Skip to main content
The Atlas semantic layer converts operational records into governed context. It defines fields, dimensions, metrics, analyses, filters, relationships, and lineage independently from any single dashboard or agent prompt.

​
Why semantics matter

Without a shared semantic layer, two integrations can use the same word for different calculations—or different words for the same operational concept. Atlas makes those definitions inspectable and reusable. A semantic definition should answer:
  • What does this concept mean?
  • Which object or dataset owns it?
  • How is it calculated or resolved?
  • At what grain and time boundary is it valid?
  • Which filters and relationships are allowed?
  • Where did the result come from?

​
One definition, many consumers

Metrics and analyses should remain tied to objects, identities, relationships, time, and evidence. Governed semantics can then support charts, exports, forecasts, decision context, and agent answers without silently redefining meaning. Agentic execution should be explainable and auditable: the system should preserve the context used, the authority applied, the action taken, and the resulting outcome.
A field label is not a semantic contract. Include units, grain, null behavior, time zone, allowed values, and lineage where they affect interpretation.
See Model your domain for a practical modeling sequence.