Data validation
Data validation means checking each value against a rule as it goes in, such as a drop-down list or a barcode check, and refusing or flagging what fails.
- Validation rules
What it means
Validation checks a value against a rule before it is accepted. Excel’s validation can “restrict the type of data or the values that users enter into a cell, like a dropdown list”.1 Google Sheets rejects an entry that “doesn’t match an item on the list”, unless the rule was set only to warn.2
A PIM goes further. In Akeneo, a simple select attribute makes people pick from a list instead of typing a new spelling. A GTIN check ensures a value “has 8, 12, 13, or 14 digits and passes the checksum”.3
Spreadsheet rules cover only the cells someone set them on, and a CSV, being plain text, carries no rules at all. And all validation is a gate, not a repair: it checks that a value fits the rule, not that it is true. A weight in the wrong unit is still a number.
Think of it like this
A spellchecker is a good comparison. It catches “teh”, but “their” typed where you meant “there” sails through, because the word is real, just wrong.
For example
A Colour column with a drop-down of Black, Grey and White refuses Gry as it is typed. It happily accepts Grey on a kettle that is actually black, because Grey is on the list.
Why it matters
Validation stops the commonest typing slips at the door, before they reach every channel. It cannot replace cleaning. A check digit that passes proves a barcode is well formed, not that it belongs to your product.
Not to be confused with
Data validation differs from data cleansing: validation refuses or flags a value that breaks a rule, while cleansing changes the value so it is right. A PIM validates on the way in, so a supplier file still needs cleaning before import.
Sources
- Microsoft Support. Apply data validation to cells.
- Google Docs Editors Help. Create an in-cell drop-down list.
- Akeneo Help Center. Manage your attributes.