prior to the onboarding of data products. Introducing or modifying standards post-launch directly impacts currently listed products based on the Failure Behavior configured for that standard.

When a new standard is published, the system evaluates all active listings:

• Non-Prohibitive Standards: If a standard is configured with the Ignore or Only warn effect:

  • Listing Status: The product remains active and visible in the Marketplace.

  • Owner or Data Product Admin Impact: The product owner will receive a warning notification during their next manual validation or specification update, prompting them to align with the new guidelines.

• Prohibitive Standards: If a standard is configured with the Suspend and notify effect:

  • Listing Status: The product is immediately unlisted and assigned a status of Suspended.

  • Visibility: Suspended products are removed from Marketplace search results and are no longer browsable by consumers.

  • Notifications: Marketplace Admins and the data product owner and Admins receive an automated email notification detailing the non-compliance.

  • Remediation: Owners must update the product specification to meet the new standard and successfully pass validation to restore the listing.

Update a Marketplace Standard

As Marketplace requirements evolve, you may need to adjust existing standards:

1. Under the Overview tab > Details > Standards, click Manage.

2. Use the Search bar at the top of the page to locate the standard you wish to modify.

3. Expand the panel of the standard to reveal its properties.

4. Update the name, description, or validation conditions as necessary.

5. Review the Failure Behavior to ensure the enforcement level is still appropriate for the updated criteria.

6. Click Save.

Note

Updating a standard’s conditions may cause previously compliant products to become Suspended. Refer to Impact of New or Updated Standards on Existing Listings for more details.

Delete a Marketplace Standard

Deleting a standard permanently removes the validation rule from the Marketplace. Data products previously affected by the standard will no longer be restricted by its criteria. If a listed data product is in the suspended state due to this standard, they will return to the listed state.

To delete a standard:

1. Under the Overview tab > Details > Standards, click Manage.

2. Use the Search bar to find the standard you intend to remove.

3. Expand the panel for that standard.

4. Click Delete standard in the bottom-right corner of the panel. The standard is deleted, and as a result:

   • Data products will no longer be validated against this rule.

   • Suspended products: If a product was suspended only because of this specific standard, it becomes eligible for re-listing (provided it meets all other remaining standards).

Manage Marketplace Badges

Badges are visual labels used to categorize and filter products on the Marketplace homepage, enhancing the browsing experience for consumers. The system automatically applies badges to all new and existing listings that satisfy the badge criteria.

• Create a Badge

• Update a Badge

• Delete a Badge

Create a Badge

1. Under Details > Badges, click Manage.

2. Click Create new badge and provide the badge information:

   • Badge Name: The label displayed on the product page.

   • Badge Conditions: Define the logic for applying the badge (for example, “Apply if Description contains ‘Finance’”).

   • Icon: Click Add icon to select a visual representation.

3. Click Add.

   Note

   Note to Server Admins: Creating or updating badges triggers the process_product_spec_update system process. You can track this in the Monitor interface. Badge changes are applied asynchronously and take effect once the process completes, usually within a short time.

Update a Badge

1. On the Badges page, use the Search box to locate the badge.

2. Expand the badge panel to modify properties.

3. Click Save.

Delete a Badge

1. On the Badges page, use the Search box to locate the badge you want to delete.

2. Expand the badge panel.

3. On the bottom right, click Delete to remove the badge. This removes it from all associated data products.

Manage Marketplace Permissions

1. Access the Marketplace Settings.

2. Under Details > Permissions, click Manage.

3. Assign Marketplace roles to define who can publish, maintain, or administer the Marketplace. See Configure Access in the Data Product App for details on available permissions.

Unlist a Data Product

Marketplace Admins have the authority to remove data products from the Marketplace. Unlisting a product renders it immediately hidden and unsearchable for all data product consumers.

To unlist a data product:

1. Access the Marketplace Settings.

2. From the Overview tab, under the Insights section, locate the Data Products block, and click View all.

   • Alternatively, click the Data Products tab located at the top of the page under the Marketplace name.

3. In the Data Products table, find the specific product you wish to remove from the Marketplace.

4. In the rightmost column of the product row, click Unlist.

5. The product is immediately removed from the Marketplace homepage and search results.

6. The unlisted data product remains intact within the system. The owner or a Data Product Admin can re-list the product at any time if it meets current Marketplace standards.

Delete the Marketplace

You can’t delete the Marketplace through the user interface, but you can do so using the Marketplace API.