Metadata

Metadata is data about data: the labels and details that describe a piece of information without being the information itself. A photo file, for example, carries metadata such as the date it was taken, the camera used and the file size, all separate from the picture you see.

It is like the label on a filing folder rather than the papers inside: it tells you what is there and helps you find it fast. Metadata matters because good labels make information easy to search, sort and trust, while missing or wrong labels leave useful data lost in a pile no one can navigate.