# Metadata #### Overview When you mount external storage system(s) to your Ellipsis Drive Private Instance, or when you upload spatial data into Ellipsis Drive's SaaS Model, metadata is automatically extracted and indexed. This metadata enables searchability, discovery, and structured understanding of spatial datasets across your workflows and systems. *** #### Automatically generated metadata The following metadata is automatically detected and indexed for every layer: * Extent * Creation date * Created by user * Resolution * Footprint * Projection * Bands This metadata is derived directly from the dataset during ingestion and cannot be manually edited. *** #### Optional metadata You can optionally add metadata to enrich your datasets and improve discoverability. * Description * Acquisition date(s) * License * Tags * Style / Visualisation description These fields are editable at any time from the layer settings. *** #### Purpose of metadata Metadata in Ellipsis Drive supports three core functions: * Discovery: enables search and filtering across datasets * Context: provides interpretability of spatial data * Interoperability: supports integration with external tools and workflows *** #### Custom metadata For advanced use cases, you can extend the metadata model using a structured JSON schema. Custom metadata allows you to define domain-specific attributes for automation, integration, or internal data modelling. This metadata is stored alongside system-generated and user-defined metadata and remains accessible through API-based workflows. *** {% hint style="success" %} ### Notes * Automatically generated metadata is derived during ingestion and cannot be modified manually * Optional and custom metadata can be updated after layer creation * Custom metadata is intended for advanced integration and developer use cases {% endhint %} --- # 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.ellipsis-drive.com/getting-started/metadata.md?ask= ``` 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.