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Administrator Guide
Last Updated: 2026-08-07
Add Tables and Columns to Data Lake

Add Tables and Columns to Data Lake

See the Data Lake Setup in Workday section of Get Started with Workday Data Lake. This topic is part of a larger procedure.
Security:
Data Cloud: Manage Data Lake Application Configurations
 domain in the Data Cloud functional area.
Workday Data Lake uses an opt-in model: nothing from the Data Cloud Catalog is materialized until you configure it. Discovery (what's available in the catalog) is separate from materialization (what is stored in the lake and refreshed on a schedule). See Data Cloud Catalog for information about available tables and columns, core vs reference tables, and table associations via foreign keys.
Configuration happens in three stages:
  • Table selection:
     Choose which core tables to register for Data Lake. This syncs table metadata into the lake environment; underlying records are not materialized until you select columns.
  • Column selection:
     Choose which columns to include from each table. Only selected columns are materialized for zero-copy access. ID columns are included by default; other columns are excluded until you opt in. When you include multi-instance (array) columns, you can opt in related reference tables from the
    Opt-In Reference Tables
     grid.
  • Frequency configuration:
     Set a refresh frequency for how often materialized data is updated.
New tables and columns added to the Data Cloud Catalog in future releases are not automatically added to your data lake. You must explicitly include them if you want them materialized.
  1. Add tables to your data lake.
    You can only select core tables at this step. Reference tables and core tables with foreign key associations can be added in step 2. SeeData Cloud Catalog for information on core tables, reference tables, and foreign keys.
    1. Access the
      Data Lake Admin Console
       report.
    2. On the
      Applications
       tab, select
      Edit
       from the actions menu of the
      Workday Core
       application.
    3. On the
      Edit Core Workday Catalog for Data Lake
       task that displays, select core tables that you want to add to your data lake from the
      Tables for Data Lake Materialization
       prompt.
    4. Click
      Add
      .
    5. Click
      OK
      .
  2. Select the columns to include from the tables selected in step 1.
    Aside from ID columns, all columns are excluded by default when you add a table.
    1. Select
      Manage Fields
       for the table you added.
    2. On the
      Manage Fields for Data Lake Materialization
       page that displays, select the
      Include
       check box for your desired fields.
    3. Click
      OK
      .
    4. When you include multi-instance fields, an
      Opt-In Reference Tables
       grid appears. Select the
      Include
       check box to add the desired tables/columns to your data lake.
  3. After adding your desired tables and columns, set a refresh frequency for your Data Lake data.
    1. On the
      View Core Workday Catalog for Data Lake
       page, click
      Edit
      .
    2. Select the
      Schedule
       tab.
    3. Select a
      Run Frequency
      .
      The available options depend on your Data Cloud subscription and the type of tenant you’re working in:
      Data Cloud Subscription
      Tenant Type
      Highest Supported Frequency
      PRO
      Production
      Hourly refresh.
      CORE
      Production
      Daily refresh.
      PRO
      CORE
      Sandbox
      Sandbox Preview
      Implementation
      Weekly refresh.
    4. Configure the recurrence criteria.
You can view the results of your configuration in the
Applications
 tab of the
Data Lake Admin Console
.