# Data Contracts

> Define and enforce explicit data contracts between data producers and consumers to improve reliability and reduce breaking changes. Use when multiple teams share datasets, pipelines, or analytical tables.

- Skill: `itsual/data-contracts` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add itsual/data-contracts`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/itsual/data-contracts/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: itsual (https://skillmd.com/u/itsual)
- Updated: 2026-09-21
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/itsual/data-contracts

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# Data Contracts

## Overview

Data contracts make the expectations between data producers and consumers explicit, testable, and enforceable — similar to API contracts but for data.

## When to Use

- Multiple teams depend on shared tables, streams, or files
- Breaking changes in data are causing downstream failures
- Moving toward a more product-oriented data culture

## Key Elements of a Contract

- Schema and types
- Ownership and SLAs (freshness, quality)
- Compatibility / change policy
- Quality checks and monitoring
- Semantics and business meaning of fields

## Principles

- Treat important datasets as products with interfaces
- Prefer explicit contracts over tribal knowledge
- Enforce contracts with tests and monitoring, not just documentation

## Verification

- Consumers can rely on documented guarantees
- Breaking changes follow a defined process
- Quality and freshness are monitored against the contract