---
type: concept
x-llmwiki:
  schemaVersion: "0.1"
  contentHash: e625c2fa81cde972e1c18682ba014b9d1c5d2dcf164c2eade6bac4e18e7d51d0
  pageDirectory: concepts
  sources:
    - data-lineage-in-unity-catalog-databricks-on-aws.md
  confidence: 1
  provenanceState: extracted
  freshnessStatus: unverified
  aliases:
    - genie-code-for-lineage
    - GCFL
  citations:
    - file: data-lineage-in-unity-catalog-databricks-on-aws.md
title: Genie Code for Lineage
description: A natural-language interface in Databricks that allows users to query table lineages and insights using commands such as /getTableLineages and /getTableInsights.
tags:
  - genie
  - ai-assistant
  - lineage
timestamp: "2026-06-18T11:28:11.350Z"
---

# Genie Code for Lineage

**Genie Code for Lineage** is a natural language interface within Databricks Catalog Explorer that allows users to query data lineage information using conversational prompts. It leverages the Genie Code assistant to answer questions about upstream and downstream dependencies, table insights, and usage patterns without requiring manual navigation of lineage graphs or knowledge of system table schemas. ^[data-lineage-in-unity-catalog-databricks-on-aws.md]

## Overview

Genie Code provides a conversational way to explore [Data Lineage in Unity Catalog](/concepts/data-lineage-in-unity-catalog.md). Instead of manually browsing lineage graphs in Catalog Explorer or querying [Lineage System Tables](/concepts/lineage-system-tables.md) directly, users can type natural language questions at the Genie Code prompt and receive structured answers. This reduces the friction of understanding data provenance, especially for users who are less familiar with the catalog's lineage interface. ^[data-lineage-in-unity-catalog-databricks-on-aws.md]

## Accessing Genie Code for Lineage

To use Genie Code for lineage queries:

1. In the workspace sidebar, click **Catalog**.
2. Browse or search for a catalog, then click the catalog name.
3. Click the Genie Code icon (a star-like icon) in the upper-right corner of the Catalog Explorer.
4. At the Genie Code prompt, type one of the following commands:
   - `/getTableLineages` — to view upstream and downstream dependencies for the selected table.
   - `/getTableInsights` — to access metadata-driven insights such as user activity and query patterns.

^[data-lineage-in-unity-catalog-databricks-on-aws.md]

These commands enable Genie Code to answer questions like "show me downstream lineages" or "who queries this table most often." ^[data-lineage-in-unity-catalog-databricks-on-aws.md]

## Supported Queries

Genie Code can answer a range of lineage-related questions in natural language, including:

- **"Show me downstream lineages"** — Identifies tables, jobs, notebooks, and dashboards that consume data from the selected table.
- **"Who queries this table most often?"** — Returns usage patterns and top users based on metadata collected by the lineage system.
- **"What are the upstream sources for this table?"** — Traces data origin back to source tables and external assets.

The responses are generated by the Genie Code assistant, which interprets the natural language request and retrieves the relevant lineage data from [Unity Catalog](/concepts/unity-catalog.md). ^[data-lineage-in-unity-catalog-databricks-on-aws.md]

## Requirements

To use Genie Code for lineage queries, users must meet the same prerequisites as standard lineage viewing:

- The table must be registered in a Unity Catalog [Metastore](/concepts/metastore.md).
- The user must have at least the `BROWSE` privilege on the parent catalog of the table or view.
- The parent catalog must be accessible from the workspace (see [Workspace-Catalog Binding](/concepts/workspace-catalog-binding.md)).
- For notebooks, jobs, or dashboards, the user must have appropriate permissions on those workspace objects as defined by [access control lists](/concepts/table-access-control-databricks.md).

^[data-lineage-in-unity-catalog-databricks-on-aws.md]

## Limitations

Genie Code for lineage is subject to the same limitations as Unity Catalog lineage generally, including:

- Lineage data captured before September 1, 2024 is not available.
- Renamed catalogs, schemas, tables, views, or columns do not preserve lineage.
- Spark SQL dataset checkpointing and RDDs are not captured in lineage.
- Column-level lineage may be incomplete when source or target is referenced by path rather than table name, or when user-defined functions (UDFs) obscure column mappings.

See [Data lineage limitations](/concepts/lineage-limitations-and-edge-cases.md) for a full list.

## Related Concepts

- [Data Lineage in Unity Catalog](/concepts/data-lineage-in-unity-catalog.md) — The underlying lineage system that provides the data Genie Code queries
- [Catalog Explorer](/concepts/catalog-explorer.md) — The UI where Genie Code is accessed
- [Lineage System Tables](/concepts/lineage-system-tables.md) — The `system.access.table_lineage` and `system.access.column_lineage` tables for programmatic lineage queries
- [Genie Code](/concepts/genie-code.md) — The broader AI assistant for natural language queries in Databricks
- Table insights — Usage trends and query patterns available in Catalog Explorer

## Sources

- data-lineage-in-unity-catalog-databricks-on-aws.md

# Citations

1. [data-lineage-in-unity-catalog-databricks-on-aws.md](/references/data-lineage-in-unity-catalog-databricks-on-aws-84f84dd2.md)
