This article is co-authored by Anastasiia Shevtsova, Oleksandr Cherniavskyi, and Serhiy Motornyuk

For data catalogue administrators, updating how your data is categorised usually means submitting a ticket to the IT department. And simply adding a new field, changing a label, or updating a requirement means a developer has to dig into complex backend code.

Link Digital is changing that by introducing two new extensions for the  Comprehensive Knowledge Archive Network (CKAN) that put the power back in the hands of the people managing the data: ckanext-workflow for dynamic workflows and ckanext-scheming for dynamic scheming.

Originally developed to solve a complex challenge for a recent tender, these features are already generating huge excitement among our existing clients. They transform CKAN from a system that requires constant developer support into a flexible, self-serve platform.

Here is how these upgrades make managing your data catalogue faster and easier.

Dynamic scheming: change the rules without breaking your old data

You can say goodbye to waiting for code updates just to change a form. Administrators can now create, rename, and modify data entry fields directly through a clean, user-friendly web interface. If a new regulation means you suddenly need to add a “Compliance Status” dropdown to your dataset schema, it can be done in minutes. 

Consistency is critical for a healthy data portal. The ckanext-scheming extension also lets you create standard fields, like a specific list of teams, departments, or standard license types, and save them as reusable blocks. Build it once and drop it into any new data form you create, ensuring everyone uses the exact same terminology.

One of the biggest fears when updating a database is breaking the data that is already there. We’ve built a smart safety net. Every dataset stays on the version of the schema it was created with, so changes never break existing data. When you’re ready, a guided process helps you move datasets to the new version of the schema. 

Dynamic Schema, a CKAN extension created by Link Digital
Dynamic Schema, a CKAN extension created by Link Digital

Keep data moving with dynamic workflows

Managing a data portal isn’t just about storing files; it’s about managing the journey from a rough draft to a published dataset. With ckanext-workflow, you decide the review and approval steps every dataset must pass before it goes live, and nothing is published until those steps are completed: 

  • Clear approvals: Define exactly who needs to review and approve data before it goes live.
  • Visual dashboards: See at a glance where every dataset sits in the approval pipeline.
  • Time limits: Give each step a deadline. Late steps are flagged as “overdue” on the admin dashboard, and users are notified when new work is assigned to them.
Dynamic Workflows, a CKAN extension created by Link Digital
Dynamic Workflows, a CKAN extension created by Link Digital

The ckanext-workflow and ckanext-scheming extensions are designed to work as a pair. When you create a new schema, you can set up a matching review process for it straight away, with no developer involved. Your data team controls both what information is collected and how it’s checked before publication. 

Enterprise reliability, easy experience

Simple, form-based admin screens make managing schemas and workflows point-and-click easy, without compromising on reliability. Every schema is checked before it’s saved, so a broken configuration can’t reach your live portal. 

Built on ckanext-scheming,the standard schema tool for CKAN, these schemas pull values directly from your existing systems, while the workflow engine seamlessly connects to automation tools. By removing technical bottlenecks, Link Digital helps data teams become more agile and responsive while maintaining complete control over data governance.

What’s next?

We’re continuing to build on both products. Next on the roadmap are automated workflow steps that run checks on a dataset and report the results back to CKAN, using tools such as n8n (an open-source, node-based workflow automation platform), and a workflow trigger that starts syndicating a dataset to other catalogues once it’s approved. 

Technical Facts

Want to see how easy it can be? 

Contact the Link Digital team today to schedule a demo and see our no-code CKAN tools in action.