> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.cortex.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.cortex.io/ingesting-data-into-cortex/entities-overview/entities/ownership.md).

# Defining ownership

Every entity in your catalog should have a clear answer to the question: *who is responsible for this?* Ownership is what makes that answer reliable.

In practice, ownership does more than assign a name to an entity. It's the connective tissue between your catalog and your workflows. It determines who gets notified when an incident fires, who's accountable when a Scorecard degrades, and who needs to act when verification lapses. Without it, alerts go unanswered, reviews stall, and gaps in your platform go unnoticed.

Cortex gives you several ways to establish ownership:

* Automated recommendations based on repository activity
* Definitions pulled from your identity providers and version control integrations
* Manual assignment in the UI
* Inheritance from parent entities in your hierarchy.

However you get there, the goal is the same: every entity has an accountable owner, and that owner is always current.

{% hint style="success" %}
Avoid inefficient manual processes by using [Cortex's Ownership tool](/ingesting-data-into-cortex/entities-overview/entities/ownership/assigning-owners-to-entities.md#assigning-ownership-via-cortex-recommendations) to solve entity ownership quickly. Cortex automatically predicts entity owners so developers can skip the guesswork and reach the right person immediately.
{% endhint %}

## Viewing entity owners

When viewing an entity, the owners appear in the metadata bar on the right side of the page:

<div align="left" data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/KMVIx1mhVgddqGx08GL5" alt="The Owners section in an entity&#x27;s metadata sidebar." width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

If the entity is owned by a team, click the team name to open the team's entity page, which lists its members and owned entities. If owned by an individual, Cortex displays the user's email. For information on assigning owners, refer to

## Viewing entities without owners

There are a few ways to find entities in your catalog that don't have owners yet:

* Use the [Ownership tool](/ingesting-data-into-cortex/entities-overview/entities/ownership/assigning-owners-to-entities.md#assigning-ownership-via-cortex-recommendations) to see unowned entities and Cortex's automated recommendations for owners
* View the [Executive Report](/improve/reports/executive-report.md), which lists unowned entities
* Run an [Ownership Verification Scorecard](/standardize/scorecards/create.md#scorecard-templates), which adds tasks to your homepage for any entities still missing owners