# Crawling

Crawling is the process of collecting metadata from a connected data source. This metadata includes details such as databases, tables, columns, reports, files, code, APIs, and their attributes.

Data sources can include systems like databases, data lakes, or reporting tools.
 After crawling is complete, the collected metadata will be available in the Data Catalog.

**Example**:\
For a SQL Server data source, crawling retrieves information such as Table Name, Column Name, Data Type, Data Type Size, Title, and Description.\
The screenshot below shows metadata from a sample database table in a SQL Server Data Source.

<figure><img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXd_U47Mu1SOJqjRl5KDfJjYDZQugLVSKCeK0126P4Mc51Y_Y8rh3FzEiCOIHpePcx_OPUpaei19Tuy9qfDOL8SQVNG-co_9gOUg0tMUgxaI3SPdCOzivbW-6PNCHwgGX2Ibph9Q?key=kU5fqtI4eAzquyCyuBsp-g" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

The system connects to the SQL Server, crawls the table, and fetches the metadata as shown.

<figure><img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfRrL4pSL7DgUzm7ulit5KunyZI6WTBcr_9N3hbrj5K67tiC-V69PB1DIGNMxNMRcR5aZPWHFAJPUw2cuGuVnLQ7YUs3_3pR50e-cEUflcWBZ4OL1WRF4ltNtasm434PMXnvEiv6g?key=kU5fqtI4eAzquyCyuBsp-g" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

***

Copyright © 2025, OvalEdge LLC, Peachtree Corners GA USA


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.ovaledge.com/release8.1/connectors/introduction-to-connectors/connector-features/crawling.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.