tracing-downstream-lineage
Trace downstream data lineage and impact analysis. Use when the user asks what depends on this data, what breaks if something changes, downstream dependencies, or needs to assess change risk before modifying a table or DAG.
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Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/astronomer/agents --skill tracing-downstream-lineage- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads tracing-downstream-lineage automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
Downstream Lineage: Impacts
Answer the critical question: "What breaks if I change this?"
Use this BEFORE making changes to understand the blast radius.
Impact Analysis
Step 1: Identify Direct Consumers
Find everything that reads from this target:
For Tables:
-
Search DAG source code: Look for DAGs that SELECT from this table
- Use
af dags listto get all DAGs - Use
af dags source <dag_id>to search for table references - Look for:
FROM target_table,JOIN target_table
- Use
-
Check for dependent views:
-- Snowflake SELECT * FROM information_schema.view_table_usage WHERE table_name = '<target_table>' -- Or check SHOW VIEWS and search definitions -
Look for BI tool connections:
- Dashboards often query tables directly
- Check for common BI patterns in table naming (rpt_, dashboard_)
On Astro
If you're running on Astro, the Lineage tab in the Astro UI provides visual dependency graphs across DAGs and datasets, making downstream impact analysis faster. It shows which DAGs consume a given dataset and their current status, reducing the need for manual source code searches.
For DAGs:
- Check what the DAG produces: Use
af dags source <dag_id>to find output tables - Then trace those tables' consumers (recursive)
Step 2: Build Dependency Tree
Map the full downstream impact:
SOURCE: fct.orders
|
+-- TABLE: agg.daily_sales --> Dashboard: Executive KPIs
| |
| +-- TABLE: rpt.monthly_summary --> Email: Monthly Report
|
+-- TABLE: ml.order_features --> Model: Demand Forecasting
|
+-- DIRECT: Looker Dashboard "Sales Overview"
Step 3: Categorize by Criticality
Critical (breaks production):
- Production dashboards
- Customer-facing applications
- Automated reports to executives
- ML models in production
- Regulatory/compliance reports
High (causes significant issues):
- Internal operational dashboards
- Analyst workflows
- Data science experiments
- Downstream ETL jobs
Medium (inconvenient):
- Ad-hoc analysis tables
- Development/staging copies
- Historical archives
Low (minimal impact):
- Deprecated tables
- Unused datasets
- Test data
Step 4: Assess Change Risk
For the proposed change, evaluate:
Schema Changes (adding/removing/renaming columns):
- Which downstream queries will break?
- Are there SELECT * patterns that will pick up new columns?
- Which transformations reference the changing columns?
Data Changes (values, volumes, timing):
- Will downstream aggregations still be valid?
- Are there NULL handling assumptions that will break?
- Will timing changes affect SLAs?
Deletion/Deprecation:
- Full dependency tree must be migrated first
- Communication needed for all stakeholders
Step 5: Find Stakeholders
Identify who owns downstream assets:
- DAG owners: Check
ownersfield in DAG definitions - Dashboard owners: Usually in BI tool metadata
- Team ownership: Look for team naming patterns or documentation
Output: Impact Report
Summary
"Changing fct.orders will impact X tables, Y DAGs, and Z dashboards"
Impact Diagram
+--> [agg.daily_sales] --> [Executive Dashboard]
|
[fct.orders] -------+--> [rpt.order_details] --> [Ops Team Email]
|
+--> [ml.features] --> [Demand Model]
Detailed Impacts
| Downstream | Type | Criticality | Owner | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| agg.daily_sales | Table | Critical | data-eng | Updated hourly |
| Executive Dashboard | Dashboard | Critical | analytics | CEO views daily |
| ml.order_features | Table | High | ml-team | Retraining weekly |
Risk Assessment
| Change Type | Risk Level | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| Add column | Low | No action needed |
| Rename column | High | Update 3 DAGs, 2 dashboards |
| Delete column | Critical | Full migration plan required |
| Change data type | Medium | Test downstream aggregations |
Recommended Actions
Before making changes:
- Notify owners: @data-eng, @analytics, @ml-team
- Update downstream DAG:
transform_daily_sales - Test dashboard: Executive KPIs
- Schedule change during low-impact window
Related Skills
- Trace where data comes from: tracing-upstream-lineage skill
- Check downstream freshness: checking-freshness skill
- Debug any broken DAGs: debugging-dags skill
- Add manual lineage annotations: annotating-task-lineage skill
- Build custom lineage extractors: creating-openlineage-extractors skill
FAQ
What does the tracing-downstream-lineage skill do?
Trace downstream data lineage and impact analysis. Use when the user asks what depends on this data, what breaks if something changes, downstream dependencies, or needs to assess change risk before modifying a table or DAG.
How do I install tracing-downstream-lineage?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/astronomer/agents --skill tracing-downstream-lineage in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/tracing-downstream-lineage/ (personal) or .claude/skills/tracing-downstream-lineage/ (project).
Which AI agents can use tracing-downstream-lineage?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is tracing-downstream-lineage safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains tracing-downstream-lineage?
It is published by astronomer in astronomer/agents, and it is an official skill from the maker of the technology it covers. It has 1,025 recorded installs.
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