Distinct Count Check API

This page documents how to create and manage a Distinct Count check via the REST API. The check uses the standard Quality Checks endpoints: set rule to distinctCount, list exactly one field under fields, and provide the operator and the expected number under properties. All endpoints share the base URL of your deployment (for example, https://your-instance.qualytics.io/api) and require a Bearer token.

Tip

For complete API documentation, including request and response schemas, visit the API docs.

Permissions

All endpoints require the Member role plus a team permission on the check's datastore: Reporter to read, Author to create or update an Active check, archive, or delete, and Drafter to create or update a Draft. See Permissions for the full matrix.

The `properties` object

Distinct Count carries its rule-specific configuration under properties:

Field	Required	Type	Description
`comparison`	Yes	`string`	The operator applied between the measured count and `value`: `lt`, `lte`, `eq`, `gte`, or `gt`.
`value`	Yes	`number`	The expected number of distinct values.

Create

Endpoint: POST /api/quality-checks

Permission: Member role + Author team permission on the container's datastore (Drafter when status is "Draft").

Create a Distinct Count check (every accepted field)

curl -X POST "https://your-instance.qualytics.io/api/quality-checks" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
      "description": "The order status column must hold exactly 3 distinct values.",
      "rule": "distinctCount",
      "fields": ["o_orderstatus"],
      "container_id": 145,
      "filter": null,
      "properties": {"comparison": "eq", "value": 3},
      "tags": ["reference-data", "cardinality"],
      "additional_metadata": {"jira": "DATA-9701"},
      "template_id": null,
      "status": "Active",
      "owner_id": 7,
      "default_anomaly_assignee_id": 12
  }'

Field notes

Field	Required	Notes
`description`	Yes	Free-text description shown in the UI.
`rule`	Yes	Must be `"distinctCount"`.
`fields`	Yes	Array with exactly one entry. Every field type is accepted.
`container_id`	Yes	ID of the container (table or file) the check runs against.
`filter`	No	SQL `WHERE` expression. Applied before the evaluation, so only filtered rows are evaluated. Send `null` for no filter.
`properties`	Yes	Object holding the operator and the expected count. See above.
`tags`	No	List of tag names applied to the check for filtering and organization.
`additional_metadata`	No	Free-form key-value pairs (typically links to catalog entries, tickets, governance records).
`template_id`	No	ID of a Check Template to associate the check with. `null` if not using a template.
`status`	No	`"Active"` (default) or `"Draft"`. Draft checks are not evaluated by Scans.
`owner_id`	No	ID of the user who owns the check. Defaults to the user creating the check when omitted.
`default_anomaly_assignee_id`	No	ID of the user automatically assigned to anomalies produced by the check.

Two payload fields exist for other rule types but do not apply here:

coverage is not supported. The rule asserts one number about the dataset, so there is no per-row violation rate. Omit it, or send 1 for backward compatibility; any other value is rejected with 422 Unprocessable Entity.
anomaly_message_field is ignored. Distinct Count emits a Shape Anomaly only, and Shape Anomalies always use the fixed message.

Read

Endpoint: GET /api/quality-checks/{id}

Permission: Member role + Reporter team permission on the check's datastore.

Retrieve a check by ID

curl -X GET "https://your-instance.qualytics.io/api/quality-checks/101" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"

Update

Endpoint: PUT /api/quality-checks/{id}

Permission: Member role + Author team permission on the check's datastore (Drafter when the check stays Draft).

The PUT endpoint requires description; include the check's current description (or a new one) along with the fields you want to change. Send the whole properties object: partial property updates are not merged.

Loosen the comparison on an existing check

curl -X PUT "https://your-instance.qualytics.io/api/quality-checks/101" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "description": "The order status column must hold at least 3 distinct values.",
    "properties": {"comparison": "gte", "value": 3}
  }'

A PUT can update most fields on an existing Distinct Count check. Three values stay immutable: the rule type, the container the check is attached to, and the associated Check Template. If any of these needs to change, delete the check and create a new one.

Editable vs Immutable on PUT

Editable

description
filter
properties.comparison and properties.value
tags
additional_metadata
fields (must remain a single field)
status
owner_id
default_anomaly_assignee_id

Immutable

rule
container_id
template_id

Delete

Endpoint: DELETE /api/quality-checks/{id}

Permission: Member role + Author team permission on the check's datastore.

Three query parameters control what happens, mirroring the two-stage flow in the UI:

Parameter	Default	Description
`archive`	`true`	When `true`, the check is archived and can be restored later. When `false`, the check is permanently deleted.
`status`	`Discarded`	The archive resolution: `Discarded` (no longer relevant) or `Invalid` (wrong and suppressed from future AI generation). Only used when `archive=true`.
`delete_anomalies`	`true`	Whether to permanently delete the anomalies the check produced. A permanent delete (`archive=false`) always removes them.

Archive a check, keeping its anomalies

curl -X DELETE "https://your-instance.qualytics.io/api/quality-checks/101?archive=true&status=Discarded&delete_anomalies=false" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"

Delete a check permanently

curl -X DELETE "https://your-instance.qualytics.io/api/quality-checks/101?archive=false" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"

Error responses

Status	Description
`400 Bad Request`	A business-logic conflict prevents the operation (for example, changing properties while the check is archived, or switching an archived check between `Discarded` and `Invalid`).
`401 Unauthorized`	Missing or invalid API token.
`403 Forbidden`	The caller lacks the required team permission on the check's datastore.
`404 Not Found`	The check ID does not exist.
`422 Unprocessable Entity`	The payload fails schema validation (for example, `description` missing on `PUT`, or `properties.comparison` is missing or is not one of the accepted operators).