INFORMATION_SCHEMA exposes metadata as queryable views. shop.INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES describes tables and views in a dataset. shop.INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS describes their columns, including names, data types and physical design markers. Scope matters: a dataset-level view describes that dataset, while region-level views require matching regional scope and permissions in BigQuery.
Use metadata to check a warehouse contract before a pipeline runs. A required column might be absent, a type might have changed, or a partition field might no longer match the report's filters. Check names explicitly and sort by ordinal_position when you need the declared column order.
The simulator provides a local subset of the BigQuery metadata views, not your production account's permissions or regional inventory. Practice the query shape and interpret the returned fields. A catalog query can find schema drift; it can't establish whether the underlying business data is complete.