---
id: dwd_2xjo4xi3
type: term
slug: data-profiling
title: "Data profiling"
summary: "Measuring what data actually looks like: counts, ranges, nulls, distinct values and patterns."
status: draft
classification: public
authors:
  - name: Shan Umasankar
    url: https://dealwithdata.com
    role: author
assisted_by: [Claude]
scales: [personal, business, enterprise]
synonyms: ["profiling"]
related: [dwd_wg5zzqg2]
created: 2026-10-07
updated: 2026-10-07
version: 1
---
Profiling describes data as it *is*: row counts, minimums and maximums, null rates, distinct values and value patterns. It is the evidence base for [[data-quality]] rules and a strong input for AI that suggests business meaning.

**Example:** `OUTSTANDING_BAL_AMT`: 12M rows, min 0, max 4.2M, 0.3% null.

**Not to be confused with** [[data-quality]], which checks data against what it *should* be.