The top-level storage and permission boundary in the Catalog.
A Layer is the top-level division of the Catalog. It is both a storage boundary and a permission boundary: tables live inside a Layer, and access granted on a Layer applies to everything created within it. Use Layers to separate processing stages, clients, or other governance boundaries.Every table in the Catalog belongs to exactly one Layer. Within a Layer you organize tables further with Folders.
A grant on a Layer also covers Folders, Tables, and Volumes created there later. If two groups of users must not see the same data, separate that data into different Layers and grant each group access only to its own.
There is no universal Layer structure. Start with the boundary that is hardest to change later—usually data ownership and access—and avoid creating more Layers than your team can maintain.
For a workspace that contains internal company data, organize Layers by processing stage:
bronze Data as it arrives from Sourcessilver Cleaned, standardized, validated, and deduplicated datagold Business-ready data for analytics, AI agents, and Destinations
Use these names consistently so people and AI agents can recognize the stage of each table from its path. Use Folders inside each Layer to group tables by source or business domain:
For agencies, consultancies, and other service providers, client isolation is usually more important than processing stage. Start with one Layer per client:
client_acmeclient_globexclient_northstar
Use Folders inside each client Layer to group Sources, working tables, and business-ready outputs. Grant each client or delivery team access only to the relevant Layer.If a client has a large or complex data operation, you can create stage-specific Layers such as acme_bronze, acme_silver, and acme_gold. Use this structure only when the additional separation provides a clear governance or operational benefit.
This structure prevents your company’s operational data from being mixed with client environments while preserving a clear processing flow for internal analytics.
