Data Catalog is deprecated and will be discontinued on January 30, 2026. For steps to transition your Data Catalog users, workloads, and content to Dataplex Universal Catalog, seeTransition from Data Catalog to Dataplex Universal Catalog.
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Data Catalog offers several programmatic interfaces for
interaction, and we recommend using them in the following order:
Google Cloud Client Libraries:
Data Catalog client libraries are available in multiple
languages and are built ongRPC. These client libraries
provide a layer of abstraction on top of gRPC and handle the details of
operation polling and retries. For more information, seeData Catalog client libraries.
gRPC: If your preferred programming
language lacks a dedicated client library, you can still generate gRPC client
libraries for Data Catalog using any gRPC-supported language.
This requires theprotocol buffersservice definition, which is available in theGitHub repository.
To generate and use your client, refer to the instructions ongrpc.iofor your chosen language.
REST API: if you're unable
to use Data Catalog's client libraries or the gRPC API, use the
REST API.
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Hard to understand","hardToUnderstand","thumb-down"],["Incorrect information or sample code","incorrectInformationOrSampleCode","thumb-down"],["Missing the information/samples I need","missingTheInformationSamplesINeed","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2025-09-04 UTC."],[[["\u003cp\u003eData Catalog offers multiple programmatic interfaces for interaction, with Google Cloud Client Libraries being the recommended first choice.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eIf a preferred language doesn't have a dedicated client library, gRPC client libraries can be generated for Data Catalog using any gRPC-supported language.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThe REST API is available as an alternative if the Data Catalog client libraries or gRPC API cannot be used.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eGoogle Cloud Client Libraries are built on gRPC, handle operation polling and retries, and provide a layer of abstraction over gRPC.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],[],null,["# Overview of APIs and Client Libraries\n\nData Catalog offers several programmatic interfaces for\ninteraction, and we recommend using them in the following order:\n\n- [Google Cloud Client Libraries](/apis/docs/client-libraries-explained#google_cloud_client_libraries):\n Data Catalog client libraries are available in multiple\n languages and are built on [gRPC](https://grpc.io/). These client libraries\n provide a layer of abstraction on top of gRPC and handle the details of\n operation polling and retries. For more information, see\n [Data Catalog client libraries](/data-catalog/docs/reference/libraries).\n\n | **Note:** While the Cloud Client Libraries are the preferred library choice, you can also use the [Google API Client Libraries](/apis/docs/client-libraries-explained#google-api-client-libraries) for Data Catalog. The \"legacy\" Google API Client Libraries provide access to the REST interface, but not the gRPC APIs.\n- [gRPC](/data-catalog/docs/reference/rpc): If your preferred programming\n language lacks a dedicated client library, you can still generate gRPC client\n libraries for Data Catalog using any gRPC-supported language.\n This requires the\n [protocol buffers](https://developers.google.com/protocol-buffers/)\n service definition, which is available in the\n [GitHub repository](https://github.com/googleapis/googleapis).\n\n To generate and use your client, refer to the instructions on\n [grpc.io](https://grpc.io/) for your chosen language.\n- [REST API](/data-catalog/docs/reference/rest): if you're unable\n to use Data Catalog's client libraries or the gRPC API, use the\n REST API.\n\nFor more information, see the following:\n\n- [Google Cloud APIs](../../apis/docs/overview)\n- [Client libraries explained](../../apis/docs/client-libraries-explained)\n- [API errors](../../apis/design/errors)\n- [HTTP response status codes](../../apis/design/errors#handling_errors)"]]
