---
title: "First Governed Import for BigQuery"
slug: "first-governed-import"
type: recipe
locale: en-US
canonical: "https://www.coremodels.io/recipe/bigquery/first-governed-import"
updatedAt: "2026-08-21T02:07:02+03:00"
---

# First Governed Import for BigQuery

Turn one INFORMATION_SCHEMA query into a governed estate.

Upload the extract BigQuery already gives you: tables and views become governed Types (identity project.dataset.table, TABLE_OPTIONS descriptions attached), columns become Elements with native types preserved (INT64 → Integer, NUMERIC → Double approximated, STRUCT/ARRAY/JSON honestly String-approximated) and is_nullable = NO → NotNull. Column descriptions travel via COLUMN_FIELD_PATHS. BigQuery enforces no keys, so none are invented. A first audit is recorded so drift tracking starts on day one. No Google credentials ever reach CoreModels.

## Articles

- [Your First BigQuery Drift Audit with CoreModels](https://www.coremodels.io/connector/bigquery/t1-quickstart)
- [The First Thing You Notice Is What Stops Happening](https://www.coremodels.io/connector/bigquery/h2-outcomes)