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Automated Alation Data Catalog Checklist

Every morning, WebRun opens Alation, checks tables and columns cataloged in the last 24 hours for a missing description, steward, or certified tag, logs the gaps to Airtable, and keeps the stewardship checklist current in Notion.

Runs on WebRun · Strict Lockdown policy
Every day at 7:00 AM WebRunorchestrates each step
1 Alation check newly cataloged assets
2 Airtable log documentation gaps
3 Notion keep the checklist current
In short

How do I make sure new Alation data assets get documented?

WebRun checks every table and column newly cataloged in Alation each morning for a missing description, steward, or certified tag. Gaps get logged to Airtable and the stewardship checklist in Notion stays current, so a new data asset never sits undocumented just because nobody remembered to follow up.

  • No new data asset goes undocumented for long
  • Documentation gaps are tracked instead of forgotten
  • Completed assets clear themselves from the checklist automatically

Built for data governance teams · data stewards · data engineering teams · analytics leaders

Step by step

What does WebRun do on every run?

The exact actions WebRun takes, in order - in plain language, so you can adjust anything.

  1. WebRun signs in and gets to work

    Opens alation.com in a real browser with your saved login - no setup, no API keys.

  2. 1
    Alation - check newly cataloged assets
    • Open Alation and list tables and columns cataloged in the last 24 hours
    • Check each for a description, a steward, and a certified tag
    • Note what's missing for each asset

    Done when Every newly cataloged asset has been checked for completeness.

  3. 2
    Airtable - log documentation gaps
    airtable.com
    WebRun in Airtable: log documentation gaps
    WebRun opens Airtable to log documentation gaps.
    • Log a row for each asset missing a description or steward
    • Mark it open until the gap is filled

    Done when Every open documentation gap is logged in the tracker.

  4. 3
    Notion - keep the checklist current
    notion.so
    WebRun in Notion: keep the checklist current
    WebRun updates Notion to keep the checklist current.
    • Update the stewardship checklist with newly flagged assets
    • Remove any asset that's since been completed

    Done when The checklist reflects every currently incomplete asset.

Run settings

How is each run configured?

Starting pageWhere Chrome opens at the start of each run
alation.com
ScheduleRuns automatically on this cadence
Every day at 7:00 AM
DeliveryHow each run's result reaches you
Documentation checklist · Airtable
OutputWhat each run produces - A list of newly cataloged assets missing a description or steward, tracked to completion.
Checklist
Setup & safety

Secure by default

Connect once, stays signed in

WebRun signs in once and keeps each session in a persistent environment, so every run picks up right where it left off.

Your credentials stay in your own private environment - WebRun never stores your passwords.
Strict Lockdown

Every action is checked against this policy before it runs.

Domains ALLOWLIST
Typed input ALLOW
Shell command BLOCK
File uploads BLOCK
Runs in a contained environment More on policies
Good to know

Questions, answered

Will it write the description or assign a steward itself?

No. WebRun only detects what's missing and tracks it. Writing a description or assigning a steward is left to the data owner.

How does it decide an asset needs attention?

It checks whether a description, a steward, and a certified tag are present, so the gap list reflects your own cataloging standard, not a generic rule.

What happens once an asset is documented?

It reads the live catalog status each run, so an asset that's been completed drops off the Airtable tracker and the Notion checklist automatically.

Put this on autopilot.

Turn it on in minutes - or have our team set it up for you.