What is ETL vs ELT?
ETL transforms data before loading it. ELT loads it first and transforms it inside the destination.
In plain English
Both move data from sources to an analytics store. ETL (extract, transform, load) cleans and reshapes data on the way in. ELT (extract, load, transform) lands the raw data first and uses the power of a modern cloud warehouse to transform it afterwards, which keeps the raw copy available for new uses.
Example
Copying raw sales files into a cloud warehouse and then building clean tables with SQL is ELT.
Where you will meet it
This idea belongs to the subject area of these practice tests. We do not publish or predict real exam questions.
- CompTIA Data+ practice tests
- SnowPro Associate practice tests
- Google Cloud Associate Data Practitioner practice tests
Related terms
- Data warehouse vs data lake: A warehouse stores cleaned, structured data for reporting. A lake stores raw data of any kind cheaply.
- Data governance: The rules and responsibilities for how an organisation manages, protects and uses its data.
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