Glossary · E
ELT
Extract, Load, Transform
Extract data, load it, then transform it
What it means
ELT is a data processing pattern in which data is extracted from source systems, loaded into a target platform and then transformed there. It uses the target platform’s processing capabilities and can retain source data for additional transformations.
What it means for a business
A team can load source records into an analytical platform and maintain transformations as versioned models. The choice between ELT and ETL depends on processing costs, data sensitivity, platform capabilities and how the data will be used.