Configure the AI writing assistant for a characteristic

Updated: June 5, 2026

You can configure the AI writing assistant on a per-characteristic basis in the operating model. Once configured and enabled, the AI assistant button becomes available to stewards when they edit that characteristic on an asset page.

Prerequisites

• The AI writing assistant feature is enabled in Collibra Console. For more information, go to Enabling the Governance by design toolkit features.
• You have a global role with the Product Rights > System administration global permission.

Steps

1. On the main toolbar, click → Settings.
   The Settings page opens.
2. Click the Operating model tab.
   Operating Model settings are shown.
3. In the Asset types table, click the relevant asset type.
   The asset type overview page opens.
4. Expand the Global Assignment tab or the tab of the relevant assignment.
5. Open the AI writing assistant configuration using one of the following methods:
   • From the Characteristics tab: Click Characteristics, then click the AI icon next to the characteristic you want to configure.
     The AI writing assistant panel opens with that characteristic pre-selected.
   • From the AI Assistant tab: Click AI Assistant, then select the characteristic from the Characteristic dropdown.
6. In the Primary instructions field, enter the prompt you want the AI to use when generating content for this characteristic.
   For guidance on writing effective prompts, go to Writing effective prompts.
7. Optional: Test the prompt before enabling it for stewards:
   1. In the Assistant test panel on the right, select an asset from the Test asset dropdown.
   2. Click Test.
      The assistant generates a sample output using the asset's context. Review the output to verify it meets your governance standards.
   3. Refine the Primary instructions prompt if needed, and test again.
8. Switch on the Enable AI Assistant for this characteristic toggle.
9. Click Save.

How it works

When a steward edits a text attribute on an asset page, an AI assistant button appears in the editor toolbar, provided that an admin has configured and enabled the assistant for that characteristic. Clicking the button opens a menu of actions.

The following table describes the key concepts of the AI writing assistant.

Concept	Description
AI assistant button	Appears in the editor toolbar when editing a text attribute that has been configured and enabled by an admin. Not visible on attributes where no prompt has been configured.
Generate new	Creates content from scratch using the admin-configured prompt and the full asset context, including the asset name, type, all attributes, and relations. Requires a prompt to be configured in the operating model for that characteristic. The output is shown in a review panel and is not saved automatically.
Improvement actions	Available on any enabled attribute, regardless of whether a prompt is configured. Improvement actions act on existing content in the field. The available actions are: Improve, Summarize, Make shorter, Make longer, Change tone (with a tone submenu), and Translate (with a language submenu).
Review panel	After any AI action, a review panel appears showing the generated or improved content alongside the configured prompt. The steward chooses one of three options: Discard: Reject the suggestion. Improve: Refine further with another action. Replace: Accept and apply to the field. The attribute content is only updated when the steward explicitly clicks Replace.
Scope	Available for all text attributes, both rich text and plain text. Not available for numeric, date, boolean, selection, multi-selection, or relation fields.

Recommended starting characteristics

Start with the attributes that are most frequently left empty or inconsistently filled. Description and Definition fields on your highest-priority asset types are typically the best starting point, as these are where the blank-page problem is most acutely felt by stewards.

Asset type	Recommended first characteristic
Data product	Description. Stewards need to explain the product's purpose, content, and consumer value.
Business glossary term	Definition. The most critical and most variable field in any glossary.
AI use case	Description. Context about the AI use case's purpose, risks, and intended audience.
Table or column (catalog)	Description. Typically left empty during technical ingestion, and well-suited to AI-assisted content creation.

Writing effective prompts

The Primary instructions prompt is the most important configuration decision. It tells the AI what to generate and in what style. A specific, well-crafted prompt produces consistent, governance-appropriate content. A vague prompt produces generic output that stewards are likely to discard.

Keep the following principles in mind when writing a prompt:

• Be specific about the audience. "Write a description for a non-technical business user" produces very different output than "Write a description for a data engineer."
• Set expectations for length. For example: "Write at least 200 characters."
• Define the structure if needed. For example: "Start with a one-sentence summary, then add a Business Value section with 2-3 bullet points."
• Align with governance standards. If your organization has a style guide or terminology standard, include the key rules in the prompt.

The following examples show effective prompts for two common use cases.

Business glossary term - Definition:

Write a business-friendly definition for this glossary term. Avoid technical jargon. Begin with a single sentence explaining what the term means. Follow with a brief explanation of why it matters to the business. Keep the total length between 150 and 300 characters. Use a professional, neutral tone.

Data product - Description:

Write a description for this data product that a data consumer could use to evaluate whether this product meets their needs. Include what data it contains, what business questions it can answer, and who the intended consumers are. Minimum 200 characters.

Testing a prompt before enabling

The configuration UI includes a built-in Assistant test panel on the right side of the AI assistant configuration screen. Before saving and enabling a prompt for stewards, test it against several real assets to verify that the output is consistently relevant and meets your governance standards.

Using the AI writing assistant with smart checks

The AI writing assistant and smart checks are designed to work together as part of a complete governance by design workflow. Smart checks enforce the standard, the AI writing assistant helps the steward meet it.

The recommended workflow is as follows:

1. An Admin configures a smart check on the attribute, for example: Description must exist and contain at least 200 characters.
2. An Admin configures an AI writing assistant prompt for the same attribute, aligned to the same standard, for example: "Minimum 200 characters."
3. When a steward opens an asset with a failing smart check, they see the AI assistant button in the attribute editor.
4. The steward clicks Generate new. The AI produces a contextual draft using the full asset context.
5. The steward reviews the draft, optionally refines it, and clicks Replace to apply it.
6. The smart check re-evaluates automatically. If the attribute now meets the standard, the check passes.

Tip For more information on the Governance by design toolkit and how smart checks, lifecycle management, and the AI writing assistant work together, go to About the Governance by design toolkit.