---
title: "Profile Data Quality"
description: "Create a Quality Profile to run a first descriptive analysis on a registered DataTable before you build on it."
---

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    <span style="font-size: 11px; font-weight: 500; letter-spacing: 0.05em; text-transform: uppercase; color: var(--corridor-purple);">TL;DR</span>
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    A <strong>Quality Profile</strong> runs an initial descriptive analysis on a registered DataTable. Open <strong>Data Vault → Quality Profile</strong>, click <strong>+ New Quality Profile</strong>, pick the <strong>Data Table</strong> and, optionally, the <strong>Data Columns</strong> to profile, add a group and description, and create.
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## What is it?

A **Quality Profile** (often shortened to **QP**) is a registered object in the **Data Vault** module. Use it to conduct an initial descriptive analysis on a registered DataTable and gain deeper insight into your data before you register Data Elements and Features on top of it.

A Quality Profile is a simulatable object: you run it as a job, and the reports selected for the Quality Profile object type in [Platform Settings](/user-guide/admin-guide/configure-platform-settings/) run by default. It can be shared with other users; see [Share an Object](/user-guide/how-tos/share-an-object/).

An administrator can hide the Quality Profile page for a role while leaving Data Table and Data Element visible; see [Configure Roles and Permissions](/user-guide/admin-guide/configure-roles/).

## Before you start

[Register the Table](/user-guide/how-tos/register-a-table/) you want to profile. A Quality Profile reads from a registered DataTable.

## How to Create

<details open class="step">
<summary>

#### Open the Create Form

</summary>

On the **Data Vault → Quality Profile** page, click **+ New Quality Profile**. Click **Info** next to the page title for a short description of the page.

The form opens with an editable name at the top left (**New Quality Profile**). Click the pencil icon and type a descriptive name.

</details>
<details open class="step">
<summary>

#### Pick the data to profile

</summary>

<img src="/images/how-tos/profile-data-quality/profile-data-quality-01-form.png" alt="New Quality Profile form with Data Table, Data Columns, Group, and Description fields." class="screenshot" loading="lazy" />

<table class="attr-table">
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th style="width: 28%;">Field</th>
      <th>What it holds</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td class="field-cell">Data Table <span class="req">Required</span></td>
      <td>The registered DataTable to analyze. Search or pick from the list.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td class="field-cell">Data Columns</td>
      <td>The columns of that table to include. Type to search and select one or more.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td class="field-cell">Group <span class="req">Required</span></td>
      <td>The group the profile is filed under. See <a href="/user-guide/admin-guide/organize-objects/">Organize Objects</a>.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td class="field-cell">Description <span class="req">Required</span></td>
      <td>What you are checking and why. Type <code>/</code> for headings and lists, and <code>@</code> to insert a link to another platform object.</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

</details>
<details open class="step">
<summary>

#### Create

</summary>

Click **Create** at the bottom right. The Quality Profile is saved and you land on its details page.

</details>

## What's Next

- [Run a Simulation](/user-guide/how-tos/run-a-simulation/) to execute the profile as a job.
- [Understand Job Output](/user-guide/how-tos/understand-job-output/) to read the results.
- [Register a Data Element](/user-guide/how-tos/register-a-data-element/) once you trust the columns.